06 Sep Latest Technologies in LED Lighting

The LED lighting market is evolving at a rapid pace. As people throughout the world look for more energy-efficient and cost-effective ways to invest in the latest lighting opportunities, LED has provided a sustainable and highly versatile solution for businesses and consumers alike.

According to experts, the LED lighting market is expected to reach a saturation of 61% by the time we enter 2020. The growing popularity of LED lighting is down to a number of factors, including the demand for environmentally-friendly sources of energy, and the rise of disruptive technologies like smart devices and the internet of things. Here are just some of the latest technologies in LED lighting.

1.      Smart Lighting

Now that LED lighting is in the mainstream, the technology is beginning to adapt to suit the latest trends. For instance, almost everything in the world today is wireless. At the touch of a button, you can order food, adjust the temperature in your home and even check your security cameras from your smartphone. Now, LED light manufacturers are beginning to explore this smart connectivity trend too.

By tapping into the technology of “The Internet of Things,” companies can align lights in a home with an application a smartphone or tablet, so that people can control their lights from a distance. This means that you can turn a light on when you’re working late to keep your home secure.

As IoT technology and smart learning algorithms continue to evolve, we may also one day have a light that learns when to switch itself on to welcome you home, and when to turn off to avoid over-using electricity.

2.      Playing with Colour

With smarter lighting, we’re also beginning to unlock the potential of more attractive LED options too. Today’s manufacturers have discovered ways to adapt the colours in a lightbulb so that a single bulb can emit lights in a whole spectrum of shades.

This trend for coloured light is becoming increasingly popular in 2018, as doctors and scientists begin to discover the role that coloured light can play when it comes to encouraging quick recovery and healing in people with illnesses. In the years to come, we may begin to see colour-adjustable LEDs available in hospitals and rehab centres, as well as the standard home.

Adjusting colour in LED bulbs doesn’t just have to mean playing with unique shades either. Many manufacturers are simply changing the way LEDs emit light to make the light at home feel and look more like natural sunlight. Exposure to this natural sunlight can lead to fewer issues with depression, and better health.

3.      New Power Technologies

LED lighting is often commended for its durability and longevity. However, have you ever wondered how these bulbs draw on the power that they need to emit light? Until very recently, LED devices and bulbs have relied on a driver that can convert the supply of energy available in your mains circuits, into a format that your bulb can use. However, thanks to new power technologies, there may be another, more reliable power option available.

Since drivers are often the first component to fail in a lighting system, taking them out of the equation makes sense. Some companies have begun to experiment with DC LED chips that don’t require any driver at all. Other organisations have started to investigate power systems for lighting that use a central hub, where each fitting is connected into a BUS cable.

4.      Revolutionary New Materials

If new modes of power for LED lighting wasn’t exciting enough, Nobel prize-winning scientist, Shuji Nakamura recently developed the technology required to move from blue LEDs to violet. This doesn’t just mean a switch in colour, but also a change in the materials used to create LED technology. The violet LED’s in Nakamura’s bulbs use gallium nitride to render colours better for screens and other devices that rely on LED to thrive. After all, there’s more to LED bulbs than just lighting – LED technology also powers your televisions and your computer screens.

Another material upgrade set to change the way we create LED bulbs and equipment is du jour graphene, which is a substance capable of producing everything from phones to buildings. Researchers suggest that the high conductivity of this substance will make for more efficient and longer-lasting light sources in the future.

Today, the possibilities of LED are expanding constantly, beyond the delivery of light sources, and into the world of data and entertainment too. It will be exciting to see what the industry delivers next.