OSRAM Opto Semiconductors Expands LED Portfolio to Help Lighting Designers and Developers Meet ENERGY STAR Standards

These new standards define requirements for SSL such as efficacy or lumens per watt, chromaticity, and lumen and color maintenance. OSRAM Opto Semiconductors Golden DRAGON Plus LED is the premium product for designers and developers interested in meeting the ENERGY STAR standards.

Setting the Standard:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR program and distinctions are a highly valued and widely recognized mark of energy efficiency and product quality. In September 2007, the ENERGY STAR program, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy, released standards for SSL, which will go into effect on September 30, 2008. These standards include requirements for SSL product performance focus in residential and commercial applications.

The Department of Energy collaborates with other organizations such as the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), and Illumination Engineering Society North America (IESNA). As the voice of the U.S. industry, the ANSI, NEMA and IESNA oversee the establishment, promulgation and use of thousands of norms and guidelines that directly impact businesses in nearly every sector – including solid-state lighting. Recently, several working groups in ANSI, NEMA and IESNA were formed to further study and develop LED standards based on the need for broader lighting applications.

“The accelerated timeframe to develop these standards underscores the confidence that LEDs are becoming increasingly viable in mainstream applications to facilitate the reduction in lighting energy consumption and to enhance design flexibility,” said Dr. Bernhard Stapp, Vice President of Solid State Lighting at OSRAM Opto Semiconductors. “Our research and development carefully studies the trends, technologies and customer requirements that will dominate the market for lighting in the next 10 – 15 years and develops related products to meet the ever changing market needs” .

Energy Efficiency:
Lighting represents about 19 – 20 percent of all electrical energy use in the U.S.—one-fifth of national electrical consumption, according to the DOE. The DOE has also stated on their web site that no other lighting technology offers the Department and our nation so much potential [as solid state lighting] to save energy and enhance the quality of our building environments.

LED lighting can provide similar light output with higher efficiency and fewer, more compact light sources, making them scalable for design applications. The long-life of LEDs also helps to reduce maintenance costs, which is essential for commercial applications. Additionally, LEDs are environmentally friendly, free of hazardous materials and RoHS compliant.

Products that meet standards, not standard products:
The DRAGON LED family offers luminaire makers competitive options for a variety of applications. These high-performance LEDs have an exceptionally long lifetime and emit the maximum light from the smallest possible source using Thinfilm/ThinGaN technology, giving designers and developers numerous options. All DRAGON products also share a common base design allowing interchangeability depending on desired brightness level.

The new Golden DRAGON Plus elevates OSRAM Opto Semiconductor’s offerings to include compliance of the new ENERGY STAR standards for the general illumination market. The new Golden DRAGON Plus is a bright and exceptionally durable LED making it ideal for a wide variety of general indoor and outdoor lighting applications ranging from street lighting to under cabinet lighting.

Built using the latest chip technology and fitted with a silicone lens for greater light extraction efficiency, the Golden DRAGON Plus is significantly brighter than the standard Golden DRAGON. In addition, it comes in the full white color temperature range (ultra white, white, warm white) to offer designers excellent flexibility for creative approaches and new solutions. The thermal design allows for a lifetime of more than 50,000 hours, depending on conditions.

Beyond Products:
The protection of the environment is central to OSRAM Opto Semiconductors corporate culture. OSRAM Opto Semiconductors has a long history in not only creating sustainable lighting products but taking a sustainable approach to product design, development, and distribution. The established sustainability mission "Global Care" represents a commitment to social and environmental responsibility worldwide.

About OSRAM Opto Semiconductors:
OSRAM is part of the Industry sector of Siemens and one of the two leading lighting manufacturers in the world. Its subsidiary, OSRAM Opto Semiconductors GmbH in Regensburg (Germany), offers its customers solutions based on semiconductor technology for lighting, sensor and visualization applications. OSRAM Opto Semiconductors has production sites in Regensburg (Germany) and Penang (Malaysia). Its headquarters for North America is in Santa Clara (USA), and for Asia in Hong Kong. OSRAM Opto Semiconductors also has sales offices throughout the world. In the 2007 fiscal year (to the end of September) OSRAM Opto Semiconductors employed more than 4000 people and achieved sales totaling 520 million euros. For more information go to www.osram-os.com .

About ENERGY STAR:
ENERGY STAR was introduced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 as a voluntary market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through increased energy efficiency. Today, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy, ENERGY STAR offers businesses and consumers energy-efficient solutions to save energy, money and help protect the environment for future generations. More than 9,000 organizations are ENERGY STAR partners committed to improving the energy efficiency of products, homes, buildings and businesses. For more information about ENERGY STAR, visit www.energystar.gov.