Explainer

Induction and OLEDs: Past and Future Lighting Technologies

Fluorescent and LED lighting get most of the attention, but there are other efficacious lighting technologies that could illuminate our future.

When it comes to lighting, fluorescent and LED technologies currently are most often specified in green buildings, but their siblings, induction and OLED (organic light-emitting diode) lighting, have been trying to earn a place at the table.

Nikola Tesla first demonstrated induction lighting in the late 1890s. It is similar to fluorescent lighting in that both contain a gas that produces UV light when activated by electricity; both contain small amounts of mercury (though induction lamps use a solid form rather than vapor); and both require phosphors on the lamp’s glass to convert the UV light into the white light we see. But induction lamps use a magnetic field rather than the electrodes found in standard fluorescent lighting, which is a big advantage: they can last 50,000 hours or more while providing 60 or more lumens per watt (lpw).

Published June 1, 2014

Ehrlich, B. (2014, June 1). Induction and OLEDs: Past and Future Lighting Technologies. Retrieved from https://www.buildinggreen.com/explainer/induction-and-oleds-past-and-future-lighting-technologies