3 Big LED Trends That Will Light Up Your World In Exciting Ways

Sally Perkins, Freelance Writer and Content Manager.

In the UK, lighting consumes 18 percent of electricity, which is why LED bulbs that are planet-friendly and energy-efficient are so important. With their innovative technologies they’re finding even more solutions to light up your world in a healthier and more interesting way. When you think of LED lighting, you probably think of bulbs that you install in your home to save energy, and that’s true – LED bulbs can save 90 percent of energy of incandescent bulbs and it can save you £240 in a year. But LED lighting is about much more than that. Here are three of the hottest LED technologies and innovations to know about.

1. Dim Your Lights Without A Dimmer

Gone are the days when you needed to install a dimmer so that your LED light could create the right ambience in a room. The Philips SceneSwitch LED bulb can easily be adjusted from a bright light to 800 lumens of soft light when you want it, such as when you want to be able to read in bed but not with light that strains your eyes or disturbs your partner in the bed next to you. When you want to achieve even less light, you can flip the switch to get 80 lumens, which will erase your e-reader or smartphone’s blue light, encouraging restful sleep. You don’t need to install a dimmer to use it as it makes use of your existing light switch on the wall.

2. Lighting As A Healing Tool

The lighting you choose affects your mood. Just think of how bright lighting can make you feel more alert, while lighting in different colours will play to your various moods. Light therapy is becoming a popular method of treating various illness. For instance, there are many studies that show the effectiveness of blue light therapy and white light therapy for the treatment of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Since LEDs are getting more cost effective and innovative, there’s an increased curiosity about how they can affect one’s health. In fact, just by adjusting the colour of LED light, it can have a positive effect on the body, such as when indoor light mimics natural light outside.

A complaint some people have made of LED lightbulbs in the past is that some products emit a blue-tinged light which isn’t always pleasant. But now technologies have made colour LEDs much more appealing and vibrant.

Companies are developing lights that have a higher rating out of 100 on the colour rendering index (CRI). These give your space a much clearer and warmer appearance, while showing off the colours you have in your home. With such crisp and ambient interiors, you’re sure to feel your mood lift every time you enter your front door.

3. The Use Of Groundbreaking Materials In LED Lighting

LEDs are getting stronger, lasting longer, and flaunting higher quality. This is largely due to new materials that are being used in their production. An example is graphene, known as a wonder material, that researchers from the University of Manchester have been analyzing. They claim graphene’s high conductivity is set to ensure that LEDs will be brighter and longer-lasting. Graphene scatters the heat emitted by LED bulbs, which makes their light brighter. This means that even a low watt bulb will create the same result, reducing energy consumption. Soon we can expect to see a graphene LED bulb on the market.

LEDs are always evolving, and there are many exciting technologies in store that we can expect which will take them to even higher levels. Whether at home or in a public space, LEDs are the answer to reducing energy consumption while finding new and exciting uses for the humble lightbulb.