7 October is National LED Light Day and may prove to be an unusually illuminating day.
We are all born as incredible light detectors able to intuitively see the difference between colours 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 a moth to a glowing light. 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 by bright LED lights and the other one’s lights varying from yellow to white with a dim panel in between, you’re more likely to 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 reduced greenhouse gas emissions because of their effective use of electricity.
The first LED lights were created in the late 1950s and early 1960s but 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 advancements of this versatile technology. The day was approved by the National Day Calendar Registrar in 2016.
To celebrate, explore the many benefits of LED lighting and use #National LEDLightDay to post on social media.
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