applications which require excellent colour reproduction

The modules give superbly balanced light, both in terms of colour reproduction and spread, making them suitable for many different types of light fitting. The test where made at a high correlated colour temperature (CCT), 4600Kelvin, and in future it is a strong possibility to achieve this performance at even higher CCT values. The colour rendering index value achieved by the Optodrive modules is far beyond the standards required of workplace lighting where tasks demand extra accuracy in colour perception. It is even possible to use these light sources in applications such as medical lights, kitchen lighting, food retailing, art galleries, fashion or clothes displays and similar applications which require excellent colour reproduction.

The demands of having a CCT that closely replicates the same temperature as a regular light bulb have driven the development of these modules. LEDs have had problems to meet the necessity for warm white light with colour temperature values between 2650K and 4500K with excellent CRI. The Optodrive modules completely satisfy this requirement.Compared to CCFL (cold-cathode fluorescent lamp) backlit displays, the mercury-free2 LED-backlit displays feature superior characteristics such as lower electromagnetic noise and lower power consumption, and offer a wider adjustable luminance range. Also, the new LED-backlit displays do not require the high-voltage and high-frequency circuits needed to control luminance in CCFL-backlit displays, thus enabling a higher level of flexibility in system design in terms of safety, electromagnetic interference (EMI) compensation, and system architecture.

Taiwan’s leading panel maker AU Optronics Corp. (AUO) recently decided to invest NT$30 billion (US$923.08 million) to establish four LED chip factories in Taiwan in the fourth quarter this year, to meet the strong demand for LEDs used in panel backlight modules, Taiwan Economic News reports, and the facilities is planned to begin mass production in late 2010.The four LED chip factories will be operated by AUO subsidiary Lextar Electronics Corp. AUO just poured NT$2.56 billion (US$78.6 million) to procure several metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) equipment for expanding Lextar’s capacity. AUO is scheduled to use LED backlight for all its panel products by the end of 2010, creating a huge demand for such lighting source.

LED driver integrated circuit

Microsemi Corporation, a manufacturer of analog/mixed signal integrated circuits and semiconductors, announced the expansion of its line of complete high performance system solutions for powering light emitting diode (LED) backlit displays. The family now includes 3-string applications for 3.5 inch to 7-inch displays.

The new modules, designated LXMG1930-28(tm), join Microsemi's recently introduced LXMG1960-28(tm) high performance LED driver modules for 6-string applications. Together, the modules form a family that gives designers of medical, point-of-sale (POS), kiosk, ATM and lottery terminals a choice of easy "plug and play" options for their applications.

Based on Microsemi's LX1996(tm) LED driver integrated circuit, the new module family offers high performance features including 1 percent string-to-string current matching for optimum panel brightness uniformity, a wide 4.75V-28V input voltage capability, multiple dimming options with ratios up to 1,000:1, and safety protection against LED shorts, over-voltage and over-temperature operation.

The bridge project, which cost $18.2million, seeks to address the Mexican government’s stated goals of improving the welfare of its population and the country’s sustainability. The lights qualify as environmentally friendly as their LEDs are long-lived. By shortening distances the new highway, also helps reduce the amount of gas and emission of pollutants, according to Pachuca Mayor Francisco Olvera, who spoke at the bridge’s grand opening event.

LED lighting maker on the island

The company is developing a process to deposit a thin layer of carbon-based conductive material to form the electrical layer in electronic products. Plextronics is working on the materials as well as the manufacturing process, which is often described as akin to "printing" electronics.Print electronic technology promises to deliver low-cost products. Organic solar cells or LED lighting would use organic compounds for form the electrical layer rather than conventional materials such as silicon.In light of the bright outlook of LED industry, Taiwan's Formosa Plastics Group (FPG) and Yulon Group, have recently financed Trend Lighting Corp, a LED lighting maker on the island, according to Taiwan Economic News.

The two groups have each acquired 10% stake in Trend Lighting. FPG and Yulon have plowed capital into the company through LED affiliates Nan Ya Photonic Inc. and Precision Silicon Corp., respectively.Trend Lighting was founded in March 2008, and is currently capitalized at NT$280 million(US$8.4 million at US$1:NT$33). It has been awarded a NT$45 million (US$1.3 million) contract with Taichung County Government to supply around 2,000 LED streetlights.Taiwan’s Bureau of Energy estimated the global LED lighting market to reach over US$500 million in 2009. The ministry’s Industrial Technology Research Institute projected the market to grow to US$980 million next year, roughly representing 1% of global lighting market, according to the article.

developer and producer of solid-state lighting technology, announced last week that it has granted a license for its LED fluorescent tube replacement patents to Light Emitting Designs of North Barrington.We are pleased to be engaged as a licensee with ilumisys and its parent company, Altair Engineering,” said Tim Taylor, CEO of Light Emitting Designs. “The market for LED tube retrofits is significant and pegged for huge growth in 2010 and 2011. We are pleased to have secured that future growth by being a licensed provider.The licensing agreement provides for royalty payments to be made on a per-unit basis in exchange for having rights to manufacture and sell products covered by Altair’s patent portfolio.

already begun exploring streetlight

Celsia Technologies has been chosen by Taiwanese based United Innovation to cool the company's 9-, 11-, and 13-watt LED spotlights. Each of these spotlights includes a combination of United's unique multi-chip LED package along with Celsia's patented NanoSpreader vapor chamber.

United's spotlights are designed to use the company's proprietary flip-chip LED package which combines dozens of LEDs into a single high-brightness, low-cost solution. Meanwhile, Celsia has improved upon expensive, heavy vapor chamber thermal technology by reinventing its performance, weight, and cost characteristics to dissipate heat faster and at a lower cost than other alternatives.

Both companies hope to capitalize on what is predicted to be hyper-growth of the LED general lighting market during the coming years and have already begun exploring streetlight and downlight applications where NanoSpreaders can be used.

Enfis, a specialist in the design and manufacture of LED Light Engines for high-power Solid State Lighting (SSL), announces the formal launch of its Lighting Evolution Centre (LEC) in Swansea, UK.

The LEC enables Enfis customers to ‘evolve’ their lighting product portfolios quickly and effectively into efficient SSL solutions – either existing legacy products or new SSL-focused luminaires.

LED are displays such as fuel price

the provider of LED (light emitting diode) television and motion picture lighting equipment, announced that it will be awarded a Technology & Engineering Emmy(R) Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for its proprietary lighting systems. Litepanels fixtures are used on a variety of network television productions including such high profile programs as ''Desperate Housewives,'' Fox's ''24,'' and ''Without a Trace.'' The Emmy statue is the first in the Academy's 61 year history to be awarded for television lighting technology, and will be presented on Saturday, Aug. 22, at the Renaissance Hotel in Los Angeles.

The new fixtures will replace single, double and triple tube fluorescent water tight fixtures now in use as well as provide solid state replacements for existing fluorescent based berth lights. Once qualified, the new solid state fixtures will be available as lighting alternatives across the fleet.

Utilizing Energy Focus' proprietary Solid State Optical Delivery technology, the fixtures, to be developed over the next 12 months, must meet the Navy's new stringent requirements for LED systems which include light output, shock and vibration, corrosion, EMC and EMI compliance, efficiency, life, and maintenance specifications.The 60° beam angle of the LED has been optimized for display applications, so the light is focused for perfect viewing. The LED is therefore ideal as a replacement for conventional radial light emitting diodes. So far, it is also the only LED in a black package to provide the same luminous intensity as a comparable LED in a white package.

The target applications of the red and yellow LED are displays such as fuel price totem signs or public transport passenger information systems.

LED sales of the company grew by 23% in the second quarter from the previous quarter. And chief executive Hur Young said LEDs sales growth was expected to double in the second half of this year, according to the article.

LED drivers for smaller panels

Himax's white LED drivers were developed by Himax Analogic, Inc., a Himax subsidiary focusing on analog semiconductor solutions. The HA7305 is a white LED driver with 4.5V to 24V input voltage range and up to 44V output voltage; it drives up to 80 LEDs at 90% efficiency. The built-in LED balance control circuitry offers stable and uniform current in and between channels with less than 3% inaccuracy. Moreover, the HA7305 embeds patented PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) dimming control technology and protection features including over voltage, over current, over temperature and under voltage lockout protections.

Following the previously launched white LED drivers for smaller panels, HA7305 presents a milestone for Himax's white LED driver line to penetrate into larger panels, namely netbook and notebook applications. Looking forward, Himax expects to launch an integrated white LED driver with power management function at around the end of 2009, and will continue to expend its white LED driver offerings suitable for monitor and TV applications.

The lawsuit claimed that the United Kingdom firm's quantum dot technology infringes upon five seminal quantum dot patents held by Nanosys. In the settlement, Nanoco agreed to terminate its current U.S. business for its core-shell quantum dots. Those quantum dots were sold in the U.S. by its U.S. distributor, Sigma-Aldrich under the name Lumidots. In the settlement, Nanoco did not admit that the asserted patents are either infringed or valid. Additional terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

Both products can support LED lighting

We're pleased to bring to the market these innovative LED controllers that can significantly reduce the customer bill of material and design time," said Skip Wong, Vice President of Sales at Leadis. "The LED lighting market is starting to take off, with cost and reliability being critical factors that require continued improvement. Our LDS9001 and 9003 provide a straightforward cost reduction path for system lighting designers. Beyond lighting, these products can also be used in high power automotive and signage applications.headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, designs, develops and markets analog and mixed-signal semiconductors that enable and enhance the features and capabilities of portable and consumer electronics devices. Leadis' product offerings include LED drivers, which provide controlled levels of current required to drive light emitting diodes in diverse applications including mobile backlight units, and color display drivers, which are critical components of displays used in mobile consumer electronic devices.

The LDS9001 and 9003 offer one and three temperature sensing and control channels, respectively. Both products can support LED lighting, automotive, and signage applications. Since the LDS9003 supports multi-point thermal monitoring, it can also be used for multi-color LED applications, such as RGB. Eight I2C-programmable registers let users define the temperature de-rating profile as a function of the specific LED Diode used in the design. A 12-bit PWM generator with "smooth" logarithmic control supports the high temperature LED current de-rating adjustments. The PWM generator is programmable via an I2C serial interface. User programmed 8-bit codes are converted to 12-bit resolution logarithmic steps of ~ 0.17 dB per step. The PWM frequency is ~280 Hz to minimize noise generation. Interfaces are provided to support high side high LED current drivers and low cost microcontrollers in order to enable LED lighting designers to quickly and efficiently implement their electronics solution.

In today’s economy, tight profit margins are driving companies to seek technologies that combat rising energy costs and improve productivity with sustainable solutions. The need to reduce carbon emissions is real and lighting’s electricity consumption accounts for over 400 million tons of CO2 in the US atmosphere each year. LED lighting can be a big part of the answer to reducing energy and carbon emissions if done correctly.Albeo’s white paper examines critical differences in conversion technologies that determine performance, and lifetime.

These new products increase our addressable market by an order of magnitude

Nanometrics’ newest product for HB-LED process control is the RPMBlue. This is targeted at production control of Gallium Nitride (GaN)-based blue HB-LEDs that are increasingly used in LCD back-lighting. The system has been optimized for industry-leading throughput of up to 80 two-inch GaN wafers per hour.

Heptagon, the Finland-based developer of wafer-scale micro-optics, announced that it has raised over $22m in new equity financing. Most of this financing is coming from a new syndicate led by GGV Capital. Heptagon’s current investors, including Innovations Kapital of Sweden, Innovacom of France and Nokia Growth Partners have also participated in this latest round.

“Heptagon has a truly unique and proven value proposition: Optics which are glass-like in quality, being lead-free reflow and Telcordia compatible, but manufactured in the same wafer-scale format as the CMOS image sensor, LED and VCSEL technologies we support. This technology allows us to quickly ramp from several millions to several tens of millions of components per month and enables our customers to benefit from wafer-scale integration of optics with semiconductors,” says Chuck Milligan, Heptagon’s CEO. “This is leading to exponential growth in the demand for our products in applications such as CMOS Image sensing. We have introduced several new products this year, including 2 and 3 megapixel camera lenses. These new products increase our addressable market by an order of magnitude and therefore drive the need for a significant capacity expansion for which part of this new equity investment will be used.”

“We are extremely pleased,” Chuck continues, “to have been able to raise this investment despite the currently challenged investment environment. This is a testament to our strong leadership position in this industry-changing technology. We are also very excited with the quality and commitment of our new investors. GGV Capital and partners have a fantastic track record and will add great experience and knowledge of consumer electronics and Asian manufacturing to Heptagon’s investor base and board.”

the most energy efficient technology available

To reflect the firm's energy efficiency commitments, corporate social responsibility and community involvement, WAC Lighting has recently changed its brand standard to "Responsible Lighting." Helping to lead the industry's sustainability charge, the firm has contributed to social progress with responsible manufacturing practices and energy efficiency technology. The firm employs precision fabrication, stringent sourcing, water recycling, lead-free and zero-landfill capabilities in our wholly owned, clean ISO 9001-certified manufacturing campus.

New sustainable CFL and LED lighting products have been added to the extensive line with the most energy efficient technology available. As progress is measured in quality of life, WAC Lighting strives to advance employee empowerment, community involvement with major global and local foundations, and diversity in the workplace.

 The VerteX system is expected to be qualified into a new HB-LED development line, and the RPMBlue systems are expected to be qualified into the high-volume manufacturing line of a different customer. All systems are expected to be qualified in the third quarter of this year.

"Our customers are leveraging the increased capability of the VerteX system to address challenges in the rapidly-growing HB-LED market. New end-device deployments in area lighting, LCD back-lighting and an increased understanding of the performance and cost-of-ownership benefits of high-brightness LEDs are driving HB-LED development," commented Tom Ryan, Director of the Materials Characterization Business Unit at Nanometrics. "Our PL mapping products are well-positioned to support increased development and rapid production ramps as new high-brightness LED manufacturing technologies come online."
                     

Acriche is expected to be used for lighting products manufactured

Seoul Semiconductor’s Acriche can be used in commercial AC (Alternating Current) voltage applications without an AC-DC converter, and is attracting attention as the most promising LED lighting source for GU10 bases. Acriche GU10 bulbs may be used up to thirty to forty thousand hours, which is the LED’s own average life. In the case of common LED’s it is necessary to use an AC-DC converter as they are driven only by direct current. In some cases using the AC-DC converter may lead to a reduced life for the bulb if the converter has a shorter average life than the LED. Considering the long life of the Acriche GU10 as compared to a typical Halogen GU10, with an average life of only 2,000 hours, the Acriche GU10 lifetime meets or surpasses 15 to 20 Halogen GU10 bulbs. The product also uses much less power saving 75 percent of electricity compared to Halogen GU10. Even though the LED bulb will have a higher initial cost up to 70% savings can be realized over the lifetime of the product.

An official of Seoul Semiconductor said, “As lighting solutions using Acriche begin to be sold in Europe we are moving into full-scale commercialization of the AC-driven product. Acriche is expected to be used for lighting products manufactured by global leading lighting companies within the third quarter of this year and we expect Seoul Semiconductor’s share to increase even more in the European market.”

In addition, an official of Elgo said, “Acriche has already gained substantial popularity in the European lighting market, and we use Acriche in GU10 base so that we highlight the characteristics of this product to our clients, and it is expected to lead to a continuous increase in sales.”

Additionally Acriche is being recognized for its innovation, winning a variety of awards both at home and abroad. In 2008 the product received the Korea Technology Grand Prize presented by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy and was selected as one of ‘Korea’s Top 10 New Technologies.’ In 2006 and again in 2007 Acriche was awarded ‘Best Product Award 2007’ by Elektronik and E&E, two of Europe’s best electronics magazines. Acriche was also selected as one of the 'Hot 100 Products of 2007' by EDN, an American specialist magazine for electronic component products. Last April, CEO Chung Hoon Lee of Seoul Semiconductor received the Silver Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit on the 44th Day of Invention, as recognition of his contributions to the invention of Acriche.

commercializes technology based on semiconductor nanocrystals

Quantum dots, also known as nanocrystals, are a special class of materials known as semiconductors, which are crystals composed of periodic groups of II-VI, III-V, or IV-VI materials. Semiconductors are a cornerstone of the modern electronics industry and make possible applications such as the Light Emitting Diode and personal computer.Founded in 2000, Evident Technologies develops and commercializes technology based on semiconductor nanocrystals. Evident is one of the first companies to commercialize products based on semiconductor nanotechnology and has launched commercial products in LED and lighting, military and life science markets.

Semiconductors derive their great importance from the fact that their electrical conductivity can be greatly altered via an external stimulus (voltage, photon flux, etc), making semiconductors critical parts of many different kinds of electrical circuits and optical applications. Quantum dots are a unique class of semiconductor because they are so small, ranging from 2-10 nanometers (10-50 atoms) in diameter. At these small sizes, materials behave differently, giving quantum dots unprecedented tunability and enabling never before seen applications to science and technology.

an easy to use user interface LED driver

Energy and maintenance savings are equally as important as first cost in creating a sustainable solution," Mr. Kaveski continued. "Because our LED Parking Garage solution can pay for itself and generate significant savings over its long life even without considering rebates, we expect the strong interest we've received from pre-viewing the new line of fixtures with customers only to increase as the government's stimulus projects come on line later this year. In particular, we believe by offering an LED solution that's both affordable and efficient that we've addressed GSA Acting Administrator Paul Prouty's February call to convert parking garages to LED lighting."

YAHAM is a leading supplier of energy solutions and the world's only supplier of EFO(R), a lighting technology that is more efficient than conventional electric lamps. Energy Focus products are designed, manufactured and marketed for the commercial lighting and swimming pool markets. Energy Focus solutions provides energy savings, aesthetic, safety and maintenance cost benefits over conventional lighting. Customers include supermarket chains, retail stores, museums, theme parks and casinos, hotels, swimming pool builders and many others.A global designer and manufacturer of analog ICs for communications, industrial, medical and automotive applications, expands its comprehensive LED driver portfolio with the AS1115, an easy to use user interface LED driver. The AS1115 combines display driving and key scanning to provide a complete front panel solution which eliminates the use of secondary μP or other logics plus discrete devices, reducing BOM count and cost.

The AS1115 can drive either eight 7-segment digits or 64 individual LEDs with 47mA per digit or 5mA per LED. An external resistor can easily adjust the current. With an excellent accuracy of ±3%, the AS1115 improves picture quality for LED displays, this is due to minimised intensity variations between the LEDs and LED modules. For either global digital brightness control, or separate dimming, of each single digit a 4-bit PWM is implemented. Additionally the AS1115 offers the read back of up to 16-keys completing the single chip UI solution.

LED-based lighting solutions is growing rapidly

The initial phase of this program will involve the conversion of over 1,100 individual retail stores. LSI believes this program represents the largest single national conversion of conventional-to-LED based lighting ever undertaken.Energy savings were a major motivation for this conversion program. Work is already underway and revenues related to this new program will favorably affect fiscal year 2010.  Revenues for this phase of the project are expected to be between $22 million and $23 million.Additional follow-on conversions for this customer's stores not included in the initial phase are also possible later in fiscal years 2010 and 2011.

LSI has reached an agreement in principle to acquire a Columbus, Ohio based business, ADL Technology and related companies, that design, engineer, and manufacture custom designed circuit boards, assemblies, and sub-assemblies used in various applications including the control of solid-state LED lighting. Subject to completion of due diligence and finalization of a definitive purchase agreement, this acquisition is expected to close during the next 30 days.The purchase price is expected to be approximately $13 million, a significant portion of which is expected to be shares of LSI's common stock, plus the assumption of approximately $4 million of long-term debt.ADL has a history of profitable operations and the acquisition is expected to be accretive before giving effect to one-time transaction costs and non-cash amortization expenses.

These are two very positive developments for LSI Industries. Working together, our lighting and graphics business units were very effective in demonstrating to a major national customer the fundamental advantages and attractiveness of converting to solid-state LED lighting. Very clearly, the interest and momentum in LED-based lighting solutions is growing rapidly. Evidence of this interest in LEDs is everywhere, from trade shows to customer inquiries, to the popular press. LSI has taken the necessary steps to become a leader in providing advanced solid-state LED lighting products through its various Crossover(r) product lines which are designed to serve its core niche markets as well as the broad commercial and industrial lighting market. Naturally, we are very pleased to have been selected to provide our new energy saving products for the largest-to-date national rollout of solid-state LED lighting. I truly believe this is only the beginning of what will become a dominant trend as the many benefits of LED lighting drive the market.

the efficient volume production of world-class ultra-high brightness LED products

Although designed for portability, the Event MH W System and Event Brick System can also be operated as conventional “wired” fixtures, plugged into an electrical outlet, DMX console or both. They include AC multi-line voltage input, as well as built-in 3-pin XLR serial data connection.

Another convenient feature on the Event MH W System and Event Brick System is Remote DMX Addressing (RDMX). A user-friendly control board with 4-digit display is included on both units. In keeping with the fixtures’ go-anywhere design, the digital display can be turned 180° to fit different installation positions.

Chairman of Epistar, comments, "It is with great pleasure that we are looking forward to the delivery of our latest AIXTRON multiwafer MOCVD tool order. Our two companies have enjoyed a long-lasting relationship and AIXTRON has always provided us with the world’s best equipment."

"We have great confidence in the technology and the service that they provide. This is the foundation of our success for the efficient volume production of world-class ultra-high brightness LED products. We know that we can trust that our 150th AIXTRON MOCVD tool will be as useful as our first, and we are also looking forward to bringing our recently ordered systems on stream in the very near future.

the latest forecast by a market researcher released recently

In the last three years, Lebelight LED products have been used in numerous lighting projects including street lights, tunnel lights, miner lamps, screen backlights, office, factory, and family lights around the world with proved qualities and services.Lebelight was voted one of the most famous brands in China in 2008. Its LED spotlight won the "Create the Future Contest" in the United States in 2007.

The figure would be two times higher than the current 3% average in the global market this year, according to the latest forecast by a market researcher released recently.

The research house forecasts that LED TV shipments could grow to 3.6 million units this year. Next year, global LED TV shipments may increase to 15 million units, making up 10 percent of the global LCD TV shipments, the researcher said.

According to the report of the research firm, leading LCD TV manufacturers including Samsung, Philips, Sharp and Sony were planning to increase use of LED backlights in the second half of this year as cost of LED backlight drops.

Samsung’s LED TVs have received wide population in the US and Europe, with 400,000 units been sold since the debut, according to Samsung Electronics Taiwan Co president Smile Kim.

The fast uptake has caused supply constraints for some components such as LED chips, Kim said, adding that the company was communicating with Taiwanese companies to increase supply.

Separately, Samsung said it aims to expand its local market share to 10 percent by revenues after its new LED TV series hit the Taiwanese market this month, compared to 2 percent in the first three months of the year.Optically and thermally engineered, Amerlux’s recessed LED Wall Grazer features a discreet 2-inch aperture, uses high-output white LEDs, and consumes less than 12 watts per foot with visually stunning results.

will be the top supplier of LED backlit panels by the end of the year

Epistar President B.J. Lee noted that LED demand is turning larger than supply, making the market outlook for the third quarter quite bright.chairman of LED lead-frame maker I-Chiun Precision Industry Co., Ltd., pointed out that the island’s LED industry is currently saddled with shortage of expitaxy wafers as a result of robust orders.Lite-On President S.H. Lin estimated the global LED industry would still have 30 years of boom ahead in consideration of consistent rollouts of new applications for white LEDs. He noted that his company would introduce LED lighting fixtures in July, marking the company’s first step into LED lighting segment.Chipmaker Formosa Epitaxy Inc. has begun output expansion at its factory in Shandong Province of the mainland to cope with upcoming brisk orders.

will be the top supplier of LED backlit panels by the end of the year, seizing 32 percent of total market share, the report said. The company expects 70 percent to 80 percent of total notebook computer panels to use LED backlighting by the end of the year.Hannstar Display Corp will rank No. 2, followed by South Korean company Samsung Electronics Co, the researcher said.In the first quarter of 2009, shipments of LED backlit panels used in computers grew almost 8 times from the same period last year to 10.6 million units, the report showed. About 4.2 million units were shipped for netbooks, with 100 percent LED penetration, and 5.9 million for notebook PCs, with 26 percent penetration.Two years ago, about one-fifth of the 1,000 suppliers had the capability to make LED-equipped models. And less than 20 percent of their total production was allotted to the segment, as incandescent designs were mainstream.

By now, nearly all the suppliers boast regular manufacturing lines for LED Christmas lights. In fact, such types now account for 60 to 70 percent of the output in most factories.LED bulbs feature low power consumption, high heat tolerance and brightness, and last 20,000 to 100,000 hours, comparing with the average 3,000 hours for incandescent bulbs. What’s more, they function properly in temperatures of -40 to 80 C and can be switched on and off frequently without damaging the wires.Some Chinese makers are also adopting new power sources for the energy-efficient lights. For example, Shenzhen-based Ever Bright Electric Co. Ltd has developed LED Christmas lights that run on solar energy. China’s production of such models is projected to increase at an annual rate of 5 to 10 percent.