Light recycling tech could make traditional incandescent bulbs viable again
Wednesday, January 13, 2016 - 13:49:16
The ban on traditional bulbs caused consternation in the UK when it was introduced, although the idea behind the end of incandescent lighting was sound, since 95 per cent of the energy consumed by this type of illumination was wasted as heat.
Now researchers at MIT have come up with a technique known as light recycling, which could mean that old school light bulbs will make a comeback in the UK and elsewhere in the future, according to the Independent.
Energy-efficient bulbs are now the norm across the UK, with LED lighting being particularly eco-friendly, thanks to the low amount of heat emitted during operation. But scientists have worked out how to turn the heat generated when putting power through a traditional filament into visible light, pulling it out of the infrared spectrum and making sure that humans can use it to illuminate rooms.
Light recycling does require a new approach to the manufacture of filaments, according to research spokesperson, Marin Soljaci. And the addition of a filtering device to capture heat and turn it into visible light is also part of this process.
Bringing incandescent bulbs back to market while dramatically reducing the amount of waste that is caused by their operation could appease people who are unhappy with the colour of the light generated by current energy-efficient bulbs and LEDs that are available at the moment.
The only other issue that researchers will need to overcome is the lifespan of filament-based bulbs, since LEDs can last for decades, while traditional lighting had far more limited expectations in this respect. Furthermore, there is the possibility that light recycling could be used for other types of illumination to create even more savings and ensure that keeping the lights on does not need to damage the environment.
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