Cutting-edge technology for first-class solutions

light+building 2012: Osram displays its new developments in nine different technology categories

Within the last years, Osram has developed from a component manufacturer to a supplier of complex lighting solutions, and can now offer first-class answers to satisfy the needs of different customers, ranging from luminaire manufacturers right up to end consumers. In so doing the further development of certain specific technologies has played an important role. Since the company can provide convincing complete offers for its customers only on the foundation of excellent individual technologies. At light+building 2012, Osram presents new developments in nine different technology categories.

The economical answer: save 400 euros of electricity costs with merely one lamp

LED retrofits, thus meaning new sources of light for old screw bases, represent the simple introduction to LED technology for a great number of customers. According to a comprehensive study conducted on the future of the lighting market, the number of sold retrofits is expected to triple in the coming five years. At the beginning of the coming decade it is even anticipated that this number will exceed the volume of compact fluorescent lamps. At light+building Osram presents the LED lamp Parathom Classic A75 Advanced – the first genuine LED substitute for the 75W light bulb on the European market. The changeover is definitely viable: per lamp the customers can attain electricity savings of approximately 400 euros taking into account the entire lifetime (approx. 30,000 hours). The special design of the Parathom Classic A75 Advanced – the LEDs are distributed on surfaces around the lamp axis and radiate in all directions – allows an extremely high coverage angle of 320°. As from coming June, an LED alternative for a 50W light bulb will already be available for less than 20 euros.

The efficient answer: high intensity discharge lamps with first-class color rendering properties

If plenty of light, thus a high luminous flux, first-class efficiency, very good color rendering properties and brilliant light is what you need, the high intensity discharge (HID) lamps are an excellent choice. HID technology is used among others for lighting up the playing field in football stadiums or the sets in film studios, bathing them in a light as bright as day. In our daily surroundings, this category of lamps can be found among others in more upper class retail businesses. At light+building, Osram presents the HCI Powerball Plus lamp for application in these fields. Their color rendering properties are very good (CRI ≥ 90), and they are more than ten times more efficient (up to 107 lm/W) than an incandescent bulb. Thus they can even compete with the very latest LED solutions. Powerball Plus supplements the existing Powerball product family, so that two versions are now available – Powerball and Powerball Plus. The Powerball Plus lamps are ideally operated in combination with the long-lasting Osram Powertronic electronic control gears.

The flexible answer: control gears for LEDs and fluorescent lamps

Another technology that still remains competitive in certain applications, despite the era of LED, is the fluorescent lamp. Counting in their favour is the good price-performance ratio in combination with the high level of energy efficiency. A combination of LEDs and fluorescent lamps is becoming increasingly more popular, for instance in connection with motion detectors: if it should be necessary to retain a minimal level of light for safety and comfort reasons, this can be done via LED. Should persons be in the room, fluorescent lamps are then added. Such luminaires can be realised with the Quicktronic Intelligent Dual Power control gear. Typical application areas for this would be corridor areas in office buildings, hospitals but also underground car parks. Thanks to the option of integrating a motion detector directly into the luminaire, Quicktronic Intelligent Dual Power is also suited for luminaires which are used for the modernisation of existing buildings. As the sensor can be built directly into the luminaire, there is no need for laying new wiring. This saves time and money in the course of assembly.

The integrated answer: light management systems

The future of light belongs to intelligent integrated solutions, where all components are optimally integrated with one another. This is made possible by light management systems (LMS). They are increasingly conquering more and more fields of application.

The outdoor and street lighting of entire city districts can be steered intelligently with the Street Light Control System by OSRAM. Both traditional as well as LED luminaires can be integrated in this system. Apart from the power consumption, which can be reduced by up to 55 percent through requirement-based dimming, the operating state of the luminaires is reported, which helps optimizing the maintenance.

For applications in office buildings, public buildings or industrial areas, Osram introduces the LMS Encelium to Europe at light+building. It is able to steer entire or even numerous buildings, and in doing so it is capable of saving up to 75 percent of the electricity required for lighting. By using the Encelium 3-D software “Polaris”, operators can steer and monitor the system throughout the world via the internet. Furthermore, every employee can also independently regulate the lighting level at his or her own working place.

Smart light management is also possible at home. With the Osram products of the new IQ Light Control Family, users can select luminaires and lamps individually or as a group, steer and dim them. The corresponding remote control allows a virtually endless selection of colors. Up to eight scenes can be stored and recalled by pressing a button, thus generating the ideal lighting atmosphere, be it for a romantic dinner or an evening spent with friends in front of the television. An adapter with a remote switch / dimmer (for luminaires with plugs), a switching relay (for luminaires without plugs) for the flush-mounted fitting, as well as a motion detector with integrated light sensor, also form a part of the IQ light management system.

Atmospheric answers: dynamic lighting by Traxon Technologies

Be it for the interior lighting of restaurants or the exterior lighting of famous city landmarks – increasingly, intelligent effect lighting solutions are being deployed in a growing number of applications. The range extends from an individual, dynamically back-lit LED wall, e.g. in a bar, right up to highly complex installations, such as the exterior walls of the national stadium in Warsaw, where the opening game of this year’s European Football Championship will be held. Complete solutions for the dynamic LED lighting is offered by the Osram subsidiary Traxon Technologies. In this regard, e.g. the new generation of DMX-output devices e:cue Butler S2 is recommended for playing pre-programmed scenes such as, the color or pattern run of a LED wall. Larger installations are realised by the e:cue Butler XT2. It can simultaneously play up to eight different sequences. Both devices can be controlled and steered quite easily via iPhone or iPad. Complex applications, e.g. the illumination of a football stadium, are controlled and steered by the LCE-m x server, where the e:cue control software has been pre-installed. Connected systems, such as PCs and infrared sensors generate interactive effects. Thus, by means of example, the movements of passers-by can generate light effects in the shop windows.

New answers: LED versions for a great variety of different applications

There is not only a rapid change in lighting regarding LED luminaires and solutions, but also regarding LED components as such. Apart from the performance data which is continuously improving, customized LEDs for new and existing applications enter the market. With Oslon Square, Osram has succeeded in developing a highly efficient light diode that is characterised by its particularly compact dimensions of only 3 x 3 millimetres and is suited for use both in interior and exterior lighting. Oslon Square is available in a great number of different versions, with a variety of color temperatures. Depending on what is required, it can also be operated with different currents. If light within a luminaire is sent back to the LED, a special coating ensures that the light is reflected and can be utilized once again. In doing so, efficiency can be increased by 5 percent.

Future-proof answers: LED Light Engines in accordance with the Zhaga standard

The high rate of innovation in the LED era poses new challenges for luminaire manufacturers: the gigantic leaps in performance of light diodes and the thus resultant technical changes currently require complex changes in luminaire design with virtually every new generation of LEDs. A response to this situation is provided by standardised LED Light Engines, thus complete LED sources of light, consisting of LED Modules and the correlating drive electronics. To ensure that these Light Engines can be universally deployed, 180 companies in the lighting industry have joined forces in the so-called “Zhaga-Consortium”. The Consortium defines certain specific interface-specifications. These specifications make Zhaga-certified Light Engines the equivalent to standardised illuminants such as incandescent bulbs or fluorescent lamps in the traditional world of light is attained. Defined basic data ensures planning certainty, reduced development effort and offers flexibility in the manufacture of luminaires (additional information: www.zhagastandard.org). At light+building, Osram presents its first Light Engine that is Zhaga-certified: with up to 108 lm/w, the round Prevaled Core Z2 for spot- and downlights are approximately ten times more efficient than incandescent bulbs. The product family Prevaled Linear Slim and Prevaled Compact, which has also been developed in accordance with the Zhaga specifications, are suited for use in office, industrial and exterior lighting.

The systematic answer: LED modules and control gears

As in the traditional world of light, one also has a variety of different LED modules used for different purposes. The LED chains such as Osram’s Dragonchain are well-suited for applications like illuminated ceilings and backlighting or large light boxes. At light+building 2012, Osram introduces the Dragonchain Tunable White IP65, a flexible chain consisting of six LED modules, each of which is equipped with two cold-white and two warm-white LEDs. In connection with a light management system, the color temperature of, e.g., an illuminated ceiling can be infinitely adjusted, with a range between 2,700 and 6,500 K. Such illuminated ceilings are for example used in rooms with no or only very little natural daylight, with the purpose of simulating the light cycle prevalent during the day. This supports the human body in synchronising its biological clock. Furthermore, this solution can also create different lighting moods within the room. This feature is deployed in application fields such as hospitality, shop or museum.

Ideally, the Osram LED modules are steered with the control gears stemming from the Optotronic series, which can be used for a variety of different applications. In this year, the product series is already celebrating its tenth birthday. Among others, Osram is presenting a novelty at the trade fair, i.e. an intelligent electronic control gear for the outdoor area, suitable for instance for street lighting. The integrated 3DIM-function enables three different dimming settings: in the “StepDIM“, the light is dimmed down during the night with the help of a connected control line. With “AstroDIM” there are even two dimming steps at ones disposal, which are aligned to sunrise and sunset times on the basis of an integrated calendar. The third mode (DALI) enables flexible controlling and monitoring in the light management systems.

The design-oriented answer: OLED

Already at light+building 2008, in cooperation with the famous light designer Ingo Maurer, Osram introduced the first OLED designer luminaire “Early Future”. Two years later the company presented Orbeos, the first so-called “qualified” OLED product, thus referring to a panel with defined basic data, demonstrating what an OLED serial product could look like. At this year’s light+building, visitors will be able to convince themselves that OLED has succeeded in taking the next step in the direction toward functional lighting.

The improvements in efficiency, with consistently good performance data, remain one of the central challenges in this regard. The researchers and developers at Osram have recently been successful at attaining new efficiency records both with the rigid and flexible OLED. At light+building, panels from the new pilot production line in Regensburg will be demonstrated, which, with 40 lm/w and 119 x 119 millimetres, are clearly more efficient and larger than the products offered to date. What is more, visitors can also take a closer look at the newly developed connection system, which facilitates the simple panel assembly.

In addition, Ingo Maurer again demonstrates what the new OLED panels look like in the application. He will introduce the BGD-61 luminaire at the trade fair, which has been inspired by the filigree lightness of the surface light source.