On February 12, business, trade, and consumer journalists received a preview of new technologies and relevant issues that will be the center of this year’s Lightfair International 2003, May 6-8, at New York City’s Jacob Javitz Convention Center.
More than 19,000 lighting specifiers, architects, end-users, and interior designers are expected to attend Lightfair International 2003, and the first annual LightCongress, held at a midtown Manhattan hotel, served to bolster interest and awareness and gain even greater industry attendance.
Panel discussion: What’s Cool in Lighting Design?
Moderator by Jim Benya, principal, Benya Lighting Design, Portland, Ore., the morning panel discussion highlighted new products and trends.
Bill Kressler, specification sales manager, Advance Transformer, Rosemont, Ill., described the coming developments in electronic ballasts for T5 and T8 fluorescent lamps and metal halide lamps. A family of ballasts for T5HO, CFL, and T8 lamps that uses the digital addressable lighting interface (DALI) control protocol will be introduced shortly.
Bill Costa, project manager, custom lighting, FLOS, Inc., Huntington Station, N.Y., discussed the trend towards the application of lighting fixtures in keeping with the scale of new architectural spaces.
Wolfgang Eggers, president, Zumtobel Staff, Highland, N.Y., discussed several things, including the emerging trend toward smaller light sources in more compact fluorescent fixtures; the combination of multiple lamp types within one fixture, which allows greater flexibility for retail and display lighting; and the use of new materials like optical waveguide sheets and polycarbonate coated with aluminum.
Panel discussion: The Future of Light
Cathy Pattison, vice president of marketing, Color Kinetics, Boston, explained the developing market for solid state lighting, which includes LED sources. Since LEDs are digital source devices capable of digital control, the lighting industry will be able to pursue entirely new design possibilities.
Scott Roos, vice president of product management and development, Juno Lighting, Inc., Des Plaines, Ill., spoke about the trend toward smaller fixtures to complement interior design needs.
Eric Lind, commercial marketing manager, Lutron, Coopersburg, Pa., said that proper lighting control designs, including dimming, can make a facility more comfortable and productive, and he offered examples of the benefits, including reduced electric power consumption.
Edward Effron, industrial lighting specialist, Philips Lighting Co. Somerset, N.J., discussed the importance of the entire color spectrum in visual effectiveness and new research involving work performance.
Israel Meir, president, Systems Trading Corporation, New York, described and displayed a programmable light panel that uses LEDs.
Panel discussion: The Light and Environment
Mark Lein, senior market specialist, Cooper Lighting, Peachtree City, Ga., discussed the strong motivation pushing lighting fixture manufacturers toward higher product efficiency, even as customers demand lower costs for lighting equipment. House and Senate conferees are finalizing energy legislation. A 977-page draft includes tax credits for exceeding the ASRAE/IESNA 90.1-1999 requirements. Also included is the Next Generation Lighting Initiative that would provide over $480 million to increase the efficiency of LED and OLED light sources.
John Chilcott, president, Earth Protection Services, Phoenix, discussed the value of properly recycling lamps containing mercury. He also stressed the importance of reusing the discarded glass and other components to reduce material waste and prevent contamination to landfills and waterways.
Ric Barton, senior lighting specialist, GE Consumer Products, Nela Park, Cleveland, OH, discussed efficiency improvements in the metal halide source and explained what attendees can expect to see at LightFair 2003.
Pam Horner, environmental marketing manager, Osram Sylvania, Danvers, Mass., discussed anti-pollution product trends, including reducing wasted light, recycling of materials, lighting efficiencies, and anti-pollution trends.
Lightfair International is still two months away, but members of the lighting industry got a glimpse of what’s in store thanks to the first annual LightCongress. For more information on Lightfair International 2003, visit www.lightfair.com.
