The experts at Integral LED take a look at why the future of LEDs is likely to be driven by colour tuned and ambient tones.
The next phase of the LED revolution seems to be heading for the aesthetic of light itself. Whilst previous generations of LED lamps have concentrated on shape or form factor, lighting product developers are responding to customer demand to match the qualities of the light produced by incandescent sources like tungsten/halogen.
Colour Rendering Index
For certain sectors, the accuracy of colour is crucial. Retailers acknowledge a vital link between the appearance of
displayed merchandise and sales revenue. A new wave of affordable LED spotlights with a high Colour Rendering
Index is set to transform the shop scene, so to meet this need Integral LED has made a major investment in the
development of its ‘Real Colour’ GU10 spotlight, which has a CRI of 95.
Colour tuned LEDs were once the preserve of specialist luminaire manufacturers with prohibitive prices. Until this new wave of LED lights, earlier generations struggled to match the colour accuracy of legacy light sources. The breakthrough has been engineered using a single COB (Chip-on-Board) chip that has enabled improved colour
performance. Essentially, the LED array, once exclusive to high-end luminaires, has been incorporated within a GU10 for the wider market.
Get ‘Real’
The Integral LED ‘Real Colour’ Spotlight delivers a highly tuned correlated colour temperature (CCT) and is calibrated to less than three steps on a MacAdam ellipse. Increased scale of production has made this once expensive feature affordable and therefore accessible to all.
“The bottom line is that the Real Colour GU10 spotlights make merchandise appear more attractive – which increases customer interest and ultimately generates more sales,” explains James Danton, Marketing Manager at
Integral LED.
Integral’s Real Colour lights are destined to make a big impact within interior design where the true colour representation of wall coverings and soft furnishing is highly desirable. The price of the new lamps will also
appeal to lower budget decorative projects, that use installers directly.
Setting the tone
In another customer driven move, lighting manufacturers are answering the call for an LED lamp which dims to warm tones. Scientists tell us that human behaviour responds to different coloured light – from “wide awake” blue to “relaxing” red. Certainly, warm evening illumination is welcomed in most homes when lighting is dimmed after the rigours of a long day.
Characteristically halogen and tungsten filaments provided a natural glow when dimmed. The tones deepen into a warmer white as the current is lowered. As a non-thermal technology, LED lighting responds differently with dimmer controls and retains its colour gradient. In a move to restore this aesthetic quality, Integral LED has developed an LED GU10 spotlight that replicates the adjustable warm tone when setting a cosy scene. The new WarmTone spotlight cycles between temperatures of 2700K (warm) to 1800K (ultra warm).
“The more you dim, the warmer the lamp becomes and the result bathes a dining room or lounge in ambient tones of light,” adds Samik Halai, Senior Product Manager at Integral LED. “We also anticipate a strong demand from the retail and hospitality sector, where warm illumination is key to creating a relaxing setting.”
