The lighting Blog - Iluminación profesional - Iluminación decorativa - Proyectos

Swarovski + Zumtobel + DarkoLighting

2011-11-07T02:15:00.003-02:00

Durante el 2011 Swarovski planificó, abrió y remodelo dos tiendas muy importantes y DarkoLighting los acompaño en el suministro de luminarias Zumtobel para ambas tiendas.

Una de las tiendas ya terminadas se encuentra en la esquina de las calles Cordoba y Suipacha mientras que la segunda tienda todavía en ejecución se encuentra en el conocido shopping Unicenter.

Ambos proyectos fueron especificados directamente en Europa y DarkoLighting fue la empresa seleccionada para la provisión de lamparas y luminarias de altisimo nivel profesional.

Tanto las luminarias como las lamparas utilizadas fueron especialmente seleccionadas para destacar los productos de Swarovski en su máximo esplendor.

La linea de luminarias utilizada de ZUMTOBEL se denomina 2LIGHT C MINI.

La gama 2 LIGHT se destaca en particular gracias a su particular característica de iluminación: la luz directa proyectada a través del reflector, sumada al adicional componente de luz difusa, generan una suave - y a la vez emotiva y vital - atmósfera lumínica. Sobre todo este especial efecto lumínico es lo que distingue al 2LIGHT de los sistemas de downlights convencionales. Gracias al novedoso principio de “reflector dividido”, la equilibrada proporción de luz directa y de luz difusa suministra una suave iluminación de agradable claridad, muy semejante a la luz del día. Simultáneamente, es palpable la emotividad deliberadamente transmitida por la combinación de luz dirigida y luz suave-difusa, generándose acentos decorativos y sugerentes.

Apropiada para lámparas HIT de hasta los 35 vatios y lámparas QT de hasta 74 vatios, también la luminaria 2 LIGHT MINI para montaje empotrado, en versiones de 2 y 3 módulos, constituye un óptimo complemento para las aplicaciones en tiendas y salas de venta. Su cabezal de basculación cardánica dirige el flujo luminoso precisamente hacia el objeto deseado. En adición, tanto su patentado cierre „easy-clean“ como su tipo de protección IP44 son garantes de un sencillo y seguro mantenimiento.

La combinación de luz y sonido bajo una misma cubierta es otra de las novedades en el marco del concepto 2 LIGHT de Zumtobel: provista de altavoces Revox, la luminaria 2 LIGHT MINI continúa prestando al techo una apariencia tranquila y apacible, a la vez que sumerge a la sala en una luz brillante y expresiva. Cuesta trabajo creer que dentro del diminuto cuerpo del downlight pueda alojarse un altavoz. Esta ingeniosa combinación ofrece luz y sonido al cliente en todo momento.

Hotel Boca Juniors By Design Suites confía en DarkoLighting la iluminación para este ambicioso proyecto

2011-10-30T03:02:00.002-02:00

En marzo de 2012, el Club Atlético Boca Juniors presentará el primer hotel temático de fútbol y que nos enorgullece contarles que será iluminado por DarkoLighting. Ubicado en el barrio de Monserrat, el nuevo establecimiento tendrá 17 pisos y estará ambientado con toda la parafernalia xeneize.
Design Suites, Solanas Vacation, y el arquitecto Carlos Ott, son los encargados de este desarrollo que contará con 85 suites divididas en cuatro categorías.

Con categoría 5 estrellas, incluye servicio al cuarto las 24 horas, menú de almohadas, mayordomo, valet parking, Internet wi-fi, cocina de fuegos autóctonos y amenities franceses, entre otros.
Al entrar al predio, el huésped se encontrará con alfombras que imitarán el césped de La Bombonera, un mirador virtual al estadio a través de televisores LCD en calidad HD y un salón de eventos llamado La Bombonera.

Además, los clientes podrán tener un acceso preferencial a los entrenamientos de los jugadores, visitas guiadas al Museo Boca Juniors, programas premium con entradas a los partidos en ubicaciones especiales y meet & great con los miembros del equipo. Moderno y de vanguardia, con servicios exclusivos de temática futbolística única en el mundo.

Carlos Ott, arquitecto de trayectoria internacional, fue invitado para proyectar esta idea.

Un hotel con servicios cinco estrellas donde huéspedes y jugadores compartirán un mismo espacio.

Una experiencia que conjuga la arquitectura, el diseño con la decoración temática y el Management hotelero de la cadena Design Suites.

Agradecemos al grupo Design Suites por confiar en DarkoLighting una vez mas.

http://www.hotelbocajuniors.com/

Entrevista radio ASPEN Punta del Este

2011-09-11T12:25:00.000-03:00

Compartimos una nota realizada al Lic. Michel Rosenblatt en radio ASPEN Punta del Este donde nos cuenta un poco sobre DarkoLighting sus origenes y la reciente apertura en Punta del Este. Esperamos que la disfruten.

NOTA EN ASPEN PUNTA by ioniuy

Iluminación de Proyecto Residencial

2011-08-07T20:02:00.002-03:00

Compartimos fotos de un proyecto residencial de alta categoría recientemente finalizado.
El proyecto combina conceptos minimalistas combinadas con lineas clasicas y modernas logrando ambientes calidos que se mantienen en el tiempo.

Para el proyecto de iluminación se utilizaron luminarias de vanguardia modelo ETHER de MOVILUX, lámparas de tonos cálidos y toda la iluminación se controla por medio de u sistema inteligente HELVAR DIGIM que permite definir difentes escenas pre-programadas que se adaptan a cada situación. Generando espacios de interés, escenas sociales, privadas, tranquilas y dinámicas.

La iluminacion es de manera indirecta, perimetral, permitiendo envolver el espacio de luz cálida, eliminando las sombras ¨duras¨ logrando un espacio de relax y tranquilidad. Los artefactos levemente suspendidos prácticamente ¨desaparecen¨ gracias a sus líneas puras y geometrías minimalistas.

Diseño: Arq. Andrea Delfino (ADiluminando)
Asesoramiento y Suministro: Arq. Marcos Guelbert (DarkoLighting)

Mas fotos en nuestro facebook

Light Sells....

2011-07-25T10:18:00.003-03:00

Presentamos mas ideas y lineas de luminarias en este caso orientadas a locales comerciales.

Mas fotos como siempre en nuestro facebook sobre iluminacion y luminarias

Iluminación Dexter Suc 164 Monte Grande

2011-07-24T12:24:00.005-03:00

Compartimos fotos de la reapertura de Dexter Suc164 en Montegrande

Proyecto y Dirección del Local: Claudio Romero
Asesoramiento y suministro en iluminación por Dis. Jesica Berman - Darkolighting

Mas fotos en nuestra pagina de Facebook Fotos Iuminacion

Nuevas Lineas para proyectos institucionales

2011-07-21T16:11:00.001-03:00

Para los que ya estaban aburridos de las luminarias y de la iluminación tradicional estuvimos en la feria mas importante de iluminación de Europa y nos trajimos muchas novedades para compartir.

Presentamos en esta oportunidad una nueva linea de artefactos que estaran disponibles para que puedan evaluar en sus proyectos.

Por favor no duden en consultarnos, estamos para eso. Hay muchas novedades para destacarse y hacer algo diferente

Como siempre pueden ver mas fotos en nuestro Facebook haciendo click aqui, no se olviden de hacerse Fan y estar al dia con todo lo ultimo sobre iluminación.

Proyecto: Nuevo Local Dulce Carola Soleil Buenos Aires

2011-07-21T11:05:00.003-03:00

Compartimos fotos de un nuevo local en este caso de la firma Dulce Carola En shopping Soleil Buenos Aires

Proyecto y Dirección del Local por Arq. Nicolas Schneerson - Garcia Bo - Schneerson Arquitectos
Asesoramiento y suministro en iluminación por Ing. Ionatan Ascher - Darkolighting

Mas fotos en nuestra pagina de Facebook Click Aquí

Nueva MasterColour Elite Dimmerizable - CDM Light Boost

2011-07-17T00:27:00.001-03:00

A partir de Noviembre estará disponible en la Argentina la Nueva MasterColour Elite Dimmerizable - CDM Light Boost de Philips en formatos T y Tc 70W, lamparas que ya pueden empezar a considerar en sus proyectos.

Queremos anunciarles que Philips ha lanzado la nueva MasterColour Elite Dimmerizable T/Tc llamada CDM Light Boost

Reproducción de colores > 90
Dimmerizable hasta 50% con balasto electrónico Aspiravision
Compatible con sistemas de control (stand-alone y network control)

The new MASTERColour CDM Elite Light Boost lamp is a breakthrough innovation that enables you
to vary light levels significantly, while still maintaining excellent quality of light.

The innovative Elite Light Boost lamp from Philips puts an end to complete darkness or full on brightness. Designed for instant response, it can optimise contrast levels with up and down dimming between 100% and 50%. You can save up to 45% on energy usage when the lights are dimmed 50%. At the same time, it maintains a crisp, white sparkling light and keeps light that looks just as attractive during dimming. The lamp is available in two colour temperatures (3000K and 4200K) so merchandise can be lit in the most appropriate colour. What’s more, with a high lumen output and excellent color rendering at any light level, everything will always be displayed at its most attractive.

Darko Proyecta y Suministra Altercity Business Park.

2011-06-26T23:49:00.000-03:00

El pasado Jueves 16 de Junio se llevó a cabo la inauguración del parque empresarial Altercity Business Park.

Con la presencia de más de 450 invitados entre Autoridades, Ejecutivos de destacadas empresas nacionales, prensa de medios locales y nacionales e invitados particulares, se realizó el acto protocolar y el cocktail de bienvenida con una importante recepción.

Durante el evento los invitados pudieron conocer el complejo y visitar el showroom donde se radicaran las oficinas de Censys.

Desarrollo del evento. En el siguiente link se puede visualizar un video que resume el evento de inauguración.

http://www.youtube.com/user/cesarjorrat#p/u/12/XpmHStlvqys

Video de difusión emitido en pantallas de leds estratégicamente ubicadas tanto en el salon principal como en la pantalla ubicada al margen de la laguna. Estas imágenes fueron proyectadas durante todo la duración del evento y difundida entre todos los medios audiovisuales presentes.

http://www.youtube.com/user/cesarjorrat#p/u/12/nB472s4mZIU

DarkoLighting - Punta del Este Nuevo Local Comercial

2011-06-07T13:48:00.004-03:00

Nos complace comunicarles que desde el Miercoles pasado DarkoLighting abrió sus puertas con un flamante local de gran categoría en el Design District de Punta del Este (Av. Italia y parada 4)

En el local se pueden ver y adquirir una importante variedad productos de alta gama de las fábricas y diseñadores mas reconocidos del mundo.

Este no es mas que otro paso firme en nuestra pasión por la iluminación y decoración siempre buscando brindar un excelente servicio. En este caso particular nos orientamos a ofrecer soluciones y productos para un público de una región que viene mostrando un crecimiento constante, donde se valora por sobre todas las cosas la calidad, el buen gusto y el diseño acompañados de un excelente servicio.

Les dejamos algunas fotos.

Controlling LEDs - Conclusion

2011-05-30T22:43:00.000-03:00

Note that just because a fixture and the desired control use the same control technology (ex: 0-10V) that does not mean they will perform well together. This is especially true with forward and reverse phase control, due to their lack of a formal standard. However, even control technologies that have a standard do not indicate anything about performance, they only pertain to compatibility.

The only way to know for sure if a particular LED lamp or fixture will work with a particular dimmer is to test it. Whether that testing is a mock up or testing by the manufacturer, it is necessary to determine if negative behavior, such as flicker, pop-on, dead travel, etc. will occur. Keep in mind that you will not be able to visually determine what the inrush current of an LED product is so you must find out from the manufacturer or limit the number of lamps you are using to avoid overloading the dimmer.

Controlling LEDs Part 9 - Control types for LED products

2011-05-22T19:28:00.000-03:00

Image via Wikipedia

The following control technologies refer to the signal and wiring between the control on the wall and the fixture or lamp. LED retrofit lamps generally only use forward or reverse phase control technologies. LED fixtures may use any method, and it is independent of the driver type (constant current or constant voltage).

The compatibility of a dimmer with a particular LED fixture begins with making sure they both use the same control method. These control technologies are used in standalone applications and control systems as well as in wired and wireless lighting control systems. Controls that use phase control to control a lamp may also use a wireless technology to communicate between loads or within an entire home lighting control system.

Forward Phase Control:

Typically used for incandescent and magnetic low-voltage (MLV) light sources, this is the most common method of dimming control. The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) estimates that there are approximately 150 million forward phase control dimmers installed residentially, and many of these are likely to control LED replacement lamps in the future.

Working well with forward phase control is critical to the success of LED bulbs because of the huge existing installed base. Unfortunately, these controls were never designed for LED lights and are not UL listed to operate LED lights, so the performance is hit or miss and in many cases will cause LEDs to flicker, drop out, pop on or not dim very low. These dimming controls may also require multiple lamps per control in order to meet the minimum load requirements of the control.

New forward phase control dimmers have recently entered the market that have been specially designed to reduce or eliminate the problems seen with controlling LED loads on existing incandescent dimmers. These dimmers are UL listed with specific LED loads, ensuring an acceptable application.

Reverse Phase Control:

Typically used to control electronic low-voltage (ELV) light sources, reverse phase control is best for capacitive loads such as LED drivers. While it does not have the installed base that incandescent dimmers have, this control type is often more successful at high performance LED dimming without flicker.
Reverse phase dimmers were designed for the lower power “electronic loads” of electronic low-voltage transformers, so they tend to work better with the drivers required for LED loads.
Unfortunately, these controls nearly always require a neutral wire to power the internal electronics, and not every electrical back box has a neutral present. Installing reverse phase dimmers in older buildings may require that a neutral wire is pulled to the box. Furthermore, these types of controls are not as widely available in the marketplace and are generally more costly.

Three Wire Control:

This standard fluorescent control type is used by dimmers that were created for fluorescent dimming. Three-wire controls have a separate line voltage wire that carries the phase control signal separate from the power wires.
Three-wire is more precise than forward or reverse and the control signal is much more immune to electrical noise. There are over 30 years of history in the industry of using 3-wire controls to dim fluorescent ballasts to 1% without flicker, drop out, or pop on. Of course, to get this performance, a third line voltage control wire must be pulled to the fixture.

0-10V Control:

This analog control standard has been used in energy management controls such as occupancy and daylight sensors and is now becoming popular with many LED products. This control type is isolated and considered low voltage class 2, enabling it to be safe to the touch and allowing for simplified wiring.
One of the benefits of 0-10V controls is that it is defined in the IEC standard number 60929 Annex E. Unfortunately, some manufacturers don’t follow this standard. This leads to drivers and lamps that claim to be 0-10V compatible but drop out or pop on, or that dim backwards with the lowest light at the top of the control and the brightest light at the bottom. Some 0-10V products do not work at all with controls designed for 0-10V ballasts, which are the majority of installed 0-10V controls. Since the control signal is a small analog voltage, long wire runs can produce a significant drop in the signal level resulting in different light levels from different drivers controlled by the same control device.

DALI :

The DALI digital standard originated in Europe for control of fluorescent ballasts, but is now commonplace in commercial buildings in the United States. DALI is also defined in IEC standard 60929 Annex E. It allows for digital control of individual fixtures, maximizing the user’s control and productivity. DALI provide addressing of individual fixtures and status feedback from the drivers. This makes it easy to digitally assign occupancy sensors, daylight sensors, time clocks, manual controls and other controls to one or many fixtures without complicated wiring. This opens up an entire suite of energy-saving and system-monitoring control schemes where the design and setup is all done within software, making designing with them simple.

DMX:

Typically used in theatrical applications, DMX remains popular with RGB LED applications where multiple channels are necessary for individual color control. Some manufacturers are using DMX as the control type for white light in general illumination applications, which can often be complicated in terms of wiring, addressing, and interacting with other controls in the space.

Controlling LEDs Part 8 - What is the minimum or maximum number of LED fixtures/lamps that can be connected to one dimmer?

2011-05-15T10:36:00.000-03:00

What is the minimum or maximum number of LED fixtures/lamps that can be connected to one dimmer?

A common problem with LED system operation involves overloading the driver. LED drivers are rated for a maximum load (in volts, amps, and/or watts) that must not be exceeded. Similarly, some LED drivers may not perform well if too little load is put on them.

The number of lamps able to be installed on a single phase control dimmer may seem like an easy question to answer. However, it is not as simple as looking at your 600-watt dimmer and dividing 600 by the 15-watt LED lamp you have selected to determine that 60 lamps can be used on a circuit. You may only be able to use 100 watts of the LED load on a dimmer rated for 600 watts. While the LED lamp may only draw 10 watts continuously, it may have a start-up inrush current or repetitive current during every half-cycle that makes it appear much worse. That 15 watt LED lamp will appear to the dimmer as a 100 watt incandescent load, so if you use more than 90 watts of that LED, you will overload the dimmer.

Neglecting this transient current can put significant stress on the dimmer and can cause premature product failure or undesired system performance (such as excessive acoustic noise). This transient electrical stress may limit the maximum number of lamps you can install on one dimmer. The average stress that has been observed is the equivalent of a 100W incandescent, even for LED loads that are less than 20W.

A minimum number of fixtures may be required to operate a dimmer because of the 25-watt to 40-watt minimum load that most incandescent dimmers require to operate correctly under all conditions. When using incandescent bulbs, the minimum load requirement was easily met with usually only a single bulb. However, with LEDs, four or more loads may be needed on a dimmer in order to meet the required minimum load.

Timelapse - City lights never fail to captivate. Montreal, Toronto, New York in time lapse.

2011-05-15T10:34:00.000-03:00

Amazing video we'd like to share with you all.!!!

Timelapse - The City Limits from Dominic on Vimeo.

Controlling LEDs Part 7 - What is the dimming performance of the product?

2011-05-10T23:14:00.000-03:00

Each manufacturer defines dimming in a different way, but what you need to know is whether the dimming will be distracting or have noticeable, unexpected drops in light. The public’s experience with incandescent dimming is that it is smooth and continuous. Specifically, a change in the control (dimmer) position should be reflected by an equal change in light level. There should be no abrupt change in light level as the light source is being dimmed.

Even more important is ensuring that there are no points of flicker in the dimming range. Flicker is the unexpected modulation of light level that is visible to the human eye. Flicker can come from many sources, including line noise, control noise, component tolerance, and LED driver circuit design. Flicker can be continuous (happening all of the time), or intermittent (only happening some of the time or at certain light levels). A good driver should account for all of these factors and still provide flicker-free, smooth, and continuous dimming.

Other undesired behavior can occur when dimming an LED. A properly designed driver should not have any of the following problems:

Pop-on: After being dimmed to a low light level and switched off, sometimes LED bulbs will not turn on until the dimmer’s slider is moved up. This is referred to as “pop-on,” which is especially challenging in 3-way situations where lights can be turned on/off from different locations, not just using the dimmer.
Drop-out: There should be no drop-out, so the light should only turn off when the switch is turned off. This can be achieved by utilizing the low end trim settings available on many wallbox and system level dimmers to ensure that the lights remain on at their lowest light level at the bottom of the dimmer’s travel.
Dead-travel: Adjusting the control without a corresponding change in light level is undesirable
Audible Noise: Buzzing from the lamp, or from the dimmer due to the lamp.
Shimmer: Small changes in light intensity. This can usually only be noticed at medium to low light levels, and often only at the periphery of vision.

Controlling LEDs Part 6 - What is the dimming range of the product?

2011-05-03T08:30:00.000-03:00

Incandescent lamps dim to below one percent perceived light, which looks like an orange filament glow. The dimming range of an LED lamp or fixture can vary greatly from one device to another.
Some may dim to a minimum level of only 50 percent, while a different product may dim to one percent. Additionally, manufacturers will quote measured light numbers, but consumers are familiar with perceived light.

What is the difference?

Measured light output is the quantifiable value of light measured by a light meter or similar device. This is the dimming percentage indicated on LED product specification sheets.

Perceived light is the amount of light that your eye interprets because of pupil dilation. The eye’s pupil dilates at lower light levels, causing the amount of light to be perceived higher than measured (e.g., 20 percent measured light equals 45 percent perceived light). The equation for determining perceived light is to take the square root of the measured light percentage (e.g. √0.2 = 0.45). You need to select the dimming range of your fixture or lamp that will be suitable for your application. A product that dims to 20 percent measured light (45 percent perceived) wouldn’t make sense in a media room, but may be the energy-saving solution necessary for an office. If an LED fixture or lamp spec sheet does not state the dimming range, you should contact the manufacturer for that important piece of information.

It is important to know that the dimming range of a product is based solely on the driver. The integral driver will determine the dimmability of a screw-in LED retrofit lamp and an external driver will determine the dimmability of an LED fixture. Each dimmer may have varying features that will affect your ability to trim out flicker if it exists and minimum load requirements, but it will not affect the dimmability of a product. The driver will determine the low-end light level and the performance. Finally, be aware that the dimming range of a single product may vary based on what control is used.

Controlling LEDs Part 5 - What type of LED product am I using: an LED lamp or LED fixture?

2011-05-02T08:30:00.005-03:00

LEDs are low-voltage devices. Therefore, additional electronic components are typically required to convert the line-voltage power to a low voltage for the LEDs. These electronics may also interpret control signals, and dim the LEDs accordingly. These devices are referred to as LED drivers.

LED luminaires come in two distinct types: the LED bulb (also called an LEDi or retrofit lamp) and the LED fixture.

LED bulbs have Edison-base sockets and are meant to replace standard incandescent or screw-in CFL bulbs. The bases of these bulbs have integral drivers that determine if they are dimmable, and if so, what the dimming performance is.

LED fixtures can vary from cove lights to down lights and usually have an external driver. Some fixture manufacturers offer different driver options on the same fixture to support different control technologies or applications (such as dimmable vs. non-dimmable).

There are two different types of drivers. LED drivers may be constant voltage types (usually 10V, 12V and 24V) or constant current types (350mA, 700mA and 1A).

Just as their names would suggest, a constant current driver provides a constant current, such as 700mA, to a pre-made LED array that is designed to operate at or below that current level. This is great for a down light, sconce or other LED fixtures that use only one light source per driver (much like a fluorescent lamp with its associated ballast). Note that some drivers support multiple currents, making them more flexible when designing a fixture.

A constant voltage driver provides a constant voltage to one or more LED arrays connected in parallel. A constant voltage driver is used in areas where you may have a variable amount of fixtures, such as a cove or under-cabinet light. These are similar, or sometimes identical, to electronic or magnetic low voltage power supplies (such as those used with MR16 lamps) and often have 12V and 24V outputs.

These two types of drivers are NOT interchangeable, and it is the design of the LED array that determines which driver is appropriate. Often this is application-based, but it is still the configuration of the LEDs that determines if a constant current or a constant voltage driver is needed. Some drivers are manufactured to operate specific LED devices or arrays, while others can operate most commonly available LEDs. Additionally, the long-life benefits of LEDs would be reduced if the driver was not designed for an equally long life.

The instantaneous response of LEDs to changing current makes them highly susceptible to flicker, especially compared to incandescent sources. One of the most important LED driver features to understand is the quality of the DC output voltage of the driver. Finally, be cautioned that remote mounting of the driver could result in potential voltage drops, power losses, or noise susceptibility on the DC wiring that must be properly accounted for.

Extracted from "Controlling LEDs" Copyright 01/2011 Lutron Electronics Co. Inc. P/N 367-2035 REV. B

Cree delivers LED alternative to linear fluorescent fixtures

2011-05-01T19:35:00.000-03:00

CREE, empresa pionera en tecnologías de LEDs, lanza al mercado su nueva linea de luminarias para reemplazar lluminarias fluorescentes.

Esta noticia es muy importante ya que no estamos hablando de lámparas o tubos para reemplazo en luminarias tradicionales sino que estamos frente a una nueva tendencia de artefactos y luminarias especialmente diseñadas para funcionar con Leds y aprovechar todas sus caracteristicas al máximo.

Es claro que está será la tendencia en futuro proximo y cree como siempre se muestra pionera.

Cree delivers LED alternative to linear fluorescent fixtures

Cree’s CR SSL luminaire designs deliver 90 to 110 lm/W efficacy utilizing LEDs that radiate upwards into a mixing chamber and reflector that distributes light through a diffuser.

Cree has announced the LED-based CR family of solid-state-lighting (SSL) fixtures that are designed specifically as alternatives to high-end, architectural, fluorescent fixtures in applications such as offices and schools. Delivering 90 to 110 lm/W efficacy, the fixtures, according to Cree, will offer payback inside of one year relative to T8 linear fluorescent fixtures with comparable light output.

Cree will offer the luminaires in 1-ft x 4-ft (CR14), 2-ft x 4-ft (CR24), and 2-ft x 2-ft (CR22) versions. Each of the products is available in a choice of 3500K and 4000K color temperatures, with a CRI of 90. Moreover, each are available in a number of performance options. For example, the CR24 comes in 2200-lm, 4000-lm, and 5000-lm models. In fact there are two choices at 4000 lm with the option of 90 or 110 lm/W efficacy.

A cross section of the CR design

The Cree fixture design is quite unique as depicted in the nearby cross-section diagram. The luminaires integrate a heat sink that is exposed to room air for cooling and that appears as an architectural design element of the fixture. The LEDs radiate light upwards into a mixing chamber and reflector and the light is diffused on either side of the luminaire.

Cree is making bold claims about the products relative to fluorescents. Vice President of Market Development Gary Trott said, “Our lowest efficacy product is better than the best 2x4 linear fluorescent fixture available today.” And about the luminaire design, Trott asserts that the optical efficiency for the fixture is 90%.

Trott provided a more detailed assessment of the CR series relative to the most efficient fluorescents that are often referred to as Super T8s. He said the Cree products are 5 to 25% more efficient or can deliver the same light output using 5 to 25% less power.

The luminaires use a single row of LEDs mounted in the center of the heat sink and the brighter output versions utilize a greater number of LEDs. The design uses Cree’s TrueWhite technology that mixes light from yellow and red LEDs to deliver consistent color and the choice of color temperature.

The thermal design allows the LEDs to run cooler than competitive designs according to Cree and the fixtures are designed for 50,000 hours of life. The luminaires include a driver that supports both step and 0-10V dimming.

Price and payback

The luminaires don’t come cheap, but buyers will consider the price relative to energy and maintenance savings and the payback that they project. Trott expects the price to the end user for the CR family fixtures to be in the $200 to $300 range. He said that price is “in line with high-end architectural fluorescents.”

Cree provided an example payback calculation for the CR24 relative to a 2-tube T8 fluorescent. The comparison is based on a rather-lengthy 12-hour usage day and energy cost of $0.10 kWh. Including energy savings, lower HVAC energy usage due to less heat from the lights, and maintenance savings, Cree projects payback inside a year. With a shorter usage day the payback period could grow to 2 years or more.

Cree already has some pilot customers that confirm the payback story. “We chose the Cree CR troffers because the payback calculation was clear,” said Richard J. Michal PE, MBA, LEED-AP, Facilities Engineer Planning Design and Construction, Butler University. “Seeing the CR troffers installed, they have an elegant aesthetic that produces an incredibly high-quality light. When you combine that with our predicted energy and maintenance savings, it was a no-brainer.”

The CR fixture portfolio

Cree clearly believes that the time is here for broad replacement of fluorescent lighting. “You never need to install fluorescent troffer lighting again,” said Chuck Swoboda, Cree Chairman and CEO. “The traditional lighting experts keep telling us what LEDs can’t do, and we keep showing them that anything is possible. We think it is time to rid the world of the compromises inherent in choosing fluorescent lighting—the flickering, toxic mercury, poor color, ineffective dimming and disposal expense.”

Cree has repeatedly said that its mission in lighting is more to point the way for the industry and boost its sales of LED components. Swoboda emphasized that approach in a speech we covered this past December. Yet these new luminaires are clearly to be sold into volume production.

Trott offered some insight into Cree's thinking, saying, “We want to show the way to an inflection point. Customers will now convert big projects to LEDs. The inflection point is driven by price and performance. Trott said, “You have to get to the point where you have the right combination of price and performance that really prompts broad deployment.”

For now, Cree is not pushing its linear fixtures into the more cost competitive industrial markets where lower-priced fixture are prevalent. That’s certainly one target for the host of companies offering LED-based replacement tubes for T8s. But as the DOE has documented repeatedly in Caliper testing, those tubes aren’t yet capable replacements.

It’s not clear when or if Cree might target that market. Trott noted the complexity of selling retrofit lamps that require rewiring or removing the ballast (see our article on T8 replacements). Trott did say, “In some ways, replacing the entire fixture is easier than rewiring for a ballast and tube replacement and you don’t have a UL problem.” It seems that Cree views purpose-built fixtures a better approach than replacement tubes.

About the Author
Maury Wright is the Senior Technical Editor of LEDs Magazine.

Controlling LEDs Part 4 - Five questions when trying to dim an LED product?

2011-04-28T08:30:00.002-03:00

Before you commit yourself or your customer to investing in LED technology you need to understand its limitations, especially when it comes to dimming control compatibility. Many LED luminaire manufacturers are new to the lighting industry and are not familiar with the multitude of control types and the corresponding product design requirements that accompany them. This has resulted in “dimmable” products that do not work as claimed, that never turn off completely, or that flicker. These are major problems that need to be addressed so that consumers do not associate all LEDs with poor performance and become averse to using them. High-performing LED products do exist, but you need to ask the right questions to make sure you have chosen one of those products appropriately.

Answering the following five questions will allow you to align your expectations with the potential
performance of your selected LED dimming system.

What type of LED product am I using: an LED lamp or LED fixture?
What is the dimming range of the product?
What is the dimming performance of the product?
What is the minimum or maximum number of fixtures/lamps that can be connected to one dimmer?
On what type of control does the LED product operate?

The following articles detail what you need to know to answer these questions.

Stay tuned...

Extracted from "Controlling LEDs" Copyright 01/2011 Lutron Electronics Co. Inc. P/N 367-2035 REV. B

Un edificio de “energía positiva”

2011-04-24T01:23:00.000-03:00

“De Bonne Energie” es una construcción de Grenoble, Francia, cuya particularidad es la de ser un edificio de “energía positiva”, es decir, que produce más energía de la que consume.

Este edificio de 1.600 m2 alberga oficinas que poseen una demanda de energía menor que la producción de sus placas fotovoltaicas.Se utilizaron dos “claves” para lograr esta maravilla: Reducción de la necesidad de energía y generación energética mediante placas fotovoltaicas.

El tapón térmico

Para reducir el consumo de energía se implementaron diversos sistemas de control de confort térmico. El sistema “Buchon thermique” (algo así como “tapón térmico”), por la noche tapa totalmente las ventanas, con lo que tan sólo pierde 1 ºC. Por el día, estos sistemas dejan pasar los rayos solares para calentar el interior. Junto con otras medidas, como las ventanas de triple acristalamiento y un alto nivel de aislamiento, este edificio tan solo necesita bombas de calor de 5 Kw[1]… para la calefacción total. El consumo anual del edificio es de 28,74 kWh/m2 – 41.300 Kw/h.

Por otra parte, para la generación de electricidad se instaló en la cubierta del edificio un sistema fotovoltaico de 435 m2, que proporciona 47.500 Kw/h al año, es decir, menos de los 41.300 Kw/h anuales que consume efectivamente.

Retorno de inversión

Aunque evidentemente para la construcción de este edificio se ha necesitado una inversión mayor que otro edificio de oficinas “estándar” y, por lo tanto, también tiene precios de venta o alquiler más altos (aproximadamente 525 €/m2), la ausencia de gastos en suministros eléctricos para climatización o para el funcionamiento del equipamiento de la oficina permite recuperar dicha inversión fácilmente.

En este edificio de Grenoble hay excedentes de producción energética que generan beneficios directos. Lo mejor de todo es que no estamos hablando de un proyecto futuro, ni de un edificio experimental desarrollado por una universidad, sino de un edificio de oficinas real, que ya existe y cuyos espacios se venden mediante los canales tradicionales del sector inmobiliario.

Queda claro que se pueden construir edificios con un impacto medioambiental mínimo y que es posible vivir y trabajar en edificios energéticamente limpios, eficientes y autosustentables.

Fuente:

http://www.greenlivingprojects.com/

http://www.tgmdigital.com/arq-a-paisajismo/353-un-edificio-de-energia-positiva

Controlling LEDs Part 3 - Why Dim LEDs?

2011-04-23T10:00:00.001-03:00

Similar to fluorescent, incandescent and other conventional light sources, dimming LEDs saves energy at a roughly 1:1 ratio. This means that if you dim LEDs down to 50% of their light output you will save nearly 50% of your energy usage. So not only do you save by using a more efficient source, you save even more energy by dimming LEDs.

Dimming LEDs also makes them run cooler, which should extend the life of the electronic components of the driver, as well as the phosphor on the LEDs. This will extend their life, doubling or tripling the LEDs lumen maintenance. Research is ongoing to better quantify the relationship of dimming LEDs and lifetime extension.

Dimming any lamp, be it incandescent, CFL or LED enhances ambiance, so whether you are in a restaurant, theater or presentation space, you can create the environment that the lighting designer intended.

Dimming offers many other benefits, including:

Space Flexibility

Dimming control systems provide for space flexibility so that what may be an office space today could easily be converted into a call center tomorrow, or a gymnasium can be used as a theater or cafeteria just by adjusting the control of your lighting. Your home and your workplace should be designed to complement your needs. As your needs change throughout the day, your lighting should adapt as well; bright to read a book, but dim for computer use. Whether you are at home or at work, lighting control can create a comfortable atmosphere to support your activities throughout the day.

Enhanced Safety

Lighting controls can enhance the safety and security of your home. You can control both interior and exterior lights from the car as you approach your driveway to ensure optimal visibility and can even connect to security systems to turn on lights in case of an emergency.

Increased Productivity

Lighting control also increases productivity allowing the user to select the level he/she needs to reduce eye strain and fatigue so that they can work at peak performance for more of the day, or so students can concentrate better and learn more at home or at school.

Controlling LEDs Part 2 - Advantages and Limitations of LEDs for General Illumination

2011-04-21T21:02:00.002-03:00

LEDs Advantages for General Illumination

High Efficacy (Lumens per Watt) LED-based lighting fixtures can achieve efficacies ranging from 25 LPW to over 80 LPW, compared to an incandescent efficacy of 5-10 LPW.
Longevity LEDs can achieve useful lifetimes ranging from 25,000 hours to up to 100,000 hours, compared to ~1000 hours for an incandescent.
LEDs do not contain hazardous materials as compared to mercury vapor in CFLi bulbs.

LEDs Limitations for General Illumination

Higher cost High Brightness LEDs, necessary for general illumination, are expensive. They also require electronic drivers to convert conventional AC voltage to discrete DC voltages for the LED arrays.
Limited Applications Due to the relatively young technology and timeline for wide acceptance, LED-based lighting fixtures are not always available for every application or aesthetic requirement.
Controls compatibility Due to the wide range of LED-based lighting product types, not all LED lamps are dimmable, and the ones that can be dimmed may be limited in dimming performance and system compatibility.

Controlling LEDs Part 1

2011-04-20T21:01:00.002-03:00

Ten years ago, many people didn’t even know what an LED was. Today, they’re the new hot item on the shelves – and everyone wants to use them. Often, designers do not know how to control LEDs or they have had negative experiences working with them. This articles will provide a brief overview of what an LED is and how to use LEDs for general illumination applications and the advantages and limitations of doing so. It will also go into detail about why you should consider dimming LEDs and what questions need to be answered in order to dim LEDs properly to meet your expectations. The overall goal of this article is to make you more comfortable with using LEDs
on your projects.

What is an LED?

A Light Emitting Diode (LED) is an electronic device that produces light when an electrical current is passed through it. The wavelength (or color) of light that is emitted is dependent on the materials from which the LED is made. LEDs are available in many colors, including red, blue, amber, green, and near-UV colors, with lumen outputs ranging from 10 lumens to 200 lumens. The LEDs used predominantly in general illumination applications are “Phosphor Converted Blue” LEDs, which are blue LEDs that have a layer of yellow phosphor placed over the LED. The phosphor absorbs some of the blue light, and emits yellow light. When the unabsorbed blue light mixes with the yellow light it creates what your eye perceives as “white” light.

IMAGE OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF LEDS.

From Controlling_LEDs by LUTRON

THE MUTED VOICE OF LIGHTING DESIGNERS BY JAMES BEDELL

2011-04-16T22:18:00.000-03:00

There is little question that lighting has a direct impact on energy consumption. There is also little argument that lighting fundamentally changes a space. Lighting is elemental to how we live and the spaces we occupy everyday. The rules of the game and the expectations for what light does are changing rapidly. By now everyone has heard that the future of lighting will be the LED and most educated consumers understand that the end is near for the incandescent light bulb. The lighting industry, specifically those who build light bulbs and fixtures are seizing the opportunity to bring new products to market. The news media and politicians are there to spread misinformation about the future of lighting.
What's missing from the conversation is a mediator. Someone who can stand between the claims of product manufacturers, the limited information provided by the news media, politicians and the big box stores to provide lighting advice. Not everyone can afford the services of a lighting designer, and I understand that. But where is our voice in the public sphere to help educate the public about an industry that is so rapidly changing? The only lighting designer that is ever quoted on say, the incandescent phase-out, is Howard Brandston who is opposed to it and helping fight for the law's repeal.
Where are the designers who want to help the general public not only understand the regulations, but simply understand the importance of good lighting in their daily lives? This is a moment the lighting design community should be seizing as a voice for the future of industry, speaking directly to the public. This is the only way we can make our influence known felt, and more over, the only way we can hope to inspire good lighting, not just for the tiny sliver of clients we can service, but also for the broader public.
If you a lighting designer who blogs regularly, post your link in the comment section below and I'll do my best to spread your content. I want to see a vibrant public discussion of lighting from designers all over the globe. Let's make the world a little be better by helping share ways to create beautiful, sustainable lighting.

Posted by James Bedell at http://jamesbedell.com/the-muted-voice-of-lighting-designers