Contardi

Contardi stopped by today primarily to show us their contract catalog - great for lower-budget but still high-design projects (condos, hotels, etc). Contardi is an Italian company well known for their use of materials and craftsmanship. They keep a breadth of stock of their normal products in DUMBO, but can sometimes drop-ship from Italy in 2 weeks. Almost everything is made in house, which also makes producing samples very quick. Interestingly, only about 30-40% of their products are LED. There used to be more, but they are finding a shift back towards incandescent sockets.

The contractor catalog was impressive. They take their main catalog and will use the design concept but change the material. If a fixture was marble, the contractor fixture may be resin. Certain joints may be made more simple. But the overall feel of the fixture keeps the Contardi look. They can create contractor grade fixtures from most of their catalog, as well as develop custom fixtures with relative ease.

Delray Lighting

Delray Lighting is an American company with their headquarters based in Burbank CA. The company began with energy efficient, compact fluorescent downlights and have expanded their product inventory to include many different types of LED fixtures. In the presentation we saw their latest products. All of the fixtures can be ordered in a custom color (RAL color catalog) for a one time fee of $85. The first product we saw was the DOS Circular Direct/Indirect pendent fixture. It is available in 3',4' or 5' diameter and can be hung vertically or horizontally. There is the possibility of having the fixture be surface mounted with just the direct option. Because the company is able to bend the aluminum they will soon be introducting the option of creating custom shapes. This fixture is in addition to their UNO (1" aluminum extrusion) and DOS (2" aluminum extrusion) Linear series and uses same technology and seamless aesthetic. They use Nichia LED chips in a linear board which are available in 3000k, 3500k, and 4000k.

The other product we saw was from the Kone 3 LED series. This fixture is available as a pendant, surface mounted fixture or semi recessed fixture. This uses a Cree LED module with an opal diffuser which are available in 3000k, 3500k, and 4000k. There is an inner reflector that pushes out the light.

The company also offers the ability to retro-fit their compact fluorescent fixtures. Both the ASPECT and ROCKET fixtures are now available in LED. Existing CFL fixtures can be sent back to the factory to be retro-fitted to LED systems.

WAC Lighting

Wac Lighting is a USA lighting manufacturer with 3 major facilities located in Long Island NY, Georgia and California. Nearly 90% of all WAC Lighting products are fabricated, to a component level, within the USA facilities. This allows them to be able to ship quick products with a lead time of about a week. The presentation covered all of their latest products that have been released in the last 6 months, (January 2016-June 2016) The first product we saw was a sconce names BRINK. It has a small backplate in which the fixture can slide into. It comes in 3 different sizes but only in a brushed aluminum finish. It is damp location rated.

The InvisiLED Tape light is also another product that we saw. It has a 45 degree throw delivering about 500 lumens/feet. The unique aspect of this tape light is that it can also bend horizontally at a 90 degree angle using bending points running along the tape light to create neat corners. This can be used in conjunction with a variety of channel options.

The 2 channel options we saw were the symmetric recessed channel and the asymmetric recessed channel (indirect cove application). They both are available in continuous runs and can be inserted within the gypsum board for a seamless finish. The channel wings slide in between two pieces of gypsum and can be speckled and painted. This whole assembly comes in at $50/FT DN. The aluminum channel can easy be cut on the field and allows for installation of virtually any dimension (within the 6" restriction of the tape light).

We also saw the SiloX10. It is a track head with 10w that delivers 790 lumens. The most interesting aspect about this fixture is the "active zoom" lens that can manipulate the beam angles (15 degrees-50 degrees)on the field with the turn of a dial. It is priced at $70 DN but it is only available in 3000k.

We were impressed by the Volta Wall Wash. It is a fully adjustable, ETL listed, wet location downlight. It comes in 1000/2000/3000lm output options. We saw the wall wash version. It has many components that help make it very flexible to customize the type, direction and quality of light output from the fixture. The fixture can be aimed in both the vertical direction (0-45°) and horizontal direction 365° horizontal lockable hot aiming. The optical cartridge allows for the beam spread flexibility. The whole assembly comes in at about $220- $260.

Lastly we saw the landscape series which included an above ground stake light with an IP68 rating. The wattage output can be adjusted in the field with the turn of a knob. The other landscape fixture was the inground with an IP rating of 67. This has the ability of changing color because of the RGB LED that is being used. This is not controlled via DMX but instead they use a proprietary software that is accessible via an application on apple smartphones. They expect a DMX protocol to be available next year.

Optolum

Optolum is a lighting manufacturer located in Arizona. All of their products are 0-10V dimmable. They mainly use Nichia LEDS. The first we saw was the Optoline. It is a grazer with a high output. The LED nodes are larger and have a higher output than the other fixtures with higher price points. The fixtures about $50 DN per linear foot.

The second product we were introduced was the StreamLine. It is a very small scale linear LED. They are typically used for retail because they can be very warm, 2200K; the one we saw was 3000K. The unique thing about the products is the ability of having the mounting clips integrated into the fixture.

We also saw the H channel fixture. This is a wet location fixture. It has a clear lens and does not have the option of a frosted lens but they can add a frosted film. They have a linear 10in. fixture with (4) adjustable heads with a narrow beam of up 7 degree. It is not field changeable though. They were designed for retail applications. The color temperature options begin at 2200k and up. The finish options are custom wood, aluminum, or power coated color. This was one of our favorite products. The feature of adjustable heads makes this product unique and applicable for retail projects.

Finally the last fixture is an LED panel. It is a static color but has tunable white capabilities. It is fully dimmable and the panel we saw was 3000k.

Prisma

Prisma is an Italian company based in Atlanta. What really makes them stand out is the tempered powder lined glass diffusers that won't change color with exposure to UV rays which is typical of other acrylic covers. The products use a variety of different LED manufacturers including Philips, Cree and Citizen. They have a binning process to mix colors that uses a 3 step distance on the MacAdam ellipse. The standard CRI is 83-84 but they also have the option of higher CRI of 90. Because most of the assembling of the products occurs in the US, they are considered a US company. Prisma products have typical lead time of 1-4 weeks. The standard dimming option for all the products is 0-10v. We were first shown the Magiclick and the Blitz. The Magiclick has a rounded glass with a single COB while the Blitz is a flat glass plate with an array of LEDs. They both have IP ratings of 65-67 and are rated for pool applications.

The second fixture we saw was the Quasar 10. The up light was at a 15 degree output and the light throw reaches about 12'. There are IES and Revit files available. The Quasar Series comes in 3000k,3500k,4000k color temperatures.

We were also shown the ALU 4 with the 4 sided option. This fixture can accommodate different light patterns. They are also available with integral or remote drivers. The degree lenses are field changeable as needed for onsite design changes.

The most impressive product is the Mimik wall mounted up or up/down fixture. It is able to "blend in" to virtually any wall surface with the accessory kit. The accessory kit is basically a sleeve that can accommodate the different types of cladding. Some images of the product show different stones or metal panels in outdoor environments. It does not have integral EM. The Mimik 20 series has a 20' light throw while the mimik 30 has about a 30' light throw. The amount of light output can be modified by changing the driver. There are only (2) color temperature options, 3000k and 4000k. The price point for the fixture alone is under $200 DN with the accessory being an extra $168.

The other products we saw were the Insert +0, the Strip Square LED, and the Spillo bollard. The driver for the Insert series fit inside a junction box. Prisma provides the screws and they also have an accessory glove that provides the option of a seamless finish. The price point is under $100. The Strip Square series comes as surface mounted or recessed. There is an IP rating of up to IP67. They have the option of single node RGB that can be controlled with DMX.

Lumato Linear

Lumato specializes in LED linear products. All manufacturing occurs in the USA which allows for shipping within 2 days and delivery within 4 weeks on virtually all quantities. We were able to test out the SQ5 direct/indirect which comes in the direct option.  

The profile is 5"x5" with one row of LEDs on either side of the luminaire (edge lit)  with an option of adding another row. The will also be adding the option of a direct lit fixture in the near future. There is an option to include a backup emergency driver. The dip-switches are able to be modified in the field, available for Title 24 and LEED.  The distribution is an extra wide 135 degree batwing distribution; this allows for wider spacing of up to 19'. This particular model shows a 60/40 ratio in terms of light output.

LG LEDs are used in all the products with 80-85-90 CRI options.  They use 3-4 mixing bins to match the color tuning and are 2 MacAdam steps in. The lenses are fixed and use a 6 point alignment to seamlessly connect the fixtures. It can be controlled with DMX, DALI, or with two 0-10V controls.

We were also able to see the R3. (Lumato's only recessed fixture)

The future for the company is developing wet location applications. Currently damp location applications is an option but they will add IP 65 and IP 66. Also they will continue to develop further integration of sensors and wireless controls.

Hemera Lighting

Hemera Lighting is a decorative company from Montreal that prides itself on quality of materials and production. Lead times for most of the fixtures they offer come with a 1-2 week lead time. We saw the Luxor fixture in person. It is an adaptable crisscrossing pendant fixture. It can be adjusted by stretching it out or compressing it together. The Luxor is available in either direct, in-direct or both. The lens we saw was frosted but you could see minimal LED imaging. They are developing a new lens that will eliminate the imaging altogether.

All of the fixtures from Hemera are high CRI and are dimmable as standard with 0-10V to 10%. There is a larger canopy that can be provided that can accommodate a driver that dims to 1%.

We also got to see the Mia fixture, which is a cylinder with a frosted acrylic tube. The fixture can be either pendant mounted or suspended. There are two diameters available and multiple lengths of the acrylic portion. From the sample we saw, there was a decent amount of light that was being projected down as well as a nice glow from the sides of the tube.

Linear Lighting

Linear Lighting have been working to develop their generation 2 recessed LED point source family. They stopped by to show us some of the line. They make their own drivers and LED boards. They use the same housings for both IC and Non-IC ratings. Starting with a 2-1/2" aperture, they also have a 4" and a 5" in their fixture lines in both trimmed and trimless.

We got to see the fixed downlight with the 50° beam spread. It had a nice wide beam spread that was smooth without any sharp cutoff edges. We also looked at the adjustable fixture. The adjust-ability was nice with a double gimbal ring, however it had a big field angle as well as a double shadow line at the top of the wall.

Dimming is standard with 0-10V and can dim as low as 1% depending on which dimmer or system you use. With a low price point, the downlights would be a good option for condos or other large projects that have restricted budgets.

Neri

Neri stopped by our office to give us a taste of some of their products as well as a bit of their history. The company started from restoring old post tops that were damaged during World War II. They now have a museum associated with their main headquarters highlighting the history of cast decorative pieces including light poles and furniture. They have expanded on their history of providing decorative classic exterior lighting and have added more modern styles. A majority of the fixtures they offer are manufactured at their facility in Italy and come with a 12 week lead time. However, they do have a US headquarters now that manufactures one of their lines and would offer a shorter lead time. Because they manufacture everything themselves, they are able to do more custom modifications to their fixtures than most other manufacturers can.

One of the key design elements that Neri offers is the implementation of either comfort optics or performance optics. The comfort one is useful for lower scale fixtures where glare is a concern, and the performance optic works best at higher mounting heights that need varied coverage and distributions.

Most of the light fixtures can be mounted on either a pole, a wall bracket, suspended or to a catenary system which provides a lot of flexibility.

Lightnet

Lightnet is a Polish lighting company that make a range of surface, pendant and recessed LED fixtures. They set themselves apart from the competition by focusing on quality construction and making their own boards. The boards are available in 4" increments and lets them create custom lengths as well as custom shapes. Continuous length fixtures are easily assembled with guide screws that aide the alignment and seal. Since the fixtures ship from Poland, they have a max lead time of 5 weeks. The diffuse lenses are cut from acrylic sheets to the precise dimensions of the fixture and are secured on the fixture under a lip. The largest single piece of lens comes in a 6' diameter. The tightest circular and curved fixture has a diameter of 2'.

A unique feature of one of their fixtures, the Ringo Star, is that it can be provided with sound absorbing material in the center of the circular fixture.

Litelab

Litelab stopped by to introduce a new track head they have added to the Museum collection. The track head adjusts on the fixture from 10° to 30°. The body of the fixture is a stacked cylinder so it breaks away from the traditional body types from the museum collection. MR16 fixtures in both the Museum and Jeweler collections that are intended for retro-fit LEDs are now available with a smaller transformer that can handle the low wattages better.

Litelab is updating their track fitters for the Museum collection so that the ones with integral drivers will be cut down in length by half of what they are currently.

Another new feature that Litelab has designed is a mud-in flange canopy for the monopoint installations. This canopy works with both the Museum and Jeweler collections. The fixtures can also come with a quick connect and a cap that lets your space be adaptable if you do not want to have a fixture there for a period of time.

Litelab also mentioned that they are moving to standardize the LEDs in their fixtures to be CREE.

We looked at a new series of recessed fixtures, both an adjustable accent and a wall washer. The depth of the housing is 5” including ceiling material thickness. Fixtures can be dimmed down to 15% with ELV dimming. The trims have a 2” aperture and can come in either conical or flat options. The beam spreads available for the accent light are 18°, 26° and 36°.

Zaneen

Zaneen stopped by to show us a line of economical downlights that come in just under $100 DN. They will only be available in 3K with a 24° beam spread. There are two sizes with different lumen packages. The fixtures come standard as non-dim but for an adder they can be dimmed. We looked at samples of the large and small version and noticed a difference in the color when they were next to each other.

Ketra

Ketra have added to their line of retro-fit LEDs with a PAR30. It is available in either 800 lumen or 1010 lumen packages. The beam spreads available range from 15° to 60°.

They have also updated their A lamp to include a semi-directional distribution with 800 lumens and an omni-directional distribution with 600 lumens.

They also have been developing a series of recessed dedicated fixtures. Initially their focus is only fixed downlights and adjustable accents, but they are working on a wall washer as well. The downlight and accent lights have the same housing and can be modified in the field with a different trim to switch applications. The housing is standard with a shallow profile of 3-5/8" plus ceiling material thickness. The beam spreads that will be available are the same as the PAR lamps already in their lines. Ketra hopes to have the recessed fixtures available later in the year.

LEDucation 2016

Oblaney-Rinker Associates

Barn Light Electric

Dado Lighting has a new fixture called Floatline which allows you to create a cove at the molding and in the walls. They can do any custom lengths. The LEDs are in cartridges separate from the extruded housing so they can be accessed in the field for maintenance.

Duralamp have updated all of their LED-retrofit lamps since we last saw them and they are all dimmable now.

Forum Lighting has a new fixture called Frame. The version we saw had internally lit lenses, but you can change which surface has the lenses. They also have a linear pendant that has an uplight component as well as downlight spotlights. Forum is offering a more economical fixture that is made out of steel instead of extruded aluminum. Their integrated knife-edge cove fixture comes with a telescoping tray on the end to allow you to do custom lengths adjusted in the field.

Holm Lighting (a branch of FX Luminaries) is a new manufacturer that is offering commercial grade exterior fixtures. Some of them are line voltage. Holm also has their own proprietary control system called Luxor. It can control the dimming as well as RGB fixtures. Holm offers a control cube that can interface with fixtures from other manufacturers and Luxor to incorporate them on the controls. There is also a retro-fit MR16 lamp that can be used in other manufacturers fixtures in lieu of the cube.

Intense Lighting are adding a 4" aperture to their Gravity downlight series. They already have a 6" and an 8" version. They have also added a Shallow (less than 4" depth) housing to their line.

Lucent Lighting have a monopoint fixture called the TUBEled. It can be track mounted or to a canopy. Although they are from the UK, they have a factory here in the U.S. that builds the fixtures. They are open to customs. They have a nice copper trim finish, which is not something we've seen before. Also, in additional to the typical XICATO modules and their custom board offering, they are working with the new SORAA modules for integrating into integral LED fixtures.

Lumafilm is a decently priced option for LED panels (with IP65 rating) and only requires a minimum of 1-1/4" depth depending on the backlit material. You can cut the LED sheets in the field to provide a completely custom design. Lumafilm can program the drivers if the project has wattage limitations.

Lumino has tested all their product for TM-30 (one of the first companies to do so) with impressive results. They have added RGB to their line-up and have finally brought the track and knife-edge cove detail into the US.

National Lighting is a local (NJ) company providing both front and back of house LED and fluorescent product. They had a new wood texture fixture that looked great.

V2 Lighting specializes in round and square pendant fixtures, and they can also mount to the wall as a sconce. They offer multiple sizes as well as the option to cut out a custom logo in the side of the body. There are 32 standard colors available as well as the ability to do custom colors for an adder.

Dulanski

Alights have a new fixture called the Apex. It has a bevel regress black trim with an internal baffle. They can modify the reflector to have a white finish, but the black is recommended to quiet the aperture and reduce glare. The fixture is not out yet but will be later in the year. They are also developing a linear wall washer with a black reflector.

Anolis is a new company for us. They had a mini projector with field adjustable beam spread via DMX.

iGuzzini have added two new finishes to their Laserblade family, gold and black chrome (this is in addition to their standard white and black). They also have released a large Laserblade fixture with a 2-7/8" aperture which is a nice addition. They recommend using the trimmed version for metal or wood applications.

N°8 Lighting have released their 400 series, which is a more economical version of their regular 800 series. The fixtures can be retro-fitted from below or installed as new construction. The adjustable version has a vertical tilt of 35° and can rotate 360° degrees after installation. The fixtures are 5-1/2" in height. Right now they only have a fixed downlight and an adjustable accent. They are working on a wall wash version. The flat trim is larger than the 800 series, but can also do the mud-in installation. N°8 has a 5-10 day shipment program. They have been working on the mono-point as well, now offering a 2" diameter mount for wood/stone. A flush version should be available next year, along with a smooth body.

Oxygen Lighting

Tempo Lighting has a new cove that comes in 3" increments and has a serpentine form allowing for curved applications. They are also using the same LED in all their fixtures to guarantee color matching throughout a project.

TMB provides DMX controlled marquee lights and offers a variety of string lights. The string lights are LED at 2500K, which is a great option for hospitality work.

Vision Quest Custom Lighting is a full custom shop located in Long Island. They have a standard line of fixtures to choose from but can also do any custom fixtures. We can request specific LED brands when designing the fixtures.

SDA

Design Plan are now offering thin profile linear case lighting fixtures at 3000K or alternating 2700K & 45000K (for jewelry highlighting). They also had a unique down light that offered air purifying qualities.

Ecosense has acquired Journée Lighting which offers recessed lighting fixtures as well as track mounted cylinders. The finish options are black or white and have varying beam spreads from 15° to 45°. The fixtures offer an aggressive pricing.

ERCO

FEELUX

JLC-TECH now offers linear signage lighting, along with their typical t-bar technology. It is certified such that a GC can install it, with no electrician needed.

INTER-LUX Whitegoods is now offering magnet mounting for their S20 profile.

Linear Lighting are now offering recessed downlights with LEDs. All housings have an IC rating as standard and the integral driver can dim with either 0-10V or triac. There is also an integral battery backup available. They make all of the components in house. There is a fixed downlight, an adjustable accent and a wall washer. The price point is aggressive for the quality of the fixtures.

USAI are releasing their new version of the SliverLED which has a dedicated LED instead of the retrofit version previously available. Standard dimming is 0-10V to 10-15% depending on the dimmer. They are also going to release a new LED retrofit fixture that is able to be installed in existing 6" can recessed lights. It will be available with warm glow dimming technology.

Independent

Eklipse Lighting has a new mini linear track fixture called Lifeline. You can use linear LED strips or spots on the track. The version we saw for the linear light has visible nodes, but they are redesigning the lens to remove that. We also saw their Mili light which is a linear shelf light with an asymmetric distribution. Eklipse offers good options for linear LED as well as case lighting.     

Flos have acquired Lukas Lighting. This addition allows for more customization in their fixture lines.

Prudential Lighting are being represented by themselves here in the city. Their fixture, Stream, is an integrated architectural fixture that uses uplighting into the built channel. The fixture can be pendant or recessed slots. They offer an option called Prubin which ensures a tighter bin selection than the normal fixtures offer. The fixtures are built from GFRG and look beautiful and sleek.

RAB Lighting have updated their recessed light fixture family with a 2" aperture, 700lm, IC and wet location rated down light. They will be releasing a 1" and a 3" aperture soon. The DL, AA, and WW are all in one housing and can be changed in the field to each position. The new recessed fixtures are aggressively priced.

Metro Lighting Sales

Klus Lighting are an aluminum extrusion company. They can provide their own tapelight or can be used with any other manufacturer's tape.

Lighting Science Group is now offering 98 CRI and 90+ R9 value for some of their LED lamps. The PAR30 lamp is available with 10°, 25°, and 45° beam spreads.

Tokistar have released their new micro series case lighting. The fixtures are all dimmable either together or individually on each fixture. There are three beam spreads, 16°, 24°, and 30°, which are all field changeable.

International Lights

Acclaim Lighting is now offering an exterior rated linear cove light that has warm dim technology as standard. The fixture dim from 3K to 18K. The fixtures are aggressively priced.

Bega have a new collection called Home and Garden, which is geared more for residential projects. They also developed a new app that allows you to use an iPad to show the fixtures in real life installation situations.

Kreon has a linear wall washer with a chrome reflector and is available in 2-1/2" increments.

Lucifer Lighting are now offering a semi-recessed mounting option for their cylinders that lets the driver component be regressed into the ceiling and the adjustable light portion be below the ceiling. This is offered for flush into plaster, with wood following shortly. There is a new cylinder track fixture that they are hoping to have available by October of this year.

MP Lighting has a new surface mounted interior fixture. It can also be mounted as a wall sconce with direct/indirect distributions. They are also incorporating integral photo cells into some of their fixtures including the surface downlight, step lights and the linear light strip. The integration is clean and neat. There is a new monopoint fixture that can be specified with a snoot. The stem can be modified up to 20" when mounted off the wall and longer if mounted from the ceiling.

HTA

Auroralight showed us two new fixtures, the Cyclops and the Sonoma. The Cyclops is a small flood light with a machined ball socket and can be mounted into millwork, on a pole or with mounting stakes. The Sonoma is a step light that can be altered to change the distribution path.

SLS

Focal Point is now providing a new trimless down light starting at 500 lumens with incremental increasing options. The fixture is very competitively priced.

KKDC is a linear light strip company based out of the UK. The LEDs are all assembled by them so the color is consistent across the products. The 007 fixture is a node free extrusion. They can also customize extrusions.

Light Abilities

Aion is now offering a 1200 lumen per foot fixture. In the 400 series with their small extrusions, it is node free.

Louis Poulsen

Electric Lighting Agencies (ELA)

Bartco have a 5/8" deep fixture that installs right into the cutout drywall. The driver housing is on a track so it can slide across to accommodate the joists. They also have a steel housing fixture that is more economical than their typical fixtures.

Lindsley Lighting specializes in cylinder fixtures; pendant, wall, and surface. They can customize the cylinders and make them up to 6' long.

Lites on West

Academy Light

Viabizzuno

LSI: Lighting Services Inc

LSI stopped by our office to see a couple of fixtures they have developing. Their high output LumeLux track fixture is now available with warm dim, mimicking the halogen curve from 3K down to 2K. They are working on incorporating the warm dim technology into their smaller track heads and hope to release them later this year.

In addition to the adjustable track, LSI now has a fixed pendant track head which also incorporates the warm dim technology. They regressed the lens in the fixture to clean up the field angle as well as reduce the glare.

We also got to look at their LP SuperSpot fixture. It has a nice form factor that we liked, reminiscent of a par can. The fixture has a 4° beam, but they are working on developing a 10° and a 25° beamspread. We recommended that they also develop a 40° or 60° for instances where you would want a spot and a flood next to each other to wash and highlight.