LED strips in both rigid and aluminium" ImageID="#ImageLink:ODIN211481#">LEDS-R-US, a subsidiary of Eco Living Centre , offers the home renovator and designer more lighting options for kitchen design, providing a long lasting and low energy use globe. Solid-state lighting or LED lighting generates very little heat, has a small footprint, and has a variety of colour options. The added benefit is their long life >50,000 hours or 6.2 years of 24/7 operation and low power consumption. These make ideal halogen replacements in areas where focused light near work surfaces is needed.
The range most suitable for kitchen design uses standard M16, M11, GU10 fittings and long strips that can add sparkle to a kitchen.
Even white light offers more design choices, from cool white (5,000K+), natural white (4-5000K), or warm white (3,500K). Why should this matter? During day time the brighter (and bluer) daylight with a Kelvin of 5,000K+ is easier to see and represents daylight from early morning to mid-afternoon. But then sunlight changes and the warmer, more yellow, light looks and feels more natural. LEDs provide the benefit of a more natural light reflecting changes from bluer light in the morning to warmer light as the day proceeds. Typically cooking is more an evening activity, and thus warm light feels more natural.
However, LED offers one more advantage, that of colour. For those special occasions the light can be changed by switching on another circuit or by remote control. This can be simply achieved with the right sort of LED, and more are coming on to the market all the time.
The scope is for renovators and designers to embrace the new technology as it offers more scope to add a more dramatic approach to kitchen design, better reflecting their needs and giving them options to change the mood to suit their life-style. The benefits of low heat and low energy usage are just an added bonus which translate to lower energy bills and CO2 emissions.
Design Pitfalls
Like any lighting system, an understanding of what you can and cannot do with LED lighting is helpful. LED lighting produces light photons that are mono directional, so lighting is not reflected. LED lighting does not offer the same spread, most LED offer up to 60º with the newer LED offering 120º.
Newer generation of LED lighting shows this more clearly, with great attention given to allowing the heat to dissipate. The sample shown offers an 8w with a 120º angle.
The scope for designers and their clients is to embrace the new technology as it offers more scope to add a more dramatic approach to kitchen design, better reflecting their needs and giving them options to change the mood to suit their life-style. The benefits of low heat and low energy usage are just an added bonus.