An LED is an electronic component, a semiconductor component, which emits light when an electronic current is passed through it. The word “LED” was originally an abbreviation for Light Emitting Diode.

In the mid-1920s, Russian scientist Oleg Losev discovered that diodes emitted light when a current was passed through them. In 1927, he published details of the first LED in a Russian magazine and applied for a patent. Losev’s work, however, went unnoticed. It was therefore not until 1962 that LED really broke through. In that year, Nick Holonvak developed a working LED.

The big advantage of LED is of course its very low energy consumption, in many cases only 10% of a comparable incandescent, halogen or tube light. Of course, the long lifetime is also a big advantage over conventional lighting. The durability of LED is not only due to the high number of burning hours, but also because LED is vibration- and shock-resistant. What is also striking about LED:

• No warm-up time, but full light immediately
• More than 1,000,000 circuits are possible without breaking down
• There are no ultraviolet or infrared rays

LED is an abbreviation for Light Emitting Diode. A diode is an electronic component that conducts electricity. An LED is therefore a light emitting diode. An LED works as follows: the LED consists of a positive and a negative side. The positive side has extra positively charged particles and the negative side has extra negative electrons. These come into contact with each other as soon as current flows through the diode. The moment the positive electron and the negative electron come into contact, energy is released in the form of photons. Light consists of photons, which is why the LED emits light.

Now that you understand how an LED works, the question is how an LED light works. First of all, it is important that the LED is powered with the correct current. That is where the driver does its work. A driver is the electronic part behind the LED(s) that ensures that the right amount of current reaches the LED. It then depends on the type of driver whether the LED light is dimmable or not.

Finally, there is one other component that helps to make an LED an LED light. This is the possible lens or reflector. LEDs themselves emit a wide beam of light. A lens or reflector can reduce the angle of light. Not all LED lights have a lens. For example, there are also spotlights with a wide beam, in which a (diffuse) glass is used instead of a lens.

Glass or plastic is also used around the LEDs in other LED lights such as tube lights and light replacements. Depending on the type of light, this can be transparent or diffuse. By correctly combining the above factors, it is also possible to make LED lights watertight. This means that we also sell LED lights that can be placed in damp rooms or outdoors.

In order to achieve ideal lighting in the home, developing a lighting plan is helpful. Light has various purposes and in various, often multifunctional, rooms it is important to pay sufficient attention to lighting. It is therefore important to distinguish between four different types of lighting. It is therefore important to distinguish between four different types of lighting.

General illumination/base lighting
This type of lighting ensures that sufficient light enters the room and illuminates it evenly and diffusely. This corresponds most closely to daylight, which calms the eyes and causes as little shadow as possible. Uplighters are lights that shine to the ceiling. The indirect light and the reflection on the ceiling make for a more diffusely lit room. Another example of this type of lighting is ceiling-mounted fixtures. A ceiling light is a light that can be attached to the ceiling or the wall without seeing any mounting screws. This type can be used in any kind of room.

Work lighting/functional lighting
This is directional light that is seen as a supplement to basic lighting. For example, a reading light next to your bed or some spotlights above the kitchen sink. This type of lighting is used at different times of the day, so it is practical when these lights are dimmable. It is important that there is no possibility of looking into the (bright) light source and that there are no shadows on the worktop. In a place like the kitchen sink, for example, you need to be able to see what you are doing and shadow is not helpful.

Accent lighting
Accent lighting is used to highlight a particular object or place and draw attention to it in order to make colours stand out better. Think, for example, of illuminating a painting or sculpture. The most frequently used fixtures for accent lighting are spotlights. Spotlights can be recessed, surface-mounted or attached to a track. If spotlights are mounted on a track or if you use a recessed or surface-mounted downlight, the direction of the light beam can be adjusted manually.

Decorative lighting/atmospheric lighting
The aesthetics of the fixture are paramount. This type of lighting is no longer about illuminating the room, but about the appearance of the light and the atmosphere it conveys. Many of these lights have a lower light output and are seen as the eye-catchers of the room.

To choose the right LED light for your needs, it is advisable to draw up a lighting plan. A lighting plan is developed to clearly map out which lighting and the associated connection points you need for each room. Of course, the type of light is different in your kitchen, for example, than in your living room.

It is good to think about different types of LED light in a room. Take, for example, the basic lighting in the form of a ceiling light or LED panel. This is the ‘big light’ in a room. You can add accent lighting; this is a light that provides directional light. Think of a desk light, for example. Ambient lighting is used to add extra atmosphere to a room. An example of this is an LED strip light in the bookcase. Finally, it is still possible to install smart lighting in your room. This light can be controlled with an app, remote control or voice control, for example. The different colours make this light practical as work lighting, but it can also serve as mood lighting.