Ledalite and Enlighted Controls

Ledalite stopped by our office to show a few new fixtures to us. We took a look at the TruGroove line which is a recessed line of fixtures in both fluorescent and LED. It can be run in custom configurations for both vertical and horizontal applications as well as corners, both inside and outside. The aperture is 4 1/4" wide. There are two versions of the TruGroove, Performance and Definition. Performance is at a higher price point, but is better fro office type of applications. Biconvex lenses located at the diodes reflect the light for a batwing distribution for either a symmetric or asymmetric application. The Definition version is better for diffuse applications with only a symmetric distribution available. We also looked at the BoldPlay fixture, which is a pendant direct/indirect fixture. The distribution is very wide and provides for spacing up to 14 feet apart. It is available in a 20/80, 70/30 or 0/100 distribution ratio.

While Ledalite was visiting us they introduced us to Enlighted which is their preferred control system. Enlighted provides fixture level controls with a simple setup for occupancy sensors and daylight harvesting.

They either provide 1 sensor for all the fixtures or 1 per fixture depending on the size and layout of the space. The sensors can either be located in the ceiling or the fixture. You can also control the light output and wattage of the fixtures as well as time control. Enlighted boasts an easy installation and minimal commissioning required as well as a low cost compared to their competitors.

Ledalite incorporates Enlighted controls through a majority of their fixture lines as well as several other of Philips companies.

Forum Lighting

Forum Lighting provides their standard products with a 4-6 week lead time, and 8-10 weeks for custom fixtures. For 85% of their products they use Fortimo boards, but for the smaller profiles they have another manufacturer providing boards for them. For the sake of continuity on a project, they are able to provide the smaller boards on all of their fixtures. Dimming is standard on all LED fixtures with 0-10V. We took a look at the Alumina Series and their direct/indirect fixture fixture with fluorescent or LED on the indirect portion and track on the direct. They can incorporate most track from other manufacturers.

They also showed us their Ring LED fixture which is edge-lit. The Ring comes in sizes of 18", 24", 36" and 48". The mounting options are pendant, surface, recessed and surface standoff. The pendant version can be specified as direct, indirect and bi-directional. The power is integrated to the cable for the pendant so no extra cables are required.

A big highlight from the fixtures we saw was their Klean Edge fixture which is a cove fixture that provides the housing for the cove rather than having the contractor build it. With a clear lens for protection from dust, we could not see any pixelation from the LEDs on the wall. They can price the fixture separately with the extrusion and the light engine individually. This is a great aspect when it comes to VE stages. They can also accommodate both inside and outside corners.

Coronet

We got the chance to look closer at Coronet the other day since it’s a new company to us. They have a line of linear LED fixtures for recessed, surface and pendant installations. Dimming is standard for all of their fixtures and come with programmable drivers for custom output. The highest is 9.5 watts per foot. Standard lengths come in 1’ increments starting at 2’. We also got to look at their TRX fixture, which is a suspended direct/indirect fixture with track installed on one side. They are now providing it with global track to accommodate more fixtures from other manufacturers.

They have a surface LED stair fixture that comes with an occupancy sensor and bi-level function per code requirements. They also offer an emergency ballast which can fit inside the housing, whereas most stair fixtures that we have seen needs to remote the emergency ballast.

Dulanski Showcase

The Dulanski Group held their 10 year celebration last week by hosting a showcase for a majority of their lines. We were able to visit and see some new products from some manufacturers we are familiar with as well as a couple new ones. Finelite: we took a look at their E1 fixture which is a slim profile pendant fixture that can come in standard configurations of a single line, a ssquare or a rectangle. They can also do custom corners of not just 90˚. All fixtures come with standard 0-10V dimming.

GVA: we got a refresher on GVA and their products. A highlight of their fixtures is the long runs they are able to do, 264m. Their technology for their diffusers is also impressive and reduces yellowing and deterioration that normally happens over time with exterior fixtures.

Iguzzini: one new addition we looked at was the inclusion of the Laserblade fixture into Systemalux track creating a unique combination system.

Oxygen Lighting: a new company to us that offers decorative options in LED. Both surface and wall sconces were available for us to look at. The larger fixtures can be customized to incorporate dimming.

Tegan Lighting: we took a look at their micro track system and their 1 watt spot. It produces a decent amount of light for such low wattage. It comes with field changeable optics of 18˚, 25˚ and 35˚. They also provide a monopoint version that can come with a flangeless installation.

Tempo Industries: the have a new fixture that is similar to their other linear high output lines. This fixture has 3 beamspread options as well as a frosted lens which makes it a good option for coves and wall grazing.

Vision Quest Lighting: was a new company for us. They do custom decorative lighting and manufacture all of their fixtures themselves. They seemed to be able to do a wide variety of products.

Universal Fiber Optics

We got an introduction to Universal Fiber Optics, which was a refresher in fiber optics to some of us and a general introduction to fiber optics as a whole to others. UFO showed us several versions of their LED illuminators as well as a metal halide illuminator to compare. Within their LED products, they offer both white and RGBW illuminators. They had a high output white LED illuminator prototype that should be available in another 6 weeks. UFO has a wide variety of fittings for varied installation types including pavers, downlight, decorative sparkle, crystal, hermatic and lenses. They offer both glass and plastic fiber, with glass available in shorter maximum run than the plastic.

We also got to see some of their products designed for cabinet and display lighting including their light tube and MetroLED which incorporates individual spotlights as well as linear strips into a track system that works well for customizable display lighting.

Their cutsheets are not as detailed as we would like, because each project and its requirements are so unique. They will, however, provide installation instructions as well as advise on any customization the project might require.

Light+Building 2014

Thank you to Design Plan and Stan Deutsch Associates for an exciting and educational trip to Light+Building Frankfurt! Light+Building provided an excellent showcase for the different manufacturers Design Plan brings into the North American Market. Design Plan also announced an update to their Quick Ship Program, with current available quantities to be listed online and updated daily.

ARES This is an exterior lighting company with great eye for aesthetic detail in their fixture design - and wit in their name selection. Many of the decorative bollards and step lights had excellent glare control, but also produced a strong linear line of light on the ground (with a hint of yellowing at the edge). This could be useful in some situations, but needs to be considered for projects where a more diffuse line is required.

ASTRO This is a mostly decorative interior line for use in hospitality and retail. There are minimal exterior products offered, but they are well designed. They have a line of well designed small reading lights in a variety of finishes, and the Digit is fully recessed for use in Murphy beds. The Edge sconce can be modified with cut outs for room numbers, etc. Astro will provide modifications to most of their products for a minimum of 100 pieces.

BRICK IN THE WALL "Invisible integration" The beauty of these products is how the plaster frames coordinate with the gypsum plane to create a smooth transition from material to light fixture. This seamless appearance allows the fixtures to be fully paint-able and customized on-site. A full range of down lights, adjustables, wall washers, step lights and unique custom forms are offered. The new LED material is available in 2000K, 2700K and 3000K with 80 or 97 CRI. Many of the products are damp or wet location rated.

GRUPO MCI

Thank you GRUPO MCI for an exciting and educational trip to their factory in Barcelona! We were able to spend time at both the Grupo MCI Light+Building booth and receive a factory tour and more intensive learning experience.

The booth highlighted many of their standard White and RGB products, including full ranges of linear and point source fixtures. The Smart Flex product (available square or rounded) is a unique field-cuttable IP66 linear cove light. Available in white, static color, or color-changing, the static colored fixtures actually use white LEDs with a colored acrylic lens - which produces a higher lumen package than typically seen. The Groundliner LED is now also offered in a Slim version and RGB, RGBW, Dynamic White and Static White. These products are well designed walk-over fixtures with a node-free lens.

Grupo MCI's strength lies in custom designs. They have an incredible R&D team that produces comprehensive documental, installation details, and completes site visits to ensure the project is installed and commissioned correctly.

The Smart Column, designed for Dubai Airport, offers both up and direct lighting for the space. The integral CPU senses and drives the current throughout the life of the unit. This not only maintains the light levels as the LED life diminishes, but also senses any differences between LEDs and drives them differently to maintain the same light output throughout.

The AcryLED light panel has standard offers, but again, the strength lies in the customization. Panels are available in most custom shapes, including bent designs. The acrylic is scored with knives to produce an even glow across the surface. Any customized designs are studied and the scores are adjusted to maintain this quality.

Grupo MCI's quality is also noticeable in their handling of the LEDs. Most PCB boards are made at the factory. When the LED is encased in silicone, the factory determines the color shift this might cause and will order the temperature to correct this. You receive high quality material and at the color temperature you specified.

LUCE&LIGHT L&L has an impressive array of small beautiful products, from in-grade marker lights or walkover frosted glass up lights to recessed step lights and decorative sconces. The Linear Bollard has a classic shape (with the head piece also offered as a decorative sconce) and gave an efficient diffused spread of light,  and also includes an integral driver. I would love to see this produced as a wall step light as well, for a complete family of options. Unfortunately not available in the US, the Esem series of recessed down lights looked great, with a trimless aperture and single node LED. As did the River linear LED wall grazer with white or color-changing, also available in submersible.

LUMINO This is an excellent line of linear products with many different extrusion, lumen output, and color temperature options. LUMINO provides very tight binning (just under 2 bins) and a visual check for color performance (not just relying on computer readings). This is key to providing excellent color matching throughout considering shifts in red and green are quite visible.  The V20SL product is a completely node-free lens (even in a reflective surface) and is offered in both IP20 and IP66. I would like to see them offer a 45° angled fixture in the future.

MEYER This is an exterior lighting company on par with other manufacturers we might choose for high end projects.  The SuperLight Nano claims to be the "smallest fixture in the world with an integral driver." It begins with x1 LED module at 3watts with a 7° beam spread and can also be provided with a linear lens, 25° beam spread and groups of x4 or x9 LED modules.  The Ecoscape is their first foyer into street lighting and will be available next year. The Comfort Module was a glare free option, and although less efficient, was much preferred over the standard visible LED node displays. MEYER also provides a ranges of building mounted architectural lights such as up-down sconces, wall washers and area lighting.

MOLTO LUCE I was impressed by the variety of well designed fixtures presented by MOLTO LUCE. Made out of fiber cement, the Soft line might be one of my favorites (available in two pendants and a sconce with custom designs available) and the new Clip LED exterior light (path and sconce) is the perfect element for modern designs. The Gator area light had a surprise center panel that can either be painted to match the ceiling or mirrored. The fixture appears to float on the surface and requires only a standard j-box for mounting, as all drivers are hidden behind the panel. MOLTO LUCE also offers a line of thin profile retail case lighting, multitudes of track options, and various linear pendant and surface mount designs. Overall, they presented a well thought out line of modern fixtures.

MORGAN ARCHITECTURAL LIGHTING I was happy to see DESIGN PLAN bring Morgan Arch Lighting back into the US. Their line of flexible LED products is unmatched in quality and light output. Among their available fixtures are three sizes of flexible white cove lighting with a variety of beam spreads, a new curve-able RGBW quad node system, flexible retail track with adjustable LED heads, and a retail case rod with moveable barn doors. It is also exciting that some of their products are outdoor rated, making Morgan Arch Lighting a great resource for many difficult projects.

WIBRE Although with only the linear walk-over fixture available in the US, WIBRE offers a nice selection of submersible and pool fixtures for international projects. The smaller submersible heads produced a nice output and the in-grade fixtures were nicely detailed with a bevel flange.

There were also a few US based manufacturers that took advantage of the Light+Building exhibition.

BAULMANN LEUCHTEN This company is soon to be offered by Solivanti in the US. They offer a very nice range of clean and minimal decorative fixtures in beautiful metal finishes. I particularly liked their reading light shape options - which had great beam spread and color temperature (in LED). They also offer a great integral mirror light option, which should be available in custom sizes.

ERCO ERCO certainly knows how to put on a show, with an impressive booth showcasing "What Inspires You?" and the melding of creativity and technology (including a live twitter feed). There were a wide selection of fixtures to look at, including the Pollux, a new track LED aiming projector; the Pantrac, a classic line LED wall washer; and their full range of Tessis in-grade up lights. As always, their products provide excellent optics and color rendering.

FILIX (INTER-LUX) Many of the products at FILIX's booth are not available in the US (yet?!). One of the more exciting was the Snake, exterior rated flexible in-ground up light with a soft opal lens.  FILIX also presented an impressive array of submersible pool fixtures.

LITELAB We know LITELAB well in the US, so it was a pleasure running into them in Frankfurt. They were showcasing a new 5° LED track light with an integral driver (which means a smaller track fitter) and a new LED Framing Projector. They are also expanding the ALS Slot system, with a side mounted track head and a new standard mount LED head as well. LITELAB also now offers wood adapters for the ALS Slot, which really expands their use!

SCHMITZ (INTER-LUX) Schmitz had a nice presentation of linear LED (pendants and recessed) and integrated LED cove systems. The booth showcased their gypsum integration, but it is also good to remember that they offer ACT products as well - which are great for amping up an office interior. Schmitz produces a number of shapes and designs, in quite a large scale, and also have a range of cove spots to integrate. They also offer a range of surface mounted products to complement their recessed designs.

TECHNILUM It was fascinating to stop by this booth to learn about urban design possibilities. This company produces powerful weld-free aluminum designs, that can integrate with any light fixture. They also can include speakers, wifi, phones, signage - you name it. They range from small decorative posts to large urban function lighting.

UNIVERSAL FIBER OPTIC (UFO) Although mostly fiberoptic, I was most excited by the magnetic adjustable LED mono-points showcased in the booth. These fixtures are available in three sizes and use heavy-duty earth magnets to form a ball-and-socket design, allowing ultimate flexibility with a sturdy base. It was also great to see the new LED illuminators, which were impressive in their output and color.

Spot On

Spot On stopped by to talk about where the company is going and to showcase some improvements they have been working on. They continue to be able to provide most customizations that we come up with, but they are working on getting a standard specification prepared since they have so many options available. They have a new aluminum construction with a shorter reflector. Spot On has many reflector options to choose from. Looking through all of the samples, we found that we like the 60° diffractive optics reflector the best. All reflectors are field changeable. Another thing Spot On has developed is a fixture using the Luminetix color changing LED chip, with tuneable white also available. It is controlled through a remote by the user but can also be programmed through a control system.

Spot On is also making a large fixture that can go up to 1300lm a standard option. We used this fixture on West Seattle.

Zaneen

Zaneen stopped by the office so we could see some of their new fixtures. They have recently updated their website to make navigation easier. They included search categories to help as well. Zaneen boasts a 6-8 week lead time even for custom fixtures. We took a look at their recessed downlight family the Invader. A key feature that they highlighted from this family is the color options for the reflector. They have 25 colors standard and can do others as a custom for a small adder fee. The standard options for the Invader is 27K, 3K and 4K. Lumen outputs can be 800-1100. Also available with 24°, 32° and 50° beam spreads. Having the reflector be a color, did not affect the quality of the light. Because these fixtures have a class 2 rating, they do not require a large housing. Dimming with 0-10V to 1% is standard.

We also took a look at a fixture called T3. It's a recessed clear linear fixture with an IP 68 and walk over rating. It has the ability to have a seamless installation.

The Frame fixture was another one we liked. It is a recessed linear steplight. We saw it with a clear lens but they can do a frosted lens or a half frosted half clear lens. It had a nice forward throw. They said that they might be able to do a custom length for us if we needed it to be smaller than the 1' sample or larger.

LEDucation 2014

3G Lighting has a semi-recessed linear fixture that is coming out soon. It is 2 1/2" wide and should be available in June. They glue their endcaps in place so while it is a separate piece, at least there aren't any gaps at the end.

Aion LED seems to have sorted out their dimming issues that we saw last time. They now offer DC MLV diming to almost 0% and ELV to 5% is still available. We didn't see any flashing at the end like last time. They also have color tuning available with DMX controls to 0.1%. We also took a look at their RGBA LED strip. The amber part of the LEDs gets to 22K and makes nice warm colors.

Bartco Lighting has a new semi-recessed Linear fixture called the Bulletproof, with a fully extruded acrylic lens in one piece. Most semi-recessed fixtures we have seen from other companies have separate endcaps so this is a nice clean option without any gaps.

Coronet is a good mid-level linear LED company for commercial fixtures that we got introduced to.

ETC has a new Source Four Mini fixture that is pretty powerful for such a small housing.

Forum Lighting have a nice edge-lit pendant that incorporates the connection into the suspension cables.

Intense Lighting has a new finish called Surface. It is a simulated natural finish technique.

Kurt Versen has a multiple fixture that we took a look at. It was nice, but it has a very large housing as a lot of their fixtures do. They did come out with a fixed downlight with a shallow housing that is only 6" with the gypsum thickness included.

Leucos has a finish technique that applies a mirrored finish to both the inside and the outside of the glass surface of the pendant. This technique makes the fixture appear to be a polished chrome like surface when it is off and when it is on, the surface is translucent.

Lucent Lighting are in the process of making their fixtures available in the US. It's still a work-in-progress, but they have made the majority of their products available.

MP Lighting have some new puck lights we took a look at. They have a glass surface that is similar to an iphone. It comes in either 12° or 30° beamspreads. They also have a new undercabinet fixture which also comes with a closet rating. We can see the nodes when looking directly at the fixture but the lens they have helps reduce the imaging on surfaces.

N° Eight Lighting have updated their LED modules providing more powerful fixtures with an even higher efficacy than before.

Nulux is venturing into the LED world. We got to see two versions of their Swidlux, one with dedicated Xicato LED modules and the other used retro-fit Soraa MR16 LED lamps. Nulux is still developing the fixtures and working the kinks out but it was good to see the progress they have made.

Q-Tran has a new tape light with a high CRI. We aren't sure how we feel about them venturing into the fixture manufacturing world.

SPI Lighting have developed a new 1 1/2" sconce that is ADA compliant. It can be customized to be any aluminum or acrylic shape. They manufacture everything themselves in the factory so they are heavy on customization.

Tivoli have updated their linear LED strips. They have made adjustments to their tunable white LED fixture. Previously they had two different LED node color temperatures to achieve this, but now they are able to use one type to accomplish it.

Traxon Technologies has some new linear RGB fixtures we got to take a look at. The thing we were most excited to see was their new app that gives full control to the end user.

USAI Lighting has a new multiple recessed fixture that looks good. It can have the warm glow dimming added. Both trimmed and trimless versions are available.

Whitegoods are releasing a Mini Z Cove that is great for small cove details because of space restrictions. It should be available mid-summer.

We also got the chance to sit in on a lecture going over code updates and more specifically how they apply to LEDs. We were able to pull some good resources to reference. A few notable code requirements we heard: the Life Safety Code requires 10FC min in all occupied spaces, a local NYC code for pools at a high levels. New commercial codes will start to be implemented this summer, but it is recommended to use Ashrae 90.1 2010 until then if the project is not being submitted yet. A major code change that affects a lot of our projects is the new residential code of 75% high efficacy lamps with an exemption for low voltage.

Vantage Controls

Vantage Controls stopped by to give us a rundown on their products. All of their equipment integrates with other components, i.e. shades and A/V, so they do not need a third party company for coordination. There is less hardware than their competitors so it is easier to manage and install. Vantage offers a series of LCD keypad options called the Equinox, and are similar in appearance to an Apple product. The Equinox 40 is a smaller keypad that offers three widgets that are customizable for user flexibility. Each keypad has 3 pages with 5 landing points on each page. Each landing point can control a scene or can take you to a new page. Vantage is proud of the fact that not only are their interfaces and controls customizable, but the user can modify themselves without needing to set an appointment with a technician. Their regular keypad options are all available with a flush and a millwork adapter allowing for a seamless appearance.

One unique thing we liked about their systems is that their components can sense the load type instead of having. This feature takes care of issues that might arise during the installation in the field.

Vantage seems to have a lot of technical resources not only within their company but within SDA as well.

Lighting Services Inc

Lighting Services Inc. stopped by to show us a few fixtures. We got to take a look at two different versions of the LumeLEX 2060 series. The regular version uses a standard Xicato module and is available with either 27K or 3K and in both 80+ CRI as well as 97 CRI. The other version we looked at was the Vibrant series. This fixture uses a new module Xicato has developed called the vibrant series module. The vibrant module is only available in 3K shifts the white off of the normal black body curve. We tested the two fixtures out side by side and noticed that even though the vibrant version has a lower CRI to the standard fixture, the colors popped more than the 97 CRI allowed.

LSI has another fixture in the works. It's a larger version of both the LumeLEX 2030 and 2045 fixtures. The fixture will be able to go down to a 15° beam spread. It will have two different lumen package options; 2000 lumens and 3000 lumens. They are hoping to release it later in the 1st quarter.

Ecosense

Stan Deutsch Associates stopped by with Ecosense to showcase the next evolution of their fixtures. All of their fixtures are now available with line voltage and ELV standard dimming to 1%. They implement a soft start that produces a nice gradual initial dimming. For the Linear INT as well as the Linear HP INT, they offer a frosted lens option that cuts off 25% of the light, but does a nice job of smoothing the light for a more even distribution. With the lens we were able to get the fixture about 1 1/2 inches away from the surface and not see the nodes. Louvers are not available for the INT and HP INT series because of the spacing of the LEDs on the boards.

A new dimming module is available that converts their standard ELV to 0-10V, for projects that require more coordination with other fixtures in terms of dimming.

All of their fixtures come with 80+ CRI, but a higher CRI is available. Although, with the higher CRI there is a longer lead time as well as a price increase. Another new feature Ecosense has added is a colored lens that turns 27K into 23K, and is available for all three fixture series.

Ecosense has a new fixture in the works which is a cove/under cabinet fixture designed primarily as a retrofit installation application. Like all of their other linear products, it is line voltage, but it will not be dimmable. It will be available in 6", 1' and 4' sections. They are hoping to have it out in the next 3 to 6 months.

They are using a new company to build their fixtures and it looks like some of the issues that we have seen in the past, especially with quality control in terms of construction and color temperature consistency seems to be resolved.

Louis Poulsen

Louis Poulsen stopped by with Light Abilities to show us the LP Circle which is a new LED fixture we were excited to see in person. The LP is a round area light that comes in surface, recessed, semi-recessed and pendant versions. It is available in two sizes, 10” and 18”; with the smaller version currently only available in the recessed and semi-recessed. Standard color temperatures are 3K and 4K, but 27K is also available as a custom. The LP has a nice even illumination with no lamp imaging on the lens.

Targetti

Targetti showed us a few fixtures they have been developing. The first fixture was the Decanter, which is a suspended fixture with a unique thin profile. The LEDs are a little glary so they recommend mounting the fixture low enough that the source is not visible. The Decanter is available in three sizes. One thing we noted is the size of the canopy. It’s a surface canopy and is quite noticeable.We also took a look at the Ercole, a suspended fixture they are now making available in LED. Targetti also introduced their new family of downlight fixtures to us; CCTLed. The CCTLed provides one platform that can be customized with different reflectors and lens options. Two reflector options we really liked were the matte reflector and the FEEL, which offers an option with very little glare. The downlights are available in trimmed and trimless versions with the use of a mud ring for trimless installations. A deeper version is also available which allows for a tighter beam spread for spaces with high ceilings.

Building of the Year: Campbell Sports Center

Campbell Sports Center at Columbia University is located on the corner of West 218th street and Broadway; the northernmost edge of Manhattan. Please see link below for more information on the project as well as the other projects awarded: The Architects Newspaper: Best of Design Awards