by Shane Henson — March 25, 2013—Some of the nation’s best energy-efficient lighting products were recognized during the fifth annual Next Generation Luminaires (NGL) Solid-State Lighting (SSL) Design Competition at the LEDucation 7 conference recently held in New York City.
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA), and the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD), the competition promotes excellence in the design of energy-efficient light-emitting diode (LED) commercial lighting fixtures, or “luminaires.” Solid-state lighting technologies, which include both LED and organic light-emitting diode technologies, have the potential to save Americans $30 billion a year in energy costs by 2030, notes the DOE.
A panel of 11 judges from the architectural lighting design community evaluated nearly 100 indoor lighting entries based on lighting quality, appearance, serviceability, efficacy, value, and dimming. The “best-in-class” winners represent three different manufacturers and cover three distinct indoor lighting areas:
- Juno Lighting Group (Des Plaines, IL) for its Trac-Master T254L Cylindra track-mounted accent luminaire
- Digital Lumens (Boston, MA) for its XLE-3-10 Xpress high-bay industrial luminaire
- Acuity Brands/Lithonia Lighting (Conyers, GA) for its W Series LED stairwell luminaire
In addition to the three “best-in-class” winners, 25 other entries were judged as meeting the rigorous requirements of the competition, says the DOE. These recognized winners represent a wide range of manufacturers and lighting applications, including linear lighting, linear pendant lighting, personal task lighting, under-cabinet lighting, wall washing, and utility lighting. Four additional products, which were not otherwise recognized, were noted for their color-adjusting capabilities.
