LED from home to commercial industrial agriculture
The rapid adoption of LEDs is just one of the huge lighting changes people will see in the home, business and everyday life in the coming years. In fact, connectable LED lighting systems are about to revolutionize people's overall indoor experience.
In 2008, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) held a competition for lighting equipment manufacturers to drive innovations related to light-emitting diode (LED) technology - the biggest advancement in lighting since Edison's original patent for invention.
At that time, there were only a few LED bulbs on the market that could replace incandescent bulbs, and major technological reforms were urgently needed to speed up the popularization of LEDs in the lighting market. The purpose of the DOE competition is that manufacturers need to promote and drive the advancement of LED products. The cost of LED bulbs has fallen by 85% since 2008, and today Frost & Sullivan expects LEDs to have more than 80% market share by 2020. The rapid adoption of LEDs is just one of the huge lighting changes people will see in the home, business and everyday life in the coming years. In fact, connected LED lighting systems are about to revolutionize people's overall indoor experience.
Americans spend almost 90 percent of their time indoors today, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This means that people spend most of their time in artificial light. In the first 140 years since the advent of electric lighting, people have not been too demanding about lamps. Turn it on when we need it, and that's it.
Smart LEDs have started another journey as lamps. Of course, energy efficiency and long service life are clear advantages of LEDs and also play a large role in their market acceptance. But luminaires are extremely advanced lighting fixtures that include LEDs and MCUs with integrated RF receivers. Wireless devices connect the lights to each other, forming a larger network that offers advantages in addition to energy savings.
Home With the advent of connected lighting systems, excess light fixtures will soon be a thing of the past. People will no longer need lampshades, wall lamps and other household fixtures to scatter unwanted light. The small size of LEDs allows the luminaire to be integrated into the surrounding environment in an imperceptible, unobtrusive way - when the light is off, it is almost invisible. For example, the surface of the bedside table glows instead of a table lamp. Since the LEDs are equipped with wireless connections and sensors, we actually have a small network of computers at home. Imagine getting out of bed in the middle of the night and drinking a glass of water. You don't need to go to the bedside lamp in a drowsy and drowsy state. The lights in the corridor will gradually turn on and illuminate the road. When you walk into the kitchen, the hallway lights dim and the kitchen lights gradually turn on, illuminating the road ahead of time, and users don’t have to fumble for switches in the dark.
The home experience clearly benefits from LED lighting. Of course, LEDs also bring other conveniences, such as lights that automatically turn on when you get home from get off work, or turn on and off periodically when you're on vacation. Residential users can also benefit from simple voice control and zoning automation. For example, you can speak into a lightbulb, extending Alexa's availability to every room.
Perhaps one of the biggest benefits of Home Connect lighting is a good night's sleep. Interconnected LEDs are continuously adjusted during the day, replicating the sun's natural path and changing color temperature. When our body clocks can get used to natural light signals that mimic the light-dark/circadian rhythm, our bodies can adjust to the time of day. Research shows that getting the right amount of light at the right time can increase sleep by 45 minutes per night with less disruption. Instead of setting an alarm, you can program your bedroom lights to gradually dim as your designated wake-up time approaches. The lights will start suppressing melatonin and wake you up just in time. Exposure to natural light promotes sleep, productivity, and mood. When natural light is used in medical treatment, it can even have a positive impact on patient recovery. Having the right lighting in your home can prevent disruptions to your circadian cycle, which can have a huge impact on a person's overall health.
In addition to home applications, many industries also benefit greatly from connected lighting systems. Indoor growing is an emerging industry that has already benefited from connected lighting systems, generating 4,000 times the revenue of traditional outdoor growing. By programming lighting schemes for the specific requirements of production, growers can maximize yield and minimize energy consumption. LEDs don't generate as much heat as traditional lamps, so they can be placed close to plants for even coverage. Indoor farms also use less water and electricity than conventional farms and minimize the use of herbicides, pesticides or preservatives, making them increasingly popular. Another advantage is the ability to build indoor growing facilities close to the market, which allows the product to be transported shorter distances, which not only saves fuel but also provides a fresher product.
In retail and commercial environments, location services and personalized beacons are achievable thanks to the integration of analytics tools and cloud services. High-end luminaires in buildings and retail environments include temperature and light sensors that dynamically adjust the drive current and control the energy consumed to light the lamp throughout its life cycle. This feature ensures consistent brightness and maintains quality perception while extending the life of the LEDs. External or internal light sensors provide a way to collect sunlight by sampling and measuring ambient light, resulting in daily lighting that can be dimmed and dynamically adjusted throughout the day. In addition to energy savings, mimicking the natural light cycle is also beneficial in providing a comfortable experience.
As more and more smart LEDs are deployed where people live and work, these new massively connected lighting platforms will dramatically improve our indoor lives. With energy savings, agricultural benefits, and important health benefits, among many other untapped advantages, LED lighting technology is sure to change our indoor experience.
