Sapphire scores reveal innovation in LEDs and SSL development
As reported in our March issue of LEDs Magazine, the annual Sapphire Awards program came to a close with the winners being announced on Feb. 28, 2019 during an evening Gala of networking and entertainment at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Convention Center in Las Vegas. The lead-up to the announcement of the Sapphire Awards winners remains an exciting time for our team even in this fifth year. The judges and staff continue to anticipate the inclusion of emerging features and priorities in the products submitted into the technology categories, such as tunable capabilities, flexible controls for both wired and wireless topologies, and enabling technologies that enhance light quality, deliver precision beam distribution, and minimize disruption to outdoor environments as well as indoor glare and over-lighting.
Although the Illumineer of the Year award is not handed off by scoring alone, we touch on that here because the the process was altered slightly in 2019 — when we opened a poll to our audience and allowed voting to factor into the final selection of this year’s Illumineer. You’ll find an insightful interview with Tigran Galstian in this issue, in which he discusses the innovative dynamic beam-shaping technology that won him recognition.
Sapphire scoring
The judging panel evaluated more than 140 submissions to determine the shortlist of technology finalists, announced in January and compiled into our February issue. The panelists represent the LED and solid-state lighting (SSL) supply chain, from product development to manufacturing to lighting specification and design. In this article, we will list the submissions that achieved a score of 3.25–4.5 Sapphires.
In our article on the 2018 Sapphire Awards scores, we observed that the materials submitted with entries can make or break the evaluation. Technical specifications from datasheets and test documentation pave the way for a higher score, but additional visual and explanatory material about the development process and design details provide context as to what constitutes originality of innovation, flexibility of application, and commercial value that is brought to the LED and SSL market. While we understand that there will inevitably be some crossover of product design and even some repetition of form factor due to the nature of the luminaire categories especially, what sets a product apart is a combination of factors: commercial viability, ease of use, demonstrated reliability, and return on investment in many instances.
Insider thoughts
One of the recurring themes across the years of Sapphire Awards has been “ease” — of installation and of operation. This continues to show in our judges’ comments on the products and was given much consideration within the review process. A product that is extremely complex to understand or integrate into a project will not likely yield significant commercial value, after all. There is some level of complexity expected with components or with architectural luminaires that are intended to be integrated within a structure, for instance. But if the end result is that only a specialist can understand the product’s features and operation, the end user will not find it appealing.
Another commonly expressed comment was concern regarding the health and environmental impacts of various SSL luminaires. Judges were quick to pick up on the lumen output for certain use cases, correlated color temperature (CCT), and in some instances the spectral power distribution (SPD), noting that some products appeared to require further engineering consideration with regard to various guidelines on blue-light levels or lumen output that results in over-lighting.
Comments on specific submissions will be available privately to entrants upon request. Contact us at [email protected] for inquiries. Continue to watch ledsmagazine.com/sapphireawards for updates on the Sapphire Awards program.
JUDGES PANEL
Maury Wright
LEDs Magazine
Jim Benya
Benya Burnett Consultancy
Deborah Burnett
Benya Burnett Consultancy
Carl Bloomfield
Intertek
Chris Brown
Nextgen Lighting
Daryl DeJean
Emerging Technologies Associates
Rachel Gibney
Available Light
Monica Hansen
LED Lighting Advisors
Eric Haugaard
Cree
Dawn Hollingsworth
Darkhorse Lightworks
Duncan Jackson
Billings Jackson Design
Brad Koerner
Industry Consultant
Clifton Stanley Lemon
Clifton Lemon Associates
Dave Neal
Seoul Semiconductor
Steve Paolini
Telelumen
Kris Sandheinrich
KGM Lighting
Jared Saunders
Strategies Unlimited
Willem Sillevis-Smitt
Lumileds
Milena Simeonova
LiteHeal
Philip Smallwood
Strategies Unlimited
Aaron Smith
Finelite
Robert Steele
Strategies in Light
3.25
Elemental LED
AlphaTech Linear LED Lighting Solutions – Industrial SSL Luminaire Design
Elemental LED
Neon Blaze Flexible LED Lighting – Indoor Flex SSL for Coves, Cabinets, and Cases
Environmental Lights
Performance 160° Modular LED Light Sheets – Specialty SSL Design
Environmental Lights
PowerPro 6 Channel DMX Decoder – Smart and Connected SSL Systems
Environmental Lights
Universal Phase Dimming LED Drivers –
LED Drivers
ERP Power LLC
JVLM Series LED Driver – LED Drivers
Espen Technology
VersaDim System – Smart and Connected SSL Enabling Technologies
LG Electronics USA
LG ‘Safe Blue’ Technology for LED Lighting – Lighting for Health and Wellbeing
Myers Emergency Power Systems
Battery Thermal Runaway System (Model: PCB) – Emergency SSL Luminaires, Modules, and Drivers
Optic Arts
Focus Optics Technology (F.O.T.™) – Modular LED Light Engines
TCP Lighting
The Good Life LED – SSL Lamp Design
3.50
Agnetix
A3 – Horticultural Lighting
Carclo Optics
Silicone S1 Range – SSL Enabling Technologies – Optics, thermal, interconnect, etc.
Cree, Inc.
Flex Series LED Troffer – Indoor Troffer, Track, and Downlight SSL Luminaire Design
Elemental LED
ENVI-Light Color Tunable Mirror (DI-120V-ENV-MIR) – Specialty SSL Design
Environmental Lights
6-in-1 ColorPlus 5050 LED Strip Light – Indoor Flex SSL for Coves, Cabinets, and Cases
Environmental Lights
LED Magnetic Channel System – Modular LED Light Engines
Environmental Lights
Performance 160° Cuttable LED Lattice – Specialty SSL Design
ERP Power LLC
PHB Series Programmable LED Driver –
LED Drivers
ERP Power LLC
VGM Series Constant Voltage LED Driver –
LED Drivers
Fluxwerx
Loop – Indoor Decorative Pendant SSL Luminaire Design
Fulham
EZ Exit EM T-Grid – Emergency SSL Luminaires, Modules, and Drivers
Gamma Scientific
GS-Wavemon – Tools and Tests in SSL Design
Green Creative
SpecFit Series – Indoor Troffer, Track and Downlight SSL Luminaire Design
Hubbell Control Solutions
NX Distributed Intelligence – Smart and Connected SSL Systems
Igor, Inc.
Nexos – Smart and Connected SSL Systems
Inventronics
Ultrahigh-Powered LED Drivers – LED Drivers
Kim Lighting, a Hubbell Lighting brand
Wall Director – Outdoor Street and Area SSL Luminaire Design
LEDvance
Sylvania Area Light Luminaire Portfolio – Outdoor Street and Area SSL Luminaire Design
LTF, LLC.
SunLight2 True Color Optimized MR-16 LED Bulb – SSL Lamp Design
Lux Illuminaire
Lux Pendant Direct/Indirect – Indoor Decorative Pendant SSL Luminaire Design
McWong International, Inc.
Bluetooth-enabled Smart Outdoor Lighting Control Platform – Smart and Connected SSL Enabling Technologies
Nulite Lighting
QuB – Indoor Decorative Pendant SSL Luminaire Design
PureEdge Lighting
Pipeline LED Modular Suspension – Indoor Decorative Pendant SSL Luminaire Design
Samsung Electronics
Samsung Full Spectrum Horticultural LEDs – Horticultural Lighting
Signify
Philips EvoKit CLKE 2×4 – Indoor Troffer, Track and Downlight SSL Luminaire Design
Thomas Research Products, a Hubbell Lighting Components brand
Color Tuning Controller – ICs and Electronic Components for SSL
Wagner Architectural
Lumenpod 28 – LULR – Outdoor Landscape and Architectural SSL Design
3.75
ALW USA
Superplane 2.5 – Indoor Troffer, Track and Downlight SSL Luminaire Design
Axis Lighting
Stencil Surface – Indoor Decorative Pendant SSL Luminaire Design
The Dow Chemical Company –
Performance Silicones
DOWSIL MS-40XX Series Moldable Optical Silicone Elastomers – SSL Enabling Technologies – Optics, thermal, interconnect, etc.
eldoLED B.V.
LEDcode BLE radio, Atrius-ready – Smart and Connected SSL Enabling Technologies
Environmental Lights
HyperFlex 2835 LED Strip Light – Indoor Flex SSL for Coves, Cabinets, and Cases
ERP Power LLC
CDB Series Constant Current LED Driver – LED Drivers
Focal Point
Skydome Edge – Indoor Decorative Pendant SSL Luminaire Design
Gaggione SAS
LLC79 45-mm Silicone Collimator Range – SSL Enabling Technologies – Optics, thermal, interconnect, etc.
Green Creative
ThinFit EXT Family – Indoor Troffer, Track and Downlight SSL Luminaire Design
Hubbell Healthcare Solutions
Remedi – Lighting for Health and Wellbeing
iGuzzini North America
Palco Low Voltage – Indoor Troffer, Track and Downlight SSL Luminaire Design
Kenall Manufacturing
EnviroPro EPHB – Industrial SSL
Luminaire Design
Keystone Technologies
Sign Hero 360° LED Sign Tube –
SSL Lamp Design
Kim Lighting, a Hubbell Lighting brand
Pavilion – Outdoor Landscape and Architectural SSL Design
Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.
MAX20092 matrix manager IC – ICs and Electronic Components for SSL
Optic Arts
VintageDim 2 – LED Drivers
PureEdge Lighting
Pipeline 1 LED Suspension – Indoor Decorative Pendant SSL Luminaire Design
Samsung Electronics
Samsung SSM-U – Smart and Connected SSL Enabling Technologies
Thomas Research Products, a Hubbell Lighting Components brand
LBU10-P Series Emergency Driver – Emergency SSL Luminaires, Modules, and Drivers
Tridonic USA
Module LLE FLEX G1 IP67 Excite – Modular LED Light Engines
Tridonic USA
net4more IP-connected Lighting System – Smart and Connected SSL Systems
4.0
Architectural Area Lighting, a Hubbell Lighting brand
Pursuit – Outdoor Landscape and Architectural SSL Design
Crystal IS
Klaran – Lighting for Health and Wellbeing
Dialight
Vigilant High Output High Bay – Industrial SSL Luminaire Design
Elemental LED
AlphaTECH Linear LED Lighting Solutions – Industrial SSL Luminaire Design
ERP Power LLC
CNB Series Programmable LED Driver with Wireless Lighting Controls – LED Drivers
Focal Point
Seem 1 Acoustic FSM1 – Lighting for Health and Wellbeing
Fluxwerx
Aperture – Indoor Decorative Pendant SSL Luminaire Design
Hubbell Control Solutions
PowerHUBB – Smart and Connected
SSL Systems
Igor
Igor PoE Emergency Network Node – Emergency SSL Luminaires, Modules, and Drivers
Khatod Optoelectronic Srl
Nactus 6×2 SIL Silicone Optical Systems – SSL Enabling Technologies – Optics, thermal, interconnect, etc.
Kim Lighting, a Hubbell Lighting brand
Ouro – Outdoor Street and Area SSL Luminaire Design
LED Linear
Mars Nano – Indoor Troffer, Track and Downlight SSL Luminaire Design
LED Linear
Xoolux Nano – Outdoor Landscape and Architectural SSL Design
Litecontrol, a Hubbell Lighting Brand
Vora – Indoor Troffer, Track and Downlight SSL Luminaire Design
Lumenpulse
Lumenquad – Outdoor Landscape and Architectural SSL Design
Lumileds
Luxeon V2 – Packaged LEDs and OLEDs
Lutron Electronics
Enterprise Vue – Smart and Connected
SSL Systems
Luxtech
LN-X Linear Cuttable White – Modular LED Light Engines
Nichia Corporation
Direct Mountable Chip Colors – Packaged LEDs and OLEDs
OLEDWorks LLC
Brite 3 FL300 Family, including Brite 3 LumiCurve Wave – Packaged LEDs
and OLEDs
Osram Digital Systems
Optotronic Programmable Compact LED Driver – LED Drivers
Osram Digital Systems
SensiLUM Wireless Integrated Sensor –
Smart and Connected SSL Enabling Technologies
Plessey Semiconductors Ltd
Hyperion LED Grow Light – Horticultural Lighting
Saco Technologies Inc.
Shockwave V-Stick S + S2 – Specialty
SSL Design
Seoul Semiconductor
NanoDriver – ICs and Electronic Components for SSL
Sunoptics Skylights and Daylighting Systems
LightFlex LED (SLFTL) Tubular Daylighting System with Tunable-White LED – Lighting for Health and Wellbeing
Telelumen LLC
Octa 8-channel Light Player – Lighting for Health and Wellbeing
Tempo
CLiP 4X – Outdoor Landscape and Architectural SSL Design
United Power Research Technology Corp.
UPRtek MK350S Premium Spectrometer – Tools and Tests in SSL Design
Vital Vio
VioSafe Antibacterial White Light LED – Lighting for Health and Wellbeing
4.25
Axis Lighting
Sculpt Mikrolite – Indoor Troffer, Track and Downlight SSL Luminaire Design
Circadian Light
DynamicBlu NightSafe Troffer Series – Lighting for Health and Wellbeing
Enlighted
Enlighted 5th Generation Smart Sensor –
Smart and Connected SSL Enabling Technologies
Fulham
eliteControl PoE 2-Channel LED Driver – LED Drivers
LED Engin
LZ7 Plus 50W 7-Die Multicolor LED
Emitter – Packaged LEDs and OLEDs
LED Linear
VarioLED Flex Venus 3D True Color – Modular LED Light Engines
Lumenpulse
Lumenfaçade Nano – Outdoor Landscape and Architectural SSL Design
Lumileds
Luxeon CZ Color Line – Packaged LEDs
and OLEDs
Nichia Corporation
Nichia Optisolis – Packaged LEDs
and OLEDs
Osram Digital Systems
Encelium Extend – Smart and Connected SSL Systems
Osram Opto Semiconductors
Oslon Pure 1010 – Packaged LEDs and OLEDs
Seoul Semiconductor
SunLike Series LEDs – Lighting for Health and Wellbeing
4.50
BIOS Lighting
BIOS Bio-dimming – Lighting for Health and Wellbeing
Columbia Lighting, a Hubbell Lighting brand
Peloton High Performance High Bay – Industrial SSL Luminaire Design
Cree, Inc.
XLamp eTone COB LEDs – Packaged LEDs and OLEDs
Hubbell Outdoor Lighting
Intercept – Outdoor Street and Area SSL Luminaire Design
Lumenpulse
Lumenbeam Inground – Outdoor Landscape and Architectural SSL Design
Nulite Lighting
Sero – Indoor Decorative Pendant SSL Luminaire Design
About the Author
Carrie Meadows
Editor-in-Chief, LEDs Magazine
Carrie Meadows has more than 20 years of experience in the publishing and media industry. She worked with the PennWell Technology Group for more than 17 years, having been part of the editorial staff at Solid State Technology, Microlithography World, Lightwave, Portable Design, CleanRooms, Laser Focus World, and Vision Systems Design before the group was acquired by current parent company Endeavor Business Media.
Meadows has received finalist recognition for LEDs Magazine in the FOLIO Eddie Awards, and has volunteered as a judge on several B2B editorial awards committees. She received a BA in English literature from Saint Anselm College, and earned thesis honors in the college's Geisel Library. Without the patience to sit down and write a book of her own, she has gladly undertaken the role of editor for the writings of friends and family.
Meadows enjoys living in the beautiful but sometimes unpredictable four seasons of the New England region, volunteering with an animal shelter, reading (of course), and walking with friends and extended "dog family" in her spare time.