2015 Lighting in Review

For many people, lighting is something they only think about when replacing a light bulb. But inside the industry, we see plenty of interesting stories about light. And a lot has happened in 2015, so once again we offer our "Year in Lighting Review" to showcase some of our favorite moments this year.
​

LEDs Keep Red Meat Looking Red Longer?

The University of Missouri explored whether LED lighting could keep red meat looking red longer in order to encourage more sales.

It turns out that any light turns starts turning meat gray (though this can still be safe to eat) sooner than meat kept in the dark. But initial results showed LEDs kept meat red longer than meat kept under fluorescent lights. Some grocers have begun changing to LEDs in meat display cases.

​Read more in the original article!

---

Mariners were the First MLB Team to Install LED Lighting

Many of us no doubt remember the blackout that occurred at the Superbowl in 2013. The lights went out and play was interrupted for 34 minutes. A big part of that was due to the fact that metal halide lamps that light up most sports fields cannot be turned on and off like the lights people use in their homes or offices.

Metal halides have a restrike time of several minutes; once they're shut off, the arc tube needs to cool down before you can turn the lights back on. Then they have a prolonged warm-up period as they gradually approach full light output.

LED lights not only save money by using far less energy, but they also eliminate the problem of restrike and warm-up periods. So many stadiums are beginning to install LED lights, and the Mariners' Safeco Field was the first MLB stadium to have them installed. Read the full article here.

---

Li-Fi Building Steam

We're all familiar with Wi-Fi as the way we transmit wireless data with radio waves. But in the last few years, Li-Fi has made some big strides, and it looks like it won't be long before we use light to transmit data faster than we can with Wi-Fi. This year, Li-Fi was frequently in the news, and a recent TED talk showed how it can be integrated into solar panels to connect the world even in remote locations.

Click here for some of the latest news on Li-Fi.​

---

Solight Design Launches "Flat Pack" LEDs for Emergencies

Inspired by needs of the Haitian people following the 2010 earthquake, the CEO of Solight Design developed an LED light that could fold flat in order to package large quantities easily and inexpensively, which is especially important for humanitarian relief efforts. The light pops up into a box format and charges from the sun. It can run approximately 8-12 hours when fully charged, and produces light equivalent to a 10-15 watt incandescent bulb, depending on the setting.

The concept is meant to extend beyond emergency situations to more than 1 billion people worldwide without access to electric lighting, joining a number of other efforts to get safe lighting to the world.

This year, the company successfully funded a Kickstarter campaign to ramp up production and distribution and turn their idea into a widespread solution.

---

Artificial Skylight Seeks to Exactly Reproduce Sunlight

While it might not produce the warmth of sunshine, developers of a new artificial skylight called Coelux have tried to exactly mimic the experience of sunlight in a room. It even uses the same scientific process that makes the sky appear blue, so you see "blue" in addition to sunshine "through" this skylight. One goal is to provide office spaces that provide an apparent connection to the sun, even if they underground or at the center of a building.

Right now, the price is well out of range of your average home, but maybe through commercial adoption, this kind of lighting will become commonplace.
​

​Light Emitting ... Paper???

No, we're not talking about e-readers here. And we're not talking about paper powered by LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes).

​Scientists at Umea University in Sweden altered a piece of paper and then ran 11 volts of current through it to make it light up. This could be one more way to provide low-cost lighting to those living off the grid, but has other potential applications as well: according to this article, food labels that light up when food spoils.

---

Gravity Light Funded

Another lighting innovation was funded this year with the goal to provide lighting to those off the grid. This one, called Gravity Light, is a little different, because it doesn't rely on sunlight for charging. It relies on gravity. Under its new design, a user has a pulley system to lift a weight that then pulls on the gear system inside the light until it settles back onto the ground. Users get more than 20 minutes of light each time they lift the weight.

We mentioned "safe lighting" in an earlier section of this post -- the point is that people across the globe use kerosene lamps for lighting. The fumes cause health problems and the flames cause burns and fires. Gravity Light's goal is to eliminate these problems and to provide lighting without the need to solar charge something ahead of time.

---

Lighting Up Bach

Bach's "Well Tempered Clavier" is a classical piece that many people know, even if they're not big fans of classical music. One artist decided to make the song visual with lights, demonstrating pitch and note duration with an expansive array of fluorescent lights. If you're a fan of Bach, you may want to check this one out!

---

​A Free Lighting Game for Android Devices

Ok, this one isn't about real light bulbs. But we all need a break from time to time. This game involves lighting a virtual light bulb. It comes with 150 levels, it's free, and it has no ads and no catch. This short video review shows you how the game works so you can decide if it's the kind of game you'd enjoy while waiting in line somewhere.

Amazon Combats Problem of Blue Lights and Sleep

On our social media channels, we've frequently pointed to articles about the way that blue lights -- from TV, computer, tablet, and phone screens -- can disrupt our sleeping patterns. They do this by effectively telling the brain it's still daytime (when nature would expose us to more blue light) and telling us to stay awake. It seems that we're signaled to wind down and get ready to sleep with shades of yellow, orange, and red, which you would get with the setting sun.

This year, Amazon came out with new "Fire" tablets featuring "Blue Shade" to address this problem. It limits your exposure to blue lights when reading at night before trying to sleep. We wouldn't be surprised to see other manufacturers following suit.

LEDs Can't Stay Out of the News

Finally, LED lights continue to dominate lighting news with stories about new manufacturing approaches, which may lower prices; built-in smart technologies; and overall adoption rate, which will continue to soar for the next decade. We carry a wide range of LED lights, including the aptly named "corn cob" LEDs, designed to replace high wattage HID bulbs.

So what did we miss? Do you have a favorite story about lighting from 2015? If so, let us know in the comments below!

---