There are some pretty cool predictions for LED lighting in 2016!
What happened to just simple old fashioned lighting? Like everything, technology advancements mean that we will no longer be living in the world as we know it! This year sees some pretty cool predictions for LED lighting.
Strategies Unlimited (Market Analysts) discovered that despite the prediction of the mid power LED dominating the market place the high power and super-high power LED is actually dominating the general lighting market, showing that the chip-on-board LED device has many benefits. It is believed that the super high power LED will be a key product within the lighting fixtures market – mainly because they are much simpler to work compared to SMD packaged LEDs.
Trends predicted for growth this year include:
Human-centric: the use of light to improve the performance and well-being of people.
Human-centric is classed as the ultimate USP for the LED; it is the control of wavelengths and light quality, which can only be achieved by the LED. For example, to help balance the mood of a child a warmer light can be used when it’s ‘quiet time’ and colder outside and a bluer light for when they need stimulating. These light controls have been trialled in primary schools. By doing this it taps into our circadian rhythms (our physical, mental and behavioural changes that follow a roughly 24-hour cycle, responding primarily to light and darkness in an organism’s environment.)
Not only does the controllability of the LED benefit human moods it allows the control of car headlights too, meaning improved road safety. With the LED it is possible to light the road, as if the car lights are on full beam, without dazzling oncoming traffic.
Other new developments for the LED include:
Li-Fi – The delivery of data using the visible spectrum rather than radio waves at speeds upwards of 1Gbit/s. This can be built into LED modules so lightbulbs could soon become wireless hotspots.
Smartlighting – With the advancement of smartphone controlled lighting as part of an IoT ecosystem.
Currently the market place wants to find a way of adding value to luminaires so they produce more than just light at the flick of a switch. This value add could potentially be ‘light walls’ or adding technology functions to such as circadian rhythm control or Li-Fi. It’s going to be an interesting time for the LED during 2016. We’ll keep you posted on updates!