Page 45 - European Energy Innovation - Autumn 2015 publication
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Autumn 2015 European Energy Innovation 45

LIGHTING

Polycarbonate line from Covestro enables efficient lighting

Smart lighting for smart cities

Electricity for lighting headlights and traffic signals to COOLING ELEMENTS WITH A
accounts for billboards and displays. These COOL DESIGN
approximately 15 products make LED lamps a smart Even if LEDs do not get as hot as
percent of global power lighting technology solution for the conventional light bulb, they
consumption and 5 percent cities. do generate heat that needs to be
of worldwide greenhouse gas dissipated. Thermally conductive
emissions. The Global Efficient “The Makrolon® LED product line Makrolon® TC8030 offers several
Lighting Forum, co-organized by includes highly transparent and advantages over cast aluminum
the United Nation’s Environment robust grades that offer good for the production of cooling
Programme’s (UNEP) en.lighten flame retardance compared with elements. The plastic offers
initiative and its collaborating other transparent materials,” tremendous freedom during
centre in China, estimates that says Dr. Klaus Reinartz, Head of shaping, such as for the design
a global shift to energy-efficient Marketing for LED Applications of the cooling ribs. The material
lighting would low-er electricity in the Europe, Middle East and also weighs less and electronic
demand for lighting by more Africa Region at Covestro. As components can be integrated
than 1,000 terawatt-hours (twh) lenses or reflectors, they bundle into it directly in the mold.
and reduce CO2 emis-sions by or direct the LED light as desired.
530 million tons per year1. LED “The good heat resistance of An extraordinary application of
lighting technology offers an the plastic prevents transmission LEDs can be found in a recently
energy- and cost-efficient solution from altering the lens and thus its redesigned Covestro office in
here and is becoming increasingly optical behavior,” says Reinartz. Shanghai, where over 4,000 LED
common. LEDS have a long tube lights made of Makrolon®
service life of up to 50,000 hours. In certain applications, such were installed. Despite their
Depending on requirements, their as headlights, lenses can have great number, the tube lights
light can be focused or scattered very complex shapes in order to from Skyworth use roughly 25
to improve light quality and achieve the desired redirection of percent less electricity than
reduce light pollution. the light. Covestro has developed conventional lighting and require
innovative and efficient in-jection less maintenance. l
Covestro (formerly Bayer molding processes for the
MaterialScience) has developed production of such lenses with Skyworth LED lighting using Makrolon®
a complete line of Makrolon® free-form surfaces, and helps polycarbonate makes the new offices of
brand polycarbonates for the customers to implement them. Covestro in Shanghai a brighter place.
production of LED luminaires. Source: Covestro
These polycarbonates are
available as granules, sheets and
films.

MANY FUNCTIONS AND
APPLICATIONS
They are used in lenses and
optics, light guides, diffusers,
reflectors, cooling elements
and housings. The range of
applications is just as broad,
ranging from interior and exterior
building lighting to streetlights,

1 http://www.unep.org/NEWSCENTRE/
default.aspx?DocumentId=2812&Article
Id=11067; www.enlighten-initiative.org

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