Dimmable LEDs Excel at Creative Lighting

Dimmable LED lights are great because they make it possible to upgrade a building’s lighting system to energy-efficient, low-heat lighting and still enjoy the option to dim the lighting as mood or practicality dictates. But as with all LED lighting, the versatility of dimmable LEDs means that their distinctive features can be put to use in a number of creative ways that are not possible with other types of dimmable lights. The main attributes of dimmable LEDs that make them ideal for this type of creative use are their high brightness to energy consumption ratio, the ease of use that stems from the physical flexibility, adhesive backing, and cuttability of LED light strips, and their light weight. Here are four inventive and fun ways to take advantage of this technology.

With larger vehicles such as vans or big SUVs, Dimmable LEDs can be installed as extra lighting throughout the vehicle. Hooked up to the car battery or a separate, rechargeable battery, LED lighting will be easy to install, draw a very small amount of electricity, and last for several hours on the small battery or have a minimal effect on the car’s battery. This lighting will enable other uses of the vehicle. Obviously this wouldn’t be a useful tool while driving, but large vehicles can be used as mobile campers that sleep a few people in the back. Dimmable lighting makes the experience far more comfortable and can turn the van or SUV into a much more enjoyable place to experience a road trip. And because LEDs generate almost no heat, there will be no risk of injury due to accidently touching the lights. Most types of dimmable LED lights would work well in this application, depending on what the inside of the car looks like and what lighting scheme is preferred. For example, strip lighting could be easily hidden from view, providing even, soft lighting, or puck lights could be attached in plain sight, because they feature attractive housings and are effective at providing area lighting.

The second idea is to simulate the feel of a movie theater at home. This is hardly a new idea, as dimmable, high-quality lights have been available for as long as home-theater quality projectors and TVs have. But using LEDs makes this somewhat hedonistic experience far less wasteful. Turn the lights all the way up to show off the features of the home theater, then dim them down for comfortable viewing, all while consuming a fraction of the electricity of incandescent lights.

Due to the availability of dimmable, waterproof LEDs, a number of outdoor applications are also possible. Dimmable LED strip lights can be installed up the trunk of trees to create an exciting lightscape. This could be a permanent upgrade to a home’s landscaping, hardwiring the LEDs to the outdoor electrical system and turning the trees into bright – but not too bright due to the dimmers – focal points in the yard. Or it could be a seasonal installation. Colorful, dimmable LEDs will be far less expensive to power over the holidays and can be run off of LED batteries, eliminating the need for ugly, unwieldy extension cords. And their durability means they won’t burn out after one or even several seasons, which means an end to the frustrating process of checking lighting strands for dead bulbs each year.

Or dimmable LED lights could be used to make camping in the back yard easier and more similar to actual camping. If the purpose of camping in the yard is to expose a young child to the joys of sleeping in a tent without all the extra work, then a little extra light in the form of a few LEDs certainly wouldn’t go amiss. Or they could be set up outside the tent to simulate the light of a campfire, dimmed down over time to reflect the soft light from the embers after the fire dies down. And best of all, this pleasant lighting effect comes without any of the risks or pollution as a real campfire or a standard camping lantern.

Source: ElementalLED