• • • LIGHTING & CONTROLS • • • WHY SO BLUE?
RAY Lighting, a UK start-up, has invented the first Circadian friendly lighting range, inspired by the science of nature to create the world’s ‘healthiest’ electric light source
beautiful design, and nature’s influence. R
THE PROBLEM Until now, all LEDs have been powered by a chip that is blue at the source – the colour of the light it emits is then altered using a layer of phosphor to create the white or yellow we usually see. This means, that although we are not consciously seeing blue light, it is all around us, and our bodies respond to it in a multitude of ways – primarily biologically and psychologically. But there’s more. Other companies (just a few) are starting to solve this, but no one yet has also addressed flicker at the same time.
AY Lighting has launched a dual range of lighting solutions combining multiple technologies, unique RAY innovations,
THE SOLUTION THE HISTORY
LEDs were initially designed this way to save energy, since blue has the capacity to produce more lumen per watt (light output vs. energy consumed) efficiently superseding halogen and fluorescent lights. Their popularity skyrocketed, changing satellite images of countries at night from a soft yellow to a clean white glow and increasing light pollution in the past decade to unprecedented levels. It has taken several years to even begin to understand the side effects of the sharp spike in blue light exposure on our physical and mental wellbeing.
electricalengineeringmagazine.co.uk
The most significant difference with SunRAY is the BlueBalance, combined with the Flicker Free Bridging Technology. The internal chip or light source within the lightbulbs harness new technologies that avoid the dangerous blue spikes that occur from standard LED lamps, bringing levels of blue into alignment with those occurring naturally in sunlight, rather than the excess levels that overstimulate our systems. The benefits are instant for our Circadian sleep/wake rhythms and associated rejuvenating sleep, moods and physical responses. RAY Lighting has also reduced flicker significantly – in most products, to zero. All bulbs flicker, and LEDs typically flicker at 100 per cent but are so fast that it’s virtually imperceptible to our eyes. Nevertheless, our brain processes it and generates stress hormones in response. Scientists are now associating this with everything from malaise, to anxiety and ADHD. RAY’s uniquely engineered lamps use Flicker Free Bridging Technology to achieve a flicker percentage rating as low as zero – the lowest flicker factor ever achieved. Combining these revolutionary light sources with a uniquely blended Full Spectrum phosphor overlay and a specialist engineered lens, means the emitted light is both gentle and beautiful. It’s as feel-good as sunlight; renders colours and textures in stunning accuracy; and avoids all the health concerns currently being raised in the fields of neuroscience, psychology and ophthalmology. Jason Wilkin, co-founder and technical director,
explains: “Our mission has always been to fill people’s homes with more organic, healthy light. We’re spending more time in our homes than ever right now, and to think the light we work, live and raise our families under is harming us is distressing. We’ve all experienced that malaise which lifts when we go out for a walk. “Simon and I have extensive experience in lighting
design and technology. We share the same values and wanted to find a way to create beautiful, but safe, light that is actually accessible – not only for those who can afford a lighting designer. We have succeeded with SunRAY – the range includes GU10 retrofit bulbs for standard replacements, and engines. Next to launch will be track lighting and spots.” The SunRAY ranges include SunRAY Calm,
which uses violet chip technology for a light created to completely free our Circadian Rhythm from the tyranny of excess blue, while SunRAY Dynamic uses a ‘Nature’s Blue’ chip to achieve a light that is more akin to the gentle stimulation of morning sunlight.
Both ranges eliminate all concerns about spikes of blue light exposure, are Flicker Free and offer Full Spectrum lighting solutions, achieving Colour Rendering Index ratings of 97+ (sunlight is 100). Simon McCune, co-founder and sales director
comments: “The technology to build an LED light that is bright enough for us to live by, but that is safe and reliable to use, was in its infancy when we started our research and development. It has been an incredible journey to work with this technology, to innovate around it and to ultimately launch a product.”
RAY LIGHTING
ray.lighting
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING • APRIL 2021 21
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