European Lighting Regulations Could Help Usher in Human-centric Lighting
Published on:March 8, 2017
By Mark Halper
Contributing Editor, LEDs Magazine, and Business/Energy/Technology Journalist
Contributing Editor, LEDs Magazine, and Business/Energy/Technology Journalist
European regulators may have a play in delivering the Holy Grail of lighting for health and wellbeing. A simple directive or two mandating Internet connections may be all that it takes for now. MARK HALPER looks at the industry’s 2017 EU regulatory priorities.
Look at the strategic 10-year roadmap for the European lighting industry, and the thing that stands out the most is the drive toward human-centric lighting (HCL) – the designing and tuning of LED light’s biological, visual, and emotional effects to foster human health, wellbeing, and performance.
As charted by Brussels-based industry association LightingEurope, HCL will emerge as the top business force in a few years’ time, and will continue to gain prominence after that (Fig. 1).
Human-centric lighting represents a big part of a necessary sea change in the lighting industry business model, and one that could help ensure a future for the 1000+ companies, 100,000+ jobs, and €20 billion of yearly revenue of LightingEurope member companies, including 33 manufacturers. Everyone knows that the century-old business model of selling replacement incandescent bulbs is falling apart now that LED lamps have become commonplace and are expected to last for a decade or three. In its place, says LightingEurope, bring on the HCL
12 Sep