Tunable LED Lighting

Why Tunable Lighting?

So what are tunable LED lights? They are the next step in the evolution of lighting technology. The picture above is of a timelapse of the Sun’s color temperature throughout the day. At different times during the day, the Sun goes through the white light spectrum. This is in line with our own natural circadian rhythm, our bodys wake/sleep cycle. At its highest point (midday) is when we should be at our most awake and productive, conversely at dawn and dusk our bodies are either waking up or preparing to relax and go to sleep.

The realization that we humans follow natural cycles – like the sun, brought into question how artificial light is affecting our overall health and well being. Human-Centric Lighting lighting is defined by LightingEurope as a type of lighting that can benefit the biological, emotional, health, or wellbeing of people. This is achieved by dimming the smart light source, most likely an LED, to mimic the levels of sunlight throughout the day. https://www.ledinside.com/

Our bodies are amazingly complex organisms and we continue to learn more and more every day about all the different functions and mechanisms that influence our health and wellbeing. Technology can be introduced so rapidly we often only find out the implications that it has on our physiology through use and application. Fortunately, as our understanding evolves so too does our technology refine itself to help us to perform at our optimal levels. Tunable LED lights bridge the gap between functionality and health. Done right you can optimize both and sacrifice neither.

What is Tunable LED Lights?

Tunable lights can be defined as the ability to control color temperature and diming functions. It can be referred to as variable light, hybrid light, dim to white, circadian rhythm lights or CCT changing strip lights.

Energy.gov Tunable LED explainer

To get a greater understanding of what Tunable lights are and how the can be applied, please watch this 3.40-minute video from https://www.energy.gov. In the video, they go on to explain the different types of tunable lights available and the applications for each type.

In this video, she goes on to explain the 3 basic types of color-tunable luminaires.

Dim to Warm
White Tunable
Full-Color Tunables

Each type of tunable light source has its applications and advantages, depending on your needs wants and desires.

Tunable LED technology is advancing how we incorporate lights into every aspect of our lives. We no longer need to be satisfied with plug and play solutions with little understanding of applications or far-reaching consequences that may adversely affect our mental and physical wellness.

CCT Explained

CCT (Correlated Color Temperature) is used to describe the temperature of light and it is measured in Kelvins (K). Anyone who is not familiar with lighting terminology can find the word temperature a little bit confusing. Think of kelvin as a visual representation of heat and cool. A low Kelvin count – 2700k represents a warm light, like a glow from a fire or a match. A higher Kelvin – 7000k brings a cool icy looking glow

Traditionally you would need to pick your color and stick with it but tunable lights have expanded the playing field. You can now create an atmosphere that will relate to people on a subconscious level. Done right you can choose your lighting design to suit the time of the day – from productivity to relaxation. Imagine a hotel lobby full of business people, discussing ideas and strategies over lunch. Now picture the same group at happy hour, with the touch of a button you are now able to transform the entire area to fit the mood.

Conclusion

It’s impossible to ignore the amazing benefits that tunable LED light can bring to a facility. Whatever the industry or function you must consider the overall end-user satisfaction. This could be an employee or a customer, both extremely important to consider when choosing the right light for the right situation.

So now we have a little bit of a background on why tunable lights are a great option – there is always more to learn, so please contact us to discuss your Lighting needs and see if our tunable products are right for your situation