The third day in the NECA 2018 Lighting and Controls Theater on the show floor brought attendees another round of 18-minute shots of fresh perspective on lighting. Presenters for day three included Nicor Lighting, mySupplier, and ELED Lighting.
Among the more interesting sessions EC&M caught on Tuesday was a lighting system for outdoor use that integrates both wind and solar power. Dan Connors, co-founder and chief operating officer of Aris Wind LLC, walked attendees through applications and benefits of a system that combines a 395W solar photovoltaic panel and a shrouded 300W wind turbine and battery storage unit on the mast of an outdoor LED light pole. The two sources of power combine through an intelligent charge controller to provide resilient lighting and energy storage using renewable power.
Conners said he came to NECA hoping to stoke some interest among contractors and potential dealer-installers. Having Aris's RPU streetlight selected for a Showstopper award at the show helped the cause quite a bit.
The system is targeted to schools, municipalities and corporate campuses where the benefits of lighting with 100% renewable power can be captured in a very visible way. The tail fin can be branded with a logo or graphic. The onboard monitoring system provides data that has interested STEM programs in schools mostly around the New York City area, Connors said, and other customers have embraced the ability to install lighting without trenching for underground power, reducing both cost and disruption during installation.
