Light-up wallpaper the latest eco construction product

Light-up wallpaper is the latest product for those working on sustainable construction projects.

The light-emitting covering could begin to replace light bulbs from 2012, according to the Carbon Trust.

It has awarded a £454,000 grant to Lomox, a Welsh firm that is developing the organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology.

The wallpaper, which is coated with a chemical that is safe to touch, requires only a low voltage to stimulate and can be operated via a dimmer switch, is two-and-a-half times more efficient than energy saving bulbs, according to the body.

Indoor lighting accounts for a sixth of total electricity use so the OLED wallpaper could make a big contribution to meeting the target of cutting carbon emissions by 34 per cent in the next ten years.

''It''s a great example of the innovation that makes the UK a hotbed of clean technology development,'' said Mark Williamson, director of innovations at the Carbon Trust.

Written by Andrew Marshall