Glowing wallpaper to replace lightbulbs?
Light-emitting wallpaper could be more than twice as efficient as energy-saving bulbs
A new twist on home decorating could soon take the hassle out of changing lightbulbs - and reduce carbon emissions to boot.
Light-emitting wallpaper is the latest answer for energy-conscious homeowners and could even begin to replace the common lightbulb within the next three years, says the Carbon Trust.
The government body recently awarded a £454,000 grant to Welsh company Lomox in order to aid the development of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology, as it seeks to encourage research and innovation into green energy solutions.
Lomox's technology involves the creation of a chemical wall coating which mimics sunlight when stimulated by a low electrical current and can be controlled via a simple dimmer switch.
As well as avoiding the shadows and glare of conventional bulbs, the trust claims the new "bright-paper" would be two-and-a-half times more efficient than energy-saving bulbs.
Mark Williamson, director of innovations at the Carbon Trust, said: "This technology has the potential to produce ultra-efficient lighting for a wide range of applications, tapping into a huge global market."
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With indoor lighting accounting for 17% of total electricity use, the development could make a sizeable contribution to Britain's target of cutting carbon emissions by 34% by 2020.
Meanwhile, there are plenty of less sophisticated means for reducing energy use from lighting, such as switching off bulbs in empty rooms and making the most of sunlight.
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Comments
Absolutely brilliant idea
Just make it more complicated for the sake of 'climate change'
If we had been using this system and someone had thought of light bulbs, they would have been given a knighthood.