Potential of LED control systems

Since the LED is a dimmable light source, the modular control of LEDs of different color allows a very precise shifting, fading and transitions of light, which in turn transmits a dynamic effect to the architecture set to ultimately communicate the idea of change and adaptability. The underlying purpose is to render architecture more efficient and sustainable, by creating a more comfortable, responsive and consistent relationship between the users and the architectural space.

Color mixing and color effects are seen as a powerful tool, positively provocative to our perception. Changing color can suggest moods and bring a healthy variability to the task of space-making. But this dimension of technology does not define a space by itself, as some extreme proponents of “interactive architecture” would have you believe. On the contrary, depending on how it is applied, it may even condemn spaces to becoming void of any kind of life. And this can happen fast.

Light always has a story to tell

the eye instinctively turns towards the light in order to see.

Lighting has a great significance to our well-being, health and safety. This is why it is such an important element in building and interior decoration.

Light is electromagnetic radiation invisible to the eye. Light only becomes visible when it meets a surface. Colors are formed by waves of different lengths, and when combined together produce white light. When white light is refracted through a prism, the whole color spectrum becomes visible, as in a rainbow. The human eye is only sensitive to the range of the “visible light” wavelengths, which is between 380 nm and 780 nm. The extreme ends of the scale being ultraviolet (UV) and infra-red (IR) light.

The human eye is perfectly able to adjust to the great variations of luminosity found in nature, from moon light (1 lux) to bright sunshine (100,000 lux). In artificial lighting conditions, we usually have to compensate for minor variations, from general lighting (1-2,000 lux) to working light (200-2,000 lux).

Our vision is based on light. The eye instinctively turns towards the light in order to see. Some 80% of all information is received through the eye.

When we step into a room, our eyes circle it guided by light, and the light tells us the story of the room: its shapes, colors, architecture, decoration, ornaments etc. A good lighting makes seeing easy and pleasant. It is a treat for the eyes.

A simple life

Modern interior design and minimal living need not be cold and stern looking, nor should its serenity be purely monastic. It need not be so cutting edge either, that it becomes unusable or ugly. The essence is to find the level of simplicity that suits anyone of us. The only requirement is honesty to the materials and a respect of space.

Rooted in part in Japanese culture, minimalism, or one of its many incarnations, is a movement that started, originally in Scandinavia and Japan, as a reaction to the emergence of commercialized styles of architecture that was popping up everywhere with the idea of “less is more”. Minimalist design is concerned with minimizing the use of ornaments and “grandiose” designs in the structures. A few of minimalism’s attributes are geometric shapes, light, natural materials, space. A successful minimalist design is a result of a good balance of these elements. Minimal is not poor, it is essential. Essential in this case means that few materials set the stage for perhaps one or two important focus pieces. The quality of materials and workmanship must be outstanding.

Minimalist architecture is sometimes described as being cold, but advocates of this style find it more welcoming, relaxing and free from clutter. Depending on how it is planned, minimalist architecture can be elegant and at the same time, inviting. It makes use of the space as a feature and uses basic shapes and lines that are neat and can play with light resulting in an elegant outcome. There are many examples where the flow of space and light create the decoration without the confusion of ornamentation. Simple spaces gives rise to a more relaxed and tranquil life. In essence, living with less and finding more.

Blue light, yellow light

The quality and quantity of light influence the way we experience color: objects’ surfaces reflect only colors whose spectrum wavelengths are present in the illuminating light source.

The blue color is at its most beautiful in natural light because the incandescent lamp's yellowish light does not reproduce blue wavelengths. As today most indoor artificial light sources are still incandescent lamps, most indoor lighting is extremely yellowish. Consequently indoor blue colors under artificial light appear stuffy, even dirty and dull. They may even look greenish. On the other hand, yellows, oranges and reddish colors usually look good in the light given off by incandescent lamps.

In recent years, compact fluorescent lamps have proliferated as a result of their low energy consumption. Low energy consumption is an obvious economic advantage, but from the standpoint of color rendition compact fluorescent lamps are extremely problematic. They have an uneven spectral distribution, leading to situations where a colored surface may appear of a tint that has not been observed in normal daylight.

Because of the different kinds of spectral distributions in artificial light sources it is extremely important to check the colors in question under the lighting conditions where they will be actually used. Owing to its slightly bluish tint, natural light entering a space could significantly alter its color situation, unless the space has been designed with light source that imitate daylight.

LEDs vs CFLs: bad answer to a bad question

Sorry to say but this article is typical of a bad answer to a bad question!

The first point is that the LED "bulb" is an abheration. Bulbs have been around in their present form factor because they break, burn or, in any other way, have to be replaced. Todays power LED have a rated lifetime 6 to 7 times that of the best CFLs, which when translated in understandable numbers amounts to a minimum of 8 to 10 years of normal usage in a household. So if something now is to break and be replaced in your instalation it will be the actual lighting fixture, that was never designed to last more than 3 to 5 years...

Second point, "Because of their structure and material, much of the light in standard LEDs becomes trapped, reducing the brightness of the light and making them unsuitable as the main lighting source in the home." is a biaised staement. This cannot be applied to lighting power LEDs, which are specifically engineered to reflect the major part of the emitted light. So when you speak of lighting applications, forget about these clusters of "many small LED bulbs together in a single casing to concentrate the light emitted" and choose a lighting source designed for real lighting applications.

Third point, what you are paying for is not due to "costly semiconductor technology". True, electronic components assembly can sometimes be more expensive than the "mechanical" components in an incandescent bulb. But the production cost for a 100 lumen power LED is today well bellow the 1USD mark. Even if we consider the multichips LEDs, which produce more than 1000 lumens, the production cost remain bellow the 5USD. Now, as I said, this is more expensive than incandescent bulbs, but you should really question your reseller as to where their selling price come from... Specially if they try to sell you the above mentioned "clusters" they get from the far east at a cost similar to those of the incandescent bulbs.

The proper answer to the title question is no! LED bulbs will not dethrone the CFL. New LED based lighting fixtures will replace our current fixtures altogether, but they will be tightly integrated and will probably have a vastly different form factor that the "bulb". LED is a disruptive technology which requires a different view point. But as we all know, ability to change is not the prime quality of Man.