The way of the light

04 Aug 2006
YEANG SOO CHING

Lighting, as we know it, has evolved since the first light bulb was introduced. Today, it no longer functions to merely light up dark spaces. YEANG SOO CHING writes about the reinvention of lighting.

HAVE you ever thought about how lighting affects your life? When you enter a dark room and flick on the light switch, doesnít the sudden burst of light contribute to your sense of wellbeing?

In fact, research shows that 80 per cent of all information reaches us through our visual link with the environment. And good lighting plays an important role by enhancing our mood and desirability for the spaces being illuminated. Bad lighting, on the other hand, can contribute to anxiety, stress and depression.

According to experts, lighting basically falls into three areas: task, ambient and accent.

Task lighting is directed to a certain area for certain tasks such as reading or sewing. Light focuses on the area without throwing shadows. Ambient lighting is the background light for the entire room. It fills empty spaces by reflecting off the ceiling. As for accent lighting, it emphasises interesting objects.

“Light is a form of energy. It pushes back the night, welcomes the weary, protects those you love, banishes monsters from under beds and makes eyes sparkle!” says a smiling Antony Pearce, Director of Consumer Marketing, Philips Asia Pacific, during a recent media briefing about new and future trends in home lighting.

And everything (in lighting), he adds, starts with the basic light bulb. He should know. After all, Philips is currently the number one in the global lighting market. In Malaysia alone, households use 13 million incandescent lamps and six million fluorescent tubes in a year!

“It is not expensive to make the right light selections to improve your home and support your lifestyle. Future home lighting will be shaped by how we use our homes. Macro trends such as urbanisation, ageing population, and increasing energy costs all lead to changing human needs. Population growth has started to reduce the size of homes, and homes have become more complex as we use them on a daily basis, whether for entertainment or as a showcase of success,” says Pearce.

Understanding macro trends will lead to an understanding of their impact on homes and on lighting itself. In a typical Malaysian home, an average of 15 to 20 light points are in use, and while future trends point to more lighting points being allocated, simultaneously the progress of LED technology allows us in future to use less lighting points!

Philips research indicates that lighting globally will be influenced by key trends in the next three to five years. These are: changing consumer attitudes and expectations of their home, energy costs and sustainability, as well as technological innovation and commoditisation.

“As the hub of family life, home becomes an expression and support of the many things we do in our lives. We will increasingly demand more functionality in our homes, and instead of filling it with more appliances, we will demand that functions be invisibly ‘embedded’ into our surroundings,” Pearce shares.

At Philips, future concepts in lighting are continually being developed and researched. The company sees five trends in lighting. First, there will be more light points in homes. There will be a shift from single light sources to multiple ones. There will also be increased use of accent lighting, decorative lighting points, and dedicated task lighting.

“Increased light points add versatility to homes, but also lead to new challenges in terms of light control,” observes Pearce.

This gives rise to trend number two, which is lighting that can be controlled. So far, lighting controls have extended to simple dimming and movement sensors, or niche market and professional applications. In the future, we will see lighting which can be controlled to “shape” homes in new ways, thus making different scenes. This will make even small spaces versatile.

Trend number three is about lighting that can change colour, to enhance the experience of different occasions. Want yellow walls to cheer you up? Or pretty violet hues to lend a softness to your surroundings? No problem, all it takes is a flick of the switch.

Trend number four is absolutely stunning, going by the visuals shown. The lighting is embedded in other home functions! For example, you can have the lighting built behind the television and projected out based on the predominant colours on the television screen. A blue sea scene will project a blue colour on the wall behind your television. A football scene showing green fields will turn your wall green!

As for trend number five, Pearce says, “In the future, people will seek to use light in their homes to improve their health and wellbeing. Lighting therapy will help people deal with stress and illness in new ways.”

In a nutshell, lighting products are evolving, and opportunities in new lighting technology are being explored in a new way that makes sense for our future.

“Energy saving, home decor and lifestyle come together in easy-to-use, yet advanced systems that work better for us, for our environment and for future generations,” Pearce sums up.

See the light in energy efficiency

LIGHTING accounts for only 10 per cent or less of our electricity bill, say the Philips experts. However, we can do several things to reduce this cost by choosing energy-saving bulbs and acting in an energy-minded way. Philips gives us some tips on saving energy and money in lighting:

Buy energy-saving bulbs and lamps which save up to 80 per cent in lighting energy costs.
Use the right amount of light for the need of the right place. For example, brighter for reading, dimmer for watching television.
Ordinary fluorescent lamps give about two times the light of an incandescent bulb.
Where possible, use photo-electric switches, timers and dimmer controls to save energy further.
In the bedroom, use a ceiling-mounted diffuse light with a dimmer for general lighting. Use a bedside table lamp for reading, and make use of natural light. Rearrange your work tables, if any, near windows.
In the living room, use dimmer switches to turn the lights down low. Make sure there is no light reflection on the TV screen to ensure comfort. Where light is not needed for 15 minutes, switch it off.
In the kitchen, make sure all the specific work areas are suitably lit. Instal lighting directly above the work areas. Instal only a doorway-switched light for the pantry.
In the bathroom and storeroom, place a light above the mirror. Instal a ceiling light for a larger bathroom. Instal low wattage lamps for passage ways and store rooms.
Dust your light bulbs and lamp shades once every one or two months. Keeping them clean increases the amount of light emitted.