OSRAM Opto Semiconductors is a subsidiary of OSRAM, one of the two leading lighting manufacturers in the world. The semiconductor company’s strategy is summarized by its mission statement: “We shape the future of light – with advanced solutions for illumination, visualization and sensing.” As a leader in the initiative to deliver more eco-friendly lighting solutions, OSRAM Opto Semiconductors continually develops and delivers new, highly efficient light sources (LED and OLED) for today and tomorrow. These new technologies will play a significant role in reducing the amount of electricity used for lighting as a proportion of total energy consumption.

LEDs: The Light of the Future

At present, energy savings based on conventional lighting technologies include compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) with integrated electronics, advanced linear fluorescent lamps, halogen energy-saving lamps (HES) and high-intensity discharge lamps, together with advanced control gear and light management systems. As the adoption of these more energy efficient light sources becomes more widespread in the coming years, the resulting energy savings will naturally increase.

In terms of technology, economics and politics, the current conditions are ideal for a paradigm shift to LEDs. Light emitting diodes have considerable potential for increases in brightness and efficiency, and can deliver even more potential energy savings than traditional light sources. Development work is ongoing and light emitting diodes are already penetrating the general illumination sector.

Light emitting diodes (LEDs), called “the light of the future” by industry experts, are among the most energy-efficient light sources available today. LEDs can be five times more efficient than incandescent lamps, and are expected to be ten times more efficient in the future. LEDs are point light sources, and their directional light helps reduce light pollution, eliminating scattered, wasted light and delivering light precisely where it’s needed. With artificial lighting accounting for approximately 19% of global electricity consumption (2.4% of primary energy consumption worldwide), replacing conventional light sources with efficient light sources such as LEDs could cut global electricity consumption for lighting in half.

Investing in Eco-Friendly Solutions

OSRAM Opto Semiconductors is continually investing in research & development and has established a wide-ranging scientific network for the development and production of eco-friendly lighting solutions. In 2008, OSRAM launched a project at Lake Victoria in Kenya involving rechargeable batteries, solar power and energy-saving lamps. As this concept is developed further, it will be possible to use optical semiconductors to create even more efficient off-grid solutions.

For years, OSRAM has operated certified environmental management systems and complied with the relevant standards at all of its sites worldwide. This applies more and more in many areas of production, the selection of raw materials, purchasing and health & safety. The company’s environmental management system meets the requirements of ISO 14001:2004 (the international standard for such systems, at all sites), and ensures compliance and continual improvement. This covers not only the technologies for chips and associated products but also the use of energy and resources.

When OSRAM expanded its headquarters in Regensburg, Germany – site of the world’s most advanced optical chip fabrication plant – it constructed new facilities and launched an energy program based on making the best use of heat, reusing waste heat and reducing the generation of new heat to the absolute minimum. The heat generated in the fabrication process is reused (compressed air, process cooling water), and the use of solvents such as acetone has also been reduced. To date, through these initiatives alone, OSRAM has eliminated nearly 5.2 tons of CO2 emission each year.

Looking Ahead

LEDs are already being used in an extremely wide range of applications. They are more than just “nice to have” and there is ample evidence that cost efficiency and environmental protection are not mutually exclusive. LEDs combine sustainability with cost efficiency.

Double-figure growth is forecast for the LED market in the mid-term. As the technical performance of LEDs increases and their manufacturing costs decrease, LEDs will come to dominate more and more applications for which they offer significant energy savings and reduced overall costs. These applications include consumer electronics, automobiles, public sector/street lighting and solar energy applications.