Imagine stepping into a room where the ceiling, walls and floor seem to glow, providing just the right amount of light.
Within a few decades, this type of lighting system could be commonplace, says Brian Patterson, general manager of business development at Lancaster-based Armstrong World Industries. In fact, Armstrong and Universal Display Corp., based in Ewing, N.J., are working together to develop it, as part of a U.S. Department of Energy project.
The system the companies developed is an advanced version of organic light emitting diode lighting, which is used now in some TVs, cell phones and computer keyboards.
OLED lighting is catching up with standard LED lighting but could use up to 20 percent less energy by converting more energy into light instead of heat, Patterson says. But its real advantage over more traditional lights is in the aesthetics and the quality of light produced. It could be installed in ceilings or even walls and floors, and be flexible enough to fit around curves and corners.
“You wouldn’t see where the light is coming from,” Patterson says. “It would be more like when you’re outside, without seeing the sun.”
But don’t expect to see it in your office anytime soon. Patterson estimates that LED lighting will become more common in buildings over the next five years or so, and OLED systems could take another decade.
Source: Brian Patterson, Armstrong World Industries
Writer: Rebecca VanderMeulen