I recently had the opportunity to interview Brian Vedder, Product Marketing Manager, Signify. The topic? Quality lighting. The responses informed an article I wrote about this topic for the May 2019 issue of tED Magazine, the official publication of the NAED.
DiLouie: I am increasingly seeing industry leaders voicing concern that the industry has strayed from its focus on end-users and needs to return to promoting lighting quality. Do you agree with this assessment?
Vedder: Yes, and lighting quality is different for each end user. Even though personal preferences can’t be altered, a degree of standardization and criteria for light quality should be made to give distributors the tools necessary to help their customers identify and obtain the right product for the right application that best meets their needs and project goals.
DiLouie: Part of the challenge with quality lighting is it’s hard to define. How do you define it?
Vedder: Light quality is very subjective by nature. However, there are several light characteristics that are universal. These factors include color-consistency, color uniformity and application-specific lighting. A combination of these factors when applied to the customer’s liking will make products or spaces appear in the most natural way as possible, without light distortion, and with uniform distribution. The goal is to do all of this in a robust, long- lasting platform at a competitive price point.
DiLouie: What are five+ major attributes of a quality lighting project?
Vedder: There are a handful of attributes that can impact the natural appearance of a space, and therefore impact the end users experience of that space. When assessing light quality, we look at:
• Color spectrum—all light is not created equally, and the color and tone of light can dramatically shift the ambiance of the space and ultimately our experience of the space. So color spectrum is always at the top of the list when considering quality lighting attributes.
• Flicker Rates—Lower flicker and stroboscopic rates (stroboscopic visibility Metric (SVM) Levels) enhance end user experience in the environment, particularly regarding eye comfort in indoor spaces. There are industry standards (NEMA/IEC) which indicate the threshold levels.
• Lumen Output— Once we assess the quality of the color an LED creates, we look at the characteristics of the LED that impacts the strength of the light emitted (the number of lumens per bulb), because when compared to traditional lighting, LEDs can offer higher lumen output which can be customized based on the needs of the application. This is a major contributor to the energy savings that an LED can provide, but also to the customization aspects of LEDs for the ambiance of a space.
• Reliable Performance and Longevity— Finally, we aim to assess the amount of time it operates at optimal quality. For example, we’ve found that one product line of LED lamps maintained 97 percent of its lighting output after 6,000 hours of use, compared with lesser quality LED lamps that reach less than 70 percent after only 4,000 hours. The lumen output of LEDs is considered “dead” at 70 percent lumen maintenance, when compared with 50 percent or less for traditional lighting sources. Clearly, LEDs win out when it comes to reliable lumen output over time.
DiLouie: What are the benefits of quality lighting?
Vedder: Until a few years ago, halogen lighting was the gold standard of lighting, with its reliable dimming and color performance. Halogen excels in creating the perfect ambiance and comfort and this quality must be maintained when transitioning from traditional lighting to LEDs.
With quality LED lighting, we can maintain the atmosphere customers have come to expect everywhere from retail stores to hotel lobbies. And further, quality LED lighting won’t distort the natural appearance of products, so merchandise in a retail store will appear as it is intended—no more issues like the dress (white and gold or blue and black?).
Finally, I cannot stress enough how much flicker rate impacts eye comfort in an indoor space. With flicker and stroboscopic rates below that which is typically noticeable and a steady delivery of lighting, the end user experience will dramatically improve.
DiLouie: What are the attributes of a lighting product best suited to produce quality lighting?
Vedder: Quality isn’t just about lighting up a space, but rather, it’s about adding the correct amount of light most suited for that space. This ability to choose the best color temperatures and spectrum for different spaces is a game changer with which traditional light sources simply cannot compete.
To optimize sales in a retail store, for example, a lamp that makes objects as realistic as possible is best on the human eye. Not only does quality lighting enhance products on display in a store, but it gives customers a sense of reality when looking to make a purchase. This prevents the customer buying the “perfect” color in store, only to realize it is quite different our in the sun or at their favorite hangout. By using light that doesn’t distort reality, merchandise is rendered in more appealing ways to customers, resulting in increased store sales.
DiLouie: One of the disadvantages of quality lighting is typically a higher cost. How does quality lighting demonstrate value and ROI, and how can owners evaluate it?
Vedder: While cost is an obvious consideration, a simple retrofit of LED lamps has an almost immediate payback, as “plug-and-play” installations dramatically cut labor and installation costs, without a need for time-consuming re-wiring projects. When compared many traditional lighting technologies, LEDs save on the order of 50 to 80 percent. The energy savings alone provide payback periods of 2 years to less than 1 year. Combine energy savings with LEDs longevity and maintenance savings, and the payback only improves. While the LEDs cost more per lamp, store owners would have to buy 5 to 10 conventional lamps over the lifetime of one LED.
DiLouie: What are the advantages for electrical distributors to become more aware of quality lighting issues and promote top-tier products?
Vedder: Learning about the diversity in products and applications is the biggest advantage for electrical distributors. The more they learn about how certain products operate in specific applications, the more likely it may be for potential revenue streams to open with current customers looking to upgrade to quality LEDs. Additionally, future customers who may be in the market to make a lighting upgrade, but who don’t know which top-tier products to select for their particular application will need guidance. It is lighting expertise that will help a distributor stand out and create value.
DiLouie: What can electrical distributors do to become more educated about quality lighting?
Vedder: Distributors should consider partnering with a lighting expert to pair the right quality of light for their application. That isn’t unlike the role of a wine sommelier in a restaurant. Only, instead of recommending the wine that will pair best with your meal, our lighting “sommelier” can act as customer consultant to help pair the right lighting attributes with desired applications. And, just as a wine sommelier learns to recommend the best pairing by studying specific qualities in the wines they taste, so too can a lighting distributor learn to evaluate LEDs for color quality, uniformity, durability, lighting output and flexibility in products for each application.
DiLouie: What role can lighting controls (and possibly the Internet of Things) play as partners with good lighting to enhance lighting quality?
Vedder: As connected lighting systems with integrated controls become mainstream, it can reduce energy use and costs up to 80 percent as compared to traditional lighting. Further, LED lighting controls offer end users more customization to tune color temperature, optimizing operations and create a more comfortable, productive environment for building occupants in an office, a school, a store, or any number of applications. Ultimately, IoT lighting can also alert a contractor or distributor that the light is beginning to fail. This will help the contactor plan maintenance, ensuring they have the right product ready before the light goes out.
DiLouie: If you could tell the entire electrical industry just one thing about quality lighting, what would it be?
Vedder: Quality is hard to define, and it is an ongoing challenge. When two lights shine side by side, customers will choose what they perceive to be the best lighting for their needs. Distributors need to consider working with lighting experts who have the deep expertise to properly pair the right LED lighting to their application. This can prove to be invaluable for potential product sales, especially as LEDs become more affordable and as they become the most reliable, durable and color-consistent source of lighting over traditional lighting sources.
The bottom line: making the switch to LED lighting has never been an easier choice.
DiLouie: Is there anything else you’d like to add about this topic?
Vedder: Lighting quality is more than just the specs written on paper. Many people simply state that “high CRI” is all that is needed for quality light. It is, in fact, more complex than that. Because there can be so many visual differences between products with the same basic specs (CCT, Lumen, CRI, etc.) it is vital that customers test potential solution in application to make sure the light is best for them.
