Architectural SSL - January 2013

AT THE FRONT

SSL BUZZ

SSL PROJECTS

Linear fluorescent remains king of office lighting, although LED is gaining ground. The question is, can it become a general ambient source?

The latest round of CALiPER testing pits LED vs. linear fluorescent; iconic Detroit complex reinvents itself with LED; a cool take on controls.

The lobby of the Kansas City Hyatt undergoes a renovation that emphasizes the greatness of the space by going small with LED.

NUMBER 26 • JANUARY 2013 www.architecturalssl.com

Effective Intelligence: Matriculation to true intelligent control is not easy, but “Professor” Willmorth outlines a syllabus of coursework, including some research on open source architecture for dimming, that will ultimately help the community graduate with honors. [ Page 12]

29 33

ARCHITECTURAL SSL • 519 BRIARCLIFF ROAD, BOLINGBROOK, IL 60440

ARCHITECTURAL SSL • Chronicling the Ad dvancement of LEDs in the Built Environment

FLAT LEARNING CURVE At times, it seems impossible to achieve the kind of intelligent control LED promises without running into issues. Do not despair, it just takes the right kind of education.

36

SSL Profile: Salon Urbain in Montreal, Canada.

SSL Profile: Silo 468 in Helsinki, Finland.

White Pages: The Evolution of Solid-State Education n.

Circle 01

JA∑.13

24

38

BUZZ

PERSPECTIVES

11 In Brief: Philips Hue color-changing LED lamps with smartphone control.

07 CALiPER Round 19

05 LED Insights

LED vs. linear fluorescent showdown a draw.

29 Project Profile: Salon Urbain, Place des Arts, Montreal, Canada

08 Renaissance Center

The Wild West of SSL is still wild and won’t see major gains in adoption until critical infrastructure issues are worked out.

By Jim Crockett

33 Project Profile: Silo 468, Helsinki, Finland

02 • 01.13 • ARCHITECTURAL SSL

Detroit continues its efforts to shock the city to life, this time with LED lighting on a downtown icon.

09 SAS Headquarters With people in mind, a manufacturer creates a custom luminaire which seamlessly transitions visitors from the outside, in.

44 SSL Observed Despite calls to think “outside the box,” it’s hard to escape the form which permeates our thinking.

So rather than change the shape of the box, let’s subvert it from within with lighting magic.

By Kevin Willmorth

18

“The deployment of SSL can lead to exciting new intelligent controls approaches. The sooner the industry can develop a universal foundation for this, the sooner manufacturers can deliver.”

—Kevin Willmorth

www.architecturalssl.com

08

FEATURES

DESIGN & PRODUCTS

12 Market Setting Feature: Curriculum to Increasing IQ

36 White Pages

SSL lends itself to being intelligently controlled—so why are there so many issues, especially with dimming? Perhaps the greatest barrier to smarter systems is a lack of a universal open dimming protocol.

by Kevin Willmorth

Prioritizing customer education: Identify the fine line between delivering desired know-how and over-complex, over-demanding engineer-speak.

18 At The Front: Around the Water Cooler In the office, linear fluorescent remains king, although LED is certainly gaining ground. This begs the question: Does LED have the legs to take over as a general ambient illumination source?

by Barbara Horwitz-Bennett

38 Advances Intelligent controls, pendants, track fixtures, downlights, replacement sources, drivers and modules.

Architectural SSL, Vol. 7, No. 1 (ISSN# 1941-8388) is published five times per year by Construction Business Media.

Publication Office: Construction Business Media, 579 First Bank Drive, Suite 220, Palatine, IL 60067; 847 359 6493; www.architecturalssl.com. (Copyright © 2012 by Construction Business Media) POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Architectural SSL Magazine, 519 East Briarcliff Road, Bolingbrook, IL 60440.

24 Featured Project: Kansas City Marriott Lobby Renovation The hotel redefines the grandness of its “great” lobby by subtracting obvious light sources from the space, paving the way for discreet LEDs.

by Ellen Lampert-Gréaux

www.architecturalssl.com

ARCHITECTURAL SSL • 01.13 • 03

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NUMBER 26 • JAN 2013 www.architecturalssl.com

Gary Redmond

Managing Partner Director Publishing Operations gary@architecturalssl.com

Tim Shea

Managing Partner Director Business Development tim@architecturalssl.com

Someone Please Deal With Liberty Valance

Dave Pape

Vice President Director, Art & Production dave@architecturalssl.com

Last issue I talked about the need for the community to get going on resolving critical SSL infrastructure issues so things can really take off.

In this month’s Market Setting Feature, Kevin Willmorth lays out a good place to start.

It’s as if the Union Pacific and Central Pacific

EDITORIAL Jim Crockett 847 359 6493 Kevin Willmorth

Megan Mazzocco 847 359 6493

Editorial Director jimc@architecturalssl.com Editor kevin@architecturalssl.com

Mavis Linnemann

Copy Editor

DESIGN & PRODUCTION Dave Pape Art Director dave@architecturalssl.com Lauren Lenkowski

Alex Mastera

Associate Art Director lauren@architecturalssl.com Graphic Designer alex@architecturalssl.com

ADVERTISING SALES Gary Redmond 847 359 6493 gary@architecturalssl.com

Tim Shea 847 359 6493 tim@architecturalssl.com

Trey Higgens 847 577 8980 trey@architecturalssl.com

Jim Oestmann 847 838 0500 jim@architecturalssl.com

David Haggett Ted Rzempoluch 847 934 9123 609 361 1733 davidh@architecturalssl.com ted@architecturalssl.com Jim Führer 503 679 5409 jimf@architecturalssl.com

Bob Fox 203 356 9694 bob@architecturalssl.com

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complete the Transcontinental line. What’s more maddening is that it’s not a locomotive being delayed, but a bullet train. At Lightfair I had a conversation with Sajol Ghoshal, director of Sensor Driven Lighting at Austria Micro Systems. In his vision of the not-so-distant future, Ghoshal sees a world where sensors become ubiquitous. It’s just

Associate Editor megan@architecturalssl.com

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Vilma Barr vilma@architecturalssl.com Barbara Horwitz-Bennett barbara@architecturalssl.com Ellen Lampert-Greaux ellen@architecturalssl.com Chuck Ross chuck@architecturalssl.com

railroads were using different gauge track to

common sense, as he says a smart-sensor driven Since I often have some kind of movie reference

lighting system “is critical to meeting world-wide

on this page, I might as well get it out of the way…

government mandates to reduce energy con-

Shockingly, I only just saw “The Man Who Shot

sumption.”

Liberty Valance.” So? Well, something from the

He explained this next wave of “cognitive”

John Ford classic struck me about the state of

lighting systems will finally make use of the abun-

solid-state lighting. In the film, there’s a point

dance of data available to autonomously adjust

where the people of the territory call a conven-

the built environment at a sub-system level.

tion to vote to become a state to impose law

With low-cost and low-power wireless network-

and order, opposed to leaving things “open,” and

ing, such as ZigBee, or wired networks, he says

letting the major cattle ranchers enjoy the “lib-

systems can employ group intelligence and semi-

erty” of enforcing their will with hired guns—the

autonomous control architectures that are aware

movie’s title character being the chief goon.

of what individual luminaires are doing and able

Without getting into detail, what struck me

to self-organize the most efficient lighting plan

as the real driver of change—besides someone

for each moment. “By transferring intelligence

shooting Lee Marvin—was the railroad. When

to luminaire groups that report a higher level

tracks were laid, and stations finally created, it

status, while responding to building level goals,

allowed a means for people and aspiring busi-

centralized control systems can be remade as

nessmen—along with plenty of troops—to come

command, rather than control engines, struc-

out to these far-flung places, with burgeoning

tured for standardized, rather than proprietary

civilization eventually driving off the ranchers,

protocols,” says Ghoshal.

indigenous peoples and gunmen.

In the world of SSL, the problem is that the

By off-loading control tasks, cognitive lighting systems, he says, will be able to respond

track and stations just aren’t out there, despite

with a broader range of options than simply

many embracing Horace Greeley’s famous call to

dimming, including color temperature adapta-

action. In this case, the “track” issue is personi-

tion to support natural circadian rhythms of the

fied by problems with dimming controls. As Kevin

users. “Environmentally aware, decision-directed

points out in his MSF essay, there are a number of

networks will enhance not only the productiv-

problems in the field typically brought on by pair-

ity of the built space, but also worker and group

ing outmoded and incompatible technologies with

productivity.”

more sophisticated SSL products. But beyond these hiccups, a greater issue is the lack of a

Sounds good to me. It seems like it’s time to organize a convention…•

standard for dimming. “When there are too many individual proprietary products in the market,

A Publication of Construction Business Media

each demanding its own hardware, wiring and software interface, assembling a complete light-

Member:

ing system from diverse product manufacturers becomes impossible,” says Willmorth.

www.architecturalssl.com

Jim Crockett, editorial director

ARCHITECTURAL SSL • 01.13 • 05

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CALiPER Testing, Round 19 CALIPER C CA ALLIP AL IP IPE PE ER R RO R ROUND OUN OU UND ND 19 119: 9: 9: LED LED-FLUORESCENT LE ED-F D-F -FL -FL FLU LUO LU UO ORE OR RES RES ESC SCE CEN ENT NT SHO SHOWDOWN—NO SH HOW OW WD DOW DO OW WN N—N N— —NO NO CLEAR C CLE CL LE LEA EAR AR WIN W WINNER INN NNE NER NER ER

Lumen Output of Linear Pendants With LED and T5 Lamping

Direct, Interior

LED1 LED2

1 T5 2 T5

Direct/ Indirect

1 T5HO 2 T5HO

Direct, Exterior

ABOVE: The report emphasizes that fixtures should be evaluated with their specific application in mind, even when models are offered in both fluorescent and LED versions. Specifiers shouldn’t assume companion fixtures will perform the same just because they happen to look alike.

CALiPER Round 19 Linear Pendant Data i∑iti±L outPut [Lμ]

Tot±l i∑Put PoΔ§R [Lμ/Δ]

§FFiC±Cy [Lμ/Δ]

CRI

R9

CCT (K)

DO§ C±LiP§R ID

11-81

2,182

34.0

64

86

53

4,083

11-83

2,201

50.0

44

70

-37

4,883

11-84

7,283

92.7

79

83

41

3,452

12-02

2,357

36.9

64

78

9

3,936

12-11

2,719

67.6

40

83

20

3,381

12-30

969

41.0

24

85

41

3,250

12-32

4,467

63.7

70

82

10

3,542

12-33

2,297

45.1

51

78

3

4,763

12-34

4,132

81.4

51

83

28

4,149

MINIMUM

969

34.0

24

70

-37

3,250

MEAN

3,179

56.9

54

81

19

3,938

MAXIMUM

7,283

92.7

79

86

53

4,883

ABOVE: Color quality is another area where fluorescents and LEDs differ. An LED fixture’s color quality is relatively fixed for a luminaire’s lifetime, with the only options being those offered by that manufacturer.

ABOVE: All of the surveyed products offered at least two color temperatures; generally 3500K or 4000K, although some did have 3000K or even 2700K offerings; most products featured a CRI around 80.

Round 19 of the DOE’s CALiPER testing program focused on LED linear pendants. Researchers switched things up a bit in this test round by comparing LED products directly against versions of the same product using traditional fluorescent lamps. On the upside, LED versions were more efficacious than their fluorescent counterparts, with similar color quality. On the downside, LED luminous intensity distribution often differed, as did lumen output, so researchers cautioned specifiers against thinking differently lamped versions of the same fixture can be used interchangeably.

This round’s testing procedure also varies from those of previous rounds, which pitted LED product performance against outlined performance criteria and/or sample benchmarks. Because there is a far greater variety in the linear pendant category than in, say, wall washers or street lighting, researchers believed the best apples-to-apples comparison was between differently lamped versions of the same fixture.

Report authors noted several caveats in this round’s results. Nine LED products were purchased anonymously, and 11 products were identified through a survey of manufacturer literature. Data for the survey products comes from manufacturersupplied literature, including IES-format information on fluorescent products that is based on relative, not absolute, photometry, which may overestimate a fixture’s lumen output.

The reason for the vast variety in this lighting category is largely aesthetic—manufacturers have developed a wide variety of housing shapes to help differentiate individual products, and these shapes can, in turn, affect performance. However, these fixtures can be grouped by how they distribute light into direct light, which is directed downward, or indirect light, which is directed upward—or even direct-indirect light, which is directed both down and up. Additionally, the combination of reflectors, difZ

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CONTINUED ON PAGE 08

ARCHITECTURAL SSL • 01.13 • 07

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 07

Y

ffusers, us use ser ers rs,, prismatic pri rism sm matic lenses, mat lleense ses es, s, louvers lo lou ouv uve ver ers rs and an nd d other o ot oth the her er accessories acc ac cce cesssori ries ess ca can an nh have ave a ssig sign signifi gni nifi ficant fica cant im impact mpactt on n ov overall ove ver era rallll fi fixt xxture xtu uree performance. perfo rfform rm mance.

Researchers Rese Res e earch rcche hers rss found fou fo oun und nd d a broad broad bro d range ra ran ang nge gee off lumen lu lum um men n outputs output uts tss among aam mo mon ongg the tth he fluor u uoresuo ore resscent cen ce nt fixt fixtu xxtures ures reess they the th they ey studied, studie stu ied ed, d, based based on bas on the th the number n um mbe b ber err aan and nd d typ type tyype pee of of lamps la lam mp mps pss they th the hey eyy used—e.g., use sed ed— d—e —e. e.gg., standard sta st tan and ndaard d T5 T5 lamps lam mps p pss emit eem mitt approximately ap aapp ppr pro roxxim mate tel elyy 22,600 2,6 ,600 to to 33,0 3,000 ,0 000 lu lumens, um men eens ns,, w while whil h hilee T5HO T T5 T5H 5HO HO O lamps la lam am mps eemit m mit it between betw ween 4,450 4,45 ,4 450 50 0 aand nd 55,000 ,000 llumens. umens.

LED LE ED pendants p pen endants are aree able able to to meet meet or or exceed exc xce cee eed ed conventional con co nventio tional flu uorescent ores reesc sceent o output, utpu tp put ut, t, tthanks hanks to o tthe he aample mple mpl p e sur ssurface u urfa fac ace ce area are ar a ea and and volume vol vvo olu ume me these the th hes ese se fixtures xtu xxtture res ess feature, fea feeat atu ure, ree, with wit ith h the the report report documenting d doc o ocu um men eent nti ting ngg a range range o off 7744 44 llumens um men eens nss aal alll tthe he way waayy up up to o 7,283 7, 7,2283 llumens. um men eens ns. s. H How However, o owe wev eve ver, er, researchers res re eseearch rcche hers erss noted note ted ed d that tha th hat att only onl on onlyy a handful han hand ha ndf dfu ful ul of of LE LED ED D fixxtures tur tu ure ress had had ad lumen lu lumen men en outputs outpu tp put uts tss within wit ith hin n 10% 10 0% % of of the tth hee companion co com om mpanio ion on n fluorescent uores reesc sceent verversion sio si on of of the the same ssam aame mee fi fixt xxture, ture, ree, meaning mean mea eani nin ng that that a change cha ch ange iin n la lam lamp am mp ttyp mp type tyypee likely lik ike kely elyy will will res result reesu sult ultt in na diff d iff ffere erent erren ent nt level lev eve vel el of of per p performance. erfo e for orm manc man ance ce. e.

The Thee LED LED pendants pen pe pend nda dan ant ntss proved prove prov ved ed d to oh have ave aan n advantage adv ad dva van ntag age gee in n luminous lu lum um min ino nou ous us effi effica fficacy, cacy, cyy, with with LED wit LE ED fixxtures fixt tures rees besting bes be best stin ing ngg flu uorescent ores reesccentt co counterparts cou oun unt nte ter erp parts rts n eight eeigght of ei of the thee 111 fixture xtu xttur uree types types surveyed. surve rvvey eye yed d. in Among those Am ttho hose products, p pro roduc uct cts ts,, LED LED effi efficacies caci ciees Among rea re eac ach che hed ed as as high high iggh as as 85 85 lm/watt, lm m/w wat att, and an nd d the th the reached tes te est steed products pro rod odu duc uct cts ts ranged ranged up up to to 79 79 lm/watt. lm m/w watt tt. t. tested Surv Sur u vey eye yed ed d fluorescent uores reesc sceent fixt fixtures xtu x ures rees ranged ran ra r nged Surveyed betw ween 35 35 lm/watt lm m/w //wa wat attt aand nd 75 75 lm/watt. lm m/w watt tt. t. between n ter te tterms erm ms of ms of lig llight igh ght htt in iintensity ntens en nsi sity tyy distribudist isstri rib buIn tio ion on, n, tthe he ttyp ype of of lens len ens nss made m mad aade dee a signifi sig ign gnifi nifi ficant can caant nt tion, type im mpact ct— t—m —m match che hed ed d LED LED and an nd d flu uorescent ores reesccentt impact—matched pro rod odu duc ucts tss using usin ing ngg diff d diffus ffuse use lenses le lenses seess tended ten te end nde ded ed d to t products haave hav ve similar ssi sim milar mila ar values. valu lue ues es. s. These These lenses le len ens nse ses es help h he hel elp p have maask mas skk p po pot ote ten ent ntia ial al gglar laare re from fro om m LED LED LE D products, pro rod odu duc uct ctss, mask potential glare bu utt they tth the hey eyy al als aalso so ccan an rreduce educee eeffi fficacy. ccac ca acyy. Light Lig Light but distr dist trib ibu but utio ion on n diff diff ffer eere red d in in product productt pairs pro pai paairs rss distribution ered inc in nco cor orp pora rat atin ing ngg cl cle ear o prismatic ri rism sm matic lle mat lenses ense ses ess – incorporating clear orr p bu utt rep reepo por ortt authors auth tho hor ors rs said said d the th hee diff diff ffeer erin ring ngg LLED ED but report ering distr dist trib ibu but utio ion on n still st sti tillll could could db bee aappropriate ppro rop opr pria riat ate te if if it distribution meett specifi ssp spe pec ecifi cifi fic aapplication pplica liccat atio tion on nn eeds. Th The Thee rep re epo por ortt met needs. report aut au uth tho hor orss concluded concl clu uded that that the the lighting liligghtin ng comco ccom om mauthors munit ity ty needs n nee eeed eds ds to to recognize rec re r cogn oggni nizze that that “LEDs “LEDs aare ree munity new ew light liligght source source rcce with with ith unique uniq uni n que characterchara rac actterr a new istticcs and is and opportunities.” o op opp ppo por ortu tu unitties iees.” .• istics

HIGHRISES: RENAISSANCE CENTER

Making it in Detroit Detroit’s Renaissance Center is a signature presence in that city’s skyline and a new exterior lighting upgrade helps ensure that presence is just as noticeable at night. The new design by Salt Lake City-based YESCO features color-changing LED luminaires from Lumenpulse to clearly delineate the four towers surrounding the facility’s central hub.

The designers installed Lumenpulse’s Lumenbeam LBX fixtures inside the 20-story vertical slots—called “keyways"—at the corners of each tower, but only 16 of the fixtures were required for the entire project. These units are tied into YESCO’s PrismView control network to ensure the keyways are always perfectly color matched with each tower’s illuminated crown.

The fixtures’ long rated lifetime is an added benefit, given their difficult-to-access location.

They are predicted to last at least 120,000 hours, so relamping will be reduced to a minimum.•

08 • 01.13 • ARCHITECTURAL SSL

www.architecturalssl.com

LOBBIES: SAS HEADQUARTERS

Inside Out A distinctive new lighting design helps tie an exterior canopy to the interior lobby space in the Toronto headquarters building of software leader SAS. The new installation features a series of inset LED ďŹ xtures custom engineered and fabricated by Eventscape. The lobby upgrade was required to provide additional lighting and create a distinctive ceiling feature.

Designers worked to capture space for the new ďŹ xtures within existing deep ceiling coves.

The four-part units incorporate LEDs attached to the back panel of an aluminum housing, ďŹ nished off with a polycarbonate lens and an aluminum outer trim. Creativity was required for the ďŹ xture that spans the door openingâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;this luminaire was split in two to create room for window mullions to pass through.â&#x20AC;˘

HOW MUCH LIGHT DO YOU NEED? is modular. is scalable. is Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s common sense, heat ďŹ ns ďŹ ll with dirt and don't work when the product is mounted on the ground. Our ďŹ xture body IS the IFBU TJOL UP FOTVSF FĂľFDUJWF thermal management.

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1760LED C H AT E A U

UNIVERSITIES: UNIV. OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS

Going Back to School Recognizing that even LEDs use less electricity when dimmed, designers of a major exterior lighting renovation on the campus of the University of California Davis have incorporated sophisticated wireless controls to cut energy costs without compromising safety. The new controls allow lighting brightness to follow the path a pedestrian is walking, allowing other fix-

POST TOP

HANGING

CATENARY

tures to remain in a dimmed state for enhanced energy savings.

The Adaptive Control system was co-developed by controls maker Lumenwave and researchers at the California Lighting Technology Center,

UNMATCHED VERSATILITY

housed on the UC Davis campus. More than 1400 exterior fixtures—in-

The 1760LED Chateau series luminaire is a large scale, dramatic design fixture. It is available with a variety of mounting options: post top, hanging and catenary.

The Chateau has LED light sources with roof mounted, downlighting optics and is ideal for any installation.

replaced with LED luminaires. These new fixtures were equipped with

cluding post tops, wall packs, pathway luminaires and streetlights—were Lumenwave’s TOP900-TL control modules and motion sensors, which are capable of peer-to-peer communication with each other.

In addition to enabling up to eight scheduled nighttime events, the system also responds to the needs of individual campus pedestrians. When a motion detector senses a walking campus visitor, it sends a signal that brightens adjacent fixtures progressively as that person moves through the area. Based on set time delays, fixtures behind that individual then dim down to a lower level. Sensor data also helps the system predict how fast that person is traveling to control the speed with which fixtures further down the path raise their illumination levels.

The controls also provide revenue-grade energy monitoring and log-

800-621-3376 info@sternberglighting.com www.sternberglighting.com

Circle 06

ging and automatic notification of fixture malfunctions. Administrators have found the controls are providing an added 40% energy-cost savings over that of the LED fixture upgrade alone.•

INNOVATIONS: COOL CONTROLS

A Lamp of Many Hues While LED lamps are becoming more common, few products are really taking advantage of the innate programing and control advantages digital lighting offers. Philips’ new “hue” lamp is a first step toward that end, giving users the ability to tune white light from warm to cool, or change the emitted light’s color entirely, using a smartphone or tablet app and a standard Wi-Fi connection. Yes, now there’s an app for your living room end-table lamp or your kitchen ceiling fixture.

The 600-lumen hue lamp—equivalent to a 50-watt incandescent—features a color rendering index of 91 at 2700K. But users can change color and brightness of each lamp individually using their Apple or Android smart phone or tablet. Lamps incorporate 11 LEDs in blue, red-orange and

ARTFUL INSTALLATIONS: MARTIN PROFESSIONAL

All Aboard

lime green, so they can create almost as many colors as one could find in a Pantone color pack. The lime-colored LEDs are expected to produce greater

An aluminum art structure incorporating a new LED string product turned

efficiencies. Operations also can be programed over a period of time, so

the heads of visitors to an international transportation exhibition this past

a bedside lamp could be instructed to brighten gradually as a wake-up

September. The installation, designed by Ambion GmbH from Kassel, Ger-

alternative to a buzzing clock radio. Communications are based on the

many, succeeded in attracting crowds of visitors to the booth of transporta-

ZigBee Alliance protocol, which is becoming ubiquitous in home automation

tion leader Bombardier, with its imagery of train traffic across the globe.

networks. Philips is selling $199 starter packs exclusively through Apple

The VC-Dot 1 LED strings from Martin Professional comprise more than

retail stores that include three A-line lamps and a bridge that plugs into

2,000 individually controllable pixel dots. The product can be specified with

an existing wireless router. Additional lamps retail for $59. The company is

one, four or nine LEDs per pixel and can be ordered in either an RGB color-

looking into adding BU 30 and GR 10 style products to the lineup.•

mixing version or cool, medium or warm white single-color version.•

www.architecturalssl.com

ARCHITECTURAL SSL • 01.13 • 11

1.

The Book on Controls

DIM SITUAT ATIO ION? N? Paradox:: SSL is s a technolog gy that th lends itself to being controlled, d, so why are there e so so many issues, especially with dimming? ? Lot Lots of reasons, incl nclu uding incompatibility with older techn hno nolog l ies not suited ed fo for SSL. But the greatest barrier is s a la lack of an open dimm imming protocol.

12 â&#x20AC;˘ 01.13 â&#x20AC;˘ ARCHITECTURAL SSL

www.architecturalssl.com

The emergence of solid-state lighting is adding

Lutron Electronics—changed the lighting control

heat to the topic of lighting controls. Energy

landscape by making it practical and affordable

codes, advances in wireless communication,

beyond theatrical use.

intelligent networking and computer interface software are fueling imaginations, while energy

85 IQ – Getting to Practically 'Dim'

cost escalation is exciting customer interest.

In the late 1950s, the first solid-state dimmer

Unfortunately, much of the potential from this op-

design for incandescent lamps, developed by GE,

portunity is locked up by proprietary approaches

utilized thyristors or silicon-controlled rectifiers

at odds with the diversity of lighting products

to cut portions of the AC sine wave supplied to

necessary to complete projects. Making matters

the light source. This helped reduce light output.

worse are some marketers promoting simple,

A short time later, TRIAC—Triode for Alternating

automatic controls as “smart” further confusing

Current—devices offered lower cost and greater

customers. So it begs the question, just how intel-

durability. Since incandescent lamps suffer only

ligent is solid-state lighting today? Following is a

minor issues with wave cut dimming—some fila-

review of what's out there and the corresponding

ments will sing or flicker a little—this technology

intelligence quota.

delivered economy and compact size ideal for wall-box dimmer use. This remains the standard

65 IQ – Immature and Intellectually Challenged

for incandescent dimming today.

Lighting control has been a part of lighting from

The introduction of more complex light

the installation of the first electric lamp. The ba-

sources, such as low-voltage and discharge sourc-

sic use of on/off switches and contactor controls

es, e.g. fluorescent and HID, presented dynamics

were an early selling feature, eliminating snuffing

beyond the capability of TRIAC dimmers. For

gas or oil flames one fixture at a time. At this

inductive loads, MOSFET—Field Effects Transistor

level, little has changed since 1897.

dimmers, which create trailing edge wave cutting,

Dimming emerged as a means to balance and

vs. leading edge for TRIAC—produced acceptable

tune stage lighting. Early forms of the dimmer

results. For ballasted products, however, which

were simple resisters put in series with the lamps,

incorporate starters and lamp current controls

the former consuming as much or more energy

circuitry, special approaches became necessary.

as the loads being controlled. The equipment, too,

This led to the development of two architectures

was too bulky for wide spread use. While early

still in use today: Three wire and 0—10V control.

efforts were hobbled by the technology of the

In the case of the former, power supplied to the

day, the invention of the solid-state dimmer by

light source remains uncontrolled, and a separate

Joel Spira in 1959—who later went on to found

“signal” wire at line voltage is used to communicate

www.architecturalssl.com

ARCHITECTURAL SSL • 01.13 • 13

FIGURE 1.

dimming setting, allowing the ballast to start

A History of Lighting Control—From Analogue to Digital

the lamp normally, then operate it at the desired level. With 0—10V control, a separate low-voltage control signal is used to provide the ballast the dimmer control setting information.

While many emerging SSL retrofit lamps and luminaires are attempting to work within the limitations of TRIAC dimmer controls, this is a big problem as connecting such dimmers to an electronic load that they were never designed to control produces unpredictable results. To overcome this, light source manufacturers and customers must test compatibility, frequently requiring new dimmers be installed from a pre-qualified list to achieve desired results. This defeats the goal of deploying SSL products that connect to the existing inventory of existing wall box dimmers.

On the other hand, the application of 0—10V

1881

1916

dimming with SSL is functionally superior to line-voltage dimming, but it is not without issues.

Regardless of which option you choose, there is nothing inherently advantageous or "smart"

110 IQ – Digital Communication Shows Promise

about controlling SSL sources with conventional

The deployment of digital controls adds a level

TIME AND TECHNOLOGY OUT OF LINE?

dimmers, relays or sensor controls—even if they

of communication fidelity and control complex-

The time line notes advances with the implementation of

enhance the advantages of SSL in reducing en-

ity impossible with simplistic controls. The most

lighting and dimming controls. Despite SSL being a 21st

ergy consumption.

widely recognized is DMX512, created primarily

century technology, in many cases, it's being controlled with

for theatrical application, where each luminaire

1950s protocols meaning antiquated dimmers are connected

100 IQ – Adequate Performance, But Not Smart

or luminaire circuit is assigned an address to

to electronics loads they were never designed to control. This

Beyond dimming, there are other means to con-

be serviced by a common low-voltage signal

produces unpredictable and undesirable results, including

trol line lighting, including the use of power-line

wire. This simple, open-source, digital protocol

flicker. This problem can be resolved by testing compatibility,

and low-voltage sensors that respond to ambient

provides for communicating to activate built-in

but it often requires users to work from a list of pre-qualified

light, occupancy or time clock settings. These con-

on/off and/or dimming. In 2004, the DMX512-A

products. This defeats the goal of deploying SSL products

trols add a level of automatic on/off or dimming

protocol added the capability for two-way com-

that connect to the existing inventory of dimmers.

to a "pre" pre-set state.

munication. Standardized cable connectors and

While these are often sold as “smart” or

pin-outs enable manufacturers of ballasts, driv-

“intelligent” controls, a better description is to say

ers, controls, sensors and luminaires to provide

"automatic," as they only work within a pre-set

product on a project with minimal coordination

operational range—no logic circuits are involved,

and intrusion of proprietary exclusion.

no system activity reporting occurs, and there is

The next innovation came in 1998 with the

no feedback loop. The result of these binary con-

creation of open-sourced DALI—Digital Address-

trols is a generalized averaging of performance

able Lighting Interface. Many features of DALI

improvement with limited capacity to deliver a

resemble DMX in structure, as each fixture is

logical response to multiple inputs. These offer

assigned an address, with standardized 5-wire

an improvement over manual, human-dependent

interface cabling used to direct lighting, monitor

controls, but are compromised by their simplicity

system activity/condition, and connect control-

and lack of logic. Further, the reduced load and

lers and sensors through a single gateway. This

non-off-state power characteristics of drivers

eliminates custom interfaces often required to in-

used in SSL often cause malfunctions in systems

tegrate input side controls into DMX512 systems,

designed for conventional loads.

and begins to introduce some intelligence.

14 • 01.13 • ARCHITECTURAL SSL

www.architecturalssl.com

Flat Learning Curve: Obstacles to Getting Smarter 1) Perception of Need. The greatest roadblock is customer perception of need—no matter how cool or innovative concepts of smart controls are, there is not always a perceived need for it. When a proposed system requires a large investment, a complex mix of components, and commissioning and software, lighting customers accustomed to turning lights on with snap switches are easily turned off.

2) Too Many Unique Solutions. In the effort to bring creative solutions to the market, manufacturers frequently deploy proprietary solutions with little regard for interaction within a larger lighting system. These approaches rarely satisfy the diversity of products used on most projects.

The result is either a system with messy mixed 1950

1956 1959

1973

1986

1997

2001 2004

2012

control architectures that leave the end use customer even more confused—or a compromised design to fit control component availability.

When there are too many individual propri-

"THE SOONER THE INDUSTRY CAN DEVELOP A UNIVERSAL FOUNDATION FOR THIS, THE SOONER AND MORE READILY MANUFACTURERS CAN GET DOWN TO THE BUSINESS OF DELIVERING PRODUCTS THAT ENHANCE PERFORMANCE AND EFFICIENCY THROUGH PRECISE, EFFECTIVE, INTELLIGENT CONTROLS."

Defining Intelligence; Overcoming Obstacles

etary products in the market—each demanding its

Beyond the rudimentary level of intelligence

own hardware, wiring and software interface—as-

introduced with DALI, the expansion of digital

sembling a complete system from diverse product

controls, according to IES TM-23-11, has grown

manufacturers becomes impossible. Bottom line:

to include 17 protocols deployed in lighting and

The limitation to wide-spread control application

building automation system applications, beyond

is not too few options, but too many discrete solu-

line-voltage dimming. These protocols include

tions, with too little universal standardization.

wireless variants—controls from Zigbee and En-

customers, over-delivery of features is not a

as Ethernet- and Internet-based controls. Beyond

selling point. Lack of scalability reflected in

these are dozens of proprietary systems which

system costs causes customers to forgo desirable

may or may not be compatible with any known

benefits to avoid paying for features not valued.

open standard.

For a large portion of installations, a simplified

Digital communication networks—utilizing

interface with limited capability, scaled just-right,

wired and/or wireless links—combined with soft-

is far more attractive than expensive, complex

ware that processes input from remote sensors,

systems with more than necessary capacity, oper-

luminaire status and occupant demand, is what

ated at a reduced state.

is required to enable lighting systems to become

4) Lack of Commissioning Standards.

truly intelligent. For example, a controls system

Commissioning is often so poorly managed that

that reacts to time of day, presence of occupants,

advanced systems remain under-utilized. If main-

daylight contribution, luminaire lumen deprecia-

tenance is complex, the systems are at risk of

tion, user input, circadian rhythm and type of

abandonment. System designers frequently fail to

activity occurring in a space, could adjust light

recognize the distance in time between those who

levels, activate specific luminaires—say task vs.

operate and maintain the system and those who

ambient—and adjust relative color while report-

designed and installed it. The more complex the

ing activity to a monitoring program that tracks

system, the more of its capacity is lost over time.

maintenance state and energy use. This is truly an intelligent or smart control system.

www.architecturalssl.com

3) Too Much Complexity. For price-sensitive

Ocean with no external power connection—as well

5) Too Simplistic Solutions. The recent trend of incorporating unrelated platforms into building

ARCHITECTURAL SSL • 01.13 • 15

controls architectures, such as iPhone wireless

tion of many manufacturers without constraint

controls interfaces using “apps,” may seem like a

of proprietary relationships. The sooner the need

GETTING IN TUNE

viable approach, but it isn’t without risk. Previous

for a cooperative foundation of a universal inter-

More effective use of daylighting is creating greater opportu-

attempts to include Palm + Bluetooth interfaces—

face architecture and protocol is established, the

nities for LED and controls, not only from a dimming/energy-

now defunct—have left customers without means

sooner solid-state can break out as more than just

savings perspective, but also in the ability to more properly

for maintaining relatively new system operation.

an energy saving new value in lighting.

illuminate a space, as well as "color tune" a space to reflect

The assumption of dominance of one smart device

time of day or replicate time of day. In the case of one of the

over all others fails to recognize the diversity of

Solid-State Integration 101: SSL is the first

offices in Lumenpulse's new Montreal headquarters (above),

options available, while the issue of tying two

technology in illumination to provide an oppor-

not only were fewer fixtures employed, but coves were il-

disparate technologies together complicates an

tunity to integrate controls as a system feature

luminated with RGB to add a further dynamic to the office.

already complicated support issue. Furthermore,

with a high degree of sophistication. Most drivers

the life cycle of entertainment/communications

already include intelligence that demand little

electronics is extremely short compared to the

effort to tap into. Unlike incandescent sources,

life of a building system. While interesting as an

which require external controls integration, or

optional interface, more sensible solutions will

fluorescent and HID systems with their clumsy

likely come from permanent building systems

starting circuit issues and sensitivity to on/off

that can become obsolete without losing function-

cycling, LED systems are naturally suited to being

ality.

controlled. This will emerge as the single greatest asset in the SSL arsenal—if it is made available on

Curriculum for Increasing IQ

a large enough scale to be applied universally.

Open Source Architecture 101: Full open-source universality in lighting is necessary to support

Solid-State Integration 201: SSL enables con-

the wide range of products deployed that make

cepts that utilize LEDs as high-frequency data

up a complete lighting system. TRIAC and 0—10V

transmitters—communicating to line of site loca-

dimming are perfect examples of the success of

tions through modulation of light beyond human

non-proprietary approaches. In any project, new

visual perception—and integration of sensors

or retrofit, the variety of products used to suit

that “see” the environment with integral sensors.

the range of needs for lighting requires participa-

Further, the opportunity to apply color tuning

16 • 01.13 • ARCHITECTURAL SSL

www.architecturalssl.com

and lumen maintenance monitoring is achievable

establish goals and control features deemed most

MAKE APPROPRIATE CHOICES

with minimal effort. These, and other, advanced

desirable. A protocol must be founded that serves

Because of a lack of a universal, open protocol for dimming,

concepts generate new opportunities for SSL to

those requirements with the broadest range of

lighting designers are limited in control options. They can

change the foundations of lighting from simple

products. This includes DMX 512-A and DALI, as

pursue simple, binary controls, which offer the greatest

emitter source to interactive building system.

well as wide range products from reliable sources like Lutron and WattStopper. For the most part,

range of products to choose from; or alternatively, identify the client's goals and most desired control features and find

Critical Thinking 101: While a great deal of effort

proprietary luminaire systems are the most limit-

a protocol that serves the broadest range of products such

is being applied to resolving issues of subjective

ing, and most likely to change or fade over time.

as DALI or DMX, or select systems from reliable sources such

color and life ratings, a greater opportunity lies in

Finally, communicating to controls and luminaire

as Lutron or WattStopper (far left, opposite page). Shown

developing a universal open source controls inte-

manufacturers the need for universality can help

above is Lutron's Experience Center in Washington, D.C.

gration protocol to advance solid-state technol-

create focus in an otherwise fractious market

ogy. Properly considered and developed, this one

space.

factor alone has the potential of turning SSL from slow-burn evolution to the outright revolution it

Closing Ceremony

should be. A robust approach would also include

The deployment of SSL can lead to exciting new

consideration of non solid-state products, to avoid

intelligent controls approaches and features. The

separation of technologies until SSL becomes

sooner the industry can develop a universal foun-

the predominant light source. It’s time to focus

dation for this, the sooner and more readily man-

on controls as a critical component of the SSL

ufacturers of light sources, lighting products, and

revolution.

controls components can get down to the business of delivering what promises to be the most

www.architecturalssl.com

Surviving Controls Evolution 101: Until there is

important advantage of solid-state technology—

a more universal agreement on communication

the ability to enhance performance and efficiency

protocols and the deployment of smart controls,

through precise, effective intelligent control. By

there are limited approaches available today.

opening the door to advanced controls that are

The first is to rely on the most basic approaches

as accessible as conventional approaches, SSL is

of binary controls, which provides the greatest

poised to graduate with honors and change the

range of products to choose from. The second is to

lighting universe from dim to brilliant.•

ARCHITECTURAL SSL • 01.13 • 17

TOPICS AT THE FRONT

By Barbara Horwitz-Bennett, contributing writer

There is no question that linear

older T12 fluorescent lamps and

fers, experienced an estimated 62%

accent wall using either texture

fluorescent, the workhorse of of-

ballasts that are being phased out

reduction in energy consumption.

or color and give offices more dra-

fice lighting, is not going away any

of production,” says Tom Roberts,

time soon. That said, solid-state

director of business development

replacements, other LED technol-

Elsewhere, he says LED track-

lighting is certainly making gains

for Cree, the Research Triangle

ogy is on the rise in office applica-

mounted fixtures are a good choice

in this space. But does it have the

Park, N.C.-based manufacturer

tions, particularly in respect to

for highlighting marker boards

legs to take over as a general am-

who has clearly targeted the linear

downlights, desktop task lighting

or artwork. In fact, retrofit lamps

bient illumination source?

fluorescent market.

and accent lighting. Regarding the

are available in Par 38, Par 30 and

latter, Jacob Hothan, an associate

MR-16 sizes with different beam

The answer, of course, de-

In his mind, the results speak

Beyond troffer-for-troffer

matic appeal,” says Hothan.

pends on whom you talk to, but

for themselves. For example, he

with Shawnee, Kan.-based Yarnell

spreads, color temperatures and

activity is absolutely in motion.

points to the Rogue Valley Council

Assocs., Architectural Lighting De-

color rendering indexes, although

“LED adoption has been strongest

of Governments, in Central Point,

sign, says SSL products do a great

Hothan cautions that dimmability

in markets with favorable utility

Ore., who, in relamping T12 and T8

job aesthetically because of their

varies between manufacturers.

rebates and also for those custom-

fluorescents in the hallways, offices

controllable optics. “LED lighting

ers who need a solution to replace

and council room with LED trof-

is an effective means to create an

18 • 01.13 • ARCHITECTURAL SSL

Dimmability, beyond wattage reduction, is one of the biggest

www.architecturalssl.com

NEW AND OLD Y At the offices of Blue Cross and Blue

Shield of Kansas City, Yarnell Assocs. took advantage of the company's desire for a high-tech “24”-like setting to use cooler color temperature LED downights for general ambiance. Image: Yarnell Assocs.

Z Beyond LED downlights and track

lighting, the firm also created novel lighting in the form of circular fixtures based on Lightwild's Cool White 1 ft. x 1 ft panels. Image: Yarnell Assocs.

V Cooper Lighting's Halo/RSA Profile

track systems were also employed in the corridors and elsewhere for accent lighting.

Image: Yarnell Assocs.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Kansas City, Mo.

pros of SSL technology, according

an architectural element. “Why try

rary way, as he feels it is a source

to Hothan's boss, Bruce Yarnell,

to make a unique source look like

that lends itself to be pleasantly

IALD, MIES, LC. This is particularly

an old fluorescent troffer or more

visual when the fixture is designed

the case with downlights, the SSL

recent basket design with central

well. “Seeing the individual sources

product that has perhaps enjoyed

glowing white plastic?” he asks.

in a nice module adds interest to a

the greatest gains to date, at least

“I prefer fixture designs which

space and the fixture's look,” says

in retrofit settings. This is so, says

acknowledge that they are LED and

the designer.

Yarnell, for many reasons, not the

let the pixels be seen behind diffus-

least of which is glare control, and

ing plastic or glass.”

simple amenities such as square

As he's showcased in offices

Stephen Margulies, partner, ONELUXstudio, New York, is also excited about such possibilities.

apertures. But Yarnell argues the

such as those for Blue Cross, Blue

“The capability of embedding this

future of LED, and office lighting

Shield of Kansas City (above) or

technology into the architectural

for that matter, lies down a differ-

EiKO's new headquarters outside of

elements is much more flexible

ent path. His personal preference

Kansas City on the following pages,

than any other lighting product,”

is showcasing LED's unique look as

he's used LED in a very contempo-

he says. “Because of this, we are

www.architecturalssl.com

Kelvin-Changing LEDs the Future of SSL? An area where SSL is showing significant promise in office environments is task lighting.

Why? According to lighting designer and educator Stan Walerczyk, CLEP, LC, principal of the Kihei, Hawaii-based Lighting Wizards, it is because desktop LED fixtures can do the heavy lifting of providing controllable dimming, even color tuning, allowing significantly lower general ambient lighting that operates with very simple or even no lighting control at all.

Because directed light fades exponentially as distance increases, Walerczyk says watts can be used much more efficiently if they are placed at the point where they are needed.

In general, overhead ambient fixtures consume between 20 and 28 watts. LED task lights, on the other hand, only need 8 to 12 watts. With light close to the task, Walerczyk says less ambient light is necessary, yet the combined sources will adequately light the space with approximately 100 footcandles.

When dimming is added to the mix, the average power density can drop to as low as 0.5 watts per sq. ft. “At 3,000 annual hours and at a $0.15/kWh electric rate, that's less than $23 per sq. ft., per year,” he says.

While it's true other sources can serve the same purpose, it doesn’t always work.

Undercabinet linear fluorescent task lights, for example, more often than not, says Walerczyk, are overlit and create glare issues. But more than that, it's the color-tuning capability of LED that excites the designer.

“Kelvin changing, which is so good for human centric lighting, is what will really make LED a star,” he says.

ARCHITECTURAL SSL • 01.13 • 19

Hart Senate Building, Washington, DC

Kelvin color-changing, says Walerczyk, allows lighting designers to create unique and distinctive lighting schemes.

Furthermore, human centric lighting, he argues, can improve circadian rhythms, mood, visual acuity and performance beyond saving energy.

“The potential of changing the color temperature during the course of a day could be immensely beneficial,” agrees Bruce Yarnell, Yarnell Assocs., Architectural Lighting Design, Shawnee, Kan. “Anything that mimics natural lighting has the potential to assist us in keeping our body time clocks working in a more natural way.”

Of course, he adds more scientific study needs to be done to prove this interaction, “but my feeling is that there is a great potential for human wellbeing,” says Yarnell.

Offering some product suggestions, Walerczyk likes the LED desk mount and undercabinet task lights from PlanLED, Finelite, Koncept, Luxo, Philips and Steelcase. Meanwhile, he notes Tambient has created an integrated one-piece system that provides both ambient and task lighting.

Although Kelvin changing products are interesting, Stephen Margulies, partner, ONELUXstudio, New York, remains cautious, pointing out that most building owners/tenants simply wish to set it and forget it. “Our clients require simplicity in our designs for the workplace environment,” he says. “This does not allow us to consider a lamp that offers more than two colors—warm and cool. Most users in the workplace do not want to spend time learning a system or trying to find the perfect shade of task lighting.”

20 • 01.13 • ARCHITECTURAL SSL

seeing integration of this product

In Control?

LED PASSES SENATE VOTE

in ceiling tiles and grids, wallpaper

LED, being a solid-state device, has

U The Hart Senate Office Building in

and glass panels.”

a fundamental controls advantage

Washington D.C., the third largest office

over traditional technologies. One

building serving the Senate, replaced 130

signing interactive LED systems in

of the fundamental reasons is

CFL downlights and linear fluorescents

conference rooms to evoke a com-

that dimming or increasing on/off

with 2x2 LED troffers for a 33% reduction

pany logo, picture or even be part

cycles actually works to extend the

in annual energy costs. Image: Cree

of a working presentation. Color-

life of LEDs, in addition to reducing

changing products are often a good

energy consumption, whereas the

fit here, and digital animations can

opposite is true with traditional

support architectural branding

lighting sources.

Meanwhile, Yarnell enjoys de-

elements. “This type of LED system

Of course, initial cost can

is highly exciting, although it’s still

be a stumbling block, so in an at-

quite expensive,” acknowledges

tempt to keep product costs down,

Yarnell.

manufacturers, including Acuity

www.architecturalssl.com

EiKO Headquarters, Shawnee, Kan.

and Cree, have been integrating

But on the subject of dim-

GROUNDBREAKERS

controls into the existing power

mability, not everything with LED

U Lighting designer Bruce Yarnell believes

electronics. This can range, accord-

is golden. Problems have cropped

the future of LED lies in creating fixtures

ing to Roberts, from very simple

up with flicker and achieving the

and lighting applications that show off

solutions, such as standard TRIAC

desired degree of dimming. Part

the LEDs themselves or allow designers to

dimming on downlights, to trof-

of the problem is that LEDs use

create unique forms, such as the overhead

fers that employ bi-level or step

drivers, opposed to ballasts, and

lighting in the conference room of EiKO's

dimming in the base configuration,

the electronics must be tested

new headquarters outside of Kansas City.

to more feature-rich dimming

and confirmed for compatibility

Image: Yarnell Assocs.

solutions using approaches such

between the drivers and the dim-

as those with wireless controls.

ming systems, including any other

Cree also recently partnered with

existing dimming.

Lutron to offer a “factory direct”

“No system is considered

EcoSystem-integrated system with

seamless,” says Margulies. “The

its CR troffer family.

commissioning process is the real

www.architecturalssl.com

ARCHITECTURAL SSL • 01.13 • 21

Helix Architecture + Design, Kansas City, Mo.

ON TRACK

Yarnell Assocs. employed LED track lighting and LED retrofit MR-16 fixtures for general illumination and wall grazing at Helix Architecture + Design's conference room in Kansas City. The lightning designers believe track-mounted LEDs are particularly good at highlighting marker boards or artwork. Photo: Yarnell Assocs.

complex issue that no one has been able to solve well,” he adds.

In attempting to address this

“The holy grail of replacement bulbs is providing high efficiency and low maintenance, but ultimate-

plies that are remotely monitored,

GREAT FOR GRAZING

observes Margulies.

U Yarnell Assocs. designer Jacob Hothan

But overall, if LED manu-

likes LEDs with controllable optics for wall

matter, Yarnell’s designers usually

ly [it's about] producing a quality

facturers can continue pushing

grazing applications. “It's an effective

create mock-ups of LED compo-

luminous environment,” he says.

forward with better retrofit prod-

means to create an accent wall using

Cree is among the manufac-

ucts, experts predict that this will

either texture or color and give offices

turers trying to address this. Its

eventually spill over more into the

more dramatic appeal.”

TrueWhite technology mixes light

new construction market.

Image: Yarnell Assocs.

nents and dimming systems to make sure they work together.

Next Steps

from multiple LEDs to produce

In the grand scheme of things,

quality color rendering.

Margulies points out that the office

Another newer innovation is

“The good news is the range of LED solutions in the marketplace is continuing to expand and offer

retrofit market has influenced and

the transformation of LEDs to a DC

both improved economics and

will continue to play a significant

power supply where the fixtures

leading-edge functional and artis-

role in the demand and develop-

are connected with low wattage

tic design options to architects and

ment of new LED products.

data wire with wired power sup-

owners alike,” concludes Roberts.•

22 • 01.13 • ARCHITECTURAL SSL

www.architecturalssl.com

The All-New

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With the addition of over ten new fixtures, the MB series delivers on the LED promise of performance, quality and reliability. Specifically developed for accent and flood lighting, this all new suite of LED track luminaires delivers energy savings, long life and beautiful crisp, white light. And, like all Intense Lighting interior LED products, the MB series comes with a standard 10-year LED warranty.

Features: - Lumen packages from 650 to more than 3000 lumens - Large selection of award winning wall wash and accent luminaires - Excellent color consistency with 3 SDMC binning - 100-10% ELV dimming - 2700K, 3000K, 3500K and 4100K CCT - 82, 92 and 97 CRI options - 10-year Intense LED warranty

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F§±TUR§D PRoj§Ct

Kansas City Marriott Downtown, Lobby Renovation Owners: Marriott Architects: 360 Architecture Lighting: Yarnell Assocs.

Electrical: Mark One Electric LED product manufacturers: Visa Lighting, Cooper Halo, Color Kinetics, Lightolier, Hera Lighting Text: Ellen Lampert-Gréaux Photos: Michael Spillers The Challenge: Undergoing a recent $20 million renovation, the Kansas City Marriott Downtown—a popular hotel during the Kansas City Royals baseball season and for attendees at the nearby convention center—wanted to redefine its main lobby as a “Great Room” with various zones that meet the different social purposes of its guests. The challenge was to create one space that would appeal to business travelers as well as families and to have the room adapt visually, with lighting to reflect the various uses of the Great Room as the day progresses.

The Solution: 360 Architecture, in collaboration with lighting designer Bruce Yarnell, principal at Yarnell Assocs., created a guest experience for the 21st century. Three distinct, yet interconnected plugged-in, multipurpose spaces— with complimentary Wi-Fi throughout—allow guests to efficiently arrive and depart, meet, work, socialize and enjoy dining and entertainment. Color-changing LED lighting provided the designers with a means to change the look of the space as desired, as it transforms itself from breakfast to a lounge ambiance at night.

24 • 01.13 • ARCHITECTURAL SSL

Intertwined Rings

different levels,” notes Yarnell. The

see new and exciting shapes,” adds

One of the main visual accents in

rings measure 12 ft., 20 ft., and 32

Yarnell. Visa Lighting built the

the Great Room is a contemporary

ft. in diameter and are fitted with

contemporary custom-designed

chandelier that is every bit a work

vertical light pipes that run from

rings, which replace a 1980’s style

of art as a lighting fixture. Three

15 in. to 73 in. in height and set

chandelier, and add a simple but

rings, symbolic of the gathering of

from 6 to 12 degrees apart, depend-

elegant statement to the lobby. The

people, are intertwined to add to

ing on the ring. Offset spacing

ring shape is echoed in drywall on

the complexity of the design and

keeps the installation from being

the ceiling in what Yarnell refers to

make it continually interesting as a

a simple “chandelier,” and the final

as “a subtle architectural form.”

decorative element.

design has a slant to two of the

Three rings intertwined are

The suspended light pipes are

points of the light that adds to the

metal tubes with frosted acrylic

a reaction to the complexity of the

visual complexity so that “some-

tips illuminated by one-watt LED

space and its users. “The rings are

one with ‘time on their hands’ can

sources from a circle of metal,

custom-designed to intertwine at

study the piece like artwork and

which create small points of light

www.architecturalssl.com

Renovation, KC Style

Designer Bruce Yarnell said that nobody realized how big the largest ring actually was (32 ft.) “The contractor drew a circle on the floor and asked us if that was the size we really wanted. It was dramatic.”

at a variety of heights. “These

Yarnell. “The contractor drew a

done as a reaction to the space as it

fee bar that transitions from light

stems are hard but delicate,”

circle on the floor and asked if that

was being remodeled. A water wall

breakfast fare and coffee in the

explains Yarnell, who adds that

was the size we really wanted. It was

of steps as a backdrop to the rings

morning to work and beverage

the color temperature is 3500 K

very dramatic. We all were pleased

reflects a linear water effect in a

fare in the afternoon to full service

cold white for a contemporary look

with the resulting visual impact.”

park across a busy street from the

bar in the evening where guests

The circular theme was also

hotel. The idea was that the Great

unwind over signature cocktails,

applied to the porte-cochere area

Room would become visible for all

wines, and imported beers.

with two 18-ft. rings. “The ring

guests and also for local people as

suspension cables evenly spaced in

design is hinted at with two sym-

a gathering place usable all day

18-watt, 3000K, 8-degree beam

line with the skylights in the Great

metrical rings at the entry drive,”

and into the evening.”

track fixtures at the edges of the

Room, and power runs through the

says Yarnell. “Only in the interior,

ceiling. “Nobody really realized how

however, are they shown in all of

Being Social

tion in the morning and for clean-

big the largest ring actually was,

their complexity and beauty. The

An active area of the lobby is the

ing. In addition, linear Color Kinetics

with its 32-ft. diameter,” reports

rings are complete custom designs

Social Zone, or Bar Central, a cof-

eColor Cove QLX Powercore LED-

versus a more yellow light as seen in the hotel ballrooms.

The rings are hung with

www.architecturalssl.com

Cooper Halo Stasis LED 805,

skylights add additional illumina-

ARCHITECTURAL SSL • 01.13 • 25

RGB fixtures illuminate the bar and private booths at the rear of the space. “Color changing throughout the day was our response to having a room that is reacting to the time of day,” explains Yarnell.

“Morning is bright with amber light behind closed bar front doors. From noon until early evening the bar is opened with blue light surrounding the bar and flowing into the booths.

Red light at the bar and in the booths is a reaction to the desire for a nightclub feel in the late evening.

Other custom scenes are available to react to special events.”

Energy Efficiency Energy use was difficult to compute, at least as a comparison to the lobby’s old illumination, according to Yarnell, as the team was able to do so much more with color changing LED—a technology that wasn’t even available before the hotel’s last update.

“So, where we have LED colorchanging coves, there isn’t a direct correlation,” says Yarnell. “For the decorative rings, the lamps are only one watt each, so even the smallest ring has tremendous visual impact at an energy cost of 32 watts. For the LED track fixtures, the LED sources are 18 watts each which would have been comparable to 100-watt quartz par lamps.”

This is significant, as Yarnell points out that generally, when his firm has done the tabulations of changing an older space to mostly LED sources, clients have experienced between a 70% and 80% decrease in energy usage without sacrificing lighting levels and with a gain of easier and less frequent maintenance. “The lighting for this space goes beyond what we could even attempt with older par type sources,” says Yarnell.

Additional LED sources in the Great Room are the 3500K, 2-watt Lightolier Calculite downlights.

These and the Halo track lighting have a warm color temperature that makes people look natural.

26 • 01.13 • ARCHITECTURAL SSL

www.architecturalssl.com

“They are much better than the fluorescents that were there before,” notes Yarnell. “On this job almost every fixture is LED and we had no issues, no color shifts.” This makes for a lighting design that’s as efficient as it is easy to control.

“For the decorative rings, the lamps are only one watt each, so even the smallest ring has tremendous visual impact at an energy cost of 32 watts. We have experienced between a 70% and 80% decrease in energy usage without sacrificing lighting levels.”

Getting the Job Done “The largest challenge for this project was dealing with assumed dimensions from original plans versus real [as built] dimensions.

Especially for the new entry glowing glass walls, we were counting on at least 4 in. of open space behind the glass,” Yarnell explains.

“Real dimensions were sometimes down to 2.5 in. as the original construction wasn’t built square with property easement lines. Getting the glass to glow evenly was a huge challenge and more fixtures on tighter spacings had to be purchased to achieve the final visible uniformity.”

The second large challenge for this job was the recession: “The

REFINED NUANCE

project was actually shut down at one point and then started up

The three subtle, yet distinct chandeliers are at the heart of the lobby transformation. Not only do the custom luminaires, created

by Visa Lighting, incorporate LED in an elegant manner, they blend seamlessly and do not compete with the skylight above during daylight hours. The rings range from 12 ft. to 32 ft. Each 3,500 K LED “stem” is only a single watt and create small points of light at a variety of heights. The theme was also applied to the portecochere area with two 18-ft. rings.

again. So, we were involved for almost five years from start to finish with the stoppage due to the recession,” adds Yarnell, who notes that spending was never lavish, even after the project started up again.

Still, he says, the apparent value has helped the hotel to be well placed for major business as the economy has improved. “The owners have been pleased with new business that the renovation has delivered.”•

www.architecturalssl.com

ARCHITECTURAL SSL • 01.13 • 27

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Lightfair Booth #2411

Circle 08

MONTREAL’S SALON URBAIN ADDS PANACHE TO FORMER PARKING STRUCTURE Salon Urbain Place des Arts, Montreal, Canada

A trio of Montreal-based design firms mixed and matched their creative specialties to develop a singular downtown gathering and event space that extends the public reach of their city’s new performance center, the Place des Arts.

Formerly designated as a partial below-grade parking area, Salon Urbain was positioned as a flexible destination for concertgoers, theater patrons, visitors and residents who could meet and experience a three-dimensional expression of applied technology and urban contemporary art that combines space, materials and a sculpted illuminated ceiling.

Place des Arts, part of the Quartier des Spectacles, is also a daily hub for thousands of workers in the surrounding downtown office buildings, tourists and users of the city’s subway system. In an era when orchestras and other performing arts groups are experiencing a drop in attendance, the management of Place des Arts decided that promoting a friendly image of informal accessibility for the public would attract more patrons to its entertainment facilities.

“Salon Urbain is a versatile space that has been equipped with the latest technology that would also generate income from its rental for day or evening events,” says architect Martin Leblanc, a partner in Sid Lee Architecture, one member of the architectural joint venture who, along with Aedifica, collaborated with lighting visual designers Ambiances Design Productions to deliver the project. The role of the lighting design consultant was two-fold, according to Martin Gagnon of Ambiances: first, illuminate

ABOVE: Serving as a visual anchor at floor level is the bar; a swatch of glossy black surfaces that appear to have been poured in their molten state over a stacked wood central support and then hardened into the final shape by their own direction. The surrounding Furniture is reconfigurable to create seating groups for social gatherings.

the 5,110 sq. ft. of rectangular space and the adjoining connecting corridor leading to the performance spaces; second, to express with the architects the design program to satisfy the

Images: Marion Jean, MADOC and/or Maude Perreault-Lavoie

client’s objective of giving the space a dramatic, upbeat image that would hold its own as a see-

www.architecturalssl.com

ARCHITECTURAL SSL • 01.13 • 29

SSLProfile:

SALON URBAIN, PLACE DES ARTS, Montreal

THE CHALLENGE: Transform a former underground parking area into a public space that would also double as a pre-event area for the performing arts center or as an events space that could be rented for outside activities.

THE SOLUTION: Lighting/visual designers Ambiances Design Productions, in this case led by Martin Gagnon, worked with the architects to install an overhead lightscape that would add dimension and surface to the space that would create interest that visitors would identify with and recall as a special place to enjoy and want to return to. Suspended from the ceiling, 9 ft.-high at its lowest point, and down along one wall, is a system of 1,800 bent thin matte-satin finished metal panels. The panels are illuminated with RGB LEDs to create a luminous environment that ranges from white to all color.

PROJECT CREDITS:

Architects: Sid Lee Architecture and Aedifica Lighting and Visual Design: Ambiances Design Productions PRODUCTS:

Eski: 15-watt, custom LED boards Modo Luce: Circular luminaires

HALL OF SHIMMER Adjacent to the Salon is the main corridor leading from the garage to the auditorium. From the chrome ceiling, Gagnon suspended custom acrylic cylinders made by Eski. “Each contains three LEDs—one cold white, the other two warm white— that can be controlled to produce a shimmering effect,” he says.

and-be-seen destination, and promote the sched-

“would identify with and recall as a special place

ule of events at the Quartier des Spectacles.

to enjoy and return to,” says Gagnon.

Ambiances Design Productions has recently

Suspended from the ceiling—9-ft.-high at

the use of the white LED component.”

Interspersed within the glowing dimensional curtain are circular white fixtures mounted

completed two exterior projects utilizing LEDs

its lowest point, and down along one wall—is a

below a mirror-finished polished chrome square.

that have become urban icons. In Winnipeg, The

system of 1,800 bent thin matte-satin finished

Gagnon interpreted the geometry of the fixtures

Cube (profiled in SSL in the Nov. 2011 issue) is a

metal panels painted light grey on both sides.

with pedestal seating enclosing 13-watt CFLs

free-standing illuminated structure that can be

“The 15-watt RGBW LED boards are installed

that create a rim around a solid opaque center.

turned into a performance venue by raising one

within the short sideways section of the folded

The repetition of the fixtures serve as wayfind-

of the LED-covered sides to reveal a stage. In

elements so there would be no pixel reflection,

ing markers and also as subtle space dividers

Quebec City, he collaborated with Robert Lepage

and the direction of the light would be bounced

so that visitors will feel comfortable in moving

to bring a light show to a nearly quarter-mile

toward the floor,” Gagnon indicates.

through the otherwise open interior vista.

long façade of grain silos facing the St. Lawrence

Each tile, he adds, is individually controlled

“Salon Urbain has become an excellent fit

River (profiled in January 2012 illuminate, and

over four channels as part of a large display lay-

for the lifestyle of Montreal residents, especially

online at www.architecturalssl.com in the “Hot

out, almost as if it was a low-resolution screen,

those who live nearby,” Gagnon reports. “It has

Projects” section on SSL Interactive, February

notes the designer.

been adopted as a unique form of public urban

archive). In the case of Salon Urbain, the solution

“The system is driven by low-resolution

living room. And for the management of the

was to install an overhead lightscape that would

chip that provides the smooth evolution of color

Place des Arts complex, its popularity has far

add dimension and surface interest that visitors

schemes to provide a soft white glow through

exceeded expectations.”•

30 • 01.13 • ARCHITECTURAL SSL

www.architecturalssl.com

SMART THINGS COME IN SMALL PACKAGES. Introducing NECTOR power systems from TE Connectivity. Now you can connect lighting, power and data on every floor of your intelligent building in smarter ways than ever before. With an endless array of configurable solutions, low installation costs and a true plug-and-play interface… nothing will stand in between you and your genius.

Watch the NECTOR video and connect to your genius at NectorPower.com

©2013 Tyco Electronics Corporation, All Rights Reserved.

NECTOR, TE Connectivity and the TE connectivity (logo) are trademarks.

Circle 09

UPCOMING ISSUE PREVIEW March 2013 Featured Project: The Vancouver campus of the University of British Columbia by Perkins and Will with Stantec Consulting. Beyond taking a look at the myriad of super-efficient building systems and technologies, this feature will also break down the process of how the building and design teams went about delivering this integrated facility from a multitude of charettes, to goals establishment to energy and building information modeling.

Building envelope: A focus on glazing as far as benefits of triple and double-pane glazing with emphasis on thermal performance and beating thermal bridging.

We’ll also take a look at insulated concrete panels.

Daylighting: A further dissection of the building envelope examining glazing choices for dealing with coatings and orientation choices for addressing solar gain and glare.

Lighting: The connection between LEDs and solar power to deliver true sustainable lighting.

Introducing…

NET ZERO BUILDINGS MAGAZINE

OnSite Power: Cogeneration including a look at how it helped Columbia University withstand Hurricane Sandy.

Water Resources: Best water-conserving and management strategies

Net Zero Buildings magazine (NZB) exists to help owners, architects and other stakeholders come to terms with the zero energy paradigm by offering practical applications, protocols, strategies and product options that assist in successful project results.

PUBLISHING SCHEDULE

Until now, there has been no single media resource specifically created to help connect the dots of building performance for architects, owners and contractors—something that brings the needed clarity to create the vision and plan necessary for achieving high-performance buildings from both design and financial perspective.

NZB will publish in these months in 2013: March / June / September / November

Sign on to receive Net Zero Buildings magazine print version free of charge at www.nzbmagazine.com

SUBSCRIBE

While there, take this opportunity to review the most recent digital version of NZB

Net Zero Buildings (NZB) is a publication of Construction Business Media

FREE

Review the recent issue of NZB www.nzbmagazine.com then enroll to receive all issues free of charge.

SSLProfile: HELSINKI’S SILO OF LIGHT, A NEW URBAN ICON CONTROLLED

BY WIND AND WATER SILO 468 Helsinki, Finland

Adaptive reuse, by its very definition, requires that design teams think both outside—and inside—the box to create a new technologically functional entity. In Finland’s capital city of Helsinki, the abandoned Silo 468 wasn’t a box at all.

Located on the edge of the city on the Gulf of Finland, by the Baltic Sea, its potential to contribute to the cityscape needed to be unlocked.

In April 2011, the city’s planning department invited proposals to turn the circular former oil tank into a permanent light art piece to mark the beginning of a major urban redevelopment project. The targeted completion date for Silo 468 was October 2012, to coincide with events planned for the 2012 Helsinki World Design Capital. Lighting Design Collective (LDC) was selected as the lead design firm to turn the hulking cylinder into an object of civic pride for residents and to offer an interior space for performances and other events. For lighting designer Tapio Rosenius, director of LDC’s Madrid office, the massive structure, 118 ft. in diameter and 53 ft. in height, communicated hidden promises of what could become a major expression of contemporary urban art. “What a site!” Rosenius recalls at his first visit. “It stands by the sea, facing central Helsinki and is constructed of thick steel plates with no supporting columns,” says the designer.

Borrowing from its surroundings, inspiration for the lighting concept came from strong prevailing winds and the movement of light on the water. Using a technique known as flocking systems, LDC developed custom software that

ABOVE: Silo 468 represents the renewal of the area to become the city’s “district of light.” Now established as a landmark as well as a marketing attraction, its illuminated presence succeeds in drawing attention to a previously little-known district of the city, even by its more than 1.4 million residents, and to visitors.

gathers real-time data from the current local weather to control the structure’s LED light system so that visitors inside the silo can experience the visual expression of light that responds

Images: Uusheimo Photography

directly to nature. By using nature-simulating algorithms, along with “swarm” intelligence, the

www.architecturalssl.com

ARCHITECTURAL SSL • 01.13 • 33

SSLProfile:

SILO 468, Helsinki, Finland

THE CHALLENGE: Create a visually striking re-use of an abandoned oil storage tank that would not only serve as new public space, but in turn, could help spark planned redevelopment efforts in Helsinki in time for the 2012 World Design Capital.

THE SOLUTION Using a grid of LEDs and innovative control known as “flocking” systems, lighting group LDC came up with custom software that responds to real-time weather conditions, including wind speed and direction, to make Silo 468’s 1,280 white LEDs appear to flicker and sway on its surface.

PROJECT CREDITS

Client: City of Helsinki Architects: Poyry Finland Oy Lighting Designer: Lighting Design Collective Project Manager: HKR Executive PRODUCTS

3-watt LED domes provided by Traxon Technologies.

Visit www.traxontechnologies.com or Circle 289.

Control system provided by e-cue.

Visit www.ecue.com or Circle 290.

TRUE PUBLIC SPACE There is no charge to groups or individuals who wish to stage an event at Silo 468. “So far, there have been TV show filmings, poetry evenings, weddings, dinners, dance events and a fire juggler,” says designer Tapio Rosenius. When there are no events, the interior becomes a quiet and contemplative space.

lighting designers can change light patterns by

from the original interior rust patterns, except

having the software respond to parameters such

for the north wall, which has no perforations,”

for the very late evening, Rosenius says. All the

as wind speed, direction, temperature, snow

says Rosenius.

interior lighting from the suspended LED grid

and the clearness of the night sky. The “swarm”

Sunlight fills the interior space with dap-

aspect of the software refers to its mimicking of

pled shadows during the day. “With sunlight, the

the patterns of birds or insects in flight, as well

silo’s exterior appears to glimmer and sparkle

as schools of fish. “The program creates a par-

like the surface of the water below,” he indicates.

ticle system combining motion behavior of these

To replicate similar effects at night, the

The warm white of the exterior turns red

media mesh is reflected back into the space from the dark red-painted walls.

At midnight, exterior floodlights turn the surface deep red for an hour. “The color refers to the container’s former use as a repository for

creatures to create organic and non-repetitive

team called for the installation of 1,280 custom

the production of energy that is still finding its

animations,” says Rosenius.

LED luminaire domes. Each light is controlled

way out,” believes Rosenius. “At 2:30 a.m., when

individually. At a relatively warm 2700K, the

the last ferry goes past Silo 468 on its way to the

control of the LED array is executed using pixel

LEDs, supplied by Traxon, are fitted behind the

island of Suomenlinna, the lights go off.“

mapping techniques. LDC’s control application

cut-outs of the structure’s surface. Also behind

was developed in OpenFrameworks and runs in

the holes are 450 steel mirrors that respond to

notes the actual power load of the structure dur-

an e:cue Lighting Control Engine mx server.

wind movements.

ing operation is about 2 kW, or roughly 2 watts

Data is gathered through an RSS feed, and

“The system dials out every five minutes for

Despite the intense light show, Rosenius

per. sq. meter.

Day Dreamer

new data,” Rosenius explains. “The patterns are

Nature also comes to bear in the use of natural

fluid and never repeat. They are basically slow,

light. The tank is perforated with 2012 holes—a

but speed up in response to the wind velocity,

silo’s metamorphosis, a floor was installed, along

reference to the city’s year-long celebration.

producing constantly changing murals of light,”

with a rigging infrastructure, power, water and

“Daylight seeps in through the openings derived

he says.

emergency and cleaning lighting.•

34 • 01.13 • ARCHITECTURAL SSL

The cost of launching the silo structure into its new life was $2.6 million (U.S.). As part of the

www.architecturalssl.com

COMING IN MARCH The next issue will mark the third installment of our Architectural SSL Product Innovation Awards. We’ve had more than 200 entries and we’ve definitely seen a significant increase in competition. Of course, there were a lot of entries in the categories where SSL has enjoyed the most commercial success: downlights, area lights, flood lighting—but we’re also seeing significant competition in new areas: general ambient, decorative pendants and specialty lighting, so the range of SSL product types is getting broader.

Competition for Project Application recognition and Market Leadership categories have also increased. So be on the lookout for the next issue where we’ll bring you our readers, the products our diligent panel of industry experts deemed noteworthy this year.

Jim Crockett, editorial director

OUR JUDGES VILMA BARR, veteran lighting writer and regular Architectural SSL contributor BERNARD BAUER, Principal, Integrated Lighting Concepts KEVIN DOWLING, Vice President of R&D, MC10 JOHN FOX, Principal Fox +Fox KEVIN GUANA, Founder, Sun Brothers JEFFREY KNOX, Senior Lighting Designer, Schuler Shook AVI MOR, Principal, LightSwitch Architectural STEVE NEIMEISTER, Director of Lighting, Ewing Cole EVELYN SAHAJA, CEO of InLightin Design CHUCK ROSS, veteran lighting writer and regular Architectural SSL contributor DANE SANDERS, Principal, Clanton Assocs.

STAN WALERCZYK, Principal, Lighting Wizards WINNERS TO BE ANNOUNCED...

Thank you to all the entrants that participated.

The winners of the 2013 Architectural SSL PIA awards will be honored in the next issue.

KEVIN WILLMORTH, Architectural SSL Editor,and Principal, Lumenique consulting BRUCE YARNELL, Principal, Yarnell Assocs.

By Kevin Willmorth, editor

The Evolution of Solid-State Education Talk to customers from their perspective and everyone wins.

In the early stage of any emerging technology, from the perspective of

state lighting must keep in mind that they need customers more than

the technology developers, education of customers to establish a com-

customers need them. Deliver information in a way that entices them

mon ground of communication is essential. As this process takes root,

to feel they need the technology enough to invest time and effort to

greater detail can be delivered, increasing the depth of understanding

learn more, and everyone wins. When a product requires more training

for decision-makers from product makers to end users. Soon, more

than customers are willing to invest, simplification of the product may

specialized education emerges, helping create greater understanding

be necessary to improve deployment success. This strategy can also be

of specific details necessary to engineer products or realize greatest

applied against competitors who fail to simplify to fit customer percep-

end-use success for solid-state lighting products.

tion. Simplify and clarify are two words that cannot be over-stressed.

These branches might include color performance, thermal considerations, driver characteristics, dimmer control functionality, service life testing or efficiency of systems. The greater the difference between an innovation and the prevailing incumbent technology, the greater the demand for increased education to overcome the difference in understanding. But this is not the complete story.

Of critical importance to all who pursue educational efforts,

When it comes to education efforts, address customers from their perspective. Making a connection between lighting needs and the value a technology brings to serve those requirements, in balance with perception, will improve customer communication dramatically.

whether at a trade conference or in customer interaction, is to remember that recipient participation is voluntary. End-users can choose to learn—or ignore—new information and continue to do whatever they

The assumption that any technology can be deployed by forcing

wish. There exists a fine line between deployment of an innovation

educational programs onto a reluctant market is a common error.

that delivers value that causes market transformation through enthu-

When forced, response and interest will revert to pain avoidance,

siastic customer reaction, and marketing follies that demand more of

where all that will be learned is enough to keep from being bothered

customers than they’re willing to invest.

any further. This is not a positive condition, reflected in the state of

Take, for example, the automobile. It required growth of customer

current energy codes, where customers comply with demands without

knowledge and understanding in order to succeed. Conversely, the

engaging the underlying goal. This is an example of failed education,

concept of the smart home has been a mismatch between perceived

leaving the market under regulatory control, and new learning stops

need by the customer and the required commitment to understand-

at the end of a code paragraph.

ing. Where the automobile was a transformative technology because people were willing to take on the learning curve, the smart home

Next Steps

has languished because customers do not perceive it a strong enough

SSL has entered a phase where educational programs need to evolve

value—at least at this juncture—to invest the time required to apply it

toward greater involvement of customer perspectives, through both

effectively–regardless of continued educational efforts attempting to

adjustment of content and reconsideration of product features. Evolu-

turn this around.

tion of education demands increased sophistication of approach, but not the presentation of complexity of subject matter. A key part of this

Overcoming Barriers

approach is to address lighting industry customers from their own per-

When the barrier of customer reluctance to self educate is encoun-

spective. Making a connection between lighting needs and the value

tered, there are two questions that need to be answered: First, is the

the technology brings to serve those requirements, in balance with

value of the technology, as perceived by the customer, high enough to

perception, will improve communication dramatically. This requires

warrant investment in self-directed education? Second, is the technol-

looking beyond the simplistic savings of energy, or return-on-invest-

ogy configured appropriately to attain requisite understanding from a

ment analysis, as these may not be the highest priority on a recipient's

minimal amount of investment by customers? In too many cases, fea-

list of application demands. The evolution of education that moves

tures and details are included that confuse or block customer interest.

beyond talking at recipients, by bringing them to the technology—vol-

Further, when a technology is presented too aggressively, customer

untarily enthused to engage and learn more—is the next stage of the

defenses pop up, ending all learning. Marketers and educators in solid-

technology's development.•

36 • 01.13 • ARCHITECTURAL SSL

www.architecturalssl.com

AIA Continuing Education

“ Enjoyable and very clearly

instructional.”

- Travis, 6/24/2012

“This was an excellent course- one of the

best I have taken. Would like more information on window details and details at base of building” - Ellen, 6/1/2012

fabulous

“This was a course!

Information is matter of fact explained and easy to retain.

By far the best one hour course I have taken” - Janis, 4/6/2012

add to your product library…good course”

“

- Devin, 1/23/2012

Informative and easy to understand presentation.”

“

- Jennifer, 6/28/2012

These are just a handful of the public comments you can see under every course on TCA. And surveys continue to show that the TCA user experience is the best in the business.

Visit, explore, register and take a course – for free – today!

FEATURED COURSES

Optimizing Performance in Commercial Fenestration

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TheContinuingArchitect.com

Product Introductions

Cool Control Philips Color Kinetics launched its IntelliPower system for delivering high-bandwidth LED lighting control with a notable icon: Boston’s Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge. Using existing electrical and physical infrastructures, the system facilitates the deployment of digitally controllable LED lighting solutions where re-wiring is not desirable or feasible.

Visit www.colorkinetics.com or Circle 291.

“SSL marketers must keep in mind that they need customers more than customers need them. Deliver information in a way that entices them to feel they need to spend the effort to learn the technology and everyone wins.”

—Kevin Willmorth

1 Packs a Punch The ultra-compact Platinum Beam 15R Pro from Elation produces a searchlight-like beam rivaling a 1200W discharge lamp, but draws only 500W at maximum use.

Visit www.elationlighting.com or Circle 293.

2 Options Abound Incito downlights from Gotham Architectural Lighting can be specified in any of up to 2,000 performance combinations thanks to a large number of available lumen packages and beam configurations. Beam angles range from 20 degrees to 70 degrees and lumen outputs range from 2000 to 6500 lumens.

Visit www.gothamlighting.com or Circle 294.

3 They’re Just Grand Grand Terrace pendants from Meyda Custom Lighting are available in a spot pendant and a 14-light pendant. The fixtures provide both down-facing spotlights and upward-facing ambient illumination.

The spots are housed in an American walnut base, with amber glass candle covers. Canopies and frames are hand-finished in wrought iron.

Visit www.meyda.com or Circle 295.

38 • 01.13 • ARCHITECTURAL SSL

www.architecturalssl.com

Product Introductions

Green Gallery At the Quinlan Visual Arts Center in Gainesville, Ga., new LED ecoimagination PAR38 retrofit sources from GE Lighting will replace about 200 halogen lamps, saving the 10,000-sq.-ft. gallery about $5,000 annually in energy costs. The retrofit was made possible through a grant from Grants to Green.

Visit www.gelighting.com or Circle 292.

According to IES TM-21-11, the expansion of digital controls has grown to include 17 protocols for lighting and building automation control, including wireless variants and those requiring no external power connection.

4 Energy Star-ing Role MaxLite has added four new models to its Energy Star-rated sources: a 4W MR16; a dimmable 4W flame-tip candle lamp; a dimmable 7W A-Type frosted bulb; and a 13W PAR30 replacement for 75W incandescent or halogen lamps.

Visit www.maxlite.com or Circle 296.

5 High Performer The BAYLED78 from RAB Lighting is intended for large, open spaces, such as warehouses and gymnasiums, while the AISLELED78 is equipped with special optics to distribute light evenly across the face of vertical racks in an aisle. Both are available in cool, neutral and warm color temperatures.

Visit www.rabweb.com or Circle 297.

6 Reflex Reaction Joining WAC Lighting’s family of high-end accent and display fixtures are an 8.7W/554 lumen model and a larger 17.5W/1017 lumen unit. Both offer a CRI of up to 85 and interchangeable 10-degree spot and 25-degree flood reflectors. Dimming is possible using an electronic low-voltage dimmer.

Visit www.waclighting.com or Circle 298.

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ARCHITECTURAL SSL • 01.13 • 39

Product Introductions

Stay on Track New Everline LED drivers and modules from Universal Lighting Technologies provide added options for track and downlight fixture designers, with efficiency up to 90+ lumens per watt. Drivers are available in multiple housing configurations to control luminaires ranging from 15W to 150W, and new round LED modules are offered in color temperatures ranging from 2700K to 4000K. Combined, these products can be used in both fixed light output and analog dimming applications with standard 0—10V controls.

Visit www.unvlt.com or Circle 299.

Recent DOE CALiPER testing of linear LED sources vs. fluorescent sources found that LEDs were generally more efficacious and of equal color quality than fluorescents, but suffered a wide variation of luminous intensity distribution and lumen output.

1 Certified Replacement ORR Lighting has introduced the CB2G lamp as a drop-in replacement for compact fluorescent 2G11 products. Certified to cETLus standards, the lamp is designed to bypass ballasts in existing fixtures, so no further modifications are required.

Visit www.orrlighting.com or Circle 301.

2 Enhanced Performance LUXEON Rebel PLUS LEDs provide 15% higher performance standards over earlier Philips Lumileds products, with efficacy up to 110 lumens per watt.

The new single-emitter products are manufactured to allow lighting designers to upgrade existing products quickly and efficiently.

Visit www.futurelightingsolutions.com or Circle 302.

3 So Many Options The Halo ML56 Recessed Downlighting System from Cooper Lighting offers a varied selection of lumen packages, color temperatures and other trim options.

Color temperature options range from 2700K to 4000K, at either 80 CRI or 90 CRI, and with a choice of two lumen packages.

Visit www.cooperlighting.com or Circle 303.

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Product Introductions

The Same, But Different The new Ditto line of LED lamps from Satco offers a range of LED lamps that can directly replace incandescent R20, BR30 and R40 lamps in designs that mimic the appearance of the traditional lamps exactly. BR30 versions are available with either medium or GU24 bases, while R20 and R40 offerings are available with a medium base only.

Visit www.satco.com or Circle 300.

“Generally, when we have done the tabulations of changing an older space to mostly LED sources, we have experienced between a 70% and 80% decrease in energy usage without sacrificing lighting levels.”

—Bruce Yarnell, Yarnell & Assocs.

4 Heavy-Duty Operators Toshiba’s TGT luminaires are designed for roadway applications. Incorporating on-board photocells with a 15-year lifespan rating, the TGT enables automatic dimming as a standard feature and eliminates the need for a NEMA twist-lock photocell.

Visit www.toshiba.com/lighting or Circle 304.

5 Octagonal Offering A slim octagonal design adds special benefits for lighting designers incorporating the TALEXXengine STARK CLE from Tridonic into circular and square ceiling- and wall-mounted luminaires. The 15W units can be combined with the company’s EM powerLED Emergency Lighting Control module to take over emergency-lighting functions.

Visit www.tridonic.com or Circle 305.

6 Improved Control Lumenetix has added to its Araya line of color tuning modules with a software-based tool that allows users to more precisely pinpoint desired colors to customize the illumination of different wall, flooring and merchandise textures.

Visit www.lumenetix.com or Circle 306.

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ARCHITECTURAL SSL • 01.13 • 41

±DV§RTiS§R

Δ§BSiT§

ACUITY BRANDS

www.acuitybrands.com

ARCHITECTURAL SSL PRODUCT INNOVATION AWARDS

www.architecturalssl.com/pia

B-K LIGHTING

www.bklighting.com

IALD

www.iald.org

INTENSE LIGHTING

www.intenselighting.com

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KIM LIGHTING / HUBBELL

www.kimlighting.com

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BC

LIGHTSEARCH

www.lightsearch.com

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NET ZERO BUILDINGS MAGAZINE (NZB)

www.netzerobuildingsmagazine.com

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NICHIA

www.nichia.co.jp

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NORA LIGHTING

www.noralighting.com

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PHILIPS LUMILEDS

www.philipslumileds.com

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RAB LIGHTING, INC.

www.rabled.com

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STERNBERG VINTAGE LIGHTING

www.sternberglighting.com

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TE CONNECTIVITY

www.te.com

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THE CONTINUING ARCHITECT

www.thecontinuingarchitect.com

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:

Back in the September issue, a letter from Gosia Perz raised some questions about ASSIST’s flicker research, which appeared in an SSL Interactive story on line.

Our studies, cited in the ASSIST document, did not use a threshold measurement technique, but instead used measurements of how often stroboscopic effects were detected, and how acceptable they were judged even if detected. Thus, as stated in the document, extrapolating beyond the range of conditions we tested (100-10,000 Hz, 5%-100% flicker) would not yield valid predictions. I am pleased that within this range, our model predictions are correlated with data from a paper co-authored by Ms. Perz at the recent CIE Lighting Quality conference. In our studies, we also found that sinusoidal and square waveforms had similar detectability, and that a 50% duty cycle was about equally detectable as 10%.

SSL contains beautiful pictures and great lighting information, but it does not recognize that, innovative as LEDs are, there are lots of other lighting tools that might do a better job in certain applications. Even DOE cautions that LED are not for all uses. If only a small portion of the sums spent to push LEDs were allocated to R & D for incandescents, the designer’s palette would have one more way to create affordable, sustainable and acceptable lighting within the increasing energy regulations—In lighting, as in every other system, one size/type does not fit all.

I particularly take umbrage with the crack in SSL Observed about HID being awful. My test kit for glass fibre optics lighting has been bounced off planes, trains, buses and cars since 1993, and the dependable metal lamp still works. Not-there-yet LEDs still have problems to solve, like questionable life time, changing color, heat dissipation, flickering on dimming and price.

JOHN BULLOUGH Lighting Research Center, RPI

GERSIL KAY, IESNA, AIA/HRC Conservation Ltg. Int’l

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EDITORIAL PREVIEW:

EQUAL TIME FLICKER FEEDBACK

CiRCL§ ∑UμB§R

In the March issue, beyond the PIA awards, we’ll present our annual look at the state of SSL manufacturing.

In the continuing effort to bring down the price of the technology, manufacturers are intensely focusing on LED packaging, the aspect that accounts for the highest percentage of manufacturing cost. The community is also trying to produce light sources with fewer parts and simplified components. Check back for this notable report, as well as our usual news and technical updates.

CORRECTION: In the November 2012 profile on the Ernst and Young offices, the wattage savings were incorrect. The retrofit reduced energy from roughly 2 watts per sq. ft. to 1 watt per sq. ft., not the 40 watts per sq. ft. noted. We apologize.

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It works the way you think.

SSLObserved:

By Kevin Willmorth

Play of Light Makes Living in Boxes Tolerable structures, one can’t help but wonder if a nice

In the fervor surrounding the drive to be more energy efficient, the idea of playfulness of light is frowned upon. I reject that categorically, as LED light can be expressive and efficient.

LEDs make great sources for playful light.

box would do just as well. Yet, when we want

Directionality is a great asset in this regard, so

to really get ideas flowing, we suggest thinking

is scalable source size and luminance. Unlike

“out of the box”, although nobody actually goes

any other source before it, a 1-watt LED is as ef-

outside—attempting to think outside, without

ficient as a 25 watt source, so there is no penalty

leaving.

for playfulness.

In my time as a designer, there have been

This is the first source that can be expres-

instances where discussion of design came

sive and efficient at the same time. When this is

around to the idea of organic form, and the need

embraced, magic happens. Yet, there is a lurking

We live in boxes. Whether it’s where we work,

for more of it. These deep thoughts generally

force out there that promulgates the notion that

or where we sleep and play, we have created

occur within a box, the least organic shape of all.

playfulness in light must be abandoned to serve

for ourselves a universe of little boxes. Straight

I propose that any discussion of organic shape

the greater boxy good. I almost fell into that

walls make it easy to arrange our furniture,

must occur out of doors. Otherwise, it’s like talk-

trap, moving away from what I knew in my heart

while corners provide spaces to tuck artsy

ing about flying hybrid electric cars from within

was true. Now I see it for the fallacy it is. If we

things to decorate and hide the boxiness of it

a 1969 Plymouth Roadrunner with a 440 six

are going to live in boxes, we will need to make

all. We store our food in little cooler boxes, stash

pack. Or meeting in gigantic convention centers

them feel good. The way this is done is with light,

junk in cardboard boxes, and stare at rectangu-

lighted by halogen and metal halide lamps from

playing on the rectangular prisons we would

lar screens where images of others in real and

30 ft. above the floor—to discuss how we all need

otherwise be stuck in. This can be done without

imaginary boxes tell us stories and inform us

to employ LEDs to save energy.

wasting energy. However, if left to the energy

that it is cold and windy outside. It’s very odd

I like that lighting does not fit into boxes.

engineers who are at home in their square

when you think about it. Boxes are not natural to

Light is round, spherical, conical—not boxy.

cornered minds, light will be treated like a filler

any other being or environmental existence, yet

When you put light into a box, you get scallops,

commodity, to flood spaces with a specified quan-

we make them for ourselves by choice.

round and oval patterns and cones. Light plays

tity, evenly applied to every surface with preci-

funny games with the perception of boxes, mak-

sion and purpose, creating lighted space devoid

beyond boxes. His alternatives included cylin-

ing them more shapely and interesting. I am

of any playfulness.

ders and the geodesic dome, which promised

completely against the concept of “volumetric”

to change our little boxes to bubbles. His ideas

lighting, which attempts to fill a box with even

carton, I am going to use light to transform and

were revered as innovative by those who offered

illumination, like filling it with water. This is an

hide its boxiness.•

such opinion, but in the end failed to change us.

ugly solution that denies lighting its true form.

Today, the Buckminster Fuller Institute resides

OLED is heading down this road of fitting light

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

in a box in Brooklyn, New York. Frank Lloyd

into diffuse squares to fill boxes. I prefer to see

Kevin Willmorth, a lighting expert and fixture designer,

Wright liked boxes, as did Sullivan, and Mies Van

light dance around a room, adding form and pat-

has been instrumental in helping create a vision and

der Roe. While Frank Gehry explores free-form

tern, then bouncing away for ambience.

mission statement for Architectural SSL.

Buckminster Fuller tried to get us to think

44 • 01.13 • ARCHITECTURAL SSL

That’s not for me. If I am going to live in a

www.architecturalssl.com

It’s 3 am. No one’s working.

So why are your lights?

Only Acuity Brands provides you with advanced LED lighting seamlessly integrated with digital controls. This enables your lighting to be on when you need it – and off when you don’t – reducing energy consumption 24 hours a day. www.acuitybrands.com/integration

SMAR T + SI M PL E L IG HTIN G S O L U TIO N S © 2013 Acuity Brands Lighting, Inc. All rights reserved.

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This is the Next Revolution in LED Outdoor Lighting.

This is Kim Lighting.

“ Every revolution was first a thought in one man’s mind.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

www.kimlighting.com Circle 11