LED Q&A with Gary Maag, General Manager of Optoelectronics Operations, CAO Group

Q: What do you see is the #1 biggest issue with LED/SSL as it exists right now?
A: I believe the biggest issue is with educating the customer to the pros and cons of LED lighting. The American public has grown up with the concept that a light bulb needs to look and perform exactly like the Thomas Edison bulb, and that the cost will be fifty cents. LEDs are far from this. Many LED products are failing because designers are trying to engineer performance into their product that is not obtainable at this time. For example, if high brightness is needed, a manufacturer will sometimes overdrive the supply current. The product will look great for a time, but will experience rapid degradation.

The shape of the light bulb will be fun to watch over the next few years. The curly compact fluorescent was not accepted by the public, until a round Edison looking bulb covered it. The bulb is no longer needed for CFL or LED, but the public paradigm has forced both industries to conform. Lastly, LEDs will face a challenge of matching the Color Rendering Index (CRI) of incandescent. Our eyes need to be re-trained to accept wider variations in color preference. I retrofitted my entire house with LED lighting. I saved $30 per month on my power bill, but my family objected to the lighting color for several months. They have now acclimated to the change.

Q: How and where do you see LED/SSL impacting the electronics market?
A: LEDs will eventually replace all CFL and Incandescent lighting. The timeframe could be as early as 2012. LED technology is improving exponentially every 6 months. This will feed a constant need for solid state associated components. The components also will need to evolve and improve, which will obsolete current inventory and cause a need for new and improved parts.

Q: Is America ahead or behind of the LED/SSL curve?
A: America is falling behind scholastically in math and science to other countries such as Japan and China. Most all LED chips are now manufactured and packaged in Asia and distributed by American companies. We are also behind in the acceptance of LED technology. There is a small but growing percentage of Americans that want to conserve energy, reduce CO2 emissions from power plants, and are willing to purchase LEDs at the current high prices. Europe and China are already using a cooler color temperature light, and have learned to adapt to lower lighting levels.


About Gary Maag
As General Manager of CAO Group's Optoelectronics Division, Dr. Gary Maag is responsible for the division's three business units: components, solid state signage, and solid state lighting. Dr. Maag ensures that CAO Group's mix of horizontal structuring for engineering and operations and vertical structuring for sales is consistent.

Prior to his current position, Dr. Maag had been Director of the Signage Business Unit at CAO Group. Earlier in his career, he spent 10 years in manufacturing operations for a medical diagnostics company, and 10 years in the HR/Training department at Nestle Foods. His education includes an associate's degree in instrumentation and his bachelor's degree in technical business management, both from Utah Valley University, followed by a Masters degree and a doctorate from Cambridge State University in Honolulu. He has also taught electro-mechanical engineering at his alma mater, Utah Valley.