Flexible LED Lighting
Home lighting standards are currently in a state of change in several countries around the world due to the inefficiencies of incandescent bulbs. In 2007, Australia began banning them, with the European Union following suit in 2009. Now in the United States it seems that they will also be a thing of the past as a 2007 Energy Bill begins phasing incandescent bulbs out starting in 2012. Seeing the writing on the wall, LED, Inc. has poised itself to lead the charge in energy-efficient lighting.
In the February issue of Qualified Remodeler we introduced you to LED’s Flexible Strip. Ideal for walls, countertops and tables, the versatile LED light offers users a method for applying lighting over nonflat or contoured surfaces. It can be simply mounted to a surface with screws or tape. Able to be bent along two axes allows design applications to be more unique. These strips can bend up to a radius of 44 mm, are 100 percent dimmable, and can be cut to any size. They are also available in six color options — red, blue, green, amber, white and warm white.
Purchased in 2005 by Allen Wen, LED, Inc. began its life creating LED lighting for Open signs, before moving into LED manufacturing for sign makers. Today the company makes all sorts of items related to LED lighting including premiere modules, strips, ribbon, system controllers, power supplies and even a dimmer switch.
So why are LEDs a consideration for residential use? They’re energy saving and efficient, can be used indoors or outdoors, don’t contain fragile or glass parts, can be less expensive in some applications and emit very little heat.
LEDs are 90 percent more power efficient than any other lighting application. Additionally, the life span of an LED is longer than incandescent or fluorescent bulbs and operates on only 12 volts.
Among other offerings is the RGB strip which features a wealth of capabilities of color-mixing, but must be accompanied by an RGB Controller. This controller will allow a homeowner to choose from the default color changing option, or create their own using LED’s software. Flexible Strip packages are sold in sets of 10 20-in. long strips, each with 30 LEDs.
“The high-intensity LEDs are also nice for homes,” says Jo Lynch, sales manager for LED, Inc. “These LEDs can be used as a spotlight to display things like a picture.”
LED, Inc. continues to innovate and launch products as demand increases. Up next for the company, it will be taking a look at different commercial lighting applications as well as seeing what it can do for the RV market.
Blog website reference: http://www.forresidentialpros.com/article/10348934/flexible-led-lighting
