OptoElectronix today announced a unique LED-based lighting module that enables luminaire manufacturers to accelerate adoption of SSL (solid state lighting) for commercial lighting fixtures. It delivers the same light output as a 60-watt incandescent bulb at just one-fourth the power and has a 50,000-hour life.

The ULE4000 LightBlox(TM) module is a self-contained, plug-and-play LED light engine that includes the LED, integrated power supply, thermal management, proprietary control circuitry, and optics. It is available in warm white or cool white light. Its fully integrated 120-volt power supply means installing a ULE4000 light fixture is as simple as connecting two leads and the ground wire to an electrical junction box. Light fixture manufacturers can replace traditional ballast, sockets and bulbs with just one part.

The ULE4000 is one of few LED light engines on the market that works with standard Triac dimmers. The proprietary Dynamic Dimming Compensation Control(TM) circuit eliminates the flicker and dimming-range problems seen with traditional LED lights, so light control is very similar to that of incandescent bulbs.

The thin, low-cost, LightBlox module is particularly ideal for ADA-compliant (Americans with Disabilities Act) wall fixtures that require a very low profile. These fixtures have been mandated for every commercial and governmental building in the U.S. Other applications include wall-washing luminaires and floodlights. LightBlox modules can be designed into existing fixtures or used as the platform for efficient new designs never before possible--no transformers required.

"The LightBlox LED light engine represents a tremendous technical and commercial achievement by OptoElectronix," said Tim Woodward, managing director of Nth Power, a leading energy-focused venture capital firm and OptoElectronix investor. "Lighting based on light-emitting diodes, rather than incandescent and fluorescent lamps, is an extremely attractive proposition, because of the comparatively low power usage and potentially long lifetimes of LEDs, which further reduce maintenance costs."

LightBlox Family

The ULE4000 is the first in the LightBlox family of lighting products based on OptoElectronix(TM) Universal Light Engine(TM) technology. OptoElectronix is using this platform to enable a wide variety of illumination-grade products for different applications that share a common underlying technology and design.

The first models in the ULE4000 series are the ULE4360-5-55W with a 3,200K color temperature (warm white) and the ULE4361-5-55W with a 6,200K color temperature (cool white). Both connect directly to a 120VAC power source and feature a 120-degree beam angle.

The ULE4000 provides up to 1,000 lumens of light output--more than a 60-watt incandescent bulb--using only 21 watts of power. The 5x3x1.375-inch module includes end-mounting tabs, which can be used to easily secure it to a fixture. Two integrated power leads provide a direct, 120VAC connection and are long enough to reach into a wall-mounted junction box.

The Market

OptoElectronix estimates that the light engine market, which includes the LEDs, thermal network, power driver circuitry, and optics--all incorporated into one module--will be approximately $5.516 billion in 2012.

About OptoElectronix

OptoElectronix is the leader in "The Art of LEDs" -- the conception, design, and manufacture of cutting-edge, standard, highly efficient, highly reliable LED light engines. OptoElectronix brings together many decades of unique expertise and experience in LED systems, an intimate knowledge of the lighting industry, and a thorough understanding of the manufacturing disciplines and requirements of both. OptoElectronix is currently focused on introducing standard LED-based platforms that are appropriate for a variety of applications. Headquartered in San Jose, California, the company has LED manufacturing operations in Penang, Malaysia with design centers in San Jose and Penang.

OptoElectronix, Universal Light Engine, LightBlox, LightStix, Dynamic Dimming Compensation Control, and Dynamic Thermal Management Control are trademarks of OptoElectronix, Inc.

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Chuck Berghoff.