Lights we use today have changed very little over the years, but with lighting getting smarter at a rapid pace due to developing technology, things are beginning to change, particularly around lighting design and the common light.
There are four types of lights which are common today – the incandescent, Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL), Halogen Lights and Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs).
The Incandescent Light is the second oldest form of electric lighting and works by heating an electrical element until it is white hot. However, incandescent lights have proven to be a very inefficient source of lighting, because of the amount of heat produced, rather than light. They also have an incredibly short lifespan – cue memories of a bulb blowing overhead with a crack and then darkness.
CFLs soon became all the rage to replace incandescent, easily fitting into the same light sockets, but much more energy-efficient. They are miniature versions of full-sized fluorescents and produce light by heating a gas, which can be harmful to both the user and the environment.
Enter the Halogen Light, most commonly used in down-lights, it emits light by passing electricity through its tungsten filament, which is enclosed in a bulb containing halogen gas. The halogen light is very similar to the incandescent, but does last longer and offers brighter, more vibrant light. However, some experts point out that they are now a comparably inefficient light source and radiate a huge amount of heat.
Lastly, the LED, a solid-state semiconductor device which has been around since the 1960s is commonly found in traffic lights and alarm clocks. But now, because of their compact size and recent technological advances, LEDs are becoming more common-place in homes, offices and commercial spaces. They have an extremely long life, have superior energy efficiency, generate very little heat and require very little maintenance.
Alternative Technology Association technical specialist John Knox says the most common lighting currently is the CFL, but there are several problems with them.
“They take time to come up to full brightness, contain mercury, they don’t seem to get the hours they are touted to get, turning on and off degrades them and the colour temperature is quite stark.”
However the good thing is, things are changing, Knox says.
“In two to three years, we won’t see CFL anymore. The new kid on the block is LED and it is becoming more affordable.”
LEDs come up to full brightness immediately, there is no problem with turning them on and off, and if they are used for at least three hours a day, they can last more than 25 years.
The LED evolution has been phenomenal – light output is unmatched by any other lighting technology and they are energy-efficient compared to halogens.
A 10 Watt LED can produce the same light output as a 50W halogen, but lasts a lot longer and uses considerably less energy. LEDS provide better light quality and a greater variety of colour temperatures, while having a reduced heat output – halogens typically lose up to 90 per cent of their energy as heat.
LEDs impressive cost savings have been seen in the city of Bielefeld, Germany. The city replaced 5,889 mushroom opal glass luminaires with VFL LEDs from WE-EF Lighting on all public street lights. This small change of moving from an 89W light to a 21W light has reduced the city’s power consumption for public street lighting by 1.8 million kWh per year. Light quality has improved with traffic areas more evenly lit and noticeable bright and dark zones have become a thing of the past.
Although prices of LED bulbs may seem expensive now, prices are coming down as their popularity grows, but will also pay for themselves over an incandescent in two years, and will keep on keeping on, Knox says.
“It’s quite exciting technology taking hold,” he says.
Knox says to expect more of the same in lighting developments with the potential to revise how lighting is done – instead of a bulb, panels of lights could become popular. LEDs are able to be mounted on flexible boards, which can curve around features in kitchens as they lend themselves to a thin profile. The next generation of lighting is in the OLED, which is printed and commonly found in smart phones. We could eventually see panels of lights that hang on the wall, he says.
