New Product Winners at Lightfair 2001

Lightfair International 2001 was held in Las Vegas May 29-June 1, with over 16,000 lighting engineers and designers in attendance. The Showcase Awards given out at the event recognize new products for technical innovation and design qualities in a host of categories.

Best New Product and Energy Awards

Ledalite of Langley, B.C. walked away with three of the top awards. It won the award for Best New Product of the Year for its Meso Optics diffusers and reflectors. The technology uses halographically recorded micro-optics to control light and transmit or reflect it in multi-plane ways. The diffusers/reflectors can be used in a range of applications from office lighting to daylighting, exterior floodlighting, theatrical lighting, etc. Ledalite says they give high quality illumination at lower costs than conventional louvers, lenses and reflectors. The first product using the technology is an ultra low-profile direct/indirect luminaire called Meso-XI which will be released at the end of 2001. Meso Optics also won in the “Components” category.

Ledalite won the Energy Award and the Systems Category Award for its Ergolight-Discus luminaire, also to be released later this year. The circular luminaire has integrated personal dimming control, as well as occupancy and daylight sensors and can be part of system-wide energy management. The luminaire is said to save users up to 87% on their lighting energy costs. See www.ledalite.com

Design Tools

The award for Technical Innovation went to the cl-200 Color Temp Meter by Minolta Corporation of Ramsey, New Jersey. This hand-held battery operated meter can be used to measure illuminance, chromaticity, colour difference, and colour temperature. It includes RS-232 capability and PC software is available. The cl-200 meter also won in the Speciality Innovations Category. See www.minoltalightmeters.com

In the Research, Publications and Software category, the award went to the AG132 version 1.4 lighting design software by Lighting Analysts of Littleton, Colorado. The AGI32 is a comprehensive point-by-point program and photometrically correct colour rendering tool. It is used to produce 3D colour renderings and predictive lighting calculations for any interior or exterior electric lighting system. The same product won the Computer Graphics World Year 2000 Innovation Award. See www.lightinganalysts.com

Fluorescents, HIDs, Roadway Lighting, Ballasts, etc.

Among the other award-winning products of special interest to engineers were:

Design excellence award, flood and facade lighting – Oculus by Architectural Area Lighting.

Incandescent lamps – Capsylite G9 120VHalogen Capsule Lamp, by Osram Sylvania

Fluorescent lamps – Octron XPS by Osram Sylvania

Suspended direct and indirect pendants – Eins Collection Pendant by Transnational Enterprises

Controls – Handshake Portable Lighting Control by High End Systems

Ballast and transformers – Power-Select Electronic Metal Halide Ballast by Reliable Ballast

HID lamps – MasterColor HPS Retro-White by Philips Lighting

Site and roadway lighting – LCD Series by Teka Illumination

Vandal resistant and industrial specialty lighting – Occu-Smart Stair Safe by LaMar Lighting

Exit signs and emergency Orientation Luminaires with High Protection Mode by ERCO Leuchten GMBH.