Designing anew with OLED lighting - Presented by: Peter Ngai , Acuity Brands

1. DESIGNING ANEW WITH OLED LIGHTING Peter Ngai Acuity Brands Lighting
2. Isamu Akasaki Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan and Nagoya University, Japan Hiroshi Amano Nagoya University, Japan Shuji Nakamura University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA The Nobel Prize in Physics 2014 invention of blue light-emitting diodes which has enabled efficient white light sources
3. The Modern Lighting Fusion of Humanity and Technology
4. This presentation is protected by U.S. and international copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, display and use of the presentation without written permission of the speaker is prohibited.
5. • Recognize the difference between OLED Light source all the conventional light sources (including LEDs) • Identify the major components of an OLED and understand the basic principles of light emission • Explain OLED performance and Photometric characters • Define the Lighting Design Philosophy and Design Language for OLED Lighting and the kinds of luminaire designs they enable • Describe the current applications of OLED Lighting and its future direction LEARNING OBJECTIVES
6. W H Y O L E D I S D I F F E R E N T
7. CALM SOFT COMFORTABLE TO LOOK AT
8. Bright, glary They are intolerable Cannot be viewed directly Current Light sources OLED
9. We create shades, diffusers, lenses, louvers and parabolic cells to hide the light sources OLED
10. OLED A noble light source PURE SIMPLE HONEST
11. OLED 0.5 - 2 millimeters THIN & UNIQUE (Photo courtesy: OLED Info – LG Chem)
12. OLED COOL TO THE TOUCH No heat management required!
13. OLED DIFFERENT SHAPES AND FORMS (Photo courtesy: Lumiotec) (Photo courtesy: Philips) (Photo courtesy: Ingo Maurer)
14. OLED LET THE LIGHT BE FREE No longer is the light confined to a restricted design or scale Free from the bondage of traditional shapes and sizes
15. OLED SUSTAINABILITY no mercury or other hazardous materials thin and light reduced amounts of luminaire housing materials Architecture: Gensler Lighting: Darrell Hawthorne / Architecture & Light Photography: Nic Lehoux
16. T H E T E C H N O L O G Y O F O L E D
17. NEWER…BUT RAPIDLY EVOLVING TECHNOLOGY invented in late 80s at Eastman Kodak Ching Tang Steve Van Slyke (Photo courtesy: Wikipedia) (Photo courtesy: OLED-Info)
18. NPB (Bis[N-(1-naphthyl)-N-phenyl]Benzidine) alq3 (tris-8-hydroxyquinoline aluminum) ORGANIC SEMICONDUCTORS TECHNOLOGY
19. P - type N - type Holes Electrons ____ + + + + Light Anode Cathode Alq3 NPB Organic Heterojunction ORGANIC SEMICONDUCTORS TECHNOLOGY
20. substrate (glass or plastic) OLED STACK ARCHITECTURE TECHNOLOGY
21. substrate (glass or plastic) anode (ITO - indium tin oxide) OLED STACK ARCHITECTURE TECHNOLOGY
22. hole transport layer (HTL) & hole injection layer (HIL) substrate (glass or plastic) anode (ITO - indium tin oxide) OLED STACK ARCHITECTURE TECHNOLOGY
23. electron transport layer (ETL) emissive layer (EML) substrate (glass or plastic) anode (ITO - indium tin oxide) OLED STACK ARCHITECTURE TECHNOLOGY hole transport layer (HTL) & hole injection layer (HIL)
24. substrate (glass or plastic) anode (ITO - indium tin oxide) cathode (aluminum) light OLED STACK ARCHITECTURE TECHNOLOGY emissive layer (EML) electron transport layer (ETL) hole transport layer (HTL) & hole injection layer (HIL) encapsulation
25. active layers are extremely thin (d = 100 to 500 nm) Source: Osram Opto-Semiconductors comparison to human hair OLED STACK ARCHITECTURE TECHNOLOGY
26. OLED STACK ARCHITECTURE TECHNOLOGY Current tandem white OLED, up to 15 layers Tang bi-layer OLED
27. OLED FABRICATION TECHNOLOGY VACUUM THERMAL DEPOSITION PROCESS
28. TODAY CCT 3000K / 3500K / 4000K Color Consistency + 2 MacAdam Luminance 2000-3000 cd/m2 L70 3000K 3500K / 4000K 40K hrs @ 3000 cd/m2; 72K hrs @2000 cd/m2 30K hrs @ 3000 cd/m2; 54K hrs @2000 cd/m2 HIGH CRI STANDARD CRI Efficacy 55 - 60 lm/W 80 lm/W CRI 85-90 80 R9 24-41 > 0 OLED PANEL PERFORMANCE SPECS
29. TECHNOLOGY 2-YEAR PROJECTION CCT 3000K / 3500K / 4000K Color Consistency < 2 MacAdam Luminance 2000-3000 cd/m2 L70 3000K 3500K / 4000K 50K hrs @ 3000 cd/m2; 90K hrs @2000 cd/m2 40K hrs @ 3000 cd/m2; 70K hrs @2000 cd/m2 HIGH CRI STANDARD CRI Efficacy > 100 lm/W ≥ 140 lm/W CRI > 90 > 80 R9 > 50 > 0 OLED PANEL PERFORMANCE SPECS
30. DIFFUSE LIGHTING LAMBERTIAN DISTRIBUTION VOLUMETRIC BRIGHTNESS Satisfies the Psychological Appetite for Brightness
31. LAMP VS. LUMINAIRE COMPARISON (HIGH-CRI LED DOWNLIGHT VS. OLED LUMINAIRE) 60-deg. Wide-Beam downlight with 3000K 1300lm multi-phosphor LED lamp: LAMP SPECS: Lamp Module Output: 1300 lm Lamp Efficacy: 59 lm/W CRI: Ra ≥95, R9: ≥90 LUMINAIRE SPECS: Luminaire Output: 776 lm Luminaire Efficacy: 24 lm/W System Watts: 32 W 3000K OLED luminaire with 1350 lm: LAMP SPECS: Combined Panel/Driver Output: 1350 lm Panel efficacy: 59 lm/W CRI: Ra 89, R9: 29 LUMINAIRE SPECS: Luminaire Output: 1350 lm Luminaire Efficacy: 45 lm/W System Watts: 30 W (Photo courtesy: Edison Price) DIFFUSE LIGHTING
32. HIGH-CRI LED DOWNLIGHT VS. OLED LUMINAIRE (APPLICATION EXAMPLE) VOLUMETRIC DISTRIBUTION WITH THE OLED LUMINAIRES Satisfies the Psychological Appetite for Brightness DIFFUSE LIGHTING
33. 10’ CEILING HEIGHT ROOM; 80-50-20 REFLECTANCE LUMINAIRE SPACING: 6’ O.C. X 6’ O.C. 60-DEG BEAM LED DOWNLIGHT W/ 3000K 1300LM “MULTI-PHOSPHOR” LED MODULE 3000K 1350LM OLED LUMINAIRE CRI Ra: ≥95 Ra: 89 R9 ≥90 29 Lamp Module Output 1300 lm 1350 lm Luminaire Output 776 lm 1350 lm Lamp Module Efficacy 59 lm/W 59 lm/W Luminaire Efficacy 24 lm/W 45 lm/W System Watts 32 W 30 W Average Initial Illuminance at 30’ AFF (FC) 22 FC 24 FC Average Horizontal Uniformity (Max/Min; Avg/Min) 3.5 (Max/Min); 2.5 (Avg/Min) 2.0 (Max/Min); 1.5 (Avg/Min) Average Initial Wall Illuminance (FC) 4 FC 16 FC Lighting Power Density (W/sq.ft) 0.89 W/sq.ft 0.84 W/sq.ft HIGH-CRI LED DOWNLIGHT VS. OLED LUMINAIRE DIFFUSE LIGHTING
34. APPLICATION EFFICIENCY “APPLICATION EFFICIENT” LAYOUT – VARYING LOCATIONS & HEIGHTSTYPICAL “STANDARD” LAYOUT DELIVER THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF LIGHT TO WHERE IT IS NEEDED
35. TECHNOLOGY DELIVER THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF LIGHT TO WHERE IT IS NEEDED
36. “APPLICATION EFFICIENT” LAYOUT – VARYING LOCATIONS & HEIGHTS TYPICAL “STANDARD” LAYOUT APPLICATION EFFICIENCY DELIVER THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF LIGHT TO WHERE IT IS NEEDED
37. TECHNOLOGY 9’ CEILING HEIGHT; 80-50-20 REFLECTANCE 3500K 4-MODULE 1350LM OLED LUMINAIRE (“STANDARD” LAYOUT) 3500K 4-MODULE 1350LM OLED LUMINAIRE (“APPLICATION EFFICIENT”) LAYOUT Luminaire Quantity / Mounting Height 112 (Surface-Mounted) 88 (15 Surface; 73 Pendant) Total System Watts 849 W 685 W Luminaire Spacing 6’ x 6’ o.c. VARIES Average Initial Work Zone Illuminance at 30’ AFF (FC) 34 FC 35 FC Average Initial Circulation Area Illuminance at 30’ AFF (FC) 22 FC 16 FC Avg. Horizontal Uniformity (Max/Min; Avg/Min) – Work Zone 1.5 (Max/Min); 1.3 (Avg/Min) 2 (Max/Min); 1.6 (Avg/Min) Avg. Horizontal Uniformity (Max/Min; Avg/Min) – Circulation 2.5 (Max/Min); 1.7 (Avg/Min) 2.7 (Max/Min); 1.7 (Avg/Min) Average Initial Wall Illuminance (FC) 16 FC 11 FC Lighting Power Density (W/sq.ft) 0.8 W/sq.ft 0.65 W/sq.ft OLED LUMINAIRE LAYOUT COMPARISONS (“STANDARD” VS. “APPLICATION EFFICIENT” LAYOUTS)
38. O L E D … L U M I N A I R E A N D L I G H T I N G D E S I G N
39. PHILOSOPHY Lighting design – complements and brings architecture to life with or without the visual presence of luminaires. With OLED lighting, luminaires are more central to our focus and our consciousness. They are meant to be seen and celebrated.
40. PHILOSOPHY Compelling luminaires Celebrating the source itself
41. PHILOSOPHY OLED MOVES BEYOND FUNCTION… IT IS ABOUT EMOTION (Photo Courtesy: OLED-Info)
42. PHILOSOPHY FORM FOLLOWS THAT EMOTION
43. SIMPLICITYDESIGN This design demonstrates the unique character of OLED lighting: Nobility of light – it is simple, pure and honest; it allows LIGHT itself to become the luminaire
44. SIMPLICITYDESIGN As evocative as a candle flame
45. FREEDOMDESIGN We can sculpt a ceiling with brightness and texture. Luminaires deliver tailored light where needed. Regimented layouts are a thing of the past.
46. EXPRESSIONDESIGN OLED enlivens any environment with focal points of sculpted light
47. EXPRESSIONDESIGN Light is the sculpture and focal point
48. lighting immerses the user in a soft volume of light and creates a sense of companionship and comfort when mounted in close proximity, it transforms the interaction within an interior space to a more human and personal experience it invites us to gather HUMAN CONNECTIONDESIGN
49. HUMAN CONNECTIONDESIGN
50. DESIGN INTIMACY Sensitive designs that encourage you to come closer (Photo Courtesy: LG Chem) (Photo Courtesy: LG Chem)
51. PATTERNSDESIGN US Embassy Innovation Center Helsinki, Finland Acuity Brands Center for Light & Space Conyers, GA
52. MODULARITYDESIGN TRI and STRAIGHT modular sections combine to create expansive networks or patterns
53. DESIGN DRAPES OF LIGHT Creating a sense of place
54. DESIGN • human-scale • diffuse, soft • personal domain of light • commands attention • encourages individual focus FOCUS
55. DESIGN The feel of OLED Lighting can be: CLEAN, NATURAL and MINIMALISTIC CONVERGING CONCEPTS
56. DESIGN CONVERGING CONCEPTS The feel of OLED Lighting can also be: SCULPTURAL and ARTISTIC
57. DESIGN The feel of OLED Lighting can also be: PLAYFUL and WARM CONVERGING CONCEPTS
58. DESIGN The feel of OLED Lighting can also be: GLORIOUS and GORGEOUS CONVERGING CONCEPTS
59. INSPIRATIONDESIGN Creating designs achievable only with OLED: FUNCTION FORM EMOTION
60. T H E N O W O F O L E D L I G H T I N G
61. SHOULD NOT BE…MONOLITHIC OR STERILE (Photos courtesy: “2001: A Space Odyssey” by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
62. WORKSPACES
63. HEALTHCARE
64. 65HOSPITALITY
65. 66
66. NEW WAYS TO MAKE LUMINAIRES OLED offers opportunities to expand lighting beyond traditional
67. Unifies space and light – imbues it with life
68. CASEWORK, DISPLAY, MIRRORS Soft directional diffuse lighting (Photo courtesy: Idemitsu) (Photo courtesy: Philips)
69. RESPONSIVE TO TRENDS IN FURNISHINGS & FABRICS (Photo Courtesy: Philips) Lighting that complements, imitates or even integrates with furniture or fabrics
70. THE FUTURE OF OLED LIGHTING….IS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK!
71. TECHNOLOGY OF THE FUTURE COLOR, COLOR-CHANGING AND TUNABLE WHITE (Photo Courtesy: Verbatim) (Photo Courtesy: Philips)
72. TECHNOLOGY OF THE FUTURE UNIQUE SHAPES AND FORMS Custom designs and arbitrary shapes (Photo courtesy: Philips) Truly flexible OLEDs Transparent OLEDs (Photo courtesy: Wikipedia)
73. FUTURE LIGHTING CONCEPTS Each panel individually controlled. 2-d gestural control can adjust both brightness and gradient. INTERACTION GESTURAL CONTROL
74. FUTURE LIGHTING CONCEPTS SHAPE
75. thank you ©2014 Acuity Brands Lighting, Inc. All rights reserved.

Editor's Notes

What I would really like to do is to be able to share with you a perspective, a design perspective as to what OLED can do, how we design OLED luminaires, and how this translates to what you can do with OLED.

The OLED light source is something that is very special and today we would like to examine why.

What is said design perspective and how did it come about? Well, first we need to reflect upon where we’ve been. The lighting industry has, afterall, set many precedents. We can take a look at – as an example - the fluorescent lamp. In 1976 the fluorescent lamp had an efficacy of roughly about 75 lumens per watt. Today the fluorescent lamp probably would have a maximum efficacy of about 110 lumens per watt.
And so this is huge – actually look at the entire 35 years that the fluorescent lamp’s efficacy has increased about one lumen per watt per year. From this example, it is readily apparent that the lighting industry has been relatively stagnant. That is, up until recently, with the rapid advancement in LED technology. This advancement has been driven by a great sense that the main thrust for innovation and improvement is on energy savings, and we have seen very rapid efficacy gains.

Of course lumens per watt is very important but you know what? Lighting is not just technology. It is not just math or physics or engineering. Lighting is also what is designed, it is art, and it is architecture. It is economics and it is psychology and above all it is about emotion. If we do lighting right, when it is done really well, it is glorious, isnt it? right? It will ignite the spirit of the space. It inspires a sense of optimism, and it is upbeat. We all know that. And as lighting designers we live for that moment. It is elation.

Now the idea of energy saving is a very powerful and very, very important aspect and matrix for judging a technology. In fact, now solid state lighting is so good that it is able at this time to reprioritize what is the purpose of lighting and redefine what is important about lighting?

What I am here to share with you is the idea that our design perspective is to refocus our vision of lighting. And we think that OLED has that opportunity, to actually excel in that area. And that of course is a perspective we are talking about.
So what sets OLED apart from the rest of our light sources? The first thing is brightness. If you look at all other light sources, they are always very bright. Bright, glary, and obnoxious. Nobody wants to look at it. You can not view a light source directly. To put it in context, T8 lamps have a surface luminance of 9,000 candelas per meters squared. And the T5 HO is about 47,000 candelas per meters squared.

DEMONSTRATE OLED. So you did see that the light coming off of this OLED is much lower in brightness. This is why we say it is calm.

And you can really tell why we say that the calmness that nobility of light really hits home. If you ask me, “What do you mean by the calmness? What do you mean by that nobility of light?” I say that well, I am not really sure I can tell you in a very intellectual way or a very left brain way. But you know what? When you show me, I know. Now this is only one aspect of OLED that we think is very special. It is the character of the light that emanates from the surface.
We therefore have to create shades, diffusers, lenses, to hide the lamps. We even prison cells called parabolic cells to imprison the lamps. Isn’t it ironic that every time we invent a light source, the very next thing we do is to shade it from view?
So what sets OLED apart from the rest of our light sources? The first thing is brightness. If you look at all other light sources, they are always very bright. Bright, glary, and obnoxious. Nobody wants to look at it. You can not view a light source directly. To put it in context, T8 lamps have a surface luminance of 9,000 candelas per meters squared. And the T5 HO is about 47,000 candelas per meters squared.

DEMONSTRATE OLED. So you did see that the light coming off of this OLED is much lower in brightness. This is why we say it is calm.

And you can really tell why we say that the calmness that nobility of light really hits home. If you ask me, “What do you mean by the calmness? What do you mean by that nobility of light?” I say that well, I am not really sure I can tell you in a very intellectual way or a very left brain way. But you know what? When you show me, I know. Now this is only one aspect of OLED that we think is very special. It is the character of the light that emanates from the surface.
Think about other types of products – tv’s, cell phones, laptops – where we crave incredible thinness.

With OLED there is no volume. This is an attribute for design and one that allows us to think about new forms. This idea of thinness is very important.
#2: Variety in shapes, forms, and appearance of the OLEDs allows us to create new forms in luminaires – really visualizing the light source as a material to work with.
The calmness and thinness of OLED means that light is no longer confined to a restricted design or scale.

We no longer have to create shades, diffusers, lenses, to hide the light source. Isn’t it ironic that every time we invent a light source, the very next thing we do is to shade it from view? Well, with OLED we do not need to. With OLED, we can let the light be free.
Finally, another great aspect of OLEDs is their eco advantage. Luminaire construction can be much simplified. We do not need 30 pounds of sheet metal and plastic to house the light source.
Aside from the projected efficiency in energy usage for lighting, OLEDS themselves have an inherently smaller carbon footprint than other sources.

Some background info to back this up: According to a 2012 DOE report on the environmental impacts associated with LED in comparison to traditional lighting technologies, LED has substantially lower impacts than the incandescent lamp. The CFL is slightly more harmful than the 2012 integrally ballasted LED lamp across all criteria except one—hazardous waste landfill, where manufacturing the large aluminum heat sink used in the LED lamp causes the impacts to be slightly greater for the LED lamp than for the CFL. While OLED was not specifically analyzed in this report, since large aluminum heat sinks are not required with this technology, we can expect the OLED of today to be one of the most environmentally friendly light source technology choices available. This Life-Cycle Impact Analysis includes manufacturing, transport, use, and disposal impacts.
What we would like to do is just to give you a very short introduction about OLED technology.

Today, we know LEDs are becoming mainstream in many applications. Well, in fact, LEDs were invented in the early 1960’s.

Organic LEDs, on the other hand, are relatively new. Dr. Ching Tang and Steven Van Slyke are two OLED pioneers - in fact you can say that they invented OLEDs back in 1987 in Eastman Kodak. Although newer, in the world of SSL, the 25 or so years of history of OLED is actually a relatively long history. We have been able to take advantage of much of the learning that occurred during the development of LED to accelerate the development of OLED along an even faster timeline. OLED really began to take off in the middle of 2000s – this is when OLED really started taking center stage. These two inventors wrote a seminal paper on OLEDs that has been cited in more than 5000 publications. Now the two pioneers were inducted into the 2013 Consumer Electronics hall of fame.
Organic LED – OLED – simply means that organic materials are used to create the light. An organic material is made of carbon molecules – these are the materials that are the fundamental building blocks of an OLED.
ALQ3 is called tris(8-hydroxyquinoline aluminum). NPB is (Bis[N-(1-naphthyl)-N-phenyl]Benzidine).
Scientists continue to focus on the development of new organic materials to advance this technology.
OLED is similar to LED in that these are both semiconductor light sources.
When this device is forward-biased (switched on), electrons are able to recombine with electron holes within the device, releasing energy in the form of photons. This effect is called electroluminescence and the color of the light (corresponding to the energy of the photon) is determined by the energy gap of the semiconductor. This is a diagram illustrating a simple Organic Heterojunction.
Let’s look at the structure of an OLED.
You have a substrate. A substrate is nothing more than a fancy word for a piece of glass or a piece of plastic.
And on top of this piece of glass all you are doing is adding very thin layers of different organic materials.
The first layer we call ITO. This is our anode – or positively charged – layer. ITO is transparent to allow the light that is generated to pass through and be emitted from our device.
And on top you can put the HIL (hole injection layer) and then the HTL (hole transport layer) which is the NPB.
On top of that you have the Alq3, or the ETL layer that generates the electrons.

Between the Electron Transfer Layer and the Hole Transport Layer, the source of light is an EML (emissive layer) that responds to electric currents by emitting light. Other layers such as ETL, HTL and HIL optimize the flow of electric current to maximize the EML`s light emission.
And then you top it off with a piece of, let us say, aluminum foil or something like that to complete the electrical connection. This is the negatively charged layer.

And finally an encapsulating layer is provided for protection.
But the overall thickness of all of those layers is much thinner than that of a human hair. The overall device thickness might be 1-2mm, but most of this thickness is the substrate. We see OLED manufacturers using thinner and thinner substrates, especially as they begin to work with flexible glass and plastics.
Achieving good color in an OLED is a matter of having the right recipe of organic materials in the OLED structure. You can see that an OLED today can achieve some of the best color quality performance in the industry and this is in turn achieved through the use of many layers of emitting material.
The manufacturing of OLEDs is very complicated and very expensive. Even a pilot production line requires an investment of 50 million dollars. With gen four type of machines for mass production, the investment needed is on the order two hundred fifty million dollars. With this kind of investment, we look to the large players in the electronics industry, such as LG Chem, Samsung, Konica Minolta, Philips, and Osram to be the manufacturers of the OLEDs themselves.

Vacuum thermal deposition is the most common manufacturing process used at this time. And there are other processes being developed. This is a very fast moving and very exciting area. Companies invest hundreds of millions of dollars into research to develop a better, and less expensive, OLED.
With the great color and other performance characteristics, there are many, many opportunities to use OLED today.

Over previous generations of these OLED products, designer color choice has tripled, color rendering is improved 6-13%, and lifetime has doubled!
And in the next 2 years, we can expect OLED performance to improve to the point where it is on par with LED and open up many more applications and opportunities to use OLED in your designs.
In both standard and enhanced pc-LEDs, it is important to remember that the lamp efficacy values get significantly lowered once the module is placed inside a luminaire housing and surrounded by reflectors/diffusers/lenses/heat sinks etc. to spread and correctly distribute the light while trying to minimize glare and heat.

Unlike LEDs, OLEDs naturally dissipate heat and thus thermal losses are negligible. Additionally, since OLEDs are viewed directly, optical losses are also kept to a minimum. This results in light source efficacies that closely match what you see printed on luminaire spec sheets (unlike LEDs which when in a luminaire operate far below the quoted chip-level specs). With OLED, basically, what you see is what you get (although, we still need to consider the impact of driver efficiency on the total system).

Achieving good color in an OLED is a matter of having the right recipe of organic materials in the OLED structure. An OLED today can achieve some of the best color quality performance in the industry and this in turn is achieved through the use of many layers of emitting material, cumulatively producing an impressive spectrum. The broad-band light emission of the latest-generation OLED panels yields a balanced spectral power distribution, resulting in excellent color quality. Virtually no energy is wasted in the UV or IR regions of the spectrum. The color rendering index (CRI) of OLED panels today are in the range of 85-90, and also have high R9 values in any of their available CCTs. This performance and color quality is better than a standard white-light high-performing LED lamp, while at the same time their cost is not a deterrent to using the panels in most higher-end residential or commercial applications. And it is only a short matter of time before OLEDs match the “color-corrected” LEDs in efficacy and color quality!
To summarize from the last and this slide, the OLED luminaire layout offers:

Higher luminaire efficacies with minimal losses (as compared to an LED luminaire)
Low system wattage and LPD values to maximize energy efficiency
Better aesthetics and a more interesting ceiling pattern
True volumetric distribution (much more than even a 60-degree wide-beam LED downlight) to distribute light much more uniformly on all horizontal and vertical surfaces, and enhance overall brightness perception without glare.
3000K LED downlight luminaire used: Edison Price DL LED XSM/4 (with Xicato XSM LED module)
Rough DNP: ~$650

3000K OLED Luminaire used: Revel GCM 4M
Rough DNP: ~$2000
These two comparisons prove that by removing the need for grid-like layouts, OLED can place light at the points it’s needed most, while reducing energy usage.
These two comparisons prove that by removing the need for grid-like layouts, OLED can place light at the points it’s needed most, while reducing energy usage.
There is a philosophy behind bringing light close to the user, a connection is made with light on a personal level. The proximity of OLED makes it more central to our focus and our consciousness. The unique designs that reel lighting in from a great distance to make their presence known allow for new methods of interaction as well. And does this greater awareness translate to a greater perceived value? I would argue yes, it certainly can.
There is a philosophy behind bringing light close to the user, a connection is made with light on a personal level. The proximity of OLED makes it more central to our focus and our consciousness. The unique designs that reel lighting in from a great distance to make their presence known allow for new methods of interaction as well. And does this greater awareness translate to a greater perceived value? I would argue yes, it certainly can.
This photo is a picture of an OLED. But I also see something that is totally different. I see a pair of human hands touching a light source.

Think about that. All previous paradigms say light sources are never meant to be that way. Light sources are always harsh. Light sources are distant, and they are disguised and shielded. But OLED is not – and it is approachable. It is touchable and soft. Unlike ever before we want to have some connection with it. OLED goes beyond the light source, beyond just the idea of form and function. We’ve talked about function. We’ve discussed many different forms and how wonderful each one is. But the core of OLED reaches beyond that. It has to do with the emotion, how we feel about that light source. With OLED so close, so approachable, so welcoming there is an emotional response in each of us. The emotional aspect of OLED is essential to its true potential as a light source that changes the way we view – and more importantly the way we feel about – lighting.
OLED unlocks truly fantastic design possibilities and evolves our approach to lighting. As illustrated in these images, the opportunities are many and multi-faceted. But what inspires these designs? What is at the core of OLEDs’ contribution to the lighting world? First, and foremost, it is the feeling that these designs evoke. It is about emotion. We know the adage that form follows function, but in this case we push the meaning further. One could almost say that forms follows emotion. And I think with OLED we finally have the opportunity to reach that level of feeling.
So how do we manifest this emotional appeal? Very simply – in the literal sense. The inspiration behind this luminaire is the beauty of simplicity. OLED is not just the star of the luminaire; it is the luminaire. There is nothing else. This really is a what we call “a celebration of light.”
So how do we manifest this emotional appeal? Very simply – in the literal sense. The inspiration behind this luminaire is the beauty of simplicity. OLED is not just the star of the luminaire; it is the luminaire. There is nothing else. This really is a what we call “a celebration of light.”
And the nobility of that light is celebrated in this design. This design can viewed singularly or as a host of luminaires together. They are, however you arrange them, beautiful, with a unique textural quality.

And in application, the design can engender the spirit of the space – individualism and interaction – rather than colorless correctness.

The workplace example shown above serves as an example of how OLED can allow us as designers to adapt to new trends in architecture and design--such as the shared, collaborative environment which is quickly becoming the norm.

Revel:
Most Innovative Product of the Year Award, Lightfair International, May 2011
Recognized as the best of the best; the event's highest honor.

IES Progress Report 2011
Imagine what’s possible when the very framework of the luminaire can be flexed and formed. Imagine drawing any curve you desire and illuminating a space through your own creation.

Modelo: Architectural SSL PIA Most Unique Product 2014 (Modelo)

True customization and full expression become platforms for design – here shown in a retail example to create various motifs.
We can also explore questions of shape, size, relative position, and the properties of space, working with modular figures joined in networks.
As you might be able to guess this luminaire was inspired by many of the patterns observed in nature; from honeycombs, to spiderwebs, to, most importantly, the shape of neurons in our own brains.
This to me is a very emotional fixture. The idea behind this luminaire is that we actually try to invite this luminaire into our space. This luminaire, it is not meant to be attached all the way to the ceiling. Just think about how most people view luminaires – most can go into their office every day and not take any notice of lighting. This luminaire is not like that. This luminaire is like a companion, as expressed in the gesture of the design. It embraces you, saying that I am here. I am with you. And that idea of lighting to create almost a person.
To me these are very emotional fixtures. The inspiration behind these luminaires is to invite them into our space. They are not meant to be attached distantly in the ceiling, but “present” in both proximity and the more nebulous form of “presence.” Think about how most people view luminaires – most can go into their office every day have absolutely no clue what lights are around them. These luminaire are not like that. They are like a companion, a friend, as expressed in the gesture of the design. It embraces you, saying “I am here. I am with you.” And this “presence” almost personifies the light.

This sensation, or philosophy rather, can exist in many different types of spaces. Imaging how this feeling of connectedness can be simultaneously enjoyed with a sense of grandeur.
But even grandeur can have seemingly humble beginnings. This impressive luminaire is actually composed of two simple pieces; a tri and a straight. Through clever modularity these two elements can be easily connected to form elaborate and gorgeous patterns. These strong design statements are in the hands of the lighting designer. Modularity allows the creative expression of the room to be voiced by designers themselves.

Trilia:
Modularity combined with your creativity creates unique motifs, expressed in light.
The luminaire itself virtually disappears.

Here we can introduce a few new concepts to think about when designing with OLED and the Patterns OLED can create…
Number one is the idea of Density of Panels. Once you know your target illumination and one design that achieves this illumination, you can calculate a density of panels. Then you have the freedom to experiment with different patterns.
Number two is the idea of Application Efficiency which we discussed earlier. Because OLED allows us to break away from regimented layouts, and because the light source is so approachable, we can arrange luminaires very differently. Therefore, we can place light in closer proximity and in a density needed to meet lighting targets. This idea results in higher levels of efficiency achieved through design, not simply better efficacy.
Now let’s look at pure sheets of light and what it can do to create beautiful luminous surfaces. Sheets of light like these can even light an entire room and create a sense of place.

Or flexible sheets of light can easily be used to create a visual destination. Or sculpt and soften the boundaries of a room and provide graceful transition from one destination to the next.
This luminaire ushers in a new way to create personalized lighting. Not only is itself the scale of a person, it also creates a soft pool of light just the right size for a person to work, play and interact. Each panel is individually dimmable and elegant gradients across the arc of the luminaire create a customized lighting environment. Each user can set and adjust his or her own brightness levels and corresponding photometric distributions.
How we interact--no matter what type of space we talk about--is evolving. OLED lighting allows us to respond to those evolving interactions with complementary design possibilities for any kind of space, whether in the form of playful free-form layouts or in the form of more geometric-based patterns.
And again, why OLED lighting? I think that OLED gives us the prospect of creating luminaires that not only enhance our visual environment and satisfy our psychological and our emotional appetite for brightness, but touch us at even deeper levels.
So what does this new and powerful OLED technology have in store for the world of lighting?
Well we can immediately tell you what it doesn’t have in store, or at least what it shouldn’t have in store for us. Most imaginations immediately leap to visions of 2001 space odyssey; with large surfaces completely blanketed in light – walls and ceilings that glow amidst a spotless white interior. Right? Isn’t that the future?

No. Take a moment to imagine the feeling that Kubrick was trying to evoke. Isolation. Sterility. These large, almost dimensionless spaces with entirely illuminated surfaces alienate us.
They are monolithic, impersonal, and are far from “human”. With OLED we have the ability to achieve the opposite.
To illustrate this lets see a few examples of OLED luminaire design. There are many talented lighting designers that have realized some truly inspiring and marvelous luminaire designs with OLED. But we all know there is always a boundary to be pushed and a new height to reach for. OLED offers opportunities to extend lighting beyond traditional luminaire applications. Let’s take a few minutes to visualize some of these potential areas.
Integrating seamlessly into interior spaces has recently become both possible and desirable. Luminaires that blur the lines between space and light help shape an interior and imbue it with life. One certainly hesitates to call these light fixtures, and might even hesitate to call them luminaires. OLED technology feels right at home being integrated in, well, your home!

However, to remind you again it is important to avoid the monolithic and alienating feeling of dimensionless spaces that can seem lifeless. Interiors integration that imbues life into a room is what we strive for, not that which seems lifeless!
Display cases and mirrors have shown how beautifully and naturally the form of OLED can complement surfaces or display a product. OLED opens new possibilities for these niche applications. For instance mirror-finished OLED can “disappear” on a mirror in the off state and and gently illuminate a face when turned on.
From the prevalence of the Aeron chair to the chic club and concert pictures here, ergonomics and aesthetics have quickly taken center stage in new furniture and fashion designs. As quickly as they change, so too can lighting. And lighting that complements, imitate or even integrates with furniture or fabrics is now possible.
And just like LED, OLED offers the countless possibilities of tunable white, color, and even color changing. This is a taste of what we can expect on the horizon from OLED lighting.
In addition, we expect many options as the technology and production matures. We will see OLED provide new raw materials available to luminaire and lighting designers. Along with the possibility of colored and color-tunable OLEDs, we see truly flexible OLEDs on the near horizon…imagine allowing the light source itself to bend. How many times did we wish we could do this with a fluorescent lamp!
Here we see a new‐era gestural interface that allows the user to create pre‐set luminance gradients through the touch of a button or completely customizable luminance gradients through hand motions in the air. Combining the familiarity of pre‐made scenes with the total freedom of gestural control, the light is at once intuitive and expressive.

Hand gestures, both simple and complex, allow a user to shape the gradient of light across the luminaire and create completely unique and custom lighting environments.

This new manner of control provides a whole new level of engagement with the light that shows us how much we can value light itself. Again OLED and new control technologies bring lighting to the focal point of our attention, to the fore of our consciousness. With new appreciation for light, work becomes play.

Lumen Being: Architectural SSL PIA Best New Product Using OLED 2014
Whether we experience these facets of design in still life or in a motion picture. Sheets of light offer an excellent platform to demonstrate OLEDs easy integration into the luminaires of the future – luminaires that can dynamically change their shape and appearance.

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Designing anew with OLED lighting - Presented by: Peter Ngai , Acuity Brands

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