University Of Georgia Warms Up To LEDs
LED lighting is a mixed bag for most people; it's great for Christmas tree lights and things like under counter task lighting, or flashlights. However, it can be a bit harsh for room lighting. or when used in a bedside lamp, for example. It's better than the rather bilious fluorescent "curly" lamps that are the current "green" alternative to incandescent lamps, but it's still not what most of us are entirely comfortable with.
In any case, due to forthcoming restrictions (essentially a ban) on the use of mercury contained in the newly agreed Minamata Convention, the curly lamps will be going away in the next few years - and probably without many tears shed. The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) has signed off on the global agreement, which enforces strict usage requirements by 2020.
But now comes a more eyeball-friendly LED lamp; achieved not just by using filters to try to arrive at a more pleasing color, but actually using a different formulation of materials in the LED itself. The result is a color temperature of less that 4,000 kelvins (which is the "good" range) and also a high color rendering index - which allows viewers to see more natural-looking colors when viewing scenes lit by this type of LED.
This is a first for a single phosphor LED, and is the result of work done at the University of Georgia. The use of a single phosphor is desirable, as it means the color output remains stable at different physical temperatures. While the new lamps are currently less efficient than "normal", this is something that should be addressed in time.
Follow Technorati