How to choose the ideal color-tuning method for LED lighting
Gary Morrissey
C-Level Executive | B2B B2C Strategic Sales & Operations Leader | Sustainability Advocate -
Now that LED lighting has gained immense momentum across homes and offices, it is important to take into consideration the ideal color tuning techniques. Earlier LEDs were connected with monotone, albeit efficient light, however, innovative technologies facilitate color tuning in LED lighting. In the meantime, solid-state lighting (SSL) technology has developed on the basis of better LEDs and luminaire architectures to provide superior light at the color temperature of choice.
There are three major color tuning methods for LED lighting:
Dim-to-warm tuning
This color tuning best imitates incandescent lighting, permitting LEDs to be used in homes and restaurants where people usually desire a known, incandescent illumination. The color temperature ranges from around 2700K to 3000K in simultaneous color temperature (CCT), on the basis of the lamp. Muting naturally helps in cooling the filament, moving it back too yellow then red. This is normally alleged as a warmer light at lower levels, favored for warm settings.
How to choose the ideal color-tuning method for LED lighting
This color shift is recognizable and appealing, particularly in residences, restaurants, and related environments. To impersonate the behavior of incandescent lamps, LED light sources that are capable of dim-to-warm dimming will regulate the CCT of the LED light engine in order to imitate the color temperature of an incandescent lamp all through its dimming curve.
White color tuning
This is the second predominant color tuning technique that helps to adjust the color temperature from, let’s say, 2500K to 5000K. Tunable-white applications employ LED drivers and light engines in an assortment of ways to separately control color temperature as well as the intensity of a fixture. In some applications, white color tuning can also be installed to give warm dimming, while providing extra flexibility when essential.
Tunable white is a technique chiefly achieved with LED luminaires, even though more advanced LED screw-base lamps like those controlled wirelessly, may propose it as a feature.
Full-color tuning
This type of color-changing lighting is different than tunable white and dim-to-warm since it is not based only on white color temperature. It can produce a color output wherever within the visible color range, and is most normally accomplished through the integration of numerous base-color LEDs. Full-color tuning is not essentially used only where saturated colors are desired. It has the ability of matching the color appearance of an extensive range of fixture types including warm dim and white color tuning.
Other architectural uses for full-color tuning include tuning for preferred appearance of retail products such as fruit. A lighting designer might decide to deliver a creative exterior of a mixed-use space. Color tuning can also offer higher-efficacy lighting at night when color rendering is less significant. Finally, this method is often used in extremely dynamic color-changing applications and involves superior controllers that understand digital control signals and control the current to single LEDs.