Green technology IC

But there is a solution: Semiconductor leaders have incorporated green-IC technology into CFL designs, resulting in high performance and durable lighting solutions. Integrating a dozen discrete components into a single integrated circuit (IC) reduces the wires, all while achieving a breakthrough in reliability. The CFL also becomes approximately 10% more efficient compared to average electronics based on discrete components. Improved quality also translates into longer lifetime – as much as 15,000 hours – and extended on/off switching cycles.

Another important advantage is that adding an IC opens the possibility for controlling the CFL so that it can be dimmed using standard wall plug dimmers. This feature enables CFL lamps to behave like incandescent lamps in terms of fast startup and deep dimming. Green innovations, such as NXP Semiconductors' GreenChip, are touted to enable dimming performance below the 5% threshold: CFL lamps that behave almost like incandescent lamps. Since CFL lifetime is limited by the number of switching cycles, better control also makes it possible to extend the CFL's useful life.

Semiconductor industries have a wide range of high-performance CFL lighting solutions that will lead to substantially higher performing CFLs. Utilizing green innovations, new levels of efficient power management can be accomplished and simplification of lamp design and assembly process can be achieved . In addition, established semiconductor manufacturers possess the capacity to produce tens of millions of chips every day, answering the CFL lighting market's needs and facilitating the steady growth of CFL usage in Asia and around the world.

Although CFL technology leads the lighting front of the green energy environment, its overall efficacy potential makes it almost certain that it cannot dominate the market indefinitely.

From an energy efficiency perspective, comparisons favor LED. With literally billions of lamps being lit all over the world on a daily basis, small differences can quickly add up to gigawatts.

The bright story of LED technology is told only in part by its outstanding and rapid evolution toward higher and higher efficacy ratings. For years it struggled to break past the 10% efficacy mark and, as a result, never made much of a dent in CFL dominance.

Over the past few years, however, LED lamps have been increasing their efficacy steadily year after year. In 1995 LED efficacy was 20 Lm/W; in 2000, 55 Lm/W; in 2005 120 Lm/W; and in 2010 160 Lm/W. Some LEDs in production today are achieving 40 Lm/W and others still in the research phase reach the high end of the assigned range. Their useful life is rated at 40,000 hours and the best-in-class LEDs of today can be integrated into a lamp that generates 400 lumens.