Has LED lighting finally come of age? In the early days of selling, it was all about convincing people that the benefits outweighed the risks of making the switch.

Once the quality, appearance and performance improved, the sales pitch focused on improved efficiency – more lumens for your bucks. At last we seem to have reached a phase of genuine innovation – where the properties of LED can be used to create truly novel technologies, tuneable lighting is one of these.

The term refers to fittings where the colour temperature can be varied from cool through to warm white, as well as offering dimming.

For the wholesaler, this type of product offers two benefits – it gives something new to sell, a higher value product with visual and emotional appeal for the enduser and marketing appeal for the electrician. It also reduces the need to stock both cool and warm versions of the same product.

Just a gimmick?

We’ve been selling two tuneable products, the Centurion 12W Downlighter and the Zeta 40W Panel for over a year now, and have just launched a Mark 2 version of the Panel.

We can definitely say that end-users are delighted with what they offer – sales of these products are very strong as electricians who have installed them keep coming back for more. In fact, the Centurion is now our best-selling Downlighter. Lighting designers love these products too.

They’re starting to talk about “circadian” or “bio-dynamic” lighting, referring to lighting schemes which mimic the effects of natural light. Research has shown that lack of exposure to daylight can cause sleep disorders, chronic fatigue and even depression.

In offices, allowing users to control their lighting has been proven to improve productivity. People are becoming more aware of the impact of lighting on their health and wellbeing.

Tuneable options

The Amitex LED 12W Centurion Downlighter allows the user to vary correlated colour temperature (CTT) anywhere between a warm white 3000K and a cool white 5000K.

This is achieved using an optional remote control, which also provides smooth dimming down to 3%. Operating from a distance of up to 15m, the remote has four separate channels, so can control four separate rooms or zones, with up to 100 downlighters per channel.

This feature is especially useful in open plan spaces such as offices, allowing different teams to control their own space.

If a simpler system is required, without a remote control, CCT change can still be achieved using a conventional wall switch, which cycles between 3000, 4000, 5000K and a nightlight mode.

Tuning into growth

Offices, care homes and hospitals, where people spend a lot of time without access to natural daylight, are prime candidates for tuneable lighting.

However, we are finding that even in home environments, customers really appreciate the ability to adjust their lighting. Our experience to date suggests that demand for tuneable lighting is only going to grow, as more and more people experience the benefits.

To find out more about the tuneable LED options available from Amitex LED, visit: www.amitexled.com