Hundreds of millions of dollars have been invested in OLED lighting, especially in Europe, the US and Japan. Currently, more than 130 companies and universities, and over a dozen organizations are working on OLED lighting. Compared with the other major lighting technologies in the market — incandescent, fluorescent, high intensity discharge (HID) lamps, LEDs and electroluminescent (EL) — OLED lighting has several advantages:
- OLED lighting devices emit from the surface, can be made flexible/rollable, and even transparent like a window or reflective like a mirror.
- OLED lighting is thin, rugged, lightweight, and has fast switch-on times, wide operating temperatures, no noise and is environmentally friendly.
- The power efficiency of OLED lighting has also improved dramatically recently. The unique features of OLED lighting are inspiring the imagination of designers, who are exploring various OLED lighting applications: windows, curtains, automotive light, decorative lighting, and wallpaper.
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This article was published in the May/June 2009 issue of LEDs Magazine.
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