From Natural to Solar Light: Discover the Evolution of LED Fixtures
Introduction
Whether night or day, light plays an important role in our lives. It allows us to see things clearly, which can help increase accuracy for some activities and prevent certain accidents from occurring.
The source of light humans use for their daily activities has advanced through time. From simply using natural light from the sun, we have since evolved to harness solar energy to power electric lights. The development of lighting technology over the years has impacted the lives of people to the point where we can do so many things even at night without fear of losing visibility.
Today, we often get illumination indoors from LED lights which you can get at Ecoshift Corporation for a reasonable price. These bulbs are cost-efficient and eco-friendly because they are sturdy and require less energy.
It took hundreds of years to get where we are today, but each era of lighting was necessary for us to learn and gradually improve. Below, we explore all the different sources of light people used before modern lighting fixtures were invented.
Natural Light
Before the discovery of electricity, humans relied on natural light brought by the sun. It is a source of illumination that requires no energy or effort, but it disappears when night comes. Sunlight was also very useful to people back then as it helped with food preservation, and it provided solar energy that was essential to agriculture.
The main problem people had with this light source was that not all structures allowed natural light to enter. If any illumination did come into a building, it couldn’t light up every dark corner at once since the angle of the light would move with the rising and setting of the sun. Natural light allowed people to do a lot of activities outdoors but limited the types of tasks that could be accomplished indoors.
While sunlight is still used today as the primary light source during the day, it is no longer as essential as it once was, particularly for indoor spaces.
Torches
Bringing light inside structures was made possible with torches. These objects were usually made with large wooden rods, combustible materials on one end, and animal fat as fuel. With the invention of the torch, people could walk outside at night with better visibility. These were often used for processions because they symbolized hope, but they were also used to light the insides of caves and other structures, provided there were holders for them.
Today, torches are still used for certain decorative purposes, but they have been given a more modernized look, often using metal for the rod instead of wood. They are also utilized for various ceremonial events like lighting up the Olympic flame. Additionally, torches can now also refer to flashlights. While they have a similar structure, you no longer need fire to make the latter work since they are powered by electricity or batteries.
Candles
The earliest light source that could be considered a candle was made of dried piths from the rush plant soaked in animal fat, except it didn’t have a wick. Since it was cheap and easy to make, people used them for many years. The first wicked candles were believed to be invented by the Romans, who wrapped papyrus around twine and dipped it in tallow. This new form was said to be of better quality and longer-lasting
In the early times, candles were used for illuminating the area where people celebrated occasions. They were also often used for visibility at night. In addition, candles were a great alternative to use inside houses compared to torches because they were small but provided better lighting all around.
People use candles today as emergency lighting because of their usefulness. They do not take up too much space, and you simply need to light the wick to use it. They are also still used for some ceremonies around the world.
Despite their size, these lights can burn slowly depending on the quality or type of wax used. They also have smaller fires which can help prevent accidental burning when placed near other items.
Gas Lamps
Around the 1790s, coal gas was burned in lamps to produce light, thus the invention of gas lamps. These provided better illumination for everyone inside houses and were used as street lights, resulting in extended activities outside at night.
Although gas lamps proved helpful as a light source, they were not convenient to light up and turn off as you had to go to each of them to do so. They were also not eco-friendly as they produced carbon monoxide.
Gas lamps are still available today and are often used for camping or aesthetics.
Electric Lamps
Electric lamps were made to create consistent and long-lasting illumination anywhere. Through many trials and errors of several scientists, they have developed lighting to be better than all other previous sources of light.
Incandescent
The use of electric lamps started in the 1800s when Thomas Edison invented the first electric lighting fixtures—incandescent bulbs. Their light comes from heating a filament wire until it is hot enough to glow. To prevent burning out the filament, Edison started by creating a vacuum inside the glass of the bulb. An alternative was to fill the glass with inert gases such as argon and nitrogen.
Since incandescent bulbs produce light by burning filaments, they typically have a short life span. They are also considered highly inefficient since only about 10% of the electricity used is converted into visible light; the remaining 90% becomes wasted heat. This inefficiency is one of the reasons other types of electric lamps were invented.
Halogen
The next type of electric lamp was invented around 1882. The halogen bulbs function similarly to incandescent ones, but they rely on tungsten filaments and halogen gas, such as iodine and bromine, inside the lamp. These bulbs also produced brighter lights with higher color temperatures.
With this invention, they were able to create longer-lasting bulbs for buildings and the outdoors.
Fluorescent
After many attempts of creating fluorescent lamps, Jacques Risler, a French engineer, found a way to create a coating inside the lamp that would absorb mercury’s light to produce good lighting. Soon after his discovery, the fluorescent lamps we know of today were developed. Using these lamps proved helpful because they provided better illumination and were sturdier than the previous light sources.
Until today, fluorescent lamps are still used for commercial and industrial lighting in some companies. However, since these bulbs have a small amount of mercury gas, which can be toxic to our health, many are now switching to LED lights.
LED
In 1962, LED bulbs were invented. Compared to the previous lamp, these are much more energy-efficient, durable, and long-lasting because of their materials and construction. It is also eco-friendly and safe because it does not contain mercury. These lights work when an electrical current passes through the components of its diode, which makes the electrons that pass through emit light.
You may often see these sold in hardware stores today as they are the optimal choice for most lighting applications. These bulbs are ideal for anyone who wants to save more money on electricity costs.
If you are thinking of decorating your area with these energy-saving lamps, you can check out the products we offer here at Ecoshift. All our luminaires—from LED strip lights to pendant lights are available at reasonable prices.
Solar
After years of developing different light sources, we have come full circle by once again looking to the sun for our lighting needs. The first solar-powered lighting products were invented in 2003, utilizing energy from the sun to generate light. This technology also uses LED bulbs, which require less energy. Since this electric lamp relies on solar power, it does not need to be plugged in to work.
Solar lamps are one of the most eco-friendly and energy-saving lights you can use today as they only need to be powered by sunlight, which is free for everyone to use.
Conclusion
Having gone through all the various sources of light used in the past, we can clearly see just how far lighting technology has come. While some of the older inventions are still being used now, there is no doubt that modern LED and solar-powered fixtures provide countless benefits that can lead us to a brighter future.
If you are looking for durable and long-lasting LED lamps for your home, office, or business, you can trust Ecoshift. We have a wide array of lighting products you can use for any commercial or residential project.
Feel free to contact us today for more information about our products and services
