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Light emitting wallpaper to replace light bulbs

Posted: 18/01/2010

Even low energy light bulbs could be redundant in a matter of years. Newly invented ‘light emitting wallpaper’ could start to replace light bulbs in 2012. The Carbon Trust has given financial backing to help develop organic LED (OLED)lighting technology that could result in major carbon cuts.

Electric lighting is a major producer of carbon emissions. The new technology has the potential to produce ultra efficient lighting for a wide range of applications, the Trust believes.

The wallpaper, which uses ultra thin – down to 1mm - organic light emitting diodes has been developed by Welsh firm Lomox who have now received a £454,000 grant from the Carbon Trust to develop it further.

Lighting in buildings currently accounts for around 16% of total electricity use in the UK. Organic LEDs consume significantly less energy. The materials have a wide variety of potential applications and when coated onto a film could be used to cover walls creating a light-emitting wallpaper which replaces the need for traditional light bulbs.

As well as being flexible, OLED film will require a very low operating voltage - between 3V to 5V - so it can be powered by solar panels and batteries making it suitable for applications where mains power is not available such as roadside traffic warning signs.

The technology is claimed to be 2.5 times more efficient than standard energy saving bulbs.

Operating lifetime has traditionally been a problem with OLED technology, but the firm says it has found a way to achieve significantly longer lifetimes than fluorescent lamps. The technology will also be more efficient (producing 150 lumens/watt) as it only emits light along one axis.

OLEDs can produce a more ‘natural’ looking light than other forms of lighting.

The Carbon Trust is currently on the lookout for other technologies with significant carbon saving potential to receive up to £500k of grant funding through its Applied Research scheme. It has recently launched an open call for applications which will close on 18th February 2010. Applications can be made at www.carbontrust.co.uk/appliedresearch.

The Carbon Trust's Applied Research grant scheme has supported 164 projects from around 1900 applications and committed a total of £23m towards research worth around £55m. The scheme has provided grant funding to a wide range of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies including fuel cells, combined heat and power, bioenergy, solar power, low carbon building technologies, marine energy devices and more efficient industrial processes.

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