Waveguide LED lighting takes all the benefits of LED technology and combines it with an acrylic rod design (ELR) that produces light that gives increased colour rendering, consistent coverage, eliminates glare and gloom and has a quality that has immediately visible benefits over traditional lighting and conventional LED fixtures. The concept resembles a traditional fluorescent fitting except there is no ballast, consumes a fraction of the energy and can be configured to put light where needed with unmatched uniformity.
Emitted light can be precisely cut to eliminate wastage or so as not to cause discomfort for surrounding areas. The benefits are numerous, from reducing fatigue in an office, to giving colour clarity in the medical or precision engineering sectors, to making the public feel safer in streets and car parks at night.
This technology takes both internal and external lighting to the next level, is unique and protected by patent.
Colour shift with beam angle is a particular problem for LED technology using a secondary optic to scatter the light from the LED. It is not a problem with Waveguide as we mix the light within the rod before reflecting it out.
The reflector technology in our lighting system is as vital as the LED itself. The varying reflector widths and angles allow directions to be incremented in as little as 6° steps. The light in the rod is internally refracted until being directed at precise beam angles by the reflector, achieving the highest levels of uniformity with ultra-low glare.
Since the commercialisation of the fluorescent tube, flicker has been a major cause of discomfort in people, particularly those working under them for long periods, during winter months. Fluorescent lighting has been documented to induce tiredness, fatigue and migraines.
LED technology has reduced flicker from fluorescent typically by a half. This is insufficient to improve crucial human-centric elements. Good quality lighting with low flicker improves mood, motivation and productivity in staff regardless of their surroundings, for example in office or industrial environments, or in leisure and retail centres.
Under-driving the LED (at 10%) and optimising the performance of the driver (96%) results in Waveguides fixtures delivering extremely low flicker of just 3%. The feedback from Waveguide clients of this has proven the impact that such low flicker does have.
The images below, taken from a basic mobile phone, show the evidence of flicker from a fluorescent, an LED panel and a Waveguide WaveStar fitting. Whilst we can stare at a fluorescent or LED panel and not witness this by eye, the retina is picking up the flicker and this is indeed the cause of the human-centric impacts.
We drive the LED very benignly. Using a high power LED at drive currents 190mA to 317mA generates very little heat, delivers very high efficacies, extremely long life and high reliability.
At these drive currents we achieve:
• The highest efficacies (measured in absolute photometry)
• Vastly extended lifetimes (133,000 hours to L70 / 130,600 to L70B-10)
• Extremely high fixture reliability.
For further information please contact Peter Murray, peter.murray@waveguidelighting.co.uk
