This is from last year:
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Media « The Cambridge Centre for Gallium Nitride
Out of the red and into the blue: making the LED revolution cost-effective - YouTube
And this year, other companies are getting into the act:
Philips And The Future Of LED Lighting - Forbes
Light that lasts 37 years makes the future bright for son of Dyson - BT
There are some extraordinary applications promised:
Scientists Are Perfecting the LED Lighting For Our Future Space Gardens
LED Lights Are The Future Of Urban Farming—At Least If Philips Has Anything To Say About It | Co.Exist | ideas + impact
In the context of the UK government wanting to cut our energy use
Futures Forum: Wither UK energy policy?
... this story from last month is very promising:
'Quantum dot' technology may help light the future
August 19, 2015
Source: Oregon State University
Summary: Advances in manufacturing technology for 'quantum dots' may soon lead to a new generation of LED lighting that produces a more user-friendly white light, while using less toxic materials and low-cost manufacturing processes that take advantage of simple microwave heating. It could help the nation cut its lighting bill in half.
Advances at Oregon State University in manufacturing technology for "quantum dots" may soon lead to a new generation of LED lighting that produces a more user-friendly white light, while using less toxic materials and low-cost manufacturing processes that take advantage of simple microwave heating.
The cost, environmental, and performance improvements could finally produce solid state lighting systems that consumers really like and help the nation cut its lighting bill almost in half, researchers say, compared to the cost of incandescent and fluorescent lighting.
The same technology may also be widely incorporated into improved lighting displays, computer screens, smart phones, televisions and other systems.
A key to the advances, which have been published in the Journal of Nanoparticle Research, is use of both a "continuous flow" chemical reactor, and microwave heating technology that's conceptually similar to the ovens that are part of almost every modern kitchen.
The continuous flow system is fast, cheap, energy efficient and will cut manufacturing costs. And the microwave heating technology will address a problem that so far has held back wider use of these systems, which is precise control of heat needed during the process. The microwave approach will translate into development of nanoparticles that are exactly the right size, shape and composition.
"There are a variety of products and technologies that quantum dots can be applied to, but for mass consumer use, possibly the most important is improved LED lighting," said Greg Herman, an associate professor and chemical engineer in the OSU College of Engineering.
"We may finally be able to produce low cost, energy efficient LED lighting with the soft quality of white light that people really want," Herman said. "At the same time, this technology will use nontoxic materials and dramatically reduce the waste of the materials that are used, which translates to lower cost and environmental protection."
Some of the best existing LED lighting now being produced at industrial levels, Herman said, uses cadmium, which is highly toxic. The system currently being tested and developed at OSU is based on copper indium diselenide, a much more benign material with high energy conversion efficiency.
Quantum dots are nanoparticles that can be used to emit light, and by precisely controlling the size of the particle, the color of the light can be controlled. They've been used for some time but can be expensive and lack optimal color control. The manufacturing techniques being developed at OSU, which should be able to scale up to large volumes for low-cost commercial applications, will provide new ways to offer the precision needed for better color control.
By comparison, some past systems to create these nanoparticles for uses in optics, electronics or even biomedicine have been slow, expensive, sometimes toxic and often wasteful.
Oher applications of these systems are also possible. Cell phones and portable electronic devices might use less power and last much longer on a charge. "Taggants," or compounds with specific infrared or visible light emissions, could be used for precise and instant identification, including control of counterfeit bills or products.
OSU is already working with the private sector to help develop some uses of this technology, and more may evolve. The research has been supported by Oregon BEST and the National Science Foundation Center for Sustainable Materials Chemistry.
Story Source:
The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Oregon State University. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
Journal Reference:
Robert C. Fitzmorris, Richard P. Oleksak, Zheng Zhou, Benjamin D. Mangum, Juanita N. Kurtin, Gregory S. Herman. Structural and optical characterization of CuInS2 quantum dots synthesized by microwave-assisted continuous flow methods. Journal of Nanoparticle Research, 2015; 17 (7) DOI: 10.1007/s11051-015-3123-1
'Quantum dot' technology may help light the future -- ScienceDaily
It's very much about making these technologies more accessible:
Futures Forum: "Abundant, cheap electricity has been the greatest source of human liberation in the 20th century."
The Sidmouth Science Festival kicks off next month:
Sidmouth Science Festival - Home
See also:
Futures Forum: Sustainable intensification of agriculture: an oxymoron?
Futures Forum: The food industry and energy
Futures Forum: The Water, Energy and Food Nexus
Futures Forum: Sustainable development >>> land is not a limited resource >>> and there are no limits to growth
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