Energy Efficiency

A Conversation with Hiroshi Amano

In 1879, Thomas Edison invented the light bulb. For nearly a hundred years, the incandescent bulb—which worked mainly by electricity passing through a filament and heating it to incandescent temperatures in a glass globe—lit up the world. It was effective in terms of turning night into daylight, but most inefficient in virtually every other way. It used, indeed wasted, a lot of electricity, generated heat, and had to be thrown away once it burned out in a relatively short time. Along came the next phase—fluorescent lights, with their own set of problems. But scientists continued working and eventually came up with the process of electroluminescence, and in turn light-emitting diodes or LEDs.

For nearly three decades, though, there were only two types of LEDs—red and green. The third vital color, if they were to be combined into a bulb that emitted white light, was blue. And for nearly four decades, this eluded scientists. Until one day, following years of effort, three extraordinary Japanese scientists stumbled on the way to make blue. For their efforts, last year, all three were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. One of them was Hiroshi Amano, a professor at Nagoya University located on Japan’s Pacific Coast.

World Policy Journal editor and publisher David A. Andelman spoke to him for a Conversation on his epic breakthrough and his astonishing work that comes next—and could lead to another Nobel Prize.

WORLD POLICY JOURNAL: I’d like to talk to you a bit about how you and your colleagues effectively enabled the creation of the light-emitting diode (LED), which is  really the greatest single advance, in many ways, of energy conservation. To start, can you share how the LED differs from traditional light bulbs, and how you came to make this discovery?

HIROSHI AMANO: The LED is a fourth generation artificial lighting system. The first one was the wire or frame based on conduction. The second one was incandescent. The third is the fluorescent lamp. But the problem is that the florescent lamp needs a vacuum and also has a glass tube, which is very fragile. So the LED is the fourth generation, which is based on the solid state and the quantum mechanics based lighting system. It is very tough and very efficient—indeed the most efficient lighting system.

WPJ: And what I especially found interesting is that basically you need three colors to arrive at the LED light. You need red, green, and then blue. It was very easy to get the red and the green, but it was the blue that you discovered—that took 30 or 40 years to do— that really enabled this?

AMANO: You are right. For red and green it is not so difficult because the crystals that emit red light and green light are relatively easy to grow, but the crystals that can emit blue light are quite different and very difficult to grow. That is why it took a long, long time to realize the blue-light emitting diode.

WPJ: So how were you able to arrive at that?

AMANO: Semi-conductor physicists already knew which crystals could emit blue light, but the problem was that growing single crystals is very difficult.

WPJ: How did you do that?

AMANO: Today’s blue emitting diode is based on gallium nitride. To grow the gallium nitride by direct reaction of gallium and nitride, we need very high pressure—over 45,000 atmospheres—and very high temperatures. Then we need to use the chemical reaction to reduce the pressure and the temperature. We have to use the different crystals as the substratum wafer to grow the LED structure. So the sapphire is one of the best candidates for the substrata, but the problem is that the periodicity between the atom arrangement of the sapphire and the gallium nitride is quite different—16 percent different.  So many people tried to grow single crystals but failed, and for a long, long time. In general, the semi-conductor physicists tried to grow crystals at high temperatures, but in our case we did it at low temperatures. That’s why we succeeded.

WPJ: I understand in a lab you have controlled conditions or you can replicate all sorts of interesting conditions that are very difficult on an assembly line. How did it get from that point to the point where we can have a very simple LED light? How did you get from that to an ability to manufacture that on a mass scale worldwide?

AMANO: We succeeded in mass production because we realized the low temperature phosphor technique to grow high quality crystals, and also we succeeded in realizing the p-type gallium nitride. Before us, many people tried to replicate LEDs based on gallium nitride, but no one succeeded in the p-type nitride. We, however, succeeded in the p-type gallium nitride.

WPJ: We now have in the United States virtually universal adoption of the LED, and many other areas of the world as well.  One member of the Nobel Prize committee pointed out that a quarter of all electricity produced in the world is devoted to illumination. So could you venture a guess as to how much energy your discovery is saving the planet?

AMANO: Take Japan’s case. Maybe by 2020 about 70 percent of the general lighting can be replaced by the LED lighting system by which we can save about 7 percent of the total electricity in Japan. Maybe in the world the trend is a bit slower. In the case of the United States, by year 2030, about 70 percent of the general lighting can be replaced by LED lighting and about 7 percent of electricity saved by LED lighting systems.

WPJ: Japan is trying to move away from nuclear energy and toward conventional or new types of energy. Might this help in this process because less electricity will be necessary for lighting?

AMANO: In Japan, before 2011, about 30 percent of the electricity was generated by nuclear power plants, but today all of the nuclear plant production has stopped. So we have to find the way to obtain the 30 percent. About 7 percent can be saved by LED lighting, so we have to search for another 23 percent in savings.

WPJ: The other issue that’s interesting about LED use is that they are so much cooler than incandescent lighting. And for those concerned about our warming planet, might replacing incandescent light bulbs all over the world with LEDs effectively contribute to lowering, or at least slowing, some of the heating at the surface of our planet?

AMANO: You are right that the incandescent lamp emits infrared radiation, but I’m not sure how much it affects global warming systems. In Japan, there is another opinion. For example, in the Hokkaido area it’s very cold, and it snows. In the traffic systems, if the traffic signals are covered with snow, in the case of LED light signal systems, there is no heating, or the heating is very small, so they cannot melt the snow. So we have to find another route.

WPJ: Now it also seems that because less electricity is required to power an LED than an incandescent light, there are so many parts of the planet, especially the more remote regions of the world, where the need to generate the larger quantitates of electricity to power a village lit with incandescent lights is being replaced by a far smaller energy generating need. So might we then be able to light up hitherto darkened regions of our planet where this might not have been possible before?

AMANO: Yes. That’s a very important point. In the case of LEDs, by combination of solar cells and batteries, we can provide very simple lighting without electrical generation. For example, I met with the Minister of Education of Mongolia, where they still live without houses—they are nomads. Now they can provide very simple lighting tools by combining solar cells, batteries, and the LED lighting systems, which provide the students, or children, with a lighting system. So the children can read a book, or study, even at night.

WPJ: What motivated you to develop this whole system? Was it purely scientific curiosity? Or was it a sense of the needs of our planet? How did his happen?

AMANO: When I was young, my interests were purely scientific. However, now my interests, or my motivation, are how I can contribute to the planet, or to the people living on the planet.

WPJ: So you think that the scientific community in general has a responsibility to commit to work on addressing these threats to our planet, or the prospects of improving it. What role do you think science should play in making mankind better?

AMANO: In my case, I can contribute to the energy saving, or energy efficiency, issues. Maybe I can also contribute not only LEDs but also the other devices such as power devices or solar cells, and I do believe I can provide much more efficient devices or solar cells in the future.

WPJ: So your next work is in the solar cell area. The research you’re beginning now is the backside of the LED—how to generate the electricity needed to power the LED.

AMANO: My interests now are not only LEDs, but also the solar cells and also the power device, for example the inverter or converter. The solar cells generate Direct Current (DC); we use Alternate Current (AC) in homes. We have to change the electricity from DC to AC. So we use an inverter circuit system and also a converter circuit system—effectively a switching transistor. If you considered an electric vehicle, the batteries are DC, but the motor is AC because of the high efficiency generated compared to the DC motors. We have to change the electricity from DC to AC, so we need an inverter system. And we use the power transistor. Efficiency is still high—95 percent—but 5 percent is lost.

WPJ: Do you think you can get to that last 5 percent?

AMANO: Yes, the last 5 percent we can reduce to 0.5 percent by using the new materials system.

WPJ: What kind of materials?

AMANO: That’s the gallium nitride and the silicone carbide.

WPJ: Oh so very similar to the materials that go into your LEDs then?

AMANO: Right. We are also now concentrating on fabricating new power transistors based on gallium nitride and silicone carbide.

WPJ: That’s what your research deals with now. And that will be your next advance. Now let’s go back to the LEDs. You said last year that about half of the blue LEDs in the world are manufactured in China and that energy conservation efforts can be enhanced by cooperation between the research of Japanese universities and China’s production capability. So how do you see these global efforts going forward and developing? Should Japan and China lead the way in all of this?

AMANO: In China, the factory size is much, much bigger than in Japan. I think that the collaboration with Japan’s ideas, or the universities, and China’s manufacturing capabilities will help LEDs penetrate the global marketplace much faster.

WPJ: So basically Japan has some extraordinary people like you who are great scientists and inventors, developers of new and great techniques, and China can take those and develop them for the world more effectively on a massive scale. Are you happy that Japan is taking this kind of leadership in the scientific area?

AMANO:  We are very proud of providing the ideas or technology to people who are trying to fabricate these devices or who try to realize our ideas.

WPJ: How long do you think before your new devices will be ready to take their place beside the LED to make important changes in society? What is a realistic timeframe to expect in the future going forward for this type of transformation?

AMANO: In the case of our blue LEDs it took about 30 years from the start of our studies to then contribute to the energy savings. A long time is necessary to realize the idea.

WPJ: So is three decades a reasonable period? Is this what we can expect as the norm from, say, the scientific laboratory to the factory to the consumer in this day and age? Or do you think such a process can, and should, be accelerated given all of the needs of the world in terms of conservation and our energy needs?

AMANO: In the case of blue LEDs, there were many candidates. But a long time was necessary to understand which was the best candidate. There were many competitions until we finally found the best solution.

WPJ: I would like to conclude by asking you about what aspect of your work holds for you the greatest hope for the future of people on our planet?

AMANO: The health of the people, because we are now trying to fabricate LEDs by which we can clean up the water or clean up the air. More so, other people are trying to use LEDs for purifying for food.

WPJ: So these are new applications for the LED other than lighting a room. Indeed, the LED has already changed so much in the world. By replacing sodium lights with LEDs, the whole tone of major cities is being changed—the lighting so much more sharp, bright, and realistic than under the sodium lights. In short, it has changed the lives of so many people. Are you moved by that? Are you pleased you’ve affected so many lives so positively?

AMANO: I am very proud, but I’m not the only person to contribute to this. Many people have contributed to realizing the LED’s applications, so I owe much to the people who are trying to develop LED’s technology.

WPJ: Well that’s very modest of you, Professor Amano, but without you, they would have nothing to work with. I congratulate you and celebrate you, as do we all here.

AMANO: Thank you so much.

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This article was first published in the Summer 2015 Issue of World Policy Journal, “Climate’s Cliff” and is reposted with permission. (Subscribe to World Policy Journal here) [Cartoon courtesy of Jeff Danziger]

Need a little inspiration this Friday. Check out this new kickstarter campaign for a new home automation/energy efficiency device: OttoBox.

Everybody knows a significant amount of energy is wasted by appliances in standby mode. According to information provided, Ottobox tracks the habits of its users, learning when appliances tend to be in use and turning them off when they are not. Ottobox automatically turns off standby appliances, allowing consumers to achieve considerable savings on their electric bills.

Ottobox is the brainchild of Ameer Sami, the Founder & Chief Engineer of Ottomate. Ameer, after being continually scolded by his mother for failing to turn off his devices when not using them, decided that there must be a more convenient way to save energy. So, at only 16 years old, he developed the first prototype of the Ottobox. Now, through Kickstarter, 18 year old Ameer and his team of five are working to bring the Ottobox to mass production.

If it lives up to the presentation, it’s cool and, importantly, super simple to use. Plus you gotta feel good when it’s invented by a teenager and supported by a company and a team that look not much older.

So check it out!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ottomate/ottobox-smart-self-programming-home-automation-sys

It’s not always just about the technology. Clearly we have a lot of great cleantech to choose from these days, be it in energy generation (solar), energy efficiency (LED lighting), clean transportation (electric vehicles), etc. but sometimes it’s the business model behind the technology and how we apply it that makes all the difference and drives acceptance.

A great recent example of this is a new collaboration between the Schiphol Group, Cofely and Royal Philips who have entered into an agreement to offer light as a service in the terminal buildings at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport. Providing light as a service means that Schiphol pays for the light it uses, while Philips remains the owner of all fixtures and installations. Philips and Cofely will be jointly responsible for the performance and durability of the system and ultimately its re-use and recycling at end of life. By using energy-efficient LED lamps, a 50% reduction in electricity consumption will be achieved over conventional lighting systems.

By applying circular economy principles, Schiphol Group, Cofely and Philips have created a new standard in the transition towards sustainable lighting. The innovative light design also provides a better lighting experience and is part of an extensive renovation of the terminal intended to increase passenger comfort and capacity at Schiphol.

In association with architects Kossmann.dejong and Philips Design, lighting fixtures were specially developed for the airport that will last 75% longer than other conventional fixtures as the design of the fixtures improved the serviceability and therefore improved the lifetime. In addition, the fixture components can be individually replaced. This will reduce maintenance costs and means that the entire fixture does not have to be recycled, resulting in the greatest possible reduction in raw material consumption.

Jos Nijhuis, CEO and president of Schiphol Group, said, “It is Schiphol’s ambition to become one of the most sustainable airports in the world. We believe in a circular economy and want to play an active role in its realization. The collaboration with Philips and Cofely marks a good step in this direction. Together we left the beaten path to develop an innovative, out-of-the-box solution. We set a new standard that matches the ambition level of the airport.”

Frank van der Vloed, General Manager, Philips Lighting Benelux, said, “We are pleased to make an important contribution to Schiphol’s ambitious sustainability targets. We believe that more and more forward-thinking businesses will move to a Light as a Service model. After all, most of us are used to this kind of model – for example I drink water but I don’t have a reservoir in my basement. Many people are used to pay-as-you-go models. Add to this considerable energy savings from LED technology and the sustainability of the overall system and the proposition is compelling.

Hans van Happen, COO Cofely Nederland NV: “As the main contractor, Cofely is always on the look-out for innovative, energy-saving solutions that contribute to Schiphol’s business objectives. This innovative partnership with Schiphol and Philips matches perfectly with Cofely’s ambition to play a leading role in the energy transition.”

Philips will retain ownership of all the equipment, Schiphol Group will lease it for the duration of the contract. At the end of the contract, fixtures will be re-used elsewhere after upgrading, resulting in maximum resource reduction.

Supported by Cofely’s round-the-clock presence at Schiphol, Philips and Cofely can provide real-time management of the lighting system to generate an optimal lighting experience and sustainability. At the same time they will also be responsible for the intensity and reliability of the lighting, based on a KPI model.

Los Angeles (LA) will become the first city in the world to control its street lighting through an advanced management system that uses mobile and cloud-based technologies. The new technology, developed by Philips, confirms LA’s Bureau of Street Lighting as a trailblazer in next generation LED street lighting with a new solution that saves energy, reduces maintenance and provides quality lighting that makes streets safer for LA residents. The technology also supports Mayor Garcetti’s Great Streets initiative, promoting the revitalization of neighborhoods through more pedestrian-friendly streets for LA’s citizens.

LA has long been at the forefront of smart city innovations, including adopting new web-based technologies that will help city administrators better manage city services such as street lighting.  With the addition of the Philips CityTouch connected lighting management system, the LA Bureau of Street Lighting can remotely control lighting fixtures, as well as monitor energy use and the status of each light. Using mobile chip technology embedded into each fixture, the street lights are able to identify themselves and network instantly. This smart plug and play approach not only reduces the cost of programming each fixture, it also reduces the time of commissioning from days to minutes and eliminates on-site commissioning completely. Furthermore, the entire system can be securely controlled and managed remotely through any web browser.

“LA has more LED street lights than any other city in America, with about 7,500 centerline miles,” said Ed Ebrahimian, director of the Bureau of Street Lighting for the City of Los Angeles. “This required a solution that would allow us to remotely control street lights and accurately report how much energy each light is consuming, while also being easy to install and flexible enough to adapt to broader Smart City plans. We piloted several solutions over the last year and decided to implement CityTouch as it required no further investment or intervention in our infrastructure.”

While CityTouch is already in use in 31 countries, the LA solution is the first in the world connecting directly to each light point using the Philips CityTouch connector node, which can connect street lights from any manufacturer. This extends the life of legacy and LED systems alike, enabling them to become connected light points. CityTouch gives the Bureau of Street Lighting a clear picture of the entire city’s lighting system at its fingertips, with map-based visualization, charts and diagrams. The combination of LED technology and management software will enable the Bureau to better manage its assets, while Angelinos benefit from the increased uptime, with safer, well-lit streets.

“Philips CityTouch supports Mayor Garcetti’s Great Streets program by taking the management of LED street lighting to the next level, increasing safety through uptime, ensuring better visibility and providing the capability to further adapt lighting to the needs of a particular neighborhood,” said Amy Huntington, president of Philips Lighting Americas. “Not only does better lighting management support the city’s energy efficiency initiatives, but it has a beneficial effect on the streetscape, contributing to more vibrant and engaged communities.”

– New Philips CityTouch saves energy, gives citizens safer lit streets
– Connected system reports faults and reduces commissioning time to minutes
– Wireless plug and play connector node protects city’s existing investment by networking streetlights from any vendor

An innovative solution for homeowners looking to save energy and significantly reduce their utility bill is hitting the market for the first time in many areas throughout the United States. Developed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory with funding from the EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy among others, the new technology, called Aeroseal, provides an easy and effective way to seal leaky air ducts.

According to recent reports, leaky ducts are the primary source of energy loss in 85 percent or more of existing residential homes. Sealing those leaks is typically the single most effective thing homeowners can do to reduce energy consumption.

Aeroseal works by sealing duct leaks from the inside of the duct system. Applied as an aerosol mist, the non-toxic spray travels throughout the interior of the  ductwork attaching itself to the edge of the leaks, then bonding to other sealant particles until the hole is sealed. According to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory studies, the process is 95 percent effective at sealing air duct leaks.

“Unlike traditional duct sealing methods such as tape or mastic, aeroseal works from the inside of the ductwork to locate and seal leaks. This makes it possible, for the first time, to seal all the leaks, including those hidden behind walls, under insulation or other hard to find and access locations,” said Neal Walsh, senior vice president at Aeroseal LLC. According to the company, average homeowners can save $250 to $850 each year on their home energy bill by using this innovative approach to duct sealing.

Developed At Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Aerosol-Based Duct Sealing Changing The Rules On How To Best Reduce Home Energy Use

In their 2009 report Unlocking Energy Efficiency in the U.S. Economy, research firm McKinsey and Company ranked duct sealing as the single most effective thing most homeowners can do to reduce home energy consumption – about 5X more effective than upgrading windows; 30X more than insulating walls.

“It’s estimate that the average home loses 30% of heated and cooled air through duct leaks,” said Walsh. “Since the majority of ductwork in existing homes is inaccessible for manual sealing, there was no viable solution to the problem…until now.”

JMD Corporation recently purchased the exclusive rights to the duct sealing technology and formed Aeroseal LLC, a company focused exclusively on promoting Aeroseal technology. As a result, the duct sealing solution is being made available for the first time to many homeowners across the United States. Since being introduced on the market, Aeroseal technology has won a number of prestigious awards including the DOE Energy 100” award from the U.S. Department of Energy and The Best of What’s New award from Popular Science Magazine.

Key Findings Include Energy Efficiency Action Lags Intent, Hispanics More Open to Embracing Energy Efficiency Measures

New national market research conducted with 1,345 homeowners about their attitudes toward energy efficiency points to significant opportunity for electric and gas utilities and energy efficiency programs to improve the way they engage customers about energy efficiency.

“Across the country, the seeds have been planted about the importance of energy efficiency,” says Rob Niccolai of KSV, the marketing firm that commissioned the research. “But, in general, utilities are doing a poor job translating that sentiment into consumer action.

“Utilities might take a lesson from Home Depot and Lowes. These national retailers figured out how to tap Americans’ passion for their homes and their willingness to undertake DIY projects.

“Utilities should do the same for energy efficiency,” advises Niccolai. “Energy efficiency needs to be repositioned to matter like home improvement matters. A solid start might be to use the phrase ‘home efficiency’ rather than ‘energy efficiency’.” Niccolai is a principal and client group director at KSV, which has honed its energy efficiency marketing expertise with utilities and energy efficiency programs like National Grid, Mass Save and Efficiency Vermont.

According to the research findings, nearly 60% of homeowners report that they enjoy taking on home improvement and DIY projects, yet fewer than half (46%) made an energy efficiency improvement in the past year. Moreover, less than 10% rate their homes as very efficient, yet 63% want a more efficient home.

KSV polled 1,345 homeowners across five regions of the country and across diverse demographic segments (age, income, gender, marital status, ethnicity, presence of children, household size, educational level) during two weeks in January and one week in February 2015. KSV developed the survey questions and Qualtrics, an online survey firm, fielded the survey. KSV analyzed all the data.

Language nuances are just one of many findings of the statistically significant national research. Others include:

Energy Efficiency Action Lags Intent

Almost 86% of responding homeowners believe the world will be better off because of energy efficiency, 82% believe energy efficiency can help America’s energy independence, and 72% believe energy efficiency can reduce emissions and delay climate change.

Yet less than half of those surveyed (46%) invested in an energy efficiency measure last year, and only 18.7% participated in a utility-sponsored energy efficiency program.

Understanding Equals Action

KSV’s research suggests that with better understanding of energy efficiency comes more engagement and participation.

Although 61% of those polled cannot confidently explain a kilowatt-hour; of those who can, almost four-fifths (79%) feel somewhat or very knowledgeable about the different measures they could take to increase the energy efficiency in their homes.

Ethnic Variations

The research uncovered significant differences in energy efficiency attitudes among ethnic groups. “If you want to meet your utility’s energy efficiency goals, ‘Habla Español’,” says KSV’s Niccolai.

Forty-two percent of Hispanics and 40% of African Americans say they are very interested in making their homes more energy efficient. Conversely, only 25% of Caucasians make the same claim.

Children in the Home Matter

Interest in energy efficiency also varied by the presence of children in the home. Homeowners with children are more inclined toward energy efficiency measures than homeowners without children, 69.3% compared to 59.6%. Moreover, people without children deem their homes inefficient, participate in energy efficiency programs less (60% have not participated), and claim the least familiarity with energy efficiency programs.

Visualization Matters

Fully 85% of homeowners want a rich, in-depth display of energy consumption and 52% of homeowners say they would change their energy consumption behavior with better visualization.

Also, homeowners place greater value when they play an active role in saving energy (by turning off lights, washing clothes with cold water, etc.), rather than when they play only a passive role, letting energy efficient appliances and smart technology do the work. That suggests that utilities promote both simple conservation measures and more elaborate energy efficiency measures together.

Solar Soars, SmarTech Hesitation

Finally, the nationwide research explored homeowner attitudes toward renewables and smart technology.

The research strongly suggests that utilities talk up their renewable energy investments. Nearly three-fourths (73%) of homeowners say their satisfaction with their utility would increase if the utility were to offer energy sourced solely from renewables.

And interest is solar is soaring. Respondents report five times the interest in solar compared to 12 months ago. Curiously, 21% of respondents reported that solar would reduce their energy use. Apparently they conflate energy efficiency benefits with energy generation technology.