Bright prospects for OLED lighting

Dan Rogers - 28 Dec 2011

There is plenty of movement in the OLED lighting industry to suggest that 2012 will see some commercial impact, as 2011 ends with the market beginning to be established.

With companies like Acuity Brands Lighting and Novaled launching products, the options for early adopters keen to get their hands on this new lighting concept will grow in the coming months.

Efficiency improvements

Improvements in OLED lifetimes, should they drastically exceed those of alternative lighting devices, could make the technology more compelling in terms of long term return on investment.

It is a topic that will be addressed at the forthcoming Lighting Japan event on 18-20 January 2012 at Tokyo Big Sight, Tokyo, Japan. Falling at the beginning of 2012, when much is expected for the OLED lighting industry, the event gives developers, the wider supply chain and users looking to create OLED luminaire products the opportunity to look in depth at the potential to push down costs, and make the technology compelling for a wider audience.

One possibility is that improvements in OLED lifetimes, should they drastically exceed those of alternative lighting devices, could make the technology more compelling in terms of long term return on investment.

Efficiencies may be found in manufacturing. A technology licence agreement between UDC and Pioneer, as well as one with Panasonic Idemitsu OLED Lighting to use the company's phosphorescent materials - both announced in Q3 2011 - indicate that UDC sees supply chain building as a way forward for OLED lighting too.

Lighting Japan will provide an early insight into the planned direction for the OLED lighting industry, as it looks to move into mainstream markets.

This article appears in full in Volume 4, issue 3 of +Plastic Electronics magazine. To read this article, along with more high-value, exclusive content, subscribe to +Plastic Electronics magazine.