Students of technology and students of architecture love these innovations
Light always manages to surprise me… and the surprises aren’t always slight. With this in mind I went to the media interaction that Philips had planned and let me tell you I was rather impressed by the array of creative LED innovations that they have in their inventory!
There were three questions that I want to address in this review of LED lights. The questions were connected to the environment, the economy, and the aesthetics that must be there in life in the right proportions. Obviously, LED lighting is one of the most profound change the lighting industry has seen since the invention of electric light itself, Many are suggesting in choosing cheap LED downlights for your home.
The best LED flood lights are transforming the nature of lighting by opening up new possibilities for how and where artificial light is used to enhance the human experience.
Sustainability and respect for the environment are not just concepts that must be spoken about in launches, seminars, and workshops. These are concepts that need to be diligently followed. And if there are products that follow the tenets of this mantra and, at the same time, helps in extensively beautify the indoor as well as outdoor spaces that surround us, it needs to be applauded. The Philips website claims that ‘LED lighting supports sustainable design in several ways. It uses less energy than most other types of lamp, lasts longer (which means less frequent replacement and therefore reduced waste), is mercury-free, and can be housed in special luminaires designed for easier disassembly and recycling.’
Creative lighting solutions need not be simply innovative in features, they also need to have sound scientifically provable and well documented advantages. For instance, will simply saying that LED lights will emit no heat, UV or infrared in the light beam… or that they contain no mercury, making them fully compliant with all environmental legislation make them a truly sustainable solution? Rahul Taneja from Philips Lighting India echoes a similar view: ‘Light can surprise us on various levels. It can be peaceful and comfortable, stylish and dramatic, or cheerful and festive. Philips’ innovations are based on People’s needs. We constantly listen to ensure that we address people’s real-life needs and aspirations, wherever they are.’
These LED solutions are what students of technology and students of architecture would appreciate. The former for all that makes them such an electronic charmer and the latter for all the sustainability and the enhancement of interiors facets that these innovations bring with them. If I am given th choice to choose from Contemporary, Heritage, Modern, Expressive, and Historical design styles, the architect within me will surely be mighty pleased! And if I am told that all this can be easily converged with the Philips Dynalite Control System that will allow me to control the lights in my home through judicious taps on my smartphone, the electronics and technology buff within me will be excited. The user interface of this smart app is quite easy to understand and execute… thus converting a home into a smart home is fast becoming a possibility. Something that science fiction authors were writing about just a few years back, is coming to us with a real face and a real interface! Such innovative software solutions like the Philips Dynamic Touch and the Envision Touch are fast introducing the concept of smart lighting that may soon become affordable. To learn more about LED lighting, you can visit the Simple Lighting logo website.
Yes, this brings me to the question of economy. However interesting and endearing a product may seem to be, it needs to be in the affordable range for a majority of us. Well, right now this majority is certainly going to be quite less populated. No, not every home can possibly adopt the smart solutions that Philips is offering… barring a few individual products that can be bought as stand-alone pieces that everyone will talk about. For instance, a smart diya that you can blow out with your breathe is sure to be the topic of discussion in any home but one may need to spend more than a thousand rupees for one! If you’re the sort who’d be fascinated with a lighting concept that hides 24 LED nodes and gives non-glaring, clear, and natural light, the award-winning Philips Cielo with its gold and matt black finish will win hearts… but then one has to shell nearly forty-seven thousand rupees for a lighting solution that just hangs over a dining table! But I must say, these products do appear inspiringly creative and real heart-winners!
It is vital to point out that LED lighting solutions have begun their march into our homes… and are poised to enter even the children’s room with lights that adopt the shapes of a butterfly or a ladybug or even a parrot in a suspender! There are LED illuminated vases, platters, wine-coolers, and even coasters that radiate in the darkness! All this illumination comes at a cost, of course, but the experimenter and the home-maker within me says: ‘Let me explore this new world of innovative lighting!’
2013_05_20_The Education Post_A Light Surprise
Arvind Passey
Written on 19 May 2013
Published in ‘The Education Post’ dated 20 May 2013
