Color temperature: how to get the ideal environment with LED lamps

Color temperature: how to get the ideal environment with LED lamps

A light is warm or cold can affect both our performance and in our rest. It is therefore important to choose the right lighting for every situation.(led emergency backup)
Two white lights can be completely different. You have surely noticed when, after replacing a failed (something increasingly rare thanks to the LED lighting ), the room has perceived differently. It is because it has placed a light bulb, also white and the same power, but with different color temperature.

The color temperature can be defined as the sensation perceived by the human eye to light , still warm if predominates amber or blue cold if the predominant color. This measure only applies to white light and technically defined as as "color print at certain temperatures of a perfect black body radiator" according to the guide of the Federation of European Associations of luminaires and components for luminaires.(led flood lights)

The concept is simpler than it seems. Think of an incandescent iron that is going increasingly applying heat. When the temperature is about 1,000 K (kelvins) takes on a reddish hue. If the temperature rises to between 2000 and 3000 K color becomes yellowish. A tone is 4000K neutral white and between 5000 and 7000 K cool white. However, when it comes to light, the "temperature" is only a relative measure: it has to do with the physical heat but with the sensation in the human eye.

In this graph we can see that unless kelvin color we perceive is warm and more degrees the temperature we perceive is cold .

graphic temperature of led color
The kelvin (K) equals the degree Celsius, but on the absolute temperature scale 0 is set to -273.16 ° C (absolute zero). Source: Wikipedia

Examples of color temperature

Light source Temperatura (K)
Fire (match, candle) 1.200 K – 1.800 K
Sunlight at sunrise or sunset 2.000 K – 2.200 K
Bombilla Incandescent (40w - 75w) 2.600 K – 2.800 K
Noonday sun (summer) 5.600 K
Cloudy day 6.000 K – 10.000 K
Morning light 8.000 K – 10.000 K


Ideal color temperature

The color temperature is very important  in the workplace , since it has great influence on performance and concentration. The high temperature resembles daylight and many people focus more with it, however, if what you want is to get a relaxing effect, the temperature light should be low, since it is quieter for the eyes.(led emergency power packs)

Therefore, no matter the amount of heat that produces the light source, they produce much higher temperatures, if the prevailing light is blue, we feel that is cold and have a color temperature of these cold light sources.

Adequate lighting for each activity

The warm light LED lighting usually has a temperature of 2900-3000 K, and the cold white light around 6,000-6,500 K. When we choose lamps for home use , the most suitable are those with a temperature around 2,800 kelvins, because they create a warm and comfortable atmosphere.

So they are ideal for hotel rooms or for our own home. However, in the commercial luminaries around 6,000 K and 5,600 K they are used if they are going to work by forcing more vision, such as workshops, offices, etc.

temperatura de color luz fria led
The color temperature has great influence both in performance and concentration and relaxation and wellness.

The color rendering index and color temperature

The concepts of color temperature and color rendering index are independent of each other, although both are of paramount importance when choosing a lamp or another. The  color rendering index  (CRI or Ra) is an international system that measures the ability of a light source to faithfully reproduce colors. The measurement is performed with the light of day as a reference . That is, the IRC ( color rendering index ,  or CRI English) of daylight is from 100: full range of colors are perfectly reproduced.(high bay Lamp)  

If we compare two different lamps to check which one reproduces colors with higher quality, it is essential that both lamps have a temperature similar color, as some lamps can highlight colors depending on the color temperature of the light emitting . The color of an object illuminated by two lamps with the same IRC vary if each of the lamps have a different color temperature.