Iliya Veselinov, Octa Light Bulgaria: We have plans to enter the household LED lamps market

• Lighting • Industry • South-East European INDUSTRIAL Мarket - issue 4/2014

Advanced manufacturing opportunities in SEE

Iliya Veselinov,
President of Octa Light Bulgaria

Please present briefly the company’s production program and activities, the implemented technological innovations, the environmental policy, and the current and future investments.
Octa Light Bulgaria is a vertically integrated company involved in LED lighting. We are the first manufacturer of high-brightness light-emitting diodes whose production facilities are entirely based in Europe.

Since the creation of the company in 2010 and the launch of Bullstar, the first Bulgarian series-produced LED, our production has undergone serous development and today we offer a large portfolio including high-power LED, SMT LET, the currently topical Chip-On-Board, and special application (UV, IR) LED.

Octa Light now provides SMT services to LED light manufacturers in the form of complete LED modules and ready solutions, and we count among our clients companies like Beghelli (Italy), IVT (UK) and many others. The manufacturing of LED lighting fixtures and complete engineering in the area of lighting are some of our main activities. The company has implemented multiple projects for office, industrial, street and outdoor lighting in Bulgaria and abroad.

In what direction do technologies in the field of lighting develop over the last few years? How do continuous technological optimizations change the market?
Indeed, the transition from conventional lighting to LED lighting with its huge advantages in terms of energy saving and reduced maintenance cost is the major factor for development of the market. Gladly, on the Bulgarian market more and more large companies opt for this type of lighting.

This year only, we have already implemented complete projects in the field of LED lighting for Technomarket, Sopharma, Vivacom, KFC and other companies. Under the conditions of ongoing economic crisis, Octa Light is concerned about its clients and, in partnership with local and international financial institutions, offers various concessional financing schemes.

Are Bulgarian manufacturers able to keep up with the technological level of world manufacturers?
This year, we ”checked our clock” against manufacturers from all over the world at the Light & Building fair where we had a stand. We can proudly say that, specifically in the field of LEDs and LED modules, we offer world leading products and technological solutions.

For example, our ACAD LED module which operates on 230 VAC and is suitable for direct integration in street and industrial lights is among the best products in its class at world level. The company’s LED arrays of the Chip-On-Board type and the RGB modules were also ranked among the most innovative in their respective categories.

In which fields of application of the lighting equipment do you see the highest potential for development in the short term?
One of the applications of LED lighting in which we see the highest potential, and which will be our main priority in the short term, is the development of the retail market of LED lamps for the households. At present, this segment is still insignificant in Bulgaria and small at European level, but the forecasts from all studies show that the situation is about to change completely in just a few years.

During the second semester of this year, we will launch on the market our own brand OCTALED including products intended mainly for individual users. The OCTALED series includes E27 and E14 LED bulbs, and T8 tubes of different sizes and power ratings.

What standards and criteria should a LED light meet to qualify as energy-efficient and provide energy saving on the long run? How do manufacturers guarantee its quality over time?
For the European Union, the standards that LED lighting products must meet are laid down in the relevant directives and regulations that are also our reference points in the creation of all our products.

Of course, there are still standards to be adopted in the European Union, which we already apply to our products, such as LM-79 and LM-80. An additional warranty for the quality of any manufacturer’s products is the certification by an independent laboratory; such laboratories are available in Bulgaria and all our product range is certified.