Bright Future For LED Lighting

In 1879, Thomas Edison made the first public demonstration of his incandescent light bulb and the invention was so perfect, nothing rivaled it for more than 100 years. However, today LED lighting is on the edge of becoming the lighting method of choice and surpassing the market dominance Edison’s invention has held for so long. The U.S. Department of Energy predicts that within 10 years, LEDs will overtake incandescent to become the main light source in residential lighting applications. Why? Because LEDs are about six times more efficient than incandescent light bulbs.

Besides being extremely energy-efficient, LEDs are durable and promise an incredible longevity — up to 50,000 hours. But admittedly, there are a few bugs to work out. These bugs include creating the customary warm white light found in residential settings, and making it market-friendly — the main obstacle facing the LED industry. Other issues holding back LED adoption for widespread residential use include managing technology challenges, providing a reasonable price-point and wedging a bright, new idea into a long-closed mind-set.

LEDs, or light-emitting diodes, are included under the umbrella term of solid state lighting (the lighting industry term for LED-based lighting). Since LEDs are on the cusp of widespread residential usage, the LED industry is working to meet projected market demand. With constant strides in research and development being made, LEDs are expected to be available for middle-market residential applications relatively soon.

“The savings, long useful life, and high quality of lighting that is possible will eventually overcome today’s obstacles. It’s really just a matter of time before solid-state lighting dominates applications from office and commercial to residential,” says Grant Harlow, director of marketing for TIR Systems, developer and manufacturer of the Lexel LED light source technology.

Another advantage of LED technology is the ability to be dimmed down from full power without the color shift incandescent bulbs experience. For example, TIR’s Lexel uses unique feedback technology to keep the color temperature (the degree of warmth or coolness) of the light consistent. Lexel-based products also may incorporate a color or color temperature change feature, so depending on the desire of the user, the fixture’s illumination can easily be changed from warm to cool.

Where Are LEDs?

Currently, LEDs are commonly used in specialty and indication applications such as traffic signals and emergency vehicles. Over the past few years, colored LEDs have been used with increasing frequency in commercial applications in colored lighting such as casinos or nightclubs. Now, LEDs are moving into general white lighting, by far the most important residential, commercial and business market.

A prime early-adopter application for LED white light is in museum or retail settings where light needs to be trained on a specific area. Since LEDs do not emit UV or infrared radiation, there is no concern of damaging sensitive paintings and fabrics. Lighting Services’ LumeLEX display lighting fixture uses TIR’s Lexel technology for illuminating displays for this reason, with the additional benefit of being able to precisely set the color temperature to best highlight the item on display.

On the residential side, many consumers generally are familiar with LEDs found in Christmas lights and flashlights in the lower-end markets. But LEDs also are rapidly moving into the area of exterior applications such as floodlights, and are now becoming available for interior applications. Their longevity makes them particularly appealing in hard-to-reach areas such as cathedral ceilings.

Designed for under-cabinet applications, American Fluorescent’s LED fixture lays in a grid pattern of 28 diodes and is covered by a clear lens. The fixture is designed to be linkable so a number of lights can run together under the cabinet area.