Wednesday, September 8, 2010

FW: LEDs Magazine - August 2010

From the latest issue of LEDs Magazine.  

 LAST WORD
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket: LEDs not all they're cracked up to be?
Although LED lighting is proving to be useful in many applications, RON DAVIS, a marketing consultant with Vu1 Corporation, believes the industry should continue to consider other lighting options.

ARTICLES < Previous  Next >  Contents (August 2010) Don’t put all your eggs in one basket: LEDs not all they're cracked up to be? (MAGAZINE)Although LED lighting is proving to be useful in many applications, RON DAVIS, a marketing consultant with Vu1 corporation, believes the industry should continue to consider other lighting options.

Many years ago, I was assigned the task of establishing a beachhead of mini-computers in a large Fortune 50 company that had been operating under an “IBM only” buying mandate. I was working for the second largest computer company in the world, Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC). To set the expectations of the 22-person DEC sales team calling on this account I brought them into the customer’s primary data center. I walked them into a 50,000 square foot “glass house” packed with huge IBM mainframe computers and said “here’s your challenge”.   As someone involved with a new lighting technology that is not LED based – I felt the same “challenge” as I walked into this year’s Light Fair.   I have commented that the name should have been changed to “LED Fair”.    I mentioned on the Vu1 Corporation blog (vu1corp.blogspot.com) that one was hard pressed to find even a CFL at this year’s Light Fair.

This all leads me to suggest that the lighting industry should not be putting all of its “eggs in one basket”.  LEDs will likely prove to be a great solution in many applications. They are already showing great promise in automotive, street lights, traffic signals, retail and display applications.  Unfortunately, some of the basic characteristics of LEDs may keep them from being the best solution in general illumination lighting.  Concerns regarding brightness, spectrum, glare, dissipation, CRI and cost are issues that may not have easy solutions.   Recent articles by leading U.S. Department of Energy SSL representatives are confirming that in LED general illumination products are too often over promising and under delivering.
 
Another consideration often overlooked is the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for LEDs over a reasonable period of time such as 5-6 years.  A LED value proposition that is based on 30-50K hours does not hold up when you consider the actual time a homeowner will stay in their current home – 6 years (according to the National Association of Realtors).  A light bulb needs to reach breakeven in less than 2 years and start generating measureable savings.  It will be a long while before a true direct replacement R30 or A19 LED bulb will come close to offering a compelling 5-6 year TCO.   Lastly, the environmentally focused will start to look at the cradle-to-grave environmental cost of LED lighting solutions.  When one considers -  materials (especially heat sinking), manufacturing processes and the real show stopper - transportation costs (consider the weight of an LED versus a CFL or incandescent) – the LED may end up being a losing proposition. 

The CFL industry is currently in a losing battle as they try to down play down their environmental Achilles Heel - the “mercury issue”.   If the “small amount of mercury” in the CFL bulbs sold in America over the last 5 years were to end up in landfills potentially gaining exposure to soil and water – it will represent “enough mercury to contaminate every lake, river and stream in North America”. (www.informinc.com).  The EPA predicts that – best case – only 25% of CFLs will be recycled.  The rest will end up in landfills.

There are several General Illumination energy efficient technologies that should be considered and supported by industry and governments; Halogen Infrared Reflecting (HIR), Photoluminescent Nanofibers (PLNs), induction and of course my favorite, Electron Stimulated Luminescent (ESL).  

Vu1 has been working to apply electron physics in a way never before used in general illumination lighting to create a product that essentially duplicates the incandescent light spectrum while being fully dimmable, instant on, trash bin disposable and similar in price and life to a CFL.    Vu1 is hoping that industry and governments will want to hedge their bets and not put all their “eggs in one basket”. 

By the way, what happened to the “2nd largest computer company in the world” – DEC?  They went out of business after 40 years.  Why? Because they bet the farm on the mini-computer and refused to acknowledge that there could be a better technology on the way (the personal computer).  Their “eggs were all in one basket”.

+++++

This article was published in the July/August 2010 issue of LEDs Magazine. To read the full version of this article, please visit our magazine page, where you can download FREE electronic PDF versions of all issues of LEDs Magazine. You can also request a print copy of LEDs Magazine (available by paid subscription) and sign up for our free weekly email newsletter.

About the Author Ron Davis is a marketing consultant with Vu1 Corporation.
http://www.ledsmagazine.com/magazine/toc/1008



Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Gregory Owens, Jr. Elected to Vu1’s Board of Directors


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact Capital C Partners:
Ian Bailey
+1- 212-359-9587
Michael Polyviou
+1- 913-789-9978


GREGORY OWENS, JR. ELECTED TO VU1’S BOARD OF DIRECTORS


Seattle, WA – July 27, 2010 - Vu1 Corporation (OTCBB: VUOC), a developer and manufacturer of mercury-free, energy-efficient, general illumination lighting technology, today announced that Gregory Owens, Jr., 31, has been elected to its Board of Directors.

Mr. Owens is a Portfolio Manager at SAM Advisors, LLC (SAMA) and also holds the title of Senior Vice President with Smith Asset Management, Inc. (SAMI) in New York City. Mr. Owens has more than a decade of capital markets experience in the securities industry, including tenures with Citi Global Capital Markets and AG Edwards, before joining SAMA and SAMI in 2008.

As a portfolio manager at SAMA, Mr. Owens’ portfolio holdings reflect deep value and special situation investments, typically purchasing publicly traded assets at what the group feels are steep discounts to their ultimate intrinsic value. Mr. Owens attended Syracuse University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance.

“I am delighted to have Greg join Vu1’s Board at this important stage in the company’s development as we transition from technology development to full scale commercial production,” commented Duncan Troy, Vu1’s Chairman. “We have valued the relationship with SAM Advisors, and now Greg’s deep analytical and capital markets experience will be a great addition to the Board and I look forward to working with him and SAM Advisors, LLC as a trusted partner.”

“My colleagues and I at SAM Advisors have been extremely pleased with the recent activity level at Vu1, and the preliminary order several weeks ago validates our long-term belief in the promise of the Company’s ESL lighting technology,” commented Gregory Owens, Jr. “We have been shareholders for some time and being on the Board allows me to work closely with Duncan and the rest of the Board and the senior management team to ensure the Company capitalizes on its business opportunities, monetizing not only our investment but for every current and future shareholder.”


About Vu1 Corporation

Vu1 Corporation is dedicated to applying its technology to produce energy efficient, environmentally-friendly lighting solutions worldwide. Vu1’s ESL™ Technology creates the same light quality as an incandescent bulb but is more energy efficient. There is no use of the neurotoxin Mercury (Hg) in the lighting process and the ESL™ Technology fits neatly into classic light bulb shapes similar to those familiar to consumers everywhere. This eliminates the need to bend the technology into an unusual, twisted spiral shape (CFL) or have costly and heavy heat dissipation designed into the bulb housing (LED). To learn more about Vu1’s technology, please view the video link http://vu1corporation.com/ESLupdate/ or go to: http://www.vu1.com/

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This press release includes forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, our ability to obtain the necessary funding required for our operations, the future demonstration and commercial availability of our light bulb, timing for submission of our light bulb to certification and certification results, timing for bulb production, manufacturing capability of our facility, future interest of channel partners and distributors, our strategic planning and business development plans, future applications of the technology, the viability, pricing and acceptance of our products in the market. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. The words "may," "would," "will," "expect," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe," "intend" and similar expressions and variations thereof are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company's ability to control, as well as the risks and other factors set forth in our periodic filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (including our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009 and our other periodic reports as filed from time to time).

For product enquires please contact info@Vu1.com .

# # #

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Vu1 Announces Allowance of First U.S. Patent

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Contact Capital C Partners:
Ian Bailey
+1- 212-359-9587
Michael Polyviou
+1- 913-789-9978


VU1 ANNOUNCES ALLOWANCE OF FIRST U.S. PATENT FOR ITS UNIQUE ESL™   LIGHTING TECHNOLOGY

Superior light quality generated by Vu1’s Electron Stimulated Luminescence (ESL™) lighting technology is demonstrated in newly released video


Seattle, WA – July [15], 2010 - Vu1 Corporation (OTCBB: VUOC), a developer and manufacturer of mercury-free, energy-efficient, general illumination lighting technology, today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued a Notice of Allowance for a patent application for its ESL™ lighting technology. U.S. Patent Application Serial No.: 11/969,840 is for the system and apparatus for cathodoluminescent lighting, relating to the method of operation to create light via phosphor and a cathode, a key component of Vu1’s unique Electron Stimulated Luminescence (ESL™) clean, energy efficient lighting technology.

“The allowance of Vu1’s first patent application, one of 11 pending US and international patent applications that we have already submitted for our ground-breaking technology, is another very important step for Vu1, “ commented R. Gale Sellers, Vu1’s Chief Executive Officer. “With Vu1’s first preliminary order received, its first patent application now allowed, its manufacturing facilities operational and ready to ramp up, the Vu1 team is excited to be moving ever closer to delivering on the promise of its ESL™ technology. While we remain focused on securing additional orders for Vu1’s R30 light bulbs, I believe the biggest achievement will be securing UL Certification for our first product, which we expect to receive this summer, allowing us to transition to full commercialization of Vu1’s ESL technology.”

Video demonstrating Vu1’s Superior ESLTM Lighting Technology

Vu1’s ESL proprietary technology produces light virtually identical in quality to traditional incandescent light bulbs, as well as being highly energy-efficient. By contrast, the majority of currently available ‘green’ lighting technologies, such as CFL and LED, do not produce the same quality of light and can make skin tones look green and bluish respectively.

To demonstrate this superior light quality, a new video is now available for viewing on Vu1’s website. The video can be viewed at: [http://www.Vu1.com/ESLupdate]

About Vu1 Corporation

Vu1 Corporation is dedicated to applying its technology to produce energy efficient, environmentally-friendly lighting solutions worldwide. Vu1’s ESL™ Technology creates the same light quality as an incandescent bulb but is more energy efficient. There is no use of the neurotoxin Mercury (Hg) in the lighting process and the ESL™ Technology fits neatly into classic light bulb shapes similar to those familiar to consumers everywhere. This eliminates the need to bend the technology into an unusual, twisted spiral shape (CFL) or have costly and heavy heat dissipation designed into the bulb housing (LED). To learn more about Vu1’s technology, please go to: http://www.Vu1.com/

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This press release includes forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, our ability to obtain the necessary funding required for our operations, the future demonstration and commercial availability of our light bulb, timing for submission of our light bulb to certification and certification results, timing for bulb production, manufacturing capability of our facility, future interest of channel partners and distributors, our strategic planning and business development plans, future applications of the technology, the viability, pricing and acceptance of our products in the market. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. The words "may," "would," "will," "expect," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe," "intend" and similar expressions and variations thereof are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company's ability to control, as well as the risks and other factors set forth in our periodic filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (including our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009 and our other periodic reports as filed from time to time).

For product enquires please contact info@Vu1.com .

# # #

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Vu1 Announces New Executive Management and Board Roles


Contact Capital C Partners:
Ian Bailey
+1- 212-359-9587
Michael Polyviou
+1- 913-789-9978
FOR IMMEDIATE release

Vu1 announces NEW EXECUTIVE management AND BOARD ROLEs;
VP Manufacturing Philip Styles promoted to chief operating officer; Director Duncan troy assumes chairman role

New Roles Reflect Company's Transition from Development Phase to Commercial Production and Sales and Marketing Focus

Seattle, WA - July 7, 2010 - Vu1 Corporation (OTCBB: VUOC), a developer and manufacturer of mercury-free, energy-efficient, general illumination lighting technology, today announced that Philip G. Styles, the Company's Vice President of Manufacturing and a Director of the Company's manufacturing subsidiary, Sendio s.r.o., has been promoted to the newly created position of Chief Operating Officer, effective immediately.  Mr. Styles has also been elected to the Company's Board of Directors.
Mr. Styles has been with Vu1 since September 2007 and his role at Sendio, the Company's wholly-owned manufacturing division in the Czech Republic, has been instrumental in bringing Vu1's technology from prototype to a product ready for transition to full-scale manufacturing.  Prior to Vu1, he worked for Sony Corporation for 14 years in various technical and managerial positions in production engineering. Mr. Styles has also held several other senior management positions including, most recently, leading a joint venture between LG Electronics and Royal Philips Electronics in the Czech Republic.
Additionally, Duncan Troy, one of the Company's Directors, has been appointed to the position of Non-Executive Chairman.  Mr. Troy was elected to the board of Vu1 in February 2004 and previously served as Non-Executive Chairman from May 2004 to July 2008. He is also the founder and a director of SMS LOTTOME LIMITED, a UK cell phone lottery and gaming company and a director of the board of Private Equity III Limited, a UK investment vehicle.
"As evidenced by the recent preliminary order for Vu1's R30 Electron Stimulated Luminescence™ flood energy-efficient light bulbs, Vu1 is one step closer to realizing the Company's very significant potential," commented Duncan Troy, Vu1's Chairman.  "Phil's promotion reflects both his contributions to date and his value to Vu1 in the future, given our focus now on building out the broader operational structure and team needed to support the Company's growth. As we move from pure technology development to full-scale commercial manufacturing and execution of a multi-channel sales and marketing strategy, I am delighted to be assuming the role of Non-Executive Chairman at this critical stage in the Company's evolution. I congratulate Phil on his well-deserved promotion and I look forward to working closely with him, the rest of the executive management team and the Board of Directors to help ensure we successfully capitalize on the opportunities before Vu1."
Business Update Conference Call
As previously announced, Vu1 has scheduled a Business Update conference call, on which Mr. Sellers will be joined by Philip Styles, Chief Operating Officer and Chairman Duncan Troy. The conference call will take place on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 5:00 PM EDT (2:00 PM PDT/10:00 PM BST/11:00 PM CEST).  
To listen to the Business Update conference call, participants in the US and Canada need to dial 800-374-2493 and international participants need to dial +1 706-634-7642.  All participants need to provide the following access code: 86587723.  A replay of the call will be available beginning two hours after the conclusion of the call until midnight on Friday, July 16, 2010.  To access the replay, in the US and Canada, dial 800-642-1687 and for international participants dial +1-706-645-9291.  Participants will need to use the same access as above: 86587723. On the morning of Thursday July 15th, a digital recording of the conference call can be accessed on the Company's website at www.Vu1.com.


About Vu1 Corporation
Vu1 Corporation is dedicated to applying its technology to produce energy efficient, environmentally-friendly lighting solutions worldwide. Vu1's ESL™ Technology creates the same light quality as an incandescent bulb but is more energy efficient. There is no use of the neurotoxin Mercury (Hg) in the lighting process and the ESL™ Technology fits neatly into classic light bulb shapes similar to those familiar to consumers everywhere. This eliminates the need to bend the technology into an unusual, twisted spiral shape (CFL) or have costly and heavy heat dissipation designed into the bulb housing (LED).  To learn more about Vu1's technology, please view the video link http://Vu1.com/ESLupdate/ or go to:  www.Vu1.com
Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This press release includes forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, our ability to obtain the necessary funding required for our operations, the future demonstration and commercial availability of our light bulb, timing for submission of our light bulb to certification and certification results, timing for bulb production, manufacturing capability of our facility, future interest of channel partners and distributors, our strategic planning and business development plans, future applications of the technology, the viability, pricing and acceptance of our products in the market. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. The words "may," "would," "will," "expect," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe," "intend"  and similar expressions and variations thereof are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company's ability to control, as well as the risks and other factors set forth in our periodic filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (including our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009 and our other periodic reports as filed from time to time).
For product enquires please contact info@Vu1.com .
#  #  #

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Vu1 Receives Preliminary Order

Vu1 Receives Preliminary Order for Its Next Generation Energy-Efficient Environmentally Friendly Lighting Technology

Company Schedules Conference Call to Provide Full Business Progress Update

Press Release Source: Vu1 Corporation On Thursday July 1, 2010, 10:00 am EDT
 
SEATTLE, WA--(Marketwire - 07/01/10) - Vu1 Corporation (OTC.BB:VUOC - News), a developer and manufacturer of mercury-free, energy-efficient, general illumination lighting technology, today announced that one of the Pacific Northwest's leading electrical distribution companies has placed a preliminary order for Vu1's R30 Electron Stimulated Luminescence™ (ESL™) reflector energy-efficient light bulbs. This is Vu1's first order for its next-generation lighting technology, and the order will be confirmed on completion of external lab performance tests and UL certification, which the Company anticipates receiving in August of this year.

Vu1's R30 ESL™ bulb is a direct replacement for the 65W incandescent flood bulb. It is virtually indistinguishable from the traditional incandescent lamp it replaces and, unlike compact fluorescent lamps, is mercury-free. The Company's ESL™ Lighting Technology uses accelerated electrons to stimulate phosphor to create light, making the surface of the bulb "glow."

"Our goal at Vu1 was to create an energy-efficient, environmentally friendly and cost-effective lighting solution, while also providing the same light quality and functionality of traditional incandescent lamps, and we believe we have done just that," commented R. Gale Sellers, Chief Executive Officer. "Securing this first preliminary order from a leading electrical distributor is a significant milestone for Vu1. Given the growing demand for high-performance, environmentally friendly alternatives by individuals and corporations alike, we are confident we are just at the beginning of a major groundswell of interest in our ESL™ lighting technology; Vu1 is already in advanced talks with a number of other leading regional and national distributors who have expressed interest in the product."

ESL™ Technology creates the same light quality as an incandescent bulb but is more energy-efficient. There is no use of the neurotoxin Mercury (Hg) in the lighting process and the ESL™ Technology fits neatly into classic light bulb shapes similar to those familiar to consumers everywhere. This eliminates the need to bend the technology into an unusual, twisted spiral shape (CFL) or have costly and heavy heat dissipation designed into the bulb housing (LED). To learn more about Vu1's technology, please view the video link (http://vu1corporation.com/ESLupdate/) demonstrating the Company's ESL™ technology in prototype light bulbs representing various shapes and sizes.

Business Update Conference Call
The Company has also scheduled a Business Update conference call, on which Mr. Sellers will be joined by Philip Styles, VP of Manufacturing, to discuss progress in the development of the Company's manufacturing capabilities and the status of UL certification of its new ESL™ lighting technology. The conference call will take place on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 5:00 PM ET (2:00 PM PT). The Company will provide dial-in details in a separate press release prior to the conference call.

About Vu1 Corporation
Vu1 Corporation is dedicated to applying its technology to produce energy-efficient, environmentally friendly lighting solutions worldwide. Vu1 is developing a new, energy-efficient light bulb to provide the consumer market with the first affordable, non-toxic light bulb with features consumers are demanding and not receiving from existing products. More information about Vu1 is available at: www.Vu1.com and the Vu1 Blog at http://Vu1corp.blogspot.com

This news release is not an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the securities discussed herein. These securities have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This news release is being issued pursuant to and in accordance with Rule 135c under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This press release includes forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, our ability to obtain the necessary funding required for our operations, the future demonstration and commercial availability of our light bulb, timing for submission of our light bulb to certification and certification results, timing for bulb production, manufacturing capability of our facility, future interest of channel partners and distributors, our strategic planning and business development plans, future applications of the technology, the viability, pricing and acceptance of our products in the market. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. The words "may," "would," "will," "expect," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe," "intend" and similar expressions and variations thereof are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company's ability to control, as well as the risks and other factors set forth in our periodic filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (including our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009 and our other periodic reports as filed from time to time).
For product enquiries please contact info@Vu1.com.

Contact:
Ian Bailey 
+1- 212-359-9587
Michael Polyviou 
+1- 913-789-9978 

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

When it comes to LED replacement T8s, the best policy is to “just say no.”

A new posting just arrived from Jim Brodrick, the "Guru of All Things LED" for the US Department of Energy.  It has to do with all of those linear tube LED products that we saw at LightFair claiming to be headed toward replacing the familiar fluorescent tube.  As we expected, this is another example of over-promising and under-delivering. 

Comments from Mr. Brodrick include:

  • "Those LED products are a far cry from matching the performance of fluorescent T8s, it all adds up to a surefire recipe for consumer disappointment.”
  • "LED T8s have not proven competitive with linear fluorescent lamps. This is not a vague impression “sensed” from the marketplace; it’s a DOE finding based on careful analysis and testing results from DOE’s CALiPER program."
  • “The average initial bare-lamp light output of the LED replacement products was only about one-third of the average for the fluorescent lamps tested – with the best-performing LED T8 producing only half of the light output of a typical 4′ fluorescent"
http://www.brewedfreshdaily.com/2010/posting-from-does-jim-brodrick-led-t8-replacement-lamps-just-say-no

Vu1 is continuing R&D on an ESL replacement for the linear fluorescent tube.  There are over 1.4B fluorescent tube fixtures in the U.S. alone.  Each of these fixtures contains multiple tubes. The idea of applying ESL to these fixtures with an energy efficient, mercury free, incandescent light quality and affordable alternative is very exciting.  Probably most exciting would be Vu1 ESL tube's potential to work with ambient light sensors and provide constant dimmabilty in buildings resulting in huge energy savings.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Latest DOE Testing Data on LED Products

The latest report - May 2010 - has just been issued from "The Department of Energy Commercially Available Light-Emitting Diode Product and Evaluation (CALiPER) Program".  

We have continued to question much of the hype regarding LED products.  The best source of true performance data comes from the tests being run by the DOE.   The latest findings support what we have been hearing from top scientists in lighting.  LEDs are having significant issues with size, true efficacy, life and led color degradation beginning very early on.  The report does not address one of the biggest issues - cost.

Summary of Results: Round 10 of Product Testing: "Smaller Replacement Lamps" DOE Solid State Lighting

Two out of four lamps tested "Two of the small replacement lamps, the PAR30L (09-96) and the A-lamp (09-98), did not meet ANSI-defined lamp format standards for the geometry of the lamp styles they are meant to replace. The PAR30L lamp was shorter than the required minimal overall lamp length, which could cause the lamp to be recessed inappropriately or not fit in some fixtures. The diameter of the neck of the A-lamp was too large and widening of the neck starts too close to the Edison base, which could result in the lamp not fitting in some fixtures. Respecting form factor standards is important for market acceptance as demonstrated by lessons learned from CFLs.25" (initial market failure).


Due to the large differences in performance between the submitted and purchased units, several attempts were made to purchase additional units for testing. In each case, the manufacturer indicated that the product was temporarily out of stock and would not be available for several months. The CALiPER results in this case raise a number of doubts.

The relatively high performance of sample 09-16 submitted by the manufacturer may indicate that it was hand-picked to significantly outperform others and is not representative of the typical performance of lamps in this product line.

The relatively poor performance of sample 09-107A as compared to the submitted sample may indicate inconsistently produced units of the product.

The apparent malfunctioning in sample 09-107B may indicate product design flaws or quality control issues.

The perpetual ‘out of stock’ status of the product may shed doubt on the general reliability of the product and on the longer-term integrity of the product warranty.



A 2010 report on CALiPER long-term testing shows that a wide range of behaviors in lumen depreciation and color maintenance can be observed across SSL luminaires and replacement lamps. None of the products included in CALiPER Round 10 have been tested for reliability at this time. 

Due to the range of behaviors and rapid rate of change of SSL technology, buyers and specifiers should be wary of all product life claims. More than half the SSL products subjected to CALiPER long-term testing will not provide 70% of initial light output at 50,000 hours and already exhibit significant color shift within the duration of the CALiPER long-term operation. About one quarter of the SSL products would not pass a simple 1000-hour operational test: they do not last as long as a traditional incandescent lamp.



Refer to http://www.ssl.energy.gov/caliper.html

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Vu1 Press Release


Press Release
[For Release on May 20, 2010]
Contact:
Marzena, Dominik 
 +1- 206-913-2428
mdominik@Vu1.com.


Vu1 Corporation Announces Plans for 2010
Company Demonstrates Progress towards Product Introduction in 2010

(May 20th, 2010) SEATTLE – Vu1 Corporation (OTCBB:VUOC), a provider of non-toxic, energy efficient general illumination light technology, today reported its product status and plans for the remainder of 2010.
"Driven by the hard work and commitment of everyone at Vu1, the company has overcome a number of challenging technical difficulties which delayed our anticipated initial product introduction in 2009.  In spite of limited available funding, we have continued to refine our technology and have made significant progress in improving efficacy, reliability, performance and size-reduction while reducing our material costs“   said R. Gale Sellers, Vu1 Chief  Executive Officer.  Vu1 has continued to be featured as a “ breakthrough new technology to watch” in such publications and blogs as; The New York Times, LEDs Magazine, Residential Lighting, Huffington Post, Popular Science, CNET, Xconomy, Gizmodo and others.
Vu1 is pleased to announce the following accomplishments -

Product Development -
·         Arrangements have been made with Underwriters Laboratories™ for the Vu1 ESL R-30 bulb to begin UL certification testing in June 2010.
·         Key components of our Electron Stimulated Luminescence (ESL™) technology have been refined including the electron source, integrated electronics and luminescent materials.
·         Electronics have been miniaturized to support the Vu1 R-30 bulb being a direct replacement for all existing R-30 fixtures and trim kits.
·         The company has increased its bulb’s “Power Factor” (efficiency on the grid) to .99 which we believe exceeds all other energy efficient lighting technologies.
·         Vu1 has improved the bulb’s efficacy and believes that with sufficient funding it is on target to deliver a 19W, 600 lumen, dimmable R-30 reflector bulb later this year.  
·         The company anticipates significant improvements in energy-efficiency and bulb life through ongoing research and development.



Sales and Marketing

·         Over 200 independent lighting distributors have expressed interest through our web site to distribute ESL bulbs into a variety of channels including hospitality, municipal buildings, museums, and cruise ships. 
·         Keen interest in ESL lighting has been expressed by major U.S. utility consortiums on the East and West coasts culminating in several meetings and ongoing progress discussions.
·         Meetings have been held with several of the largest retailers, electrical distributors and eCommerce lighting resellers in the US and EU.

ESL Competitive Advantage
·         ESL technology will provide the best combination of safety, non-toxicity, incandescent light quality, performance and affordability of any energy efficient lighting technology.
·         Vu1 ESL bulbs will be a screw-in retrofit solution for the incandescent bulbs they replace.
·         The characteristics of ESL technology will allow Vu1 products to most closely match incandescent light quality when compared spectrally to other energy efficient technologies.
·         ESL will swiftly reach the affordability factor CFL’s now offer without having to compromise light quality, instant brightness, dimming or consumer safety.
·         In the recessed can market, LEDs suffer constraints due to the high heat environment.  ESL will be a superior, cost effective solution for addressing the 800 million recessed can fixtures in the US.
·         Vu1 anticipates ESL bulbs will always be significantly less expensive than LED’s while offering superior light quality.
·         Vu1 has begun testing ESL technology in other bulb shapes and sizes.  The most interesting is in a linear tube configuration that may provide a fully dimmable, energy efficient replacement for the common fluorescent tube.
Key Milestones for 2010 –
With sufficient funding, the company anticipates further progress through the remainder of the year to the point of reaching commercialization of ESL technology in Q4 2010 in the following steps:
·         Product - Completion and Certification  (June – August 2010)
·         Product - Channel Evaluation  (August – October 2010)
·         Product – Introduction  (October – December 2010)

Vu1 recently attended Light Fair 2010 and held meetings with distributors.   We were very encouraged to find continuing support for our bulb. The distributors we spoke to reaffirm the need for a non-toxic, affordable, fully dimmable, incandescent light quality replacement for the soon to be banned incandescent light bulb is still needed and the current energy-efficient lighting solutions fall short of consumer desires.

About Vu1 Corporation

Vu1 Corporation (OTCBB: VUOC) is dedicated to applying its technology to produce energy efficient, environmentally-friendly lighting solutions worldwide.  Vu1 is developing a new, energy efficient light bulb to provide the consumer market with the first affordable, non-toxic light bulb with features consumers are demanding and not receiving from existing products. More information about Vu1 is available at: www.Vu1.com and the Vu1 Blog at vu1corp.blogspot.com
This news release is not an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the securities discussed herein. These securities have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This news release is being issued pursuant to and in accordance with Rule 135c under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. 
Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This press release includes forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, our ability to obtain the necessary funding required for our operations, the future demonstration and commercial availability of our light bulb, timing for submission of our light bulb to certification and certification results, timing for bulb production, manufacturing capability of our facility, future interest of channel partners and distributors, our strategic planning and business development plans, future applications of the technology, the viability, pricing and acceptance of our products in the market.. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. The words "may," "would," "will," "expect," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe," "intend", “scheduled” and similar expressions and variations thereof are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company's ability to control, as well as the risks and other factors set forth in our periodic filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (including our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009 and our other periodic reports as filed from time to time).
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Tuesday, May 18, 2010

"solid state lighting providing a perfect opportunity for producing junk, vapor or smoke and mirrors "

We have received a number of emails about announcements regarding new LED lamp bulbs that are destined to solve all the issues of general illumination lighting - perfect color, great brightness and at what may be an affordable cost.   The bulbs are not available or independent laboratory tested and can't be seen except, in one case, inside a glass-domed display.

While at Light Fair last week we some how missed seeing any of these astonishing breakthrough LED products.   Lest we be seen as ESL-touting, LED naysayers - I thought it was interesting to see what people in the LED industry are saying about the state of LED lighting technology and some of these new "claims".

From  "Solid State Lighting" magazine -   May 17, 2010

"Light Fair, the USA's largest annual lighting-focused gathering, is always a good checkpoint for progress in the LED lighting front. There are never any real technological surprises, since progress in this field is fast-paced, but still incremental, as it is in any semiconductor-driven arena. In fact, if anyone is claiming something revolutionary, just plan to smile, nod and find someone who really knows about the technology to help debunk the over-zealous claims. Solid state lighting provides a perfect opportunity for producing junk, vapor or smoke and mirrors (it's important that the two are combined for the most spectacular effect) --"

FYI - we have heard no claims about break-through, high performance LED Reflector Bulbs.  All of the announcements have been regarding lamp bulbs.





Thursday, May 13, 2010

Light Fair

The Vu1 CEO, CMO and VP of Manufacturing are all here at Light Fair. Light Fair is for manufacturers that are showing off their new products and lines to potential resellers. We are not into production so it did not make sense for us to go the expense of being an Exhibitor. Instead – we are meeting with EPA representatives, testing labs, strategic distribution partners and industry consultants. Plus getting a firsthand look at all competing technologies.

This year’s show is 95% LED. After you go through the first 10 booths you will find that the remaining 300 are mostly more of the same. Everybody is making essentially the same product – just different cases, some dim better than others, some are for stadiums or parking lots – some for business and homes. After 6 hours of searching I found exactly ONE product (an LED) that I had not seen before. It was a somewhat dim and expensive (as almost all the products were) recessed can product that is using a clever variation on deployment of the LEDs in the lamp. Other than that – not much new. In the recessed can space – there were lots of heavy, expensive LED PAR 35 types of products. High color temps, low lumen output, lots of glare and very directional light distribution.  And yes, expensive.   CFLs were few and far between.  One founder of a sizeable distribution/rep agency commented to me "CFLs are over".

Monday, May 3, 2010

The Direction of Light from EDN

The link below comes from Electronics Design Strategy News.  It gives one of the best descriptions we have seen regarding the challenges facing energy efficient lighting tehnologies.  They conservatively and accurately look at the issue of mercury in CFLs and also discuss why -

"It would be a formidable challenge for SSL to replace the venerable incandescent bulb and, in the longer run, the CFL."

The Direction of Light 

Thursday, April 29, 2010

LEDs and Health Concerns

A few months ago several US universities and medical schools joined ranks to initiate a study regarding health issues being attributed to LED light.  The problems were first recognized from LED exposure from consumer devices such as cellphones, iPods, and TVs.  Now Gizmodo and the LA Times have published some of the first articles on one of the heath issues - the reduction in melatonin production due to exposure to LED generated light in the "blue portion of the non-visible spectrum".    


It will be interesting - and important - to follow this concern as we move from very low output LEDs in consumer devices to very high output LEDs being promoted for consumer general illumination lighting, automotive and street lights.

Gizmodo - Experts: Kindle Helps You Sleep, iPad Causes Insomnia

LA Times - Reading on iPad before bed can affect sleep habits

Vu1 and Sustainable Practices

We were prepared to be a presenter at the MIT Enterprise Forum "Sustainability for Start-ups" scheduled for April 29th in Seattle.  The Forum has been postponed but I felt it would be beneficial to share the comments we had prepared for this event.  

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Vu1 was created on the premise that American innovation can provide solutions in sustainable products that can result in products that not only are good for the environment but are superior in everyway to the incumbent technologies that we need to eliminate.

Sustainable products don’t have to be more expensive, slower, bigger, unsafe, or poorer performing than the products they are replacing.

Our goal is to do what other energy efficient technology have failed to do - produce a highly energy efficient “light without compromise” with the warm incandescent glow of the Edison light bulb we have known for 150 years that is non-toxic to the environment (unlike Compact Florescent Light), affordable (unlike LEDs), with all of the basic attributes consumers have come to expect from their lighting.  (instant on, dimmable, trash bin disposable, long lasting in a standard shape and size).

Our goal is to do this in a process that hopefully will give Vu1 the best carbon and environmental footprint in the general illumination lighting industry. 

To accomplish this we have focused on product design, materials, manufacturing processes, packaging and distribution.

Key environmental initiatives - 

·        Create a product that is “trash bin” disposable
o   Contains no toxic materials
o   Can be recycled when and if municipalities have the ability to process clean electronics.
o   No mercury (the Achilles Heel of CFL bulbs)
o   Exceed very strict ROHS standards regarding hazardous materials.

·        A primary material in our product is glass
o   We have determined that recycled CRT glass has characteristics that are very complimentary to our technology.  We are currently looking into using CRT waste glass as a key raw material

·        The predominant high energy usage steps in our process (working with glass components and drying phosphor coatings) is done using natural gas versus electricity.

·        We are zealous about our water process.  Not only do we comply with all European Union regulations regarding waste water cleanness – we can brag that the water coming out of our plant is cleaner than the municipal water coming in.  

·        We are committed to the providing environmentally friendly packaging.  All Vu1 products will be packaged in recyclable paper.  We are currently looking for and doing the financial analysis of acquiring  recycled paper to produce our packaging.  We find it inexcusable that a majority of “energy efficient” lighting products are sold in plastic clam shell packaging.

·        Vu1 products don’t weigh 3 lbs as do some of the better LED products.  Vu1 products meet the ANSI standard in size for the products we are producing.  The “carbon cost” of transportation for our products should be equal to or less than - comparable CFL products and significantly less the LED products.



Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Analysis: Energy Efficiency of Domestic Lighting - Halogen, CFL, LED and ESL by Andrew Porter


Andrew Porter has graciously allow us to post his article on energy efficient lighting on the Vu1 blog.  In this article, Andrew has done an extraordinary job of explaining the different lighting technologies (incandescent, halogen, CFL, LED and ESL) and also associated concepts such as Power Factor.

The original post is at Gaia Discovery.  

A review of energy consumed by everyday electrical lighting at home by electronics expert Andrew Porter, from halogen to compact fluorescent lamps to the all new electron-stimulated luminescence lamps.

England, 24 January 2010. For many, the domestic lighting system has been based upon incandescent lighting, where this works on the simple principle of passing an electric current through a tungsten filament contained within an inert gas (Argon) filled sealed class envelope, so that the heating effect is sufficient for the tungsten to become white hot.





Incandescent domestic light bulb

Tungsten is used because it can be driven to a  high enough temperature, about 2482°C, without melting, whilst emitting white light for a reasonable period of time. However, this means that a considerable portion of the incoming electrical energy is converted into heat rather than light, where the average energy transfer efficiency only provides 10 to 17 Lumens per Watt of electrical energy. This compares, for example, to 60 Lumens per Watt for white Light Emitting Diode light bulb replacements. In addition, the other factor associated with incandescent lighting is that of tungsten being progressively deposited on to the glass encapsulation causing the gradual dulling of the light bulb to more of a yellow tint rather than white. This process is caused by some of the tungsten reaching a temperature sufficiently high that it is driven away from the filament and deposited on to the class producing a thin coating. Then, as the tungsten filament becomes thinner with age, the inevitable happens, when switching on the light bulb one day, the electrical inrush current is sufficient to rupture the filament, and the incandescent lamp fails. Most people are familiar with this process by flicking a light switch, to then witness a short flash of light, a clicking sound from the incandescent lamp as the tungsten filament breaks, and the notably brighter white light emitted from the incandescent light bulb of the same type used the replacement.

Halogen lamps, in comparison, are slightly better, where these work in a somewhat different manner. Instead of using a glass encapsulation, many use quartz. This helps because the quartz encapsulation can tolerate a higher temperature than glass, therefore, it can be situated closer to the tungsten filament. In addition, rather than argon or nitrogen, as used in conventional incandescent lamps, they contain a gas from the halogen group, this group consisting of, for example, iodine or bromine as commonly used in domestic halogen lamps.





A quartz halogen lamp.

Halogen gases have a useful characteristic through combining with tungsten as it evaporates from the filament, helped by the higher running temperature involved, aided with the close proximity of the quartz encapsulation, so that the tungsten is deposited back on to the filament. This means more light, longer life, and better efficiency when compared to a conventional incandescent lamp.

The following two pictures taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halogen_lamp cover the basic encapsulated halogen lamp, and how this can be further encapsulated to produce a unit that is very similar in appearance to a conventional domestic incandescent lamp.












A quartz halogen lamp inside a domestic light bulb enclosure. 

Many have noticed that white car headlamps used to start fading towards yellow as they age. This was simply as a result of being basic incandescent filament lamps. When car headlamps changed to halogen lamps, the failure rate reduced significantly, and the light quality was much better with a sharp white colour, and no yellowing with age. With reference to Figure 2, many car headlamps are now very similar in appearance to the quartz halogen lamp shown. As to efficiency, some incandescent lamps were as poor as 5%, that is, 95% of the incoming electrical energy was converted to heat, and even the better halogen lamps only about 9% efficient.

At this stage, there is one advantage that needs to be considered before dismissing the incandescent and/or halogen lamps as being all bad, and that is Power Factor. In an ideal situation, all Alternating Current Loads, as is inevitable with a domestic 230Vac or 115Vac electricity supply, would present a pure electrically resistive load. This means that the alternating electrical produced by the Electricity Generating Station, operating at 50Hz or 60Hz, that is 50 cycles per second or 60 cycles per second, each cycle following a complete 360° path in a sine-wave profile, would have the current and voltage following exactly the same profile with respect to time, thereby reducing the power loss due to having the Current and Voltage perfectly in phase. Any load that does not consist of pure electrical resistance, such as an inductive or capacitive load, means that there is a phase shift between voltage and current, so that the electricity generating station has to generate more electrical power to compensate. The following images should help to explain this principle:











A domestic sinusoidal voltage or current waveform

The waveform shown above represents, in this example, a domestic Power Line Voltage or Current profile, where 'A' represents the Voltage or Current Peak Value, and 'T' represents the Time for one complete cycle. If the Current and Voltage are perfectly in phase, then the two waveforms, identical in shape to that shown above, would rise and fall in exactly the same manner at exactly the same point in time. If shown with the same amplitude graphically, they would perfectly overlap. In the case of the Domestic Electricity Supply, this means that the electrical load is a pure electrically resistive load, and does not contain any reactive components, such as Inductance and/or Capacitance. In this example, the Power Factor is given a numeric value of 1, as the Voltage and Current are following identical profiles with respect to any given point in time.







Phase Shift Ï´ caused by a reactive domestic electrical load

This image shows that the Current and Voltage, whilst sharing exactly the same profile in terms of shape, are now shifted in time. This is known as a Phase Shift, where the unit of Phase Shift is Degrees, as per angular displacement, where one full cycle, represented by T in figure 4 indicates 360°. The symbol Ï´ represents the magnitude of phase shift in angular degrees.

Assuming that loss free power transmission takes place between the Electricity Generating Station and  the domestic electrical load, in this case lighting, and we take the load as being 100W, then with a perfect Power Factor of 1, represented by Figure 1, means that 100W would be needed at the Power Generating Station. However, if the domestic electrical load  had a Power Factor of 0.7, a situation caused by our domestic electrical load not being a pure electrically resistive load, a new issue becomes apparent, as follows:
 Apparent Power VA = Watts divided by PF 
V = Voltage in Volts
A = Electrical Current in Amperes
The Watt is the unit representing true Electrical Power
PF = Power Factor

Apparent Power, in our example, is found as follows:
VA = 100
          0.7
VA = 143

This means that while the domestic item may be rated at 100W in terms of the cost charged by the electricity supplier, the actual amount of power needed at the electricity generating station is 143W, where 43W is now wasted power. As to how this can be considered in energy, the following, simple conversion can be made:
1 Watt equals 1 Joule per Second

This means, for example, that a 100W light bulb will convert 100 Joules of electrical energy per second into light and heat energy. In addition, with the previously mentioned Energy Transfer Efficiency, is this case as low as 5%  for a basic incandescent light bulb, 95% of the incoming electrical energy is converted to heat, and 5% to light. This means most of the incoming electrical energy is wasted.

Fluorescent Light Bulb Replacements
In my home country, the United Kingdom of Great Britain, much emphasis has been placed upon removing inefficient incandescent light bulbs, while promoting compact fluorescent incandescent replacements as the solution. However, while they may, at first, appear to be a solution, it should be noted that they operate in a different manner, and have their own disadvantages that have not yet been fully recognised.













A typical domestic fluorescent lamp next to a domestic incandescent lamp.

 The compact fluorescent lamp replacement, shown on the left, operates by increasing the incoming domestic supply voltage by using a transformer and a small amount of electronic components. The output of this is connected to a number of electrodes, where this causes electrons to shoot off the electrodes into the white coloured fluorescent tube. Inside this tube is mercury vapour or gas, so that when the electrons collide with mercury atoms, it causes the mercury electrons to increase their own energy level. This makes the mercury unstable, so that when the mercury electrons return to their stable level, they emit light in the ultra violent spectrum, therefore, invisible to the human eye. However, this is where the white coloured internal phosphor coating comes into action, as it converts the ultra violet photons into visible white light. It is similar, in some respects, as to how television receivers using cathode ray tubes convert beams of electrons into the visible picture we see on the screen.

The claimed efficiency of fluorescent light bulb replacements is often stated to be five times better than an incandescent light bulb. However, this does not take into consideration the Power Factor problems, as domestic fluorescent light bulb replacements do not have a perfect Power Factor, nor do they have Power Factor Correction. Going back to Power Factor, the following now emerges:
100W incandescent lamp = 20W Fluorescent lamp (Claimed)
Power Factor for 100W incandescent lamp = 1
Power Factor for 20W Fluorescent lamp can be as low as 0.5. True power now required from the electricity generating station becomes 40W
Fluorescent lamp is now only 2.5 times more efficient.
100W incandescent lamp = 66W Halogen lamp
Fluorescent lamp is now only 1.65 times more efficient

The standard fluorescent incandescent lamp replacements being promoted in the United Kingdom of Great Britain have a number of problems including inadequate Power Factor, they contain the toxic metal mercury as a gas, they do not yet have safe disposal arrangements, they cannot be used with dimmer switches, they take time to become fully illuminated, and they do not like frequent switching on and off. They are, in many respects, a marginal improvement in terms of electrical power consumption, while presenting a significant number of other problems including environmental toxicity.


Light Emitting Diodes, LEDs
The first issue is to remove two common misnomers, there is no such thing as a pure white Light Emitting Diode, and the colour emitted by a Light Emitting Diode is defined by the semiconductor material that the Light Emitting Diode is made from, not the colour of the encapsulating cover. You can have completely transparent, colourless encapsulations, and yet the colour of light emitted can be virtually any colour as defined by the semiconductor contained therein.

Originally, red Light Emitting Diodes were produced, where these gave out a pure red light. These were quickly followed by other semiconductor materials to provide orange, yellow, green and even invisible light such as Infra Red. Blue was missing, therefore, one of the primary colours of light was unavailable, consequently no means, at that stage, to create white light from a Light Emitting Diode.









Red, green and blue light emitting diodes

Eventually, with new semiconductor materials, a blue Light Emitting Diode was produced. With red and green Light Emitting Diodes already available, means that the three primary colours of light were now a reality. Consequently, three Light Emitting Diodes were placed into one package, one of each primary colour of light, Red, Green and Blue, to produce white light. However, this required additional electronic control to correctly blend the three colours, as any deviation would cause colour distortion. In addition, the total light output was insufficient for any application other than small areas of illumination such as a car dashboard.
LED Colour
Semiconductor Material
RED
Gallium Arsenide
ORANGE
Gallium Arsenide Phosphide
YELLOW
Aluminium Gallium Indium Phosphide
GREEN
Indium Gallium Arsenide
BLUE
Zinc Selenide
VIOLET
Indium Gallium Nitride
WHITE
Blue Diode with yellow Phosphor
Light emitting diode semiconductor materials.

As blue Light Emitting Diodes continued to evolve, they became cheaper, brighter, and more efficient. Consequently, it became possible to coat blue Light Emitting Diodes with a phosphor, so that the blue light hitting the phosphor would cause the phosphor to react by emitting white light. This discovery meant that the single white Light Emitting Diode became a reality, albeit a blue Light Emitting Diode being the true source of light. In addition, by modifying the phosphor material, a cool white colour, with a hint of blue could be created, or a warm white colour with a hint of yellow. If you like, near daylight white, or a warm white associated with incandescent light bulbs.












Domestic light emitting diode incandescent light bulb replacement 

As to efficiency, it is about twice as efficient as a fluorescent lamp, when comparing the latest Light Emitting Diode filament lamp replacements. They run a lot cooler, instant on, instant off, can be dimmed if required, easy to Power Factor correct, do not contain mercury, work with timers, and have a very long service life. However, while they are rapidly evolving, the performance in terms of total light output when compared to an incandescent light bulb is only covered by expensive Light Emitting Diode replacements. Therefore for these to become a practical reality requires further evolutionary steps in terms of light output per Light Emitting Diode incandescent light bulb replacement, and purchase cost.


Electron-Stimulated Luminescence Lighting
 
Electron-Stimulated Luminescence Lighting is a more recent introduction to the market as a direct, domestic, incandescent light bulb replacement with notably greater energy transfer efficiency, quality of light, service life, and absence of toxic materials. It works on the principle of accelerating electrons provided by the incoming electricity supply, so that the electrons are propelled to hit a phosphor coating inside the glass encapsulation. This phosphor causes white light to be emitted in all directions, just as if it was an incandescent light bulb, in fact, the operating mode is similar to that of a television receiver's cathode ray tube.
    
In terms of advantages, the following applies:
a) No toxic gases or materials.Domestic electron-stimulated luminescence lamp
b) About 66% less energy than an incandescent light bulb for the same light output. (34W against 100W)
c) Pure white light.
d) Instant on, instant off.
e) Can be dimmed as required with existing dimmer switches.
f) Easy to recycle.
g) Not susceptible to heat.
h) Long life.
i) Costs are comparable to existing fluorescent lamps.
j) Very close to the ideal Power Factor of 1.
h) Can be used with movement detectors so that they can be switched on and off automatically for applications such as security lighting and office lighting (preventing lights from being left operating when they are not needed).

To this extent, they are a direct replacement to existing incandescent lamps without any changes being needed. This compares to fluorescent lamps that require additional electronic circuit elements to work with dimmer switches and Light Emitting Diodes that also require additional electronic circuit elements to work with dimmer switches. In fact, fluorescent lamps and Light Emitting Diodes already need electrical and/or electronic components to work regardless of whether there is an additional need for dimmer switch components or not.

This means that for efficiency, the absence of toxic materials, long service life, quality of light, with absolutely no need to make any changes to existing domestic lighting systems, Electron-Stimulated Luminescent Lighting may prove to be the better option. However, in parallel, Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLED) are also being produced. Although these have yet to reach their peak evolutionary stage, they may also prove to be another contender for domestic lighting applications.


Conclusions
Domestic incandescent light bulbs have been used for many decades, but they are inefficient as the vast bulk of the incoming electrical energy is converted to heat rather than light. They do, however, present a near perfect electrically resistive load, thereby presenting the minimum stress to the electricity generating station. However, the total power, thus energy demand is very high.

Quartz Halogen lamps are better, give out a bright white light, do not present a power factor issue, but they are still not as efficient as desired in terms of still converting most of the incoming electrical energy into heat.
Compact fluorescent lamps, being promoted as a better replacement, have a number of disadvantages that are often missed. These include the use of the toxic metal mercury, therefore, health and disposal risks. They are also slow in reaching full illumination levels, they can flicker, need additional electrical and electronic components to work with dimmer switches, and present a power factor problem that means that they are not as efficient as claimed. In fact, some people do not like the colour distortion caused by domestic fluorescent lighting.

Light Emitting Diodes, LED, are notably more efficient than incandescent and halogen lights, last significantly longer but, to date, they do not provide the same angular spread of light when compared to incandescent lamps, need additional electrical and electronic components to work, and as white Light Emitting Diodes use a Blue Lighting Emitting Diode with a phosphor coating means that there is a tendency for the white light to be biased towards the blue end of the visible spectrum. However, Organic Light Emitting Diodes, OLED, may resolve these limitations.

For a direct, efficient, pure white light replacement, Electron-Stimulated Luminescence direct incandescent light bulb replacements offer an immediate, direct change without any of the disadvantages associated with incandescent lamps, compact fluorescent lamps, or present generation Light Emitting Diodes. Consequently, until Light Emitting Diode technology evolves further, it is likely that Electron-Stimulated Luminescence will form the best solution for domestic lighting.