Recently, Digital Trends profiled a Paolo di Trapani, and his work has a lot of people excited. For all the rapid progress that has been made with LEDs, no one else has made this important step towards recreating natural light.

The article explains how lighting innovations have allowed people to use artificial light in a number of amazing ways. We can change the color temperature of a light bulb with a smartphone, and we can grow food indoors, but we haven’t yet been able to mimic the way the atmosphere scatters the sun’s natural light…until now.

According to Digital Trends, di Trapani’s technology scatters the light of a panel of white LEDs with “a clear plastic panel studded with nanoparticles that are invisible to the naked eye.” What’s a nanopartical? A nanoparticle is what it sounds like: A really small particle. Nanoparticle research is currently hot because there are tons of ways that nanoparticle research could be applied in biomedical, optical, and electronic fields.

Whenever looking at electrical devices or equipment, many people are confused by the difference between amps and volts, making it difficult for them to understand the purpose of each. By learning what each of these important electrical terms means, you can better use your electrical devices in a safe manner, which will help you avoid any electrical shocks, tripped breakers or other electrical mishaps.

Amps

One of the easiest ways to understand the difference between these electrical terms is to look at them from a more physical viewpoint. In order to do this, we will compare each with its plumbing equivalent. Imagine water running through a hose. Simply put, amps are just like the water that is flowing through the hose.

Volts

The amount of water running through a hose depends largely on the pressure that is forcing the water through the hose. In electrical terms, the amount of pressure forcing electricity through the wire is referred to as Volts. Whenever you combine the two, and multiply Amps x Volts, you get Watts. Watts would be the equivalent of the amount of electricity that is coming out of the wire at any given moment (Amps) and the amount of pressure pushing the electricity through the wire (Volts).

One of the most important reasons to understand these terms is to keep them in mind when using several different devices and appliances on a single circuit in your home. Each circuit in your home is protected by a circuit breaker that is designed to shut off the flow of power if the circuit becomes overloaded. By understanding how much electricity each appliance is designed to draw, you can more safely and effectively spread your appliances across your circuits.

If you notice that you have a circuit that is frequently tripping, or showing other signs of power drain, call an electrician right away. This could be a sign of deeper issues. If you are interested in more information about this or other electrical topics, our team at The Electric Connection has put together a solid list of related tips and articles in our website.

LED streetlights are great for the environment. They consume much less energy than standard high-intensity discharge (LED streetlights. What some cities have failed to consider, however, is that while LED streetlights are capable of emitting different colors of light, not every color should be used in public outdoor spaces. Bright blue-rich white light can cause some issues for residents, local wildlife, and night sky visibility. When it comes to streetlights, the warmer the color/correlated color temperature (

studies showing that it can even aid in IBS as well as migraine and cancer prevention.

Throughout the day, light changes from a warm white color at dawn to natural white then to a cool white in the afternoon, back to natural white, and eventually to an ultra warm white color at sunset. Our bodies are used to this cycle of light. Artificial lights that deviate from the natural lighting cycle can throw off our circadian rhythms. The National Institute of General Medical Sciences states that, “Circadian rhythms are physical, mental and behavioral changes that follow a roughly 24-hour cycle, responding primarily to light and darkness in an organism’s environment.”

According to healthybuildingscience.com “. . . different types of light trigger different physiological effects. Blue/white light, akin to a bright midday light, suppresses melatonin and increases serotonin, this light is great for activity. Conversely red/orange light triggers melatonin in preparation for going to sleep. If everything is in balance, the body will generate dopamine, serotonin, cortisol and melatonin in the right quantities at the right time of day.”

On their website, the IDA cites important information from a report, this happens “. . . because blue light scatters more within the human eye.”  While it’s not directly causing harm to someone’s health, glare decreases driver safety and can lead to traffic accidents.               

At night, blue light used outdoors can also wreak havoc on ecology. Introducing light with a CCT that’s close to daylight essentially changes the daily cycle that plants and animals are used to. They depend on this cycle of light and dark for hunting, reproduction, sleeping, migrating, and protection. Nocturnal animals have suffered greatly from cool white light at night; the IDA

Because blue light has a larger reach, cool white LED lights used outdoors at night can contribute to light pollution, or brightening of the sky. This decreases the visibility of stars and can have a negative effect on astronomical research. If cool white LED lights are used, they should be shielded or aimed directly downward to prevent light pollution.

Warm white LED street lights and parking lot lights—with a CCT of 3000K or less—are a much better option for public outdoor areas. They emit a much smaller portion of blue light—which is unnoticeable to the eye—and are currently the best options available for street lighting.

Click the photo below to see our line of warm white LED streetlights.