LIGHTFAIR International 2015 was held last week at New York City’s Javits Center. If you know anything about the lighting industry, you know that this is the event to attend. This year LIGHTFAIR saw more than 26,000 attendees walk through the doors to view the latest LED light bulbs and solid state lighting (SSL) products. It’s an opportunity to explore state-of-the-art technology, network with like-minded professionals, and attend educational sessions. Many manufacturers use the conference to announce new products that will be available at some point later this year.
The exhibition hall was jam-packed with attendees and manufacturers, and featured a number of exciting new product announcements. Gaining control of lighting and improved light quality and design were by far the popular themes this year. If you missed LIGHTFAIR this year or have never even heard of it, this is LIGHTFAIR in Review.
LED Efficacy
When it comes to lighting technology, LED has been the fan favorite for the last few years at LIGHTFAIR. And while new LED light bulbs and fixtures are still being introduced, many manufactures have spent their time dedicated to improving LED efficacy (better lumens per watt). Increased efficacy means brighter, better quality light and lower energy use. We also observed noticeable improvements in LED fixture design, variety, and replacement wattages.
Smart Lighting
Smart lighting technology is moving fast. LIGHTFAIR showed off plenty of examples this year- controllable light is everywhere. Maybe you’re familiar with Philips hue or other similar wirelessly controlled LED lighting systems. Networked LEDs are becoming more prevalent and are paving the way for home and business automation.
For many, the primary reason to switch to LED is for the energy savings. At LIGHTFAIR and across the industry we’re finding that utilizing sensors can provide a variety of data points that can be very helpful to businesses and their customers. Data can be used to make smart business decisions and engage with customers. Smart LEDs, Connected LEDs, and Networked LEDs- however you wish to describe them are the future for homes, businesses, and municipalities.
Cities, towns, and other government facilities are starting to implement this technology in their LED streetlight conversions. The opportunity is there for more than just safety and security from smart street lights. Industries including retail, environmental, manufacturing, and hospitality could all benefit from an upgrade to LED for the energy savings as well as the intelligence. There’s even a way for a grocery store to use an LED network to engage customers in a certain aisle, which may be a little too invasive for some.
The Internet of Things is growing. More companies are getting on board with new products capable of collecting data such as traffic patterns, noise pollution, snow fall, and more. Eventually towns and cities will come to realize that there is more to LED that just energy saving light.
New Products
Whether you’re a seasoned lighting expert or new to the industry, one thing you can count on at LIGHTFAIR are really cool lighting products and innovative prototypes for just about every application imaginable. Some are already available, others coming soon, and even a few still being developed from popular brands like Philips, Cree, TCP, Bulbrite, and GE.
This year we witnessed LED fixtures that can change their color temperature from warm to cool, a handful of modular LED lighting systems, many app controlled products, smart LEDs for the healthcare industry, and a few good-looking LED parking garage fixtures.
We paid a visit to a couple of our top manufacturers to check out what they have to offer in 2015. Within the next few months we will be bringing in new and improved products from Bulbrite and Philips (among others).
Bulbrite showed off two new lines that are making their way to the Bulbs.com site. They include ELEVA™- an LED magnetic downlight retrofit system and a new lineup of LED filament bulbs.
ELEVA (pronounced Ah-Levah) is an easy-to-install 4-part LED Downlight Retrofit System. It offers over 1,800 possible color, trim, and lighting combinations for complete customization. 4 parts = hundreds of possibilities!
Bulbrite’s LED Filament line is on the way too. This extremely popular, aesthetically pleasing line-up will feature a family full of new filament style LED bulbs in vintage and traditional bulb shapes as an energy saving alternative to incandescent nostalgic light bulbs. These will be available in a nostalgic glass tint and standard clear glass.
We will also be bringing in a selection of new and improved products from Philips Lighting. To complement the very popular line of InstantFit LED T8 tubes, Philips has introduced a dimmable 4’ InstantFit lamp. Additionally, we expect to see some PL-L plug-in LED lamps and 60 watt equivalent decorative LED bulbs. Stay tuned…
LIGHTFAIR 2016 will be at the San Diego Convention Center from April 26-28.
If you have any questions about the products mentioned here or would like to know more about the benefits of LED lighting and controls, please contact one of our certified Lighting Specialists at 888-455-2800.