Alan Morton of Amitex LED on why you should take a look at the latest tuneable LED Lighting technology.
You may have spotted the words “biodynamic” or “human-centric” or “circadian” in the Trade press recently. Have you been wondering what on earth they have to do with lighting? The electrical industry, like many others, has plenty of jargon already. But once in a while a new concept appears which needs a new name. Dynamic lighting might just be one of those. It refers to a lighting scheme which can mimic the effects of natural light.
Circadian Rhythms
As lighting experts we’re all aware of the aesthetic impact a good lighting scheme can have on a room or environment. But what has become clearer in recent years is the impact lighting can also have on people’s mood, productivity and even health.
Research into our Circadian Rhythms has shown that lack of exposure to daylight can cause sleep disorders, chronic fatigue and even depression. We humans are programmed to respond to changing light patterns. At night, in the dark, we feel sleepy. As dawn breaks, bright natural “blue” daylight wakes us up and makes us alert and active. In the evening mellower, fading light allows us to relax and prepare for sleep.
We may think that our use of artificial light to extend the waking day to 16 hours or more has broken this natural cycle, but apparently not. A dynamic lighting scheme, which is able to mirror the changing patterns of natural light, can improve our wellbeing.
Trouble was, until recently we didn’t have many options to control the light in our environment. Lights were either on or off or maybe dimmed. There was a choice of cool white or warm white fittings (maybe even natural if you were lucky), but once chosen, they defined that space as bright, or mellow, but not both.
Tuneable Technology
The good news is that new tuneable LED technology, which allows you to vary the colour temperature (CCT), now gives you the opportunity to create dynamic lighting schemes.
Last year we were excited to launch two Amitex LED tuneable lighting products, the Centurion 12W Downlighter and the Zeta 40W Panel. Both have proved extremely popular – customers love their flexibility, installers love having something extra to offer, and once they’ve tried them, they keep coming back for more.
Building on this success, we’ve just launched a Mark 2 version of the Zeta Panel. Both the Centurion Downlighter and the Zeta Panel allow you to vary colour temperature anywhere between a warm white 3000K and a cool white 5000K and can be dimmed using either a leading or trailing edge dimmer. Both products can be controlled using an optional remote control or a conventional wall switch, or, in the case of the Zeta Panel, by a wall controller. All this is achieved without compromising on energy efficiency or product lifespan.
Who can benefit?
The ability to change the colour temperature of lighting is especially important for environments where people spend a long time without exposure to natural daylight – hospitals and care homes are obvious candidates. Offices, where people may work under artificial light for 8-10 hours a day, especially in winter, can also be transformed by dynamic lighting.
But we’re finding that even in home environments, customers really appreciate the ability to adjust their lighting. In the kitchen, for example, they can opt for cool white when cooking or working and switch to warm white when eating and relaxing.
Our experience to date suggests that demand for dynamic lighting is only going to grow, as more and more people experience the benefits. So if you haven’t already seen tuneable products in action why not ask your wholesaler for a demo?
