Lumistrips LED Lighting Blog

LED strips and modules used for lighting fixture use, in general, multiple LEDs.

As operating a single LED generates heat, more is generated when multiple LEDs are mounted on a PCB, due to the mutual effect. As such, in the case of LED strips or modules, the junction temperature (TJ) of each LED gets higher, compared to a single light source. This leads to the decrease in the LEDs lifetime and luminous flux.

For LED strips and modules, a better thermal management is required to minimize TJ and allow a longer lifetime of the installed products. For this purpose, the LED pitch, the PCB base material and the use of aluminum profile must be taken in consideration.

Backlighting with LEDs is considered optimal when the individual LED's light is not noticeable, while the total luminous flux meets the project's requirements. 

The most common backlighting applications are linear lighting fixtures, luminous ceilings and illuminated signs. In all cases, the LEDs are placed behind a diffuse cover.

Uniform backlighting depends on the LED pitch (L) and the distance between the LEDs’ emitting surfaces and the diffuse cover.

Linear LED light fixtures and LED tubes also feature a cover that protects the LEDs and diffuses the light. This cover is usually made of polycarbonate (a resin) and sometimes of glass. 

The cover has a certain light transmission rate that impacts the light's luminous flux and glare. If a cover has a high transmission rate, it will minimize the depreciation rate of the lamp’s luminous flux by reducing the light diffusion. However, the light of individual LED’s can be visible, increasing the glare effect.

Below, we present an evaluation of four covers to showcase light transmission and glare.

A Cove light is a line of light can obtained via a LED strip hidden from view inside a cove in the wall or ceiling that illuminates an adjacent surface. Light is reflected from this surface into the space that has to be illuminated. That is why lines of light are commonly known as cove or indirect lighting.

Cove lighting is beneficial trend to design lighting, with focus on human nature and how natural light behaves. It is today widely adopted, with lines of light as a principal way to illuminate interiors.

The allure is the similarity with natural light. With the proper light source used, we could imagine that the cove is actually a hidden window to the outside from where sunlight flows in.

Lets explore how we can have the best results with cove lighting

Nichia's Optisolis innovative white LEDs use a special blue LED chip and a new high-quality, phosphor devoped with Nichia's proprietary technologies and extensive expertise. Their light spectrum closely matches the spectrum of natural sunlight, renders colors accurately and adds the benefit of increased awareness of contrast and texture.

Nichia Optisolis LEDs with the full spectrum of sunlight

The latest innovation in LED development is the Optisolis technology form world market leader Nichia. Optisolis™ LED emitters provide a natural light source with a spectrum which achieves the industry’s closest match to that of the standard illuminants, sunlight and incandescent artificial light, having a CRI higher than 98.

Growing plants in closed and fully controlled environments, under artificial lighting is method of growing popularity, with increasing competition to have results at a low cost and as fast as possible. Thus the lighting system plays a crucial role.

Below you will find a quick guide how to build the most efficient lighting system.

1) Research, research

Discover what spectrum and intensity of light your plants need.

You can start by reading our detailed article about horticulture lighting here

2) Choose the right PPFD and light color for your plants

By using the latest technology, special or full spectrum white light LEDs have become the most efficient and cost effective light sources for plant growth. 

With our Nichia 757 Rsp0a LEDs with white light for special spectrum for plant growth or full spectrum Nichia Optisolis CRI98 LEDs your plants will grow up to 50% more than conventional light, including standard white LEDs, a combination of red and blue LEDs or a fluorescent tube, for lower energy consumption.

With 3000K white color temperature you will have more pleasant looking plants while with 5000K you obtain faster growth.

The positive health effects of the full spectrum SunLike LEDs from Seoul Semiconductor have been confirmed in two independent studies, by universities from Switzerland and South Korea.

The new SunLike LED technology brings a major improvement to the spectral power distribution (SPD) of LED lights, which now mimic the SPD of the sun within the bounds of the human visual range. The SunLike LEDs use a three-phosphor mix and a violet emitter to achieve the SPD. Seoul has said that the LEDs can be used in a variety of applications including in human-centric lighting or lighting for health and well-being where tunable lighting can be applied to improve human well-being.

A study published by the University of Basel in Switzerland titled “Effect of daylight LED on visual comfort, melatonin, mood, waking performance, and sleep” found that volunteers had better visual comfort, more alertness, and happier moods associated with exposure to SunLike LEDs compared to other LEDs. 

The new SunLike LEDs from Seoul Semiconductor are the world’s first natural spectrum LEDs, as they produce light that closely matches the spectrum of natural sunlight. This is made possible by using a the TRI-R technology new LED architecture, with a purple emitter in combination with a red, green, and blue (RGB) phosphor mix, unlike conventional white LED that use a blue emitter and yellow phosphor. 

This new design makes possible for an LED to render colors very accurately, almost as sunlight, with the added benefits of increased awareness of contrast and texture.

The high quality of the SunLike LEDs light spectrum is expressed both by the traditional color rendering index (CRI) and the new Color Fidelity Index. Therefore, SunLike LEDs have CRI 97+ and  Rf 96(TM30 Fidelity Index), values that indicate the high accuracy of reproducing the original color from 99 representative color indexes.

The illuminated ceiling or stretch ceiling is very interesting trend in interior lighting. By using a translucent material many square meters in size with a backlighting system, a diffuse, even and relaxing illumination of interiors can be created. The main advantage of this type of lighting is the absence of glare, as the light sources are distributed over a large area and hidden behind the material.

The backlight source is usually low or medium brightness LEDs (5 to 50 lumens) mounted on strips or modules. Since the illuminated surface has a large area, such low power illumination is the best choice.

Illuminated stretch ceilings can have personalized shapes and even feature translucent images. They can therefore influence the overall design of a room much more than other lighting fixtures. From a lighting design perspective, uniform light should be supplemented by spotlights or lamps that can draw attention to specific areas or objects.

The proper design and installation of a luminous ceiling has a number of unique challenges that we will address in this article.