LED Lighting Makes 'Giant Leap for Mankind' Through Color Innovation

NEW WINDSOR, N.Y., Jan. 31, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- While Boeing advances LED (light emitting diode) technology to help prevent astronaut insomnia aboard NASA's International Space Station – expected to be made publicly available by 2016 – USAI Lighting (USAI) is improving human performance here on Earth with lighting technology that's available right now. Employing patent-pending, precise color-tuning technology, the recessed LED downlight manufacturer has engineered two new LED innovations that can aid in regulating the biological clock.  

"When we're comfortable in our surroundings, we feel better. We're happier at home, more productive at work and we sleep better at night. Light – and more specifically, light's color temperature – plays a powerful role in enhancing our lives," said Bonnie Littman, president of USAI Lighting. "Through innovation in LED technology, we now have unprecedented choice and control of color temperature, which ultimately helps stabilize our circadian rhythm and positively influence our quality of life."

Changes in light exposure and temperature can affect everything from digestion and sleep to cognitive performance and mood. USAI designed Warm Glow Dimming™ and Color Curve Dimming™ LED technology to adjust and change color temperatures throughout the day. By tuning to meet specific needs of the environment, tasks and individual preferences, these solutions help create exactly the right atmosphere to improve occupants' performance, comfort and overall well-being.

Illuminating the Influence of Color

Consider the cycle of a 24-hour day: color temperature during daylight hours is a cool blue, suppressing the sleep-promoting hormone, melatonin, to energize the body and mind. By evening, as most of us wind down and prepare for sleep, color temperature shifts to a warmer, red hue, encouraging rest and relaxation.

Translated into lighting design, a warmer (lower color temperature) light is often used in public areas to promote calmness while a cooler (higher color temperature) light can enhance concentration in offices and schools. Previously, achieving both sides of this color spectrum was not possible with any single light source, including LEDs. However, USAI's new light fixtures offer simple color selection features that allow precise color temperature adjustment in two ways, suiting a variety of environments and situations:

• Warm to warmer: Featured in USAI's BeveLED^® 2.0 and BeveLED^® Mini downlighting product families, Warm Glow Dimming precisely follows the curve of incandescent and halogen lamps when dimmed (from 2700K or 3000K down to 2200K). Optimal for hospitality and residential applications, Warm Glow Dimming products achieve the same candlelight aesthetic that was, until now, only possible with traditional light sources.
  
  
• Cool to warm: Replacing compact fluorescent and metal halide lamps with a single, energy-efficient fixture, USAI's proprietary Color Curve Dimming, also featured in its BeveLED 2.0 and BeveLED Mini products, starts cool at full output and warms as it dims. For the first time, environments such as healthcare facilities, schools, retail environments, corporate offices, and homes have the flexibility to adjust color temperatures (from 3500K to 2200K).

Through their customizable, daylight-mimicking color temperatures, USAI's Warm Glow and Color Curve Dimming solutions help make life more enjoyable and easier to manage, from daily tasks to more extreme situations such as jet lag, night-shift work and seasonal affective disorder (SAD). And perhaps, as NASA has concluded, even space travel.

"All of our technology merges our mastery of LEDs and commitment to individuals' well-being, seamlessly making even the simplest activities – from reading to working to dining – even better," added Littman. "USAI's highly energy efficient LED solutions are helping replace traditional, more familiar light sources without sacrificing color, performance, optical control, and most importantly, quality of life."

Research has proven LED lighting uses less energy (up to 70 percent less than traditional sources), creates less heat and lasts longer, with an expected life of more than 50,000 hours. For more information about USAI and its Warm Glow and Color Curve Dimming technologies visit http://www.usailighting.com/warmglow or www.usailighting.com/colorcurve.

About USAI Lighting
A lighting industry leader, USAI^® Lighting is helping shine an entirely new light on the way commercial and residential properties address lighting design solutions. Driven by its IllumiVation^® philosophy, USAI Lighting's versatile yet robust selection of products fuse brains and beauty, providing fresh and energy-saving solutions for general illumination and accent lighting. From compact fluorescents and metal halides to its new generation of LED solid state lighting technology, all USAI Lighting products maintain the smallest physical and carbon footprint possible while meeting the strictest standards for innovation and design to ensure seamless specification, simple installation and easy ongoing maintenance. USAI Lighting is a proud member of EMerge Alliance, helping advance the mission of adopting safe DC power distribution in commercial buildings. For additional information about USAI Lighting and its high-performance offerings, visit www.usailighting.com or call 845-565-8500. Connect with USAI Lighting on Facebook and Twitter.

SOURCE USAI Lighting