Universal Lighting Technologies, Inc. is starting the year on a high note with the announcement of its new corporate headquarters at 51 Century Blvd., Suite 230 in Nashville, Tennessee. Not only does the new building better position the company for growth, but it also comes newly equipped with innovative and energy-efficient lighting incorporated throughout the office, including updated meeting room technology for greater capabilities to network with customers.

“Universal Lighting has seen significant growth over the past few years since we joined the Panasonic family,” said Chris Holstein, Vice President of Marketing. “We’re excited to start the next chapter in our company’s future as we make the move to a new home where the lighting technology reflects the very products that have led to our success.”

The new corporate office positions the company for greater growth and includes leading designs and technologies from all members of the Panasonic Lighting Americas group.

LED technologies in the facility include LED downlights that use EVERLINE LED Drivers and Chip on Board LED Modules with 0–10V dimming controls. Existing recessed troffer lighting fixtures were upgraded with LED retrofit kits and EVERLINE linear LED modules to provide high efficiency lighting with high quality color and an extremely long rated life while being dimmable. DCL control technology allows the LED drivers to receive communications over the power line, providing energy management load shedding capabilities.

Universal Lighting’s new headquarters incorporates leading fluorescent technologies, including DEMANDflex ballasts, as well as six-lamp T8 fixtures installed throughout the unique and innovative office space. The lighting system also utilizes VariPRO 0–10V dimming in the main entry. Both technologies are incorporated with a Dialog Control System and occupancy sensors from Panasonic’s Douglas Lighting Controls for local zone control, manual overrides and facility scheduling.

Xicato, a developer of superior light quality from LED modules, announced today that it has relocated its San Jose headquarters to accommodate a new manufacturing line for the company’s next generation of products. The new 24 thousand-square-foot space is more than double the size of Xicato’s previous San Jose facility. The privately held company has invested millions of dollars in equipment and resources to meet the increasing global demand for its LED modules.

“Investment in our U.S. operations enables Xicato to rapidly develop and introduce innovative technologies and products for the global lighting industry and starting next month we will transition to full manufacturing mode,” said Menko de Roos, CEO of Xicato. “Our move timeframe was very short, and it was critical that the build-out and permitting went smoothly and matched our equipment arrival schedule. The City of San Jose’s appointment-based permitting process worked well and allowed us to meet critical milestones and get our operations up and running.”

Xicato’s new space includes areas for manufacturing, research and development labs and testing facilities for its LED modules. Class 100K cleanroom space is dedicated to a new manufacturing line; expanded reliability testing labs ensure product longevity and quality.

Xicato’s focus continues to be the delivery of quality light. The new manufacturing facility allows Xicato’s next generation of products to offer significantly improved efficiency to reduce energy use and costs, lowers the cost of Xicato’s modules and ushers in a new era of intelligent lighting – Lighting 2.0.

Hundreds of luminaires and applications ranging from retail shops to bars and restaurants, to homes, offices and retail locations can be viewed in Xicato’s web galleries on the company’s website.

Lighting designers, interior designers and others achieve their desired emotional impact using three different light types created by the company.

Standard Series light provides a smooth spectrum of light that feels natural and superior to ceramic metal halide and fluorescent lamps.

Artist Series light is indistinguishable from halogen-based light and gives Artist Series light an even richer feel compared to other sources.

Vibrant Series light brings out vivid, saturated colors and the details of texture for compelling and eye-catching visuals that capture and hold consumers’ attention.

The company’s new address is 101 Daggett Drive, San Jose, CA 95134, USA.

The penetration of gallium nitride-on-silicon (GaN-on-Si) wafers into the light-emitting diode (LED) market is forecast to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 69 percent from 2013 to 2020, by which time they will account for 40 percent of all GaN LEDs manufactured, according to a new report from IHS Inc.

In 2013, 95 percent of GaN LEDs will be manufactured on sapphire wafers, while only 1 percent will be manufactured on silicon wafers. The growth in the manufacturing of GaN-on-Si LEDs between 2013 and 2020 will take market share from both sapphire and silicon carbide wafers.

The figure below shows the GaN-on-Si LED market share outlook in terms of revenue for the packaged LED market.

“Manufacturing large ingots made from sapphire is difficult, whereas silicon wafers are available from 8 inches up to 12 inches and are generally cheaper and more abundant,” said Dkins Cho, senior analyst for lighting and LEDs at IHS. “There is a large pre-existing industry for silicon-based manufacturing that is leveraged to create economies of scale and reduce the cost of an LED.”

Repurposing manufacturing facilities to accommodate the shift toward GaN-on-Si LEDs is generally accepted to require minimal investment. Companies that previously manufactured CMOS semiconductors already own legacy 8-inch CMOS fabrication units that can be converted for LED production with a small modification. These companies already have in-house expertise and technology associated with silicon-based processes.

“Many of the CMOS semiconductor manufacturers already have excellent inspection tools, unlike traditional LED companies,” Cho said. “This could help increase their process yield through in-situ monitoring. However, it is unlikely the repurposing will happen overnight; instead we forecast a shift during the coming years.”