Light-emitting wallpaper cash boost

2009-12-30
Newsfeed

A Welsh company has been awarded a £454,000 grant from the Carbon Trust to work on a "light emitting wallpaper".

---

A Welsh company has been awarded a £454,000 grant from the Carbon Trust to work on a "light emitting wallpaper".

It is claimed that the new wallpaper, which can be coated onto a thin flexible film, could replace traditional light bulbs and potentially reduce carbon emissions.

The organic light emitting diodes (OLED) technology uses an electrical current to stimulate chemicals to produce light.

The new technology, which is said to be 2.5 times more efficient than current energy-saving light bulbs, can be used in homes and business as well as for flat screen televisions, computers and mobile phone displays.

It can be powered by solar panels or batteries as it requires very low operating voltage, making it suitable to be used outside to light road signs and barriers without the need for mains electricity.

Ken Lacey, chief executive of LOMOX, said: "This is a chemical that in a flat panel display screen you can put it in the device and it emits light. In a light you can put it anywhere. You can paint it on a wall or wallpaper."

He added that the the company hopes to make the wallpaper available in the market by 2012.

Copyright © Press Association 2009