LIGHT

ON

THE

PLANET

Clean Lighting Solutions

Delivering more light

for less energy in high
lumen applications.

LIGHTFAIR

INTERNATIONAL
The future. Illuminated.

2009
LFI

INNOVATION

AWARDS

B E ST OF
CATEGORY

Clean Lighting Solutions with LEP

Introducing (LEP) Light Emitting Plasma, an innovative solution designed to bring clean, natural lighting to a whole
new level.

This patented technology, developed by LUXIM, is a high intensity light source that offers bright,

full-spectrum illumination in an energy saving and low maintenance package. LEP is used in large scale, high lumen
applications, and is ideal for municipal, industrial, stadium, and street & area lighting.

Popular Applications
High Bay

Street

Heavy Industrial

Parking & Area

Top 5 Reasons to use LEP

Superior Light Distribution: Create optimal light distribution from a single, directional point source

Natural Illumination: Enchance visibility from a full spectrum plasma arc (up to 95 CRI)

Uncompromised Energy Savings: Reduce energy usage by 50% without sacrificing brightness levels

Worry Free Reliability: Eliminate failure modes and lumen degradation found in most lighting

Seamless Controls Integration: Connect to any lighting controls via built in control gear

Advancing
Clean Lighting
Technology
with LEP

Superior Light Distribution

The LEP emitter is constructed of a small electrode-less quartz lamp
encased by a ceramic resonator. This novel construction emits light, from a
small area, in a forward direction into a lambertian pattern. The point source
like characteristic provides many advantages in a luminaires optical
performance. A smaller source reduces the amount of optics needed
to achieve the required level of glare cutoff and illumination, while ensuring
excellent uniformity, by design.

Full Spectrum, Natural Illumination

EFFICIENCY

LEP Luminaires can achieve

greater than 90% optical
efficiency in most applications

In addition, the directionality feature significantly

improves luminaire efficiency. Since all of the light is
already directed toward the area needing illumination,
there are no optical losses from light going in the
wrong direction. In most applications, LEP luminaires
can achieve greater than 90% optical efficiency into

460W HPS

280W LEP

the desired light distribution.

Natural Illumination

LAMP LUMENS
Fixture Efficiency

LEPs plasma arc directly emits a full-spectrum white

FIXTURE LUMENS

light without the need for a secondary phosphor

MEAN FIXTURE LUMENS

conversion like in LED or Induction sources. The natural

illumination generated from the LEP source greatly
enhances visibility and color appearance with a CRI
up to 95.

Light Loss Factor

Application Efficiency
ROAD LUMENS

460W HPS

280W LEP

50,000

23,000

65%

85%

32,500

19,465

75%r

80%

24,375

15,572

48%

82%

11,700

12,769

Benefit

directional source

low lumens degradation

optical control

Application Efficiency: LEPs directional point source allows luminaire designs

to maximize the amount of useful light for a target illumination area eliminating
wasted light in the form of glare and light pollution.

The full-spectrum signature also provides

increased mesopic/scoptopic illuminance (with S-P

HPS (400W)

ratio of 2.4) which greatly enchances nighttime visibility

at the time of day when street and outdoor lights are
needed. LEPs natural illumination enables luminaires
to create a safe and inviting environment.
LEP (STA-41-01)

Improved Visibility
Improved Uniformity
Improved Appearance

Natural Illumination: LEPs full spectrum mimics natural daylight

delivering accurate color rendering and improved visibility.

Lower Maintenance Costs

Worry-Free Reliability
The unique construction of the LEP source and solid
state driver eliminates all failure modes of traditional
lighting. LEP lamps do not display electrode failures or
wall darkering that plague metal halide and HPS lamps.
The solid state RF generator is a rugged, semiconductor
device made to withstand extended, continuous use.
An LEP system for general lighting applications is rated
for 70% lumen maintenance (L70) at 50,000 hours.
It is important to note that unlike typical HID light
sources, LEP sources do not need to be de-rated
for the length of operating cycles.

In comparison,

a typical 400W metal halide lamp can be expected

to last 18,000 hours with a 50% survival rate.
Its lifetime is de-rated by as much as 25% for lamp

Uncompromised Energy Savings

orientation and up to 50% for short operating cycles.

LEP does not have these limitations - greatly enhancing

Energy savings using LEP luminaires comes from a

its reliability and resulting in lower maintenance costs.

combination of source and application efficiency.

LEPs source efficacy, lumens created per watt

SYSTEM lumen maintenance

consumed, is automatically 15-20% higher than an HID

100%

source since none of the power is wasted in heating

150 LPW at operating temperatures.

On the applications front, LEP sources can be utilized

80%

Light Output

electrodes. Plasma source efficacy ranges from 115-

90%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%

more effectively than HID, induction or LED because

20%

of its directionality and size. The directional source

0%

prevents light from being trapped inside a luminaire.

Point source optics effectively maps the source to

10%
0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

Hours of Operation
avg

max

min

the illuminated area preventing unwanted light spill (a

source for glare and light-pollution).

Reliability

An LEP source for general lighting applications is rated for 50,000 hours.

Seamless Controls Integration

The intelligent solid-state driver and an emitter configuration able to react
quickly make LEP the only high intensity source that can be dimmed down to
20% of light output, in just a matter of seconds, with both analog and digital
controls. Not only that, but dimming actually increases the longevity of the
LEP source and the drive electronics. This capability creates an enormous
opportunity for reducing energy consumption and operating costs when
combined with the use of dimmers, and occupancy or daylight sensors.
The LEP driver has many built in functionalities including:

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>
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Direct 1-10V input for dimming

Direct low voltage input control by occupancy sensors
Serial interface for digital controls

(can interface to DALI and other controls protocols)

>

Logging of operating parameters including temperature, voltage, current

and other diagnostics

Cable

DC V in
DC Ground

Emitter

+5V

Tx Serial in

Rx Serial out

1-10DV Dimming

Signal ground

Low voltage input

RF Driver

Lighting Network

CONTROLS
INPUTS

Analog Dimmer
Wireless Controls

LEP System Overview; Built-in control

gear compatible with analog and digital
lighting controls

Motion &
Daylight Sensor

Unlike traditional HID, dimming with LEP actually increases the longevity
of the source and the drive electronics.

The Science Behind LEP

LUXIMs novel plasma lighting architecture consists of two primary parts:

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Emitter: A lamp embedded in a ceramic resonator

Radio Frequency (RF) Driver: Both a solid-state amplifier andmicro-controller

A radio-frequency signal is generated by the solid-state RF driver and is then guided into the ceramic
resonator through a low loss coaxial cable. The structure of the resonator concentrates the RFfield
delivering energy to the fully-sealed lamp without electrodes and filaments. The highly concentrated
electric field ionizes the gasses and vaporizes the halides in the lamp - creating a plasma state at its
center - resulting in an intense source of white light. Inside the back of the lamp, a diffuse yet highly
reflective material is used to reflect all of this light in a forward direction. The color of the light is tailored by
the fill chemistry inside the lamp to provide a naturally white and high color rendering light.

Lamp

Ceramic
Resonator
or Puck

Power Amplifier

The brilliance of the LEP architecture lies in its simplicity. The principal idea is to energize a plasma arc,
without filaments or electrodes, and thereby eliminate all failure modes and inefficiencies of an HID lamp.
Step 1
An RF circuit is established by connecting an RF power amplifier to a ceramic resonator known as the puck. In the
center of the puck is a sealed quartz lamp that contains materials consistent with metal halide lamps.

Step 2
The puck, driven by the power amplifier, creates a standing wave confined within its walls. The electric field is strongest at the
center of the lamp which first ionizes the gasses creating a glow.

Step 3
The ionized gas in turn heats up and evaporates the metal halide materials forming an intense plasma column within
the lamp. This plasma column is centered within the quartz envelope and radiates light very efficiently.

By Design

A single LEP lamp, the size of a tic-tac, can replace

a large HID lamp or 200 high power LEDs.

Superior Source Efficacy

The LEP Solution
LUXIM offers a full line of clean lighting solutions for high lumen applications ideal for replacing 250W and above HID lamps
and ballasts. With roughly half the power and a 50,000 hour rated life, LEP can help end users achieve a payback of lessthan
2 years in most lighting installations. LUXIMs products include an LEP emitter, RF driver, and co-axial connection available in
different lengths (an additional AC-DC converter is needed for use in a luminaire). LUXIMs products are tested and certified to
both North American and International Standards.

Product

HID
Equivalent

HID
Wattage

LEP
Wattage

Rated
Lifetime

CCT

CRI

STA-25

250W

310W

160W

50,000 Hrs

5200K

75-95

STA-32

320W

360W

230W

50,000 Hrs

5200K

83

STA-41

400W

460W

280W

50,000 Hrs

5200K

75-95

STA-75

750W

830W

450W

50,000 Hrs

5200K

75-95

Please scan the QR code or visit our website for

additional details and ordering information on our
complete line of products.

LEP vs. LED

LEP vs. HID

While LEP is a category of solid state lighting, it is not an LED. The

LEPs innovation over HID light sources is the removal of

main difference being the use of the solid state device; LEP uses the

electrodes and use of solid state electronics, which results in

device to generate RF energy which powers the plasma light source

better source efficacy, application efficiency, and reliability.

LED uses the device itself for light generation. Some of the similarities

Powering a lamp without electrodes in a compact resonator

include the directionality of the light output, component reliability, and

allows a completely sealed and more robust quartz lamp,

control systems integration. The main difference between the two Is

a directional beam pattern to improve optical efficiency, and

performance - LEP provides higher lumen density (200X greater), and a

the ability to dim without impacting lamp life. Similar to HID,

full color spectrum without phosphor conversion resulting in superior

LEP sources have the ability to scale to high lumen packages

performance in higher lumen applications.

easily without the need of multiple sources.

DesignUseTip
LEP for High Lumen Applications (10,000+ Lumens);
Use LED or HID for Mid and Low Lumen Applications.

LEP in Action Indoor

Case Study
Location: Saint Francis High School, Mountain View, CA
Application: Indoor Gymnasium (retrofit)
Saint Francis High School required better lighting for their gymnasium, but also
wanted to reduce their environmental footprint. The existing 400W metal halide
lighting gave the facility a poorly illuminated appearance and was costly to operate
and maintain. The schools Facilities Director wanted the gym (which operated 15

BEFORE

hours/day) to be an attractive venue for its teams and decided an LEP solution
would address all of the schools needs.

Solution: H400 highbay luminaire (using STA-41-02 LEP system, 280W)

to replace 470W Metal-Halide highbay.

Results
>

Reduced annual energy and maintenance costs by 45%

(savings of $177 per fixture annually, 3.4 year simple payback on retrofit)

AFTER

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>
>
>
>

Improved footcandle (lux) levels compared to previous 400W metal halide lamps
Improved CRI from 65 to 95 providing improved visual acuity and appearance
Ease of retrofit; able to swap out each luminaire in 15 minutes
Eliminated ballast noise

Reduced environmental footprint; installing LEP luminaires amounts to removing

26 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere (same amount sequestered by 5 acres of
pine forest)

Parameter

Units

Existing

LEP

Savings

Watts

470

280

190

Case Details
Average Fixture Power

32

32

Daily Usage

Number of Fixtures

Hours

15

15

Replacement Cycle

Years

kW-Hr

82,344

49,056

33,288

Energy Cost

$/Yr

$10,705

$6,377

$4,327

Maintenance Cost

$/Yr

$1,752

$420

$1,332

Total Operating Cost

$/Yr

$12,457

$6,798

$5,659

Payback

Yrs

3.4

64

38

26

Operating Costs
Electricity consumption

Environmental Impact Emissions

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Tons/Yr

LEP in Action Outdoor

Case Study
Location: Scottsburg Indiana (US I-31 and IN-56)
Application: Street and Roadway
When the City of Scottsburg decided to upgrade its lighting from High Pressure Sodium,
they found that LED solutions were too costly for their budget and would not provide the
amount of light needed to light their streets. They became interested in an LEP solution when
they found out it would allow them to reduce the number of luminaires by 30% to 50% - while
still maintaining existing light levels.

Straylight Technologies, an LEP lighting manufacturer,

helped the City upgrade 600 street and roadway luminaires.

Solution: Tesla II Luminaire (using STA-41-01, 280W) to

replace 460W High Pressure Sodium with 30% fewer fixtures.

Results
>
>
>

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>

Reduced the number of fixtures from 600 to 420 while maintaining brightness and safety levels
60% energy savings compared to existing HPS solution
Greatly reduced energy consumption and maintenance resulting in payback of 1.5 years

More than $200 annual savings on energy costs per fixture

Reduced lamp replacement from 4 to 11 year cycles

BEFORE

Improved the quality of light from yellow to white light with 2.4X better night time visibility
Dark sky compliant with improved uniformity
Reduced the environmental footprint by 558 tons of CO2 emitted per year

AFTER
Parameter

Units

Existing

LEP

Savings

Case Details
Average Fixture Power

Watts

460

280

180

600

420

180

Daily Usage

Hours

12

12

Replacement Cycle

Years

11

kW-Hr

1,242,000

529,200

712,800

$/Yr

$161,460

$68,796

$92,664

Number of Fixtures

Operating Costs
Electricity consumption
Energy Cost
Maintenance Cost

$/Yr

$18,000

$4,536

$13,464

Total Operating Cost

$/Yr

$179,460

$73,332

$106,128

Payback

Yrs

1.5

972

414

558

Environmental Impact Emissions

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Tons/Yr

About Luxim
LUXIM, located in the heart of Silicon Valley, California, is a leader in clean
lighting solutions powered by Light Emitting Plasma. LEP technology
helps manufacturers, governments, retailers, and distributors significantly
reduce energy consumption and maintenance costs. With 10 years
experience and over 40 patents, LUXIM delivers more light for less energy
in high lumen applications.

1171 Borregas Ave, Sunnyvale, CA 94089

T. 408-734-1096 F. 408-400-0013 E. INFO@LUXIM.COM
www.LUXIM.com | www.theLEPexperience.com