Comments on: Soraa Urge EPA To Address Light Quality In New Specifications

By: Otis11

Otis11 — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 17:23:00 +0000

I really hope this passes. A CRI of 90 should be the minimum. While the average person can’t tell the difference above CRI of 80, that leaves half the population (myself included) that can. At a CRI of 90 the percent that can distinguish diminishes rapidly.

(Plus, then it may not be so hard to find a bulb with CRI of 95 if everything else is already at 90)

By: Bob_Wallace

Bob_Wallace — Wed, 29 May 2013 17:17:00 +0000

Why wouldn’t we be hard-wired to prefer the color temperature of moonlight? We evolved in moonlight, not firelight.

I find this genetic argument highly suspect.

By: Bob_Wallace

Bob_Wallace — Wed, 29 May 2013 17:15:00 +0000

So you think you prefer 2,800k because of some genetic memory of living in a cave lit by fire?

And not because of the quality of light from the incandescents you lived with since birth….

By: James Wimberley

James Wimberley — Wed, 29 May 2013 13:21:00 +0000

Humanoids had fire well before there were modern humans (ca, 300,000 years), long enough for the preference to be hard-wired. Aesthetics matter.

By: Eka

Eka — Wed, 29 May 2013 12:49:00 +0000

Bob, James is right. ( Though I think tungsten is about 2800K )

Having just spent $11K on LED lighting for one of my businesses I can say that colour temperature and CRI matter a lot. I am happier with my high end units which have CRI of 90 than the brand I’d never heard of. I am now wondering what to do with them. It’s not like they going to burn out anytime soon!
I sent back the first leds I was supplied which at 4000K made my stock look unappealing and installed 3000K which lifts reds and yellows.
For lighting your home avoid light at 5000K unless you really dig that 60’s T8 flouro whiteness to go with the Laminex.

By: Bob_Wallace

Bob_Wallace — Wed, 29 May 2013 00:14:00 +0000

I suspect that had tungsten bulbs burned at 5.000k and LEDs were producing 1,500k people would be bitching about LEDs looking like fire rather than artificial sunlight.

Many people just don’t like change.

Many other people just look for things to bitch about….

By: James Wimberley

James Wimberley — Wed, 29 May 2013 00:09:00 +0000

In spite of the self-interested source, this initiative is right on the money. What humans like for night-time illumination is firelight – about 1500k , not artificial sunlight at 5000k. Tungsten bulbs were near-perfect for this, even though they were short-lived energy guzzlers. Most CFLs are far too (subjectively) cold, i.e. hot in wavelength.