First published in Cleantech magazine, July 2010. Copyright Cleantech Investor 2010.
Dear Reader,
Electric light bulbs have been lighting up our lives for over a century, but a large part of the world’s population has never benefited from electric light. Many millions of people in Africa and Asia have historically depended upon polluting kerosene lanterns. However, a cleantech innovation is now bringing light to remote villages: the D Light Design solar powered LED lamp (no light bulb in sight). D Light Design was the 2010 international overall winner of the Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy (read review).
The light bulb, a commonly recognised symbol of innovation, is depicted on the cover for this issue of Cleantech magazine – and the Norton Rose LLP Cleantech survey. We also used a light bulb on the cover of the Cleantech Infocus publication, ‘Lighting – the Third Revolution ’. But perhaps a light bulb is not the most appropriate image to symbolise clean technology innovation?
Whilst the light bulb is a great image to use in graphic design – and has also inspired many interior designers over the decades – designers are now working with new options for lighting. LED and OLED technologies offer potential for innovative and exciting ways of using lighting, and they don’t involve bulbs. We recently met Siemens subsidiary, OSRAM, at an event held in the Design Museum in London and received a valuable insight into the future of lighting design (read event review)
In the near future we can expect to be using LED light bulbs – although there’s no need to manufacture LEDs in a ‘bulb’ shape, they will be designed to fit our legacy sockets. However, the bulb is no longer at the cutting edge of innovation in lighting design and will be phased out over coming decades. Although the OSRAM logo still features a light bulb, we understand that there is an internal discussion about phasing out its use in the logo.
But perhaps the symbol of innovation is irrelevant, so long as we continue to innovate. At the UK Energy Summit, organised by the Economist, in June (conference logo: .....a light bulb!), Bernie Bulkin (Chair, UK Office of Renewable Energy Deployment and Partner at VantagePoint Venture Partners) referred to three areas where he sees “action in science”, with implications for energy. These are: Information Technology (which is central to energy in the form of smart grids or smart transport); Material Sciences, including nanotech (where there are developments in batteries, photovoltaics and – of course – lighting); and Biotech. (Bulkin’s view is that next generation biofuels haven’t delivered yet, but there is a biotech revolution in the chemical industry which is changing the ways we will use fuels of all sorts.)
Lastly, but certainly not least, we are delighted to welcome Felicia Jackson to Cleantech Investor as Editor-at-Large of Cleantech magazine. Felicia’s book, Conquering Carbon, provides a host of insights into the role of innovation. She is also an innovator in her own right, having been a founder of Net Imperatives during the ‘dot com’ era – and a founder of New Energy Finance. Her contribution to Cleantech magazine going forward will add greater depth to our coverage of innovation in the sector.
Anne McIvor
July 2010
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