At the Hong Kong International Lighting Fair 2014 (27-30 October), Bridgelux Inc of Livermore, CA, USA (a vertically integrated manufacturer of solid-state light sources for lighting applications) has debuted its new Vero Decor Series Class A chip-on-board (CoB) LED array products. The launch marks Bridgelux’s new ‘human-centric’ approach to product development and color targeting by using gamut area index (GAI) to measure how light and color appeal to and are perceived by the human brain.
Lighting has become a critical design feature for high-end retail and commercial spaces, with solid-state LED technologies playing a vital role in helping businesses differentiate and stand out to their customers, says Bridgelux. “Light has the power to influence how people behave, what they purchase, their productivity and their mood,” adds CEO Brad Bullington. Traditionally, the lighting industry uses color rendering index (CRI) as a primary measure of light quality. However, CRI only measures color distortion. Gamut area index (GAI) measures color saturation and strength to more accurately reflect the holistic effect of light and how a person will perceive color. The Decor Series Class A is engineered at the optimal GAI and CRI combination based on human perception of light.
Available through global channels in mid-November, the Decor Series Class A arrays are said to be the first products to use the full Class A Color specification from the Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the Alliance for Solid-State Illumination Systems and Technologies (ASSIST).
In research and development since 2002, Class A Color – which redefines high color quality of light – was created at the LRC with funding by ASSIST. The long-term study examined how people perceive white light sources and what they prefer in terms of color rendering and the white hue or tint of a light source. Bridgelux specifiers and engineers developed prototype lamps based on the Class A Color spectral requirements for the LRC to use in field evaluations.
“Class A Color has been broadly tested and ‘tuned’ to ensure the most pleasing blend of naturalness and vividness based on subjective human perceptions,” says Jean Paul Freyssinier, senior research scientist at the Lighting Research Center. "A majority (75%) of those tested from around the world agree that Class A Color light sources provide the best color rendering and optimum saturation levels,” he adds.
Distinguished by its human appeal, brightness and natural rendering, Class A colors are inherently more vivid and whites are their whitest due to a broader spectrum of colors and saturation, says Bridgelux. The firm says that, by achieving a balance of color properties that match how people perceive color, the Decor Series Class A LED arrays not only deliver superior color quality but also provide a better return on investment compared with traditional halogen and ceramic metal halide bulbs. Decor Series Class A LEDs consume 30% less energy, generate 70% less heat, and last 20 times longer than halogen or metal halide light sources, it is reckoned.
Vero Decor Series Class A arrays will be available with correlated color temperatures (CCTs) of 4000K and 3000K, designed for applications including high-end retail, hospitality, museums and commercial spaces.
