LED transformed the field of lighting design dynamically with reduction in equipment size but brighter light. It also frees the end-user from restriction – as to where lighting equipment can be installed. Lighting design is an emerging field in today’s landscape with depleting energy resources. The UNESCO has declared 2015 to be ‘the International Year of Light’ and – everyone hopes to see a renewed focus on light sources and lighting technologies for all spaces.
In the inception stages, retail lighting focused on the basic need that customers should be able to see the products on display, that we term as general or ambient lighting that focuses on overall illumination. The focus then shifted to creating a lighting for specific tasks, example for activities such as reading, etc. Eventually, the retail premises have begun to build their own atmosphere, using light sources suiting to their needs, by using light sources and lighting to transform their spaces unlike others. The development of LED was vital as it took the focus away from task lighting to accent lighting.
Panasonic has a history in developing the lighting technologies and light sources. Being the third largest lighting company in the world, its contribution to lighting arena is unparalleled than any other. Dr. Isamu Akasaki – one of the Nobel Prize winners of 2014 for the invention of Blue LED had worked for the Panasonic Tokyo Research Center, and his activities in that period contributed to the invention of the blue LED chip.
The new trends in LED signs and outdoor display include ‘Media Façade’ – where lighting is integrated into the front surface of architecture...
The Panasonic LED luminaires were introduced for retail premises in India in 2014, which include a range of professional luminaires that enable visual merchandising of the product for customer success. The company has more than 30,000 products in its LED portfolio.
While the professional range of Panasonic luminaires helps create an environment offering optimum comfort and brightness, offering the best for accent lighting. From glareless wallwashers to elegant downlights to general lighting sphere products such as LED pendants to track lights, the range is globally renowned for retail lighting.
The new trends in LED signs and outdoor display include ‘Media Facade’ – where lighting is integrated into the front surface of architecture. It is an emerging field in visual and spatial art that trounces over the structural limitation of unbending architecture with the colours of light – and enhances the value of the architecture. An example is illustrated above (page top). The said facade is located at Singapore Mall.
Video 3D mapping is a projection technology used to turn objects, often irregularly shaped, into a display surface for video projection. These objects may be complex industrial landscapes, such as buildings. This technique is used by artists and advertisers. It is used to add extra dimensions, optical illusions, and notions of movement onto previously static objects primarily used for outdoor lighting. Example: mapping of the Bucharest Palace in Frankfurt on account of its 55th anniversary was done by Panasonic. Another one was done at the Marina Bay festival using Panasonic.
The other format used for outdoor lighting is interactive lighting that one sees commonly at playzones in malls – where the audience interacts through light. This concept was beautifully presented by Panasonic in2011 at the Milano Salone del Mobile, the world's largest international furniture trade fair wherein Panasonic created the (standard)3 piano-forte, comprising of an interactive installation created in collaboration with the Italian designer Ferruccio Laviani.
The biggest benefit that LED lighting offers in terms of saving is the energy-efficiency. LED lights offer optimum energy-efficiency, which means save over 90% of power consumption over incandescent light sources. The initial costing is high, however, on a long-term basis LED save not only the power, but also maintenance costs – as their operating life is an average 50000 burning hours – while incandescent light source lasts for about 1200 burning hours and a CFL lasts for about 8000 burning hours.
The biggest benefit that LED lighting offers in terms of saving is the energy-efficiency...
Additionally, LEDs use less power (watts) per unit of light generated (Lumens), thus resulting in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and thereby lower electricity bills.
LED light source comprises a chip encapsulated in resin enclosure and does not use fragile components – such as glass or filaments. Considering the rising costs of power an LED offers a long term saving over CFL or incandescent bulb – as though the initial cost is high, the risk of operation failure reduces by 99%.
Additionally, LED offers more energy saving. It is environment-friendly as no mercury is used. It boasts instant-start feature. It is generally unaffected even if it is frequently switched on and off. The counterparts of LED i.e., CFL and incandescent lamps are bound to fail or obtain shorter lifespan during such operating conditions.
The Indian market is very competitive in terms of LED lighting with global players looking for their share in the pie. Quality is considered secondary to cost, however, one should still look out for quality standards in LED such as safety approbations (UL, CSA, CE, ENEC, PSE, or SELV), and/or RoHS compliance should be considered for LED drivers that form the heart of the LED.
As per a recent article, it is estimated that 88 billion litres of kerosene is burnt for light generation in the world each year.
The new trend in LED lighting includes Solar LED lighting that is also propogated by UNFCC (The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change).
Laser Lighting would probably be the next breakthrough in lighting, considering the fast paced Internet of Things (IoT) post Solar LED.
Nobel laureate Shuji Nakamura, co-inventor of the blue Light-Emitting Diode (LED) has predicted that the power and sparkle of laser diodes that is presently used in some car headlights, will eventually replace LEDs, and become the dominant form of lighting, also increasing the availability and power of wireless communications networks based on light.
“The modulation speed of Laser lighting being almost 1,000 times faster than LED lighting, would also help speed up Internet,” says Nakamura.
The world of Wi-fi could change to Li-fi (the optical communications technology) that uses light instead of radio waves to transmit data at speeds of 3.5 Gbps or more – thus extending the application of laser diodes to boost communication.
At the same time, one cannot ignore the changes brought about by the Internet of Things that has been instrumental in creating some dynamic shifts, in the world of existing LED lighting. Wireless controls are becoming more popular in the residential, commercial as well as the outdoor market. New systems are being designed to operate the light sources more interactively and wirelessly. This is where a complete balance of system comes in place for LED lighting as sensors, such as occupancy sensors, timer-controlled sensors, or daylight controlled sensors have found their way in the market.
While the new-age lighting control system is also looking at integration forming the basket of HVAC that includes Energy Generation, Conservation and Management as a process, the other support functions aim at offering a choice to the consumer through dimming controls or changes in colour output. Many manufacturers have started offering autonomous and semi-autonomous light control systems, that use sensors in the light fixture itself. A key element in the success of these newer systems is the development of low-cost, chip-based sensors, first used in cell phone/ computer display equipment. This improvement in sensing technology would mean that such a system would be able to deliver a preselected setting of dimming and colour temperature as a person enters a particular room.
Even a building automation paneled with state-of-the-art lighting control can optimise the usage of light in the premises depending on the need, cutting power-bills by at least 30% – especially in institution and hospitality industry.
Panasonic has also developed a unique index in collaboration with Ritsumeikan University named FEU. It is a Panasonic unique index, yet its theory is based on a science and presented by the Illuminating engineering Institute of Japan.
Feu is an innovation that turns the focus in lighting design from the conventional ‘illuminance, the amount of light striking a surface, to ‘luminance,’ the human sense of brightness. It does not reject existing design method using illuminance – but optimises lighting design and contributes to further energy saving with a scientific base.
Feu is an innovation that turns the focus in lighting design from the conventional ‘illuminance, the amount of light striking a surface, to ‘luminance,’ the human sense of brightness. It does not reject existing design method using illuminance – but optimises lighting design and contributes to further energy saving with a scientific base.
Such light measurement tools can help one calculate the efficiency of the lighting fixtures.
One can only hope that the world of LED evolves further, making lives brighter and offering optimum comfort to the end-user, in the age of power-scarcity.
Yoshiyuki Kato is Director, Lighting, Anchor Electricals Pvt. Ltd.
