Solid-State Lighting: The New Normal in Lighting

The electrical lighting industry is in the midst of the biggest and most rapid change in its history. Conventional light sources that have been used for decades are being pushed aside in favor of solid-state lighting (SSL). LEDs, along with lesser known sources, offer longer life and significant energy savings over their predecessors. Although most of the breaking news deals with LEDs, other sources, such as organic LEDs and plasma, are changing the face of the lighting industry as we know it. In addition, several existing light sources are reinventing themselves in an attempt to meet the economic performance of LEDs. SSL light sources are also changing the language of lighting and how we measure the light source and fixture performance. Everything we knew about lighting is changing and will continue to change for the next few years. This paper discusses what is changing, various light sources, and the impact it is having and will have on the application of lighting.