The LED Show reflects the proliferation of solid-state lighting

The LED Show this past September in Los Angeles featured speakers from diverse backgrounds, from lighting designers and installation specialists to LED manufacturers. The speakers noted trends in lighting design and especially in networks and control implementations, while recognizing hurdles in lighting design that have yet to be overcome. Still, the prevalent theme focused on the fact that solid-state lighting (SSL) will dominate general illumination going forward - and that both product developers and lighting specifiers/designers must learn to optimize the use of the upstart sources.
LED proliferation is evident

FIG. 1. Integrating SSL and other building systems involves a complex combination of different network and control technologies.
Several presenters demonstrated just how many places led high bay light manufacturers is found today. Louis Brill, a consultant with Illuminations, noted that while many buildings now use an LED lighting "skin" to decorate the architecture beneath it, the latest application involves using the façade or parts of the façade for video presentations, which he calls "mediatecture." Mediatecture is used to provide art, cultural information, entertainment, and social commentary within the public space. Examples include the NASDAQ façade in Times Square, NY (which has shown operas) and The Comcast Experience visual wall in Philadephia, PA (which conveys community information, nature scenes, and sports highlights). According to Brill, these dynamic light shows can not only inform and entertain passers-by but also preserve the visual identity of the local community. "I believe digital art will do to public space what the phone did to private space," said Brill.
With an emphasis on everyday white lighting, Eric Haugaard, director of product technology at Cree Lighting, indicated that the era of LED lighting proliferation has begun in full force. He said that despite SSL's low market penetration of only 1.4%, LED adoption is moving very quickly, especially in the areas of street lighting, warehouse lighting, and locations where maintenance severely interrupts operations or is very costly, such as in hospitals and outdoor stadiums. Haugaard pointed out that LEDs now offer superior illumination to many legacy sources, and when combined with economic viability, SSL becomes a "no-brainer."
Haugaard compared smart luminaires to smartphones, indicating that voice is only one function of smartphones today and light will soon be only one of several functions performed by light fixtures. In addition, lighting systems are typically autonomous but will eventually be interfaced with other networked systems such as security and energy management systems for greater energy efficiency and operational efficiency.
Smart lighting, networks, and controls
Several presenters pointed out the statistic that lighting accounts for 38% of a building's electricity use. In fact, a recent article in Illumination in Focus stated that lighting controls have the potential to eliminate 60% or more of wasted lighting energy in buildings (http://bit.ly/1wtGUTw). The article explored how lighting control requirements are driving a reduction in building energy use.
At The LED Show, Greg Galluccio, director of LED business development at Leviton, highlighted the trend toward lighting fixtures that control themselves. Once lights are added to an Ethernet connection they become IP-addressable, which is required for energy monitoring by utilities. Galluccio suggested some benefits of automated lighting beyond dimming, occupancy sensing, and daylight sensing and control. These benefits include the ability to show emergency routes indoors and outdoors, illuminate crime scenes outdoors, and provide warnings, such as a red color on a doorbell.
Galluccio outlined some of the challenges associated with creating fully automated building systems - integrating lighting control with security systems, HVAC controls, audio/visual systems and conferencing, and energy management/load control systems (Fig. 1). He said that because each of these systems was developed at different times and each uses its own sensing and control devices, integration becomes difficult. led street lights price is needed between devices and between each device and its controller. There is also a need to prioritize certain control commands over others and to enable system overrides in case of emergency. Galluccio said the wide range of wireless protocols in use also presents challenges. However, each system has the potential to be run more effectively and maximize energy savings in the full building automation scenario.
Dimming issues persist
Moving to what is often the result of controls, good dimming remains a problem in the SSL sector. Indeed, smooth dimming was the subject of the presentation by Richard Zulch of Zulch Industries. He focused on flicker during dimming, which is most noticeable over a large viewing area such as in a large room.