V-Research
Attaining Energy Efficiency with Photonics Lighting Solutions

Energy efficiency is aptly termed the first fuel in net-zero energy transitions due to its ability to offer swift and economical CO2 mitigation options while enhancing energy reliability.

In this ambitious mission, photonics technology holds great promise, and not just in designing next-generation photovoltaic solar cells. Its ability to control thermal radiation plays an important role in a wide range of energy applications. From slashing energy consumption in data centres to growing crops indoors, the opportunities are endless.

Propelling this mission is V-Research’s innovative photonics solutions.

V-Research is transforming the technological-industrial field with its next-generation digital engineering, photonics, and tribo design solutions. A vanguard in the applied research and development space, V-Research is highly invested in developing state-of-the-art optical systems and control electronics, aiming to resolve complex business challenges and strengthen the energy economy of the future.

“Improving energy efficiency is at the heart of our solutions to enable significant CO2 reductions. Through strategic research collaborations with key industry players, V-Research leads the way in tackling soaring electricity costs, energy security issues, and the climate crisis,” states Dr. Heinz Seyringer, CEO of V-Research.

Next-Gen LED Lighting to Reduce CO2 Emissions

Energy-efficient lighting can save up to 670 million tons of CO2 per year. In seven years, it can reduce as much CO2 as the largest rainforest in the world.

To make this happen, the current incandescent lighting system must be replaced with a suitable LED equivalent. V-Research provides advanced technologies for LED drivers, moving its partners into a leading position in revolutionising the next-generation lighting systems. Due to their increased control capabilities, the LED drivers provide more flexibility in designing high-efficiency, reliable lighting systems that consume less power, ensure optimised brightness, and have a long life.

This new lighting system saves nearly 70 percent of the energy, which directly translates to a 70 percent reduction in operating costs. Considering the high energy prices in Europe, it has a significant impact on the budget of many companies. At the government and community levels, the cost savings can be used to invest in better measures and practices for social and economic development.

Performance Enhancement Using Human- Centric Lighting

Going beyond energy efficiency, LED technology allows for human-centric lighting (HCL) solutions that support health, wellbeing, and productivity, considering the visual, emotional, and biological effects of light.

Varying shades of white light, aided by an intelligent control system and advanced, high-performance luminaires create lighting systems that support circadian rhythms. They aid concentration, improve mood, and prevent sleep disorders. For instance, cool white light improves cognitive performance, while warm white has a calming effect. In schools, cool light benefits examination performance, and warm light reduces stress in classrooms and enhances student wellbeing. Banks and factories are other industries that stand to benefit from improved productivity due to adjusted lighting.

In some cases, using performance-enhancing light in the evening can cause sleeping disorders. This problem can be averted through complex spectral adjustments, which limit performance-enhancing lighting until early afternoon, after which the lighting system changes its spectra. This significantly improves the wellbeing of employees working different shifts and across time zones.

More detailed analyses show that the performance enhancement of HCL depends on age, gender, cultural background, and learning topics. For instance, improving student performance in a math class demands a different light spectrum than when learning a foreign language.

Paving the Way for Limbic Lighting-Driven Outcomes

V-Research’s industry partner, Zumtobel, is one of the first companies to use HCL with their limbic lighting.

The Limbic Lighting study by Zumtobel showed clear differences in lighting preferences. Using a neuropsychological target group model, it recorded and analysed the emotional responses of customers to different lighting scenarios in a retail environment and proved that clearly defined target groups react similarly to certain lighting scenarios.
Leveraging this result, Zumtobel designed and developed a target group-specific lighting solution for the Gerry Weber fashion company. It resulted in customers exhibiting positive emotions, an active perception of the store, higher levels of interest, and less stress. A significant increase in turnover, with a 10 percent increase in sales, was also noted.

Another significant impact of HCL is in combating sleep disorders for older people.

Changes in the eyes as people age, like yellowing of the lens, can reduce the amount of light that reaches the photoreceptors. This can make it challenging for their brain to regulate sleep-wake cycles and contribute to the development of sleep disorders. By providing light that simulates the natural daylight spectrum and adjusting the intensity and colour of light throughout the day, HCL can help regulate their circadian rhythms and improve sleep quality without medication.

Scaling Efficiency with Photonics Integrated Circuits

V-Research is at the forefront of developing photonics integrated circuits (PIC) with enhanced speed, low thermal effects, large integration capacity, and improved compatibility with existing processing flows. It seeks to eliminate electromagnetic interference by introducing optical fibre characterised by low transmission loss and immunity to electromagnetic interferences. It reduces the practical problems related to grounding, shielding, and guarding. In addition, it provides the transmission speed and high-volume data handling currently driven by consumer needs.

PICs can be used as passive optical components in larger systems like modulators/demodulators, high-resolution spectrometers for life sciences applications, optical bus systems for high-frequency electronics, and a basis for future quantum technology applications.

PICs will play a key role in future quantum technology applications. While a classic quantum computer must be maintained at cryogenic temperatures for optimal performance, making their storage and maintenance extremely costly and fragile, photonic quantum computing allows the computer to operate at room temperature. The optical fibre can carry more data in a much smaller volume than a conventional cable and does not pose the risk of overheating associated with electrical wires. V-Research’s ongoing research and development of PICs holds the key to creating devices big enough to revolutionise quantum computing.

Shaping the Future of Photonics

The success of any organisation depends on effective collaboration. The competent team at V-Research is a testament to this notion. An open culture encourages honest conversations, and the transfer of ideas, and leaves no room for miscommunication among team members. People from different backgrounds bring different approaches to create the most efficient solution.

Along with spearheading the LED revolution, resulting in significant energy savings and reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, V-Research aims to dive deep and bring fruitful results to PIC, telecommunications, and quantum computing technologies in its future endeavours, taking the world one step closer to a sustainable energy economy.