Lighting of tomorrow

Lighting of tomorrow

Although lighting has evolved greatly over the years, its functionality has remained relatively stagnant for a long time. For example, for many decades, we have turned our lighting fixtures on and off with a switch. However, over time, several major advances have been made in the world of lighting, including the arrival of LED technology, which is greatly influencing our way of lighting. With all these changes in the lighting world, one question arises. What will tomorrow’s lighting look like?

A revolution in the making

LED lighting

In recent years, many new innovative products have emerged in the field of lighting. Today, we are far from having only traditional incandescent bulbs to illuminate our spaces. Indeed, LED ribbons and bulbs, recessed spotlights and panel lights are just a few of the new lighting fixtures now available.

Smart lighting

Now possible thanks to LEDs, intelligent lighting is increasingly being adopted to illuminate our spaces. These trendy products allow us to personalize the ambiance of a room according to the mood of the occupants, by offering the selection of colors, light temperatures and lighting intensity. With this new technology, we are now able to control light flows with mobile apps and by voice.

With such lighting, it is possible to create customizable, bright and colorful interior design concepts. In constant development, these smart lighting fixtures are poised to disrupt our lighting by offering more and more control to users.

Lighting with multiple functions

Human Centric Lighting (HCL)

Today, several studies are available on the impacts of light on humans. In light of these studies, the lighting of tomorrow seems to be moving more and more towards human centered lighting (HCL).

To fully understand this concept, it is important to know what is the circadian rhythm. This is our internal clock that sends signals to our body depending on the time of day. It uses our body’s exposure to light to give us, for example, signals of fatigue when the sun sets. The color temperature of the sun is not the same depending on the time of day, which tells our internal clock when we should eat or sleep. Having a well-adjusted circadian rhythm brings many benefits to humans, including productivity and energy. With smart lighting, it is possible to recreate smart lighting by mimicking natural light.

But human-centered lighting is not necessarily just about that.

When we talk about human-centered lighting, we mean lighting that takes into account the circadian rhythm, but above all the experience of individuals. This way of lighting our daily lives will include all aspects that affect the health, productivity and comfort of individuals. In short, in the future, lighting will automatically adapt to give people the right amount of light and the perfect color temperature to dose the energy of occupants according to their daily activities.

Musical lighting

For a few years now, we have seen the appearance on the market of acoustic luminaires whose function is to reduce the ambient noise of a space. In contrast to acoustic light sources, we will see in the next few years the appearance of lighting fixtures that emit music!

Always wanting to innovate, several manufacturers are currently developing lighting fixtures with built-in speakers. With this kind of product, we will no longer need to install speakers in institutions or homes, as our lighting fixtures would have a double effect by illuminating and projecting sound. This is another way to make the atmosphere of a space more customizable, as it will be possible to control the music and lighting in all the rooms of the house.

La technologie Li-FI

More and more we are hearing about Li-Fi technology in the lighting world, but what exactly is it?

Li-Fi is a new version of Wi-Fi, which transmits data to connected devices using radio waves. Unlike the latter, Li-Fi transmits data by the voice of light streams! With this technology, in order to connect to the Internet, you will only have to expose your smart device to the luminous flux of your luminaire!

We are looking forward to the arrival of this technology, which could increase the importance of lighting in our lives. At the moment, several potential benefits of Li-Fi are being discussed, but we are still in the early stages of this technology. Nevertheless, according to initial research, the connection speed could be up to 10 times greater than a Wi-Fi connection.

Laser lighting

In order to constantly improve the power and energy efficiency of lighting fixtures, researchers are currently studying the viability of a technology that uses lasers. This technology is currently being used by BMW and Audi to modernize the headlights of their vehicles. According to them, a headlight working with laser would be up to 1000 times more powerful than a LED headlight and would consume 50% less energy.

We are entitled to wonder if this technology could in a more or less near future be used in agricultural and industrial buildings where lighting needs are more important in order to optimize production.

LUX Lighting Solutions, a supplier at the forefront

Lighting is a world that has been in constant change for a very long time. Every year, new discoveries and studies emerge to shape the lighting of tomorrow. While it is difficult to predict what the world will look like in the coming decades, you can count on LUX to always offer you the latest in lighting.

Lighting is essential in any construction or renovation project. Indeed, a deficient lighting will make the most successful project lose value which is very significant. In addition, there is the safety aspect. During a project, whether it is agricultural, commercial, industrial, institutional, public or residential, it is absolutely necessary that the lighting be at the right level and that it be safe to avoid accidents, discomfort, headaches and all sorts of other problems. While safety and enhancement are important, there is also the economic aspect. Indeed, implementing a quality lighting solution for your buildings will generate important economic benefits for your company, regardless of your sector of activity.

The underestimated economic impact of lighting on agricultural production

In the agricultural sector, among others, lighting has a very special importance. On a dairy farm, for example, if the light levels are too low or too high, the cows will not produce as much milk as they would. This impact is not only significant for the cows, but also for other animals and plants! Indeed, the development of plants is also greatly influenced by their exposure to light. Depending on the type of horticulture, plants need to be exposed to a certain amount of light and darkness during the day in order to develop properly.

The importance of lighting in the agricultural field is explained by the circadian rhythm, an internal clock in both animals and plants that regulates physiological functions according to the time of day. With lighting, it is possible to synchronize the circadian rhythm to optimize the production of animals and plants.

Illuminated greenhouse during night

Enhance your business with a quality lighting

In the retail industry, it has been proven that proper lighting increases sales. Indeed, in this type of business, lighting is widely used to highlight the products on sale and the facilities. This lighting strategy is also widely used by restaurants to make their food more appealing.

Moreover, it is also with the lighting that it is possible to direct the eyes of the customers towards the strategic places. For example, during a promotion, we want the products on sale to be immediately visualized by the customers, when they enter the store, or pass in front of it. To do this, it is possible to direct spotlights on rails directly on these products in order to highlight them and encourage customers to buy them.

Create the perfect atmosphere to stimulate your customers

There are standards that dictate the level of lighting required by type of business, in terms of lux, but the lighting needs vary significantly depending on the type of business. For example, the lighting of these will depend among other things on the atmosphere we want to create in our spaces.

Often, in more upscale businesses, such as a fancy restaurant or jacket store, the lighting needs to be a little more subdued to provide visual comfort, so people feel comfortable. Here, the goal would be to create a relaxed atmosphere with warm color temperatures that will calm customers and make them stay longer in the store. For, this type of business, the fact that customers spend more time in the store will make them consume more.

The opposite is also true for businesses that have a more quantity-oriented business model. For this type of store, the use of cold white is perfect, because this color gives energy to the consumers which will increase sales while ensuring that they do not stay too long to monopolize the employees and clog the space. It is important to avoid this type of situation for this type of store, so as not to negatively affect the customer experience.

Significant savings for the industrial sector

For companies in the industrial sector whose facilities consist of warehouses and factories. The economic benefit will come mainly from the eco-efficiency of the lighting and the improvement of the safety for the employees.

Indeed, most industrial companies have large buildings that require a significant amount of lighting to illuminate their interior and exterior operations. That being said, it is certain that lighting represents a significant expense for these businesses. A LED lighting solution that efficiently redirects light streams could save them up to 80% on their lighting power consumption.

In addition, occupational health and safety is also an important issue for these companies. With a quality lighting solution that is not dazzling and that highlights the operations and movements of workers, you will promote a safe and comfortable work environment for employees. In this way, you will save significant amounts of money related to employee turnover and work-related accidents.

Benefits for all industries

Depending on your sector of activity, the benefits of optimal lighting will be numerous for your company. Beyond the economic factor, lighting also makes your facilities shine.

LUX Lighting Solutions is able to provide you with its expertise and high quality lighting products to meet all your lighting needs. Whether you work in the agricultural, commercial, industrial, institutional, public or residential sectors, we have the lighting solutions you need!

Smart lighting RGB LED Strip

Since the introduction of the first halogen bulb, humans have become accustomed to controlling the lighting in their homes with wall switches, sometimes equipped with dimmers. Smart lighting, now more affordable and simpler, is slowly becoming an interesting alternative to the way we light our daily lives.

While this new type of lighting continues to grow in popularity, it can be difficult to understand the benefits of installing it in your home. In this blog post, we’ll shed some light on this type of lighting system and present the reasons why you should bring this technology into your home.

The first steps towards the smart home

It’s often said that smart lighting is a good start to the smart home.Indeed, smart lighting products are quite simple to install and will be a good starting point for implementing a network of connected objects. For your first steps in smart lighting, you will need smart bulbs, a control unit (bridge) and a cell phone.

Smart home mobile app

To work, all the lighting devices need to be connected together in order to synchronize and facilitate their control. To do this, you will first need to connect the bridge to your WI-FI router. Then, in order to control it all, you will need to download a smart lighting application and pair it with the bridge! Depending on the application you use, you will be able to identify and remotely control all your smart lighting fixtures connected to the WI-FI network. 

Of course, it is possible to control the lighting using other methods than your cell phone. Smart lighting offers many control options! This type of lighting can also work with smart switches and is compatible with voice assistants like Alexa or Google Home to allow voice control!

What are the benefits of switching to smart lighting?

Save energy

Opting for smart lighting will save you a lot of money in terms of energy consumption. LED technology is by far the most widely used technology in smart lighting fixtures for several reasons. First, because LED powered fixtures often offer a choice of colors. Also, LED is a popular technology for its low energy consumption! By automating your home’s lighting, you can also minimize the amount of light that are turned on so that you have the exact amount needed!

Security

Take advantage of the remote control of your lighting to travel with peace of mind. Even if you are thousands of kilometers away from your home, it will still be possible to control the lights to simulate your presence. Some even go as far as creating an alarm atmosphere by making the house lights flash red when there is an intrusion. 

Lighting at your service

With an intelligent lighting system, it is possible to really have a lighting adjusted to our daily life. For example, program the opening of your lights according to your arrival in the room. In the morning, so that the lighting is not too aggressive, make sure that your fixtures open gradually! 

Immerse yourself more when watching television with lighting that adapts to your viewing, gaming and musical experience.

Smart lighting to lit the home office

Finally, choose the mood you want to be in. Adjust the amount, color and intensity of your lighting in seconds using your cell phone. It is even possible to save the atmosphere you have designed to recreate it later!

The possibilities of smart lighting 

The connectivity of your lighting fixtures allows you to do just about anything you can imagine when it comes to lighting. For example, it is possible to program light notifications. By connecting light sources to your cell phone or a microphone, program your system to flash certain lights in a pre-selected color when your baby makes is awake or when you receive an important email. Let your creativity flow, there really is a wide range of ways to use smart lighting in your daily life.

We haven’t heard the last of smart lighting. The lighting industry is following in the footsteps of the interconnectivity of objects in an effort to make our daily lives ever more simple and convenient. Now available to all, smart lighting can give us a taste of the future in home automation!

You want to implement an intelligent lighting system for your home or a client’s home? You will find on our online store, a range of intelligent lighting products for all your projects! 

To discover them, it is here: shop.boutique-lux.ca/en/smart-home

Growing flowers in a greenhouse

Producing more with less energy

In recent years, many farmers have opened their doors to LED for their agricultural lighting. Although the commercialization of LED technology is relatively new, it is already considered by many as the alternative of choice to traditional lights. The growing popularity of this type of lighting can be seen among farmers to improve their energy efficiency and production. With the size of farm buildings, the cost of energy consumption for lighting is a significant expense for farmers.

Indeed, the main advantage of LED lighting is of course the energy saving. Although LED lighting products are more expensive, the savings on electricity costs are not negligible. If we compare this kind of lighting with traditional incandescent bulbs, the energy saving with LED lighting is about 70-90%. In addition, another advantage of this type of lighting is the durability of the products. LEDs last on average 15 times longer than traditional light fixtures. Therefore, it is certain that LED lighting costs more, but the longevity of the products and their low energy consumption generally pay back the investment very quickly.

Scientist using purple LED light for growing plants

Control of the photoperiod

Photoperiod is the ratio of day to night duration and is the most important environmental factor in synchronizing physiological changes in animals. In other words, the photoperiod plays a determining role in the reproductive cycle of animals. With the help of LED lighting it is now possible for farmers to reproduce natural light and automate it in their buildings. This way, it is easy to ensure that the animals are exposed to the perfect amount of light and darkness during the day. It is even possible to literally simulate sunrise and sunset!

For example, research has shown that lactating dairy cows exposed to 16 to 18 hours of light (150 to 200 lux) and then 6 to 8 hours of darkness increased their milk production by 8 to 10%. In order to still be able to work in the barn while the cows are sleeping, red LED lighting is sometimes used, as this light is slightly detected by the cows and then allows workers to move around safely, without having to disturb the animals’ sleep.

The importance of agricultural lighting for greenhouse production

Canada is exposed to little natural light throughout the year. Especially in winter, this lack of ambient lighting is affecting greenhouse production. Currently, many greenhouses are lit with high pressure sodium lamps or HPS lamps. This type of lighting is not optimal for greenhouse production, because these lamps consume a lot of energy, make it difficult to control the direction of the lighting and give off a lot of heat, which can damage plants that reach a height close to the lamp’s height. LED lighting would be a good solution for greenhouses, as LEDs give off very little heat, do not consume much energy and offer a lot of flexibility to light all areas. Canadian researchers have even found that certain types of light emitted by LEDs can even promote the health of plants!

agricultural lighting in a greenhouse

Often, with the size of farm buildings, the cost of lighting is a significant expense for farmers, and they would have much to gain with the implementation of better and less expensive LED lighting. This new lighting technology offers many significant benefits to farmers and looks very promising for the future!

If you would like to learn more about how LED lighting can help your farm business, contact us and we will be happy to help!

Lighting pollution of a city

However, the impacts of light pollution on our environment are real. The awareness of this issue is relatively new, so it remains mysterious for many people. In this article, you will learn about light pollution and possible solutions to minimize its impacts.

A brief definition

Light pollution is the projection of artificial light into the sky, making it difficult or impossible to see the stars at night. Did you know that 80% of the world’s population lives under a sky polluted by artificial light? For Europeans and Americans, this percentage even reaches 99%! Furthermore, most human beings will never be able to contemplate the Milky Way or the Zodiacal light. These luminous phenomena which are visible in the night sky, can only be observed in the most isolated areas of the globe, where light pollution is absent or very low.

Light pollution is increasing at a rate of 2.2% per year worldwide and causes all sorts of problems, such as economic, ecological and astronomical.

The impacts of light pollution

Since light pollution is relatively new, we are only beginning to understand its impacts on ecosystems. Notwithstanding this fact, many specialists and researchers have started to sound the alarm to ask governments to put in place measures to limit the damage of light pollution.

A disoriented migration

Fauna is strongly affected by artificial lighting at night. For nocturnal animals for example, predators use the darkness to hunt and prey use it to hide! As a result, the environment of these animals is severely influenced by humans, as their nighttime activity period is now shifting to daytime due to the amount of lighting present.

Illuminated city of Vancouver producing light pollution

Migratory birds are also severely affected by this type of pollution. When night falls, these birds must orient themselves with the light of the moon and the stars. The nighttime light from cities attracts birds to a dangerous environment of illuminated skyscrapers. In Toronto, light pollution is responsible for the death of tens of thousands of birds per year, according to the Fatal Light Awareness Program.

Light pollution also affects the migration cycles of these birds. Indeed, these birds use seasonal indicators to predict their migration and their perception of these indicators is biased by light pollution, so they do not migrate at the right time and miss the right weather conditions for their reproduction.

The economic cost of light pollution

Often, the excessive use and the misuse of lighting cause us to direct light towards the sky for no reason, which makes us waste energy and financial capital. In Quebec, it is estimated that it costs $45 million per year to light the sky. Light pollution has then an important economic weight in Quebec, if we consider that this amount could be reinvested for a better and more environmentally friendly lighting. For the United States, the cost of light pollution is $7 billion per year!

A significant impact on science

Astronomy is a science that is directly affected by light pollution, because the stars are much more difficult to study near large cities where light pollution is strong. This is why astronomical observatories are located relatively far from these cities. Finally, the fact that the stars are less and less present in the night sky near the cities, makes that there are fewer and fewer amateur astronomers. Already in 2003, the British government recognized that there is a link between the lack of interest in astronomy and light pollution.

telescope with the milky way

How is light pollution produced?

Now that we know the impacts of the phenomenon of light pollution, it’s important to know how this is produced. The first cause is the lighting directed towards the sky. In fact, many street lamps and other light sources direct light inefficiently. They should direct the light only to the area in need of light.

Quebec is a major emitter of light pollution in Canada, for two reasons. First, the very low cost of energy means that people and businesses in the province can afford to install more artificial light. Second, there are currently very few government regulations governing artificial lighting in Quebec. Some regulations are in place near astronomical observatories, but it seems that these are very little respected.

Rethinking our lighting

With all these problems that light pollution creates, a question arises: is it possible for governments to ensure safe and useful lighting for the population while limiting light pollution? Yes, it is!

Smart Lighting

First of all, intelligent lighting could prove to be an effective solution in the fight against light pollution. Indeed, programming night lighting with intelligent control systems would ensure that only the amount necessary for the city’s safety and operation would be on during the night. For example, an intelligent street lighting system would ensure that street lights would only be activated when cars are on the portion of the road to be lit, and would remain closed when they are not.

Street lamps that respect the environment

Light up more efficiently

As mentioned earlier, many street lights do not effectively redirect light. Ideally, streetlights should be able to direct light properly so that it is not wasted. In addition to reducing light pollution, these streetlights would limit the intrusive lighting that disturbs those who live near roads. To do this, investing in lighting sources that effectively direct artificial light to the areas to be lit would greatly reduce the amount of light projected toward the stars.

We can help you reduce your ecological footprint!

To function it is sure that the cities cannot do without artificial lighting. It ensures the safety of the population and allows them to remain in activity during the night. With the impacts that this form of pollution plays on the environment, the need for cities to rethink their lighting systems is increasingly considered.

Offering a range of specialized products and services, LUX Lighting Solutions has the expertise for all your smart and environmentally friendly lighting projects. Please contact us to learn more about how you can give back the stars to the night!

Escalier avec des marches lumineuses

Get creative with your staircase lighting

Staircase lighting must definitely be effective, but why can’t it also be creative?

Indirect lighting in a staircase

Safety, utility and modern lighting with LED

There are many interesting ways to light a staircase, and these can even be combined for an even more sensational result.

Stairs illuminated with wall lights.

Thanks to its efficiency and versatility, LED lighting is perfect for this type of project. It offers undeniable advantages, such as a long life, low energy consumption, variation and color change options, among others.

Stairs with a lighted ramp

In a staircase, it will be both practical and give a modern style, whether in the form of wall, ceiling or floor recessed LEDs, LED strip light, LED suspended, wall or ceiling lights. Staircase lighting can even be artistic and eye-catching!

Huge ceiling light overhanging a circular staircase

Spotlight on steps and ramps

It is indeed possible to create wall lighting points, geometric lighting on walls and even a rain or a cascade of light. Recessed or indirect lighting also offers exciting alternatives! You can for example illuminate risers, steps and railings.

Recessed wall lighting for a staircase

There are 1001 ways to light a staircase. Contact the LUX Team or make an appointment now for plans and customized lighting solutions!

Pictures credit: Pinterest