LED light fixtures are known for their energy efficiency and long lifespan. Now, thanks to some smart product developers, LED lights might last even longer. Harvy Wilkinson, VP of marketing and product development at Ioxus, Inc. has become a big proponent of the company’s hybrid capacitor, which is a combination of an ultracapacitor and a lithium-ion battery.
Typically, LED lights use standard electric double-layer capacitors (ELDCs) to store energy. But hybrid capacitors outshine the ELDC standard: “Hybrid capacitors offer an enhanced capability of energy storage in LEDs because they have an energy density up to 115 percent higher than ELDCs. This allows for faster and more efficient power to applications such as LED lights used in medical devices. Compared with a nickel cadmium or lithium-ion battery, hybrid capacitors provide more than 20 times the cycle life and 60 times faster recharge rates, vastly improving LED lighting products for a variety of industries,” writes Wilkinson. “The low energy and power of LEDs allows hybrid capacitors to be a longer term energy source than alternative energy storage solutions on the market.”
Using hybrid capacitors in rechargeable LED devices will allow users to save on time and maintenance costs. According to Wilkinson, “Medical devices using hybrid capacitors to power the LED lights can charge in 60 seconds and last all day. The hybrid capacitor can last in the device for more than ten years, which often is longer than the device’s lifespan.” Wilkinson expects that we will see an increase in the use of hybrid capacitors to power LED light fixtures. What do you think?
