Gianluca Salciccia, Linea Light Group’s Sales Director

For Linea Light Group, the word LIGHT has a profound meaning which, although expressed in the singular, encapsulates multiple meanings and applications. Our mission is specifically to give voice to all such multiplicities, translated into products designed especially for specific applications. This extends from our brand i-LèD specialised in professional and industrial products, to the modern Decòrative collection, through to STILNOVO, whose timeless products have been designed by the masters of design of the past and present.

Linea Light Group applies a transversal approach, a new way of thinking about the product that leaves the freedom of action and expression to the creativity of our R&D team. Experts in microelectronics, geometrical optics, materials science, informatics, along with mechanical prototypists and specialised turners interact daily with fashion designers, supermarket managers, directors of large hotel chains and (obviously) professionals such as architects and lighting designers, managing to design innovative products for technology and application. For example, we have long believed that illumination in an environment should only and exclusively meet our needs for vision, safety and guidance, helping to carry out the daily activities as human beings, pursuing people’s VISUAL well-being. Yet, recent studies have shown that the effects of light on mankind are not limited to a mere visual aspect but strongly affect the cognitive functions of each individual, starting with their biological (circadian) rhythm. For some years, talk has turned to Human Centric Lighting (HCL), being the means of optimising the biological and emotional impact of light on humans, through lighting projects that aim to research people’s well-being, helping them to be more energised or calm, more alert or more relaxed as needed. This second dimension we can define as EMOTIONAL well-being.

Linea Light Group was amongst the first companies in our sector to guide its R&D division in this direction, developing products able to modify their light output, both from a quantitative and qualitative point of view especially thanks to our internal electronics division (unique in our sector), a strategic asset for the company that has us allowed to design in an autonomous and targeted manner sophisticated technology for controlling lighting equipment. Today, we no longer talk about biological or perceptual well-being but more simply about improving the quality of life.

Linea Light Group sought to raise the bar even further, orienting its research towards TOTAL WELL-BEING which, in addition to the VISUAL and EMOTIONAL aspects described above, also seek to include a third dimension: PHYSICAL well-being, defining products capable of sanitising the environments in which a person lives and works and in particular, places in which numerous people are present at the same time. The aim was a light capable of disinfecting surfaces, to considerably reduce the presence of microbial contamination present in the environment, thanks to the direct irradiation of a light with distinct antimicrobial properties. To achieve this goal, specific skills in the field of science and engineering were needed. For this reason, a few years ago we turned our attention to research from University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. The work carried out by the University unequivocally demonstrates that the use of HINS-light (High-Intensity Narrow-Spectrum) technology has an extremely positive effect, whilst continued use is able to maintain the disinfection of the environment over time. The effectiveness of this technology has been extensively verified through specialised research projects and clinical trials, and has been commercially available in the US since 2015, particularly in healthcare facilities.

Having determined the scientific effectiveness of this technology, the next challenge for Linea Light Group was its integration into our traditional products. With our objective being not to create specific products to solely fulfil a sanitising function, we focused on products to be used to illuminate work environments and common spaces, aimed at achieving TOTAL well-being in all three visual, emotional and physical dimensions.We have succeeded with the ENVIRONMENT CARE LIGHTING Technology adopted by our products WOOFER (ceiling recessed) and ROLLIP (suspension), luminaires that, in addition to being visually efficient, produce a high-quality combined light, the result of the perfect balance of traditional LEDs (white light) and HINS diodes (violet-blue light). This is the secret of the Environment Care Lighting. The emitted light is warmer (3500k) than traditional cold office lights, being more congenial to the psychological state of the individual, along with having a high colour rendering (above 90) able to emphasise real colours whilst guaranteeing the elevated quality of the environment along with the preparatory improvement of interpersonal and social relations.

For the duration of the time people spend in the areas concerned, the violet-blue light is switched on in combination with white light to produce its sanitising function. However, our products also allow just the violet-blue light to be switched on when the spaces are no longer in use, ensuring the continuity of this beneficial effect. Clinical evaluations carried out by University of Strathclyde determined that continuous HINS-lighting is able to significantly reduce bacterial contamination, with one particular study demonstrating reductions of 53% after two days, 69% after four days and even 86% after seven days. The power consumption of the violet-blue component alone is rather limited, allowing the energy efficiency of the project to be pursued. We also maintain that this technology produces a quality light that is absolutely harmless to humans, unlike traditional UV sources used for sanitising the environment that must only be used when no people are present.