Southern Landscape Lighting Systems of Marietta designs, installs, and services residential and commercial outdoor landscape lighting systems in the metro Atlanta area. The team works closely with homeowners and businesses to identify and cater to the customer’s lighting needs and desires.
The Practical Benefits of LED Low Voltage Lighting
Scientist Henry Joseph Round first observed the phenomenon of electroluminescence, the foundation of LED lighting technology, in 1907. The pale, yellow light emitted in his experiment was too faint to be of any practical use. The first LED or “light-emitting diode” with practical use was invented in 1962 by Nick Holonyak, Jr., an achievement which earned him the title, “Father of the Light-Emitting Diode.”
Over thirty years later, in1994, Shuji Nakamura invented the ultra-bright blue LEDs, which laid the foundation for the development of the bright white LED lights that have countless commercial and residential applications. Current LED low-voltage landscape lighting is seven times more efficient than incandescent bulbs and uses an impressive eighty percent less energy while lasting twenty-five times longer.
The Intangible “Returns” of LED Lighting
While highly efficient, cost-effective, supremely functional, long-lasting, and ruggedly durable, LED lighting also impacts physical health, mental cognition, and psychological mood.
Michael Heller, in an article entitled “Innovations in lighting technology impact more than efficiency,” writes, “By now, many of us are aware of the benefits of LED technology: its superior energy efficiency, long life cycle, and soaring returns on investment. But what about the intangibles, those that are not so easily calculated but deliver other substantial benefits like return-on-health, return-on-knowledge, and return-on-positivity? Research from LightingEurope, amongst others, found evidence that LED bulbs provide an array of health benefits. This is largely due to the fact that LED light more closely mirrors the spectral wave of natural daylight, whereas fluorescent lights emit large spikes in color that is disorienting to the brain.”
Benefit #1: Return-on-health: Physical safety and well-being
Because LEDs evenly distribute colors, visual acuity is effortless. The brightness, sharpness, and efficiency of LED lighting improve visibility and create a comfortable visual environment, unlike the strained and exhausting experience from the diffused glow of fluorescent light bulbs. The elimination of light flicker reduces headaches and other health problems, increasing productivity and a general sense of well-being.
Benefit #2: Return-on-knowledge: Cognitive sharpness
Studies indicate that LED lighting can improve performance and accuracy in healthcare settings that involve surgical procedures and in diagnostic settings that require intense focus and concentration. Research also suggests that sunlight and LED lighting positively stimulate the hormone response that leads to improved sleep patterns. Adequate amounts — eight hours — of sleep improve a patient’s recovery from surgery. In addition, a healthy sleep/wake cycle in senior adults is essential for sustaining mental cognition and physical health.
Benefit #3: Return-on-positivity: Psychological utility
Everyone has experienced relief when exiting a fluorescent-lit room and entering natural sunlight. The dramatic physiological turn-around is due to the spectral output of the fluorescent lighting in comparison to the rich, vibrant spectral output of the sun.
The positive impact of outdoor LED low-voltage lighting is most evident during the shorter days and long nights of winter. During this time of the year, many individuals are diagnosed with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or “winter blues.” LED lighting is a tool used to treat SAD. Mood improvement, stress reduction, and the creation of a healthier and happier environment are all the fruit of the LED lighting spectrum, which mimics that of natural sunlight.
In response to the discovery of the positive impact of LED lighting on cognitive performance and emotional well-being, some bold, forward-thinking landscape lighting experts are designing emotionally effective lighting plans that create stimulating environments.
These innovative design strategies elevate the value of LED lighting beyond the ordinary benefits of sustainability, energy efficiency, carbon reduction, and cost reduction. The valuable improvements to healthcare, education, and overall happiness are yet to be fully realized and enjoyed.
The design, installation, and service professionals at Southern Landscape Lighting Systems of Marietta, GA, can create an innovative LED landscape lighting design that provides a stunning aesthetic experience while also stimulating the mind, body, and soul.
For more information about outdoor landscape lighting installation and service, contact the office by phone at (678) 616-9166 or email [email protected].