Once again, the Lightfair Innovation Awards kicked off the eponymous trade show, which is in its 26th iteration and was held this year in New York City from May 5 to 7. The program received 285 product submissions from more than 150 manufacturers across 14 product categories. The winners—one per category, with three of those also selected for the program’s top honors—show how manufacturers are expanding the capabilities of solid-state lighting by incorporating sophisticated controls and tunable white and color technology, all while streamlining fixture form factors.
The entries were reviewed by a jury of lighting professionals: Geoff Bryden, from Gabriel Mackinnon Lighting Design; Peter Jacobson, from ConEdison; Mark Loeffler, from Atelier Ten; Karen Murphy, from HDR; Robert Newell, from Robert Newell Lighting Design; Brandon Thrasher, from Impact Illumination at Henderson Engineers; and Howard Wolfman, from Lumispec Consulting.
The following products received the program’s highest honors:
Most Innovative Product of the Year: OmniPoint, Osram
This remote-controlled, LED array-based downlight was also named the winner in the category of Recessed Downlights (Wall Washers, Directionals, Modulars, Multiples). OmniPoint users can wirelessly configure the luminaire’s output and beam angle, shape, and distribution using a companion Android or iOS app. Available in 3000K with a CRI of 90-plus, the fixture is suited for retail, museum, hospitality, theater, and other applications requiring reconfigurable illumination. An optional Wi-Fi camera lets users view the luminaires installed in the space in real time. The jury recognized the fixture for its ability to develop unique photometrics from a single point-source for improved optical control. osram.com
Design Excellence Award: Kick, Hubbell Lighting/Architectural Area Lighting
This contemporary outdoor fixture was also named the winner in the category of Parking, Roadway and Area Luminaires. Heralded by the jury for its sculptural form and clean aesthetic, the pathway luminaire features a stair-step optic that hides its LED array. It delivers 12,880 lumens and is available in 3000K and 4200K with a CRI of 80-plus or in 5100K with a CRI of 70-plus. With multiple mounting options—integral pole, tenon, or side mount—the luminaire has integral surge and thermal protection and is zero-to-10V dimmable. aal.net
Technical Innovation Award: Oslon SLL 730nm, Osram
This LED was also the winner in the category of LED/OLED, Chips, Modules and Tape. Offering spectrally tuned light for horticulture applications, this fixture was cited by the jury for its use of light to support life in the natural world. Emitting no heat while in operation, the LED offers wavelengths of 450nm to 660nm and was most recently expanded to include a far-red 730nm option, that latter of which is intended for use with plants or flowers that have deep-red hues, such as tomatoes and roses. osram.com
The remaining 11 categorical winners are:
This recommended practice document has “a high probability of being a most-useful and needed publication,” said juror Robert Newell, for a range outdoor product and project types. It advises on issues such as sky glow and light trespass as well as assigning lighting zones and using the Joint IDA-IES Model Lighting Ordinance and User’s Guide. It also discusses community-based design and specific recommendations for lighting outdoor areas. ies.org
Onboard wireless technology allows Ketra’s S38 Tunable Lamps to provide a range of digitally addressable white, pastel, and saturated hues at a CRI of 90-plus, establishing “a new standard of color-consistency,” said juror Robert Newell. Delivering up to 900 lumens, each lamp offers closed-loop color-point maintenance to less than a one-step MacAdam ellipse during its lifetime. The lamps are wireless and TRIAC dimmable to 0.1%, while their beam angles, offered from 10 degrees to 60 degrees, are programmable to specific color temperature and dimming curves. ketra.com
Track, Display, Undercabinet and Shelf: Paloma Adjustable Beam LED Trackhead, WAC Lighting
The beam angle on this fully rotatable trackhead can be adjusted from 15 degrees to 60 degrees with a simple twist, leveraging the point-source-optimal strength of LEDs. The 27W fixture delivers up to 1,600 lumens and is available in 2700K, 3000K, 3500K, and 4000K with CRIs of either 85 or 90. Its die-cast aluminum housing is offered in black, platinum, and white finishes. Available with a 120V or 277V system, the former is electronic low-voltage dimmable. waclighting.com
This family of enhanced potassium fluorosilicate phosphors is designed for use in LED-based display backlighting applications, responding to a desire for LEDs with higher values of saturated red color. TriGain uses a narrow-band phosphor to increase both the CRI and R9 levels while improving the LEDs’ efficacy. Its uses range from medical to retail fixtures by using brighter reds to help make other colors render more clearly. gelighting.com
Inspired by the form and function of early 20th century metal elevator gates, this linear suspension fixture can manually expand and contract from 6.4" to 76.6" in length while its combination of recessed upward and downward facing LEDs maintain light output—earning the jury’s praise for its “fun … and clean execution,” according to Geoff Bryden. The 40W fixture is available in 3000K with a CRI of 80 and accepts 120V or 277V. It measures 2" thick and is offered with 12' of field-cuttable cable. White and satin nickel finishes are offered for the housing. lbllighting.com
to 25%. b-klighting.com
Dynamic Color, Theatrical, Cove and Strips: EcoSense Trov, EcoSense Lighting
The multitude of micro-lensing optical distributions available for this single-housing series of interior and exterior cove, grazing, and wallwasher fixtures earned this product line the jury’s vote. A hinged housing with 180-degree vertical rotation lets installers orient the fixture flat, while a flexible cable allows for end-to-end connections that can be bent around curves or corners. An integral, multi-volt digital power supply detects input voltage from 120V to 277V and communicates with power-rated loads, allowing one power supply to be used across the series. ecosenselighting.com
This LED emergency light, developed with lighting manufacturer Nicor, won the jury’s accolades for its use of applied materials science in the lighting space. It uses thermally engineered polymers that resist corrosion and UV rays while withstanding moisture, dust, and salt spray. For use in harsh environments, LED Vapor Tight replaces a two- or four-lamp 4' T8 fixture and comes in 3,500- and 7,000-lumen models offering 100 lumens per watt at 5000K with a CRI of 80. Zero-to-10V dimmable, it weighs 5 lbs. and measures 22.5" long by 7" wide by 5.7" tall. shatrshield.com
Merge lets designers create a continuous line of recessed indirect illumination coupled with an integrated track that supports pendants and spot heads for a high level of customization. Available at a static 2700K, 3000K, and 3500K, a programmable 2700K and 4000K, or RGB, the luminaire can be specified in straight runs as well as 90-degree turns from the ceiling to the wall. The jury appreciated Merge’s “clean, contemporary design and versatility.” element-lighting.com
This article has been updated from its original publication to reflect the version of the story that ran in the July-August 2015 issue of Architectural Lighting.
