7 October is National LED Light Day, and it may prove to be an unusually illuminating day.
We are all born as incredible light detectors, because we are able to see the differences in colour and brightness. Lighting professionals know that much of human sensation is visual and people respond emotionally to light and colour. That is the reason they use it to draw us in – like moths to glowing lights. The power of LED lighting affects us all in an emotional, economic and environmental way.
LED lighting has the ability – unlike other light sources – to create a more appealing display for a variety of environments, thus affecting our emotions. If you drive by two petrol stations, the first one illuminated throughout with bright LED lights and the other one’s lighting varying from yellow to white with a dim panel in between, you’ll find that you would rather go to the first one. That is because its consistent colour creates a comforting, clean, secure and high-quality environment – even if you are not conscious of that decision.
LED lights are very economical, because their low power consumption, high reliability and long lifespan help save on energy costs and reduce maintenance costs in the long run.
Using LED lights has a smaller impact on our environment, because fewer light bulbs are changed – meaning fewer are thrown away. They also aid in reducing greenhouse gas emissions because of their effective use of electricity.
The first LED lights were created in the late 1950s and early 1960s, but they only produced red light. Researchers slowly developed other colours, with blue being the trickiest one because of its shorter wavelength. On 7 October 2014, Hiroshi Amano, Isamu Akasaki and Shuji Nakamura received the Nobel Prize in Physics for the development of blue light-emitting diodes. With this invention white LEDs were now possible.
Bridgelux founded National LED Light Day in May 2016 in recognition of one of the most important scientific achievements in history and to celebrate the advancement of this versatile technology. The day has been approved by the National Day Calendar Registrar.
To celebrate, explore the many benefits of LED lighting and use #National LEDLightDay to post on social media.
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