Sharp's LED Ceiling Light Automatically Adjusts Color, Brightness

Aug 20, 2010 17:40 Satoshi Okubo, Nikkei Electronics

Sharp Corp announced six types of the "Elm" LED residential ceiling light.

They are products with a wattage of 46W and a luminous flux of 2,350lm, products with a wattage of 59W and a luminous flux of 3,400lm and products with a wattage of 86W and a luminous flux of 5,100lm. Because of the high luminous fluxes, they can replace existing ceiling lights such as fluorescent lamps.

Three types of the "Elm" have a function to change their color from a cold color to a warm color, and the other three have a cold color. All of the six types feature a dimming control function.

The "Elm" can be easily attached to existing mounts, Sharp said. Its design life is 40,000 hours. It is 600mm in diameter and 43mm thick at the thickest part (8mm at the thinnest part).

There are no manufacturer's suggested retail prices. The expected street price of the "DL-C501V," which has a luminous flux of 5,100lm and a function to change color, is ¥75,000 (approx US$879). And the most inexpensive model is the "DL-C201D," which has a luminous flux of 2,350lm and does not have a function to change color (¥35,000). The Elm will be released Sept 17, 2010, in Japan.

Color, brightness automatically adjusted in accordance with time of day

Among the six types of the Elm, the three types that are capable of adjusting brightness and color can automatically change color in accordance with time of day. The automatic color changing function is activated by pressing a button of a remote.

In the morning hours, the Elm emits light with a high color temperature (bluish color) to make getting out of bed easier. And, in dinner time, it emits light with a low color temperature (warm color) and a low brightness for offering a space for relaxation. The automatic color changing function not only provides a sense of rhythm in lives but also contributes to saving energy, Sharp said.

Moreover, all of the six types come with the "Eco Dimming" function and the "Eco Sensor" function. The former decreases brightness in consideration of the adaptation characteristics of human eyes, and the latter automatically reduces unnecessary brightness by detecting outside light and light from other lighting equipment.

The Eco Dimming gradually decreases brightness over time to save energy without affecting perceived brightness. When brightness gradually decreases over time, most people do not notice the change in brightness, Sharp said. With the Eco Dimming, it is possible to reduce power consumption by about 20%, the company said.

The Eco Sensor reduces brightness to save energy when, for example, sunlight streams in through the windows during daylight hours. It can reduce power consumption by about 60%.

Sharp confirmed that it is possible to reduce power consumption by up to 65% by combining the automatic color changing function, the Eco Dimming and the Eco Sensor. The automatic color changing function and the Eco Dimming were developed in collaboration with a research group led by Yoko Inoue, professor at Nara Women's University.

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