Research

In February 2022, the US DOE released its 2022 SSL Research & Development Opportunities report. While the report covers many promising directions for SSL R&D, one of the most significant evolutions predicted for LED light sources is the shift from phosphor-converted white LEDs (PC-LED) to color-mixed white LEDs (CM-LED).

Cannabis Business Times released the seventh-annual “State of the Cannabis Lighting Market” report. Results from the 2022 report demonstrate the increasing usage of LED lighting technology across all growth stages of cannabis cultivation. For the first time ever, at least 70% of study participants from commercial indoor or greenhouse operations with supplemental lighting used LEDs in cannabis propagation, vegetation and/or flowering stages.

University of California, Irvine (UCI) researchers conducted a thorough examination of peer-reviewed literature on the most prevalent mental health disorders and found that circadian rhythm disruption (CRD) is present in nearly all of them. However, correlation is not causation, so it is not clear if the mental disorders cause circadian disruption, if circadian disruption causes mental disorders or both in a positive feedback loop.

A research team from Sejong University in South Korea has demonstrated a new system which uses infrared light to safely transfer high levels of power. Laboratory tests showed that it could transfer 400 mW of light power over distances of up to 30 meters.

The Journal of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine (JAMDA) recently published a research study showing long-term care facility falls were reduced 43% by changing light spectrum and intensity throughout the day for residents.

LEDs Magazine recently reported that engineers from Cisco are now claiming that light-based communications, known as LiFi, is gaining the capabilities to work around corners and be securely pre-coded to end devices.

The California Lighting Technology Center (CLTC) at UC Davis has established “The Color Lab” in collaboration with the Center for Mind and Brain. The new color lab will explore the impact of discrete color spectra on stress, mood, and alertness.

Scientists have developed an efficient new way to convert methane into methanol at room temperature. The technique could help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide a much cleaner way to make green fuels.

The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) released the “Artificial Light at Night: State of the Science 2022” report, earlier this month. It is a high-level overview of the best scientific understanding of how artificial light at night affects the nighttime environment. It finds the world transformed by electric light in less than 150 years since its introduction.