I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Corrigan Harreys, Product Manager, Philips Lightolier (now Signify). The topic: trends in track lighting. The interview informed an article I wrote for the August issue of tED Magazine.
DiLouie: How would you characterize the track lighting market in terms of size, and current demand for track lighting, both commercial and residential? What end-use trends are affecting demand?
Harreys: Commercial, specifically retail spaces, are the dominant area for track lighting today. As the retail market makes a shift from brick and mortar to e-commerce I think we will see some hit in market size as certain brands close locations, but I think it’s also a big opportunity for track to take the next step in technology with those retailers who are thinking outside of the box and creating next generation experience stores.
LED luminaire designs have changed the typical uses in residential due to the size and “techy” look of fixtures. As form factors continue to become more streamlined and smaller, it will likely begin to make a push back into that application.
DiLouie: What benefits does LED technology bring to track lighting? In what ways has LED technology changed track lighting?
Harreys: Energy efficiency is absolutely one of the biggest benefits. Today we can replace a 75W MR16 Lamp with a 12W integrated LED luminaire which a retailer, for example, could do a 2:1 replacement of track heads and still be under their previous total wattage. Color consistency and options are also one of the major benefits especially for retailers where design and visual appearance are paramount concerns. Beyond 80 and 90CRI options, there are specific color point LEDs to help colors and whites “pop”, adding another level of contrast that can enhance the overall experience within a space.
DiLouie: What impact has LED technology had on track systems, use of low- versus line-voltage track, and how track is specified and used?
Harreys: In many of the cases we come across, low voltage track systems were being used as problem solver where line voltage systems and heads wouldn’t necessarily fit, such as troughs or coves. With the minimizing of components and overall fixture sizes, line voltage can be used across an entire application, even in the tight fit areas.
DiLouie: In what key areas have LED track lights improved over the past three years, and what benefits do these improvements offer?
Harreys: Size and aesthetics of LED track heads have changed significantly over the past 3-5 years. When integrated LED track heads first came to the market there was a need for a heat sink and separate driver housing for thermal purposes and the size of components. Drivers and LED’s now perform much better thermally and in smaller form factors where all electrical components can be put in one housing. This allows for a less obtrusive or quiet ceiling so that the emphasis is back on what is being lit whether it is art work or merchandise.
DiLouie: What are the top 5 trends in LED track lighting design?
Harreys:
1. Miniaturization
2. Simple, clean form factors
3. Two tone finish and texture options
4. Track fixtures blending with the track systems
5. Flexible optic options
DiLouie: How would you characterize current LED track light offerings in terms of light output, sizes, optics, wattages, CRI, color temperatures, service life, and controllability? In what areas is LED superior to incandescent/halogen and ceramic metal halide, and in what areas is there a tradeoff?
Harreys: Over the past 3 years or so, the offerings in the LED track portfolios have grown, in large part due to maturity in technology. Sizes of fixtures are decreasing while performance is increasing. Many portfolios will still mimic output of conventional sources, 600lm, 1000lm, 1200lm, 1500lm, etc. However there are increased benefits such as lower wattage and high center beam candle power. LED and optic combinations allow more flexibility to create impact and contrast within a space, such as the use of LED recipes used to make colors and whites “pop.” While changing out a lamp would require you to change out a whole fixture, integrated fixtures are lasting double the lifetime – 50,000 hours vs 25,000 hours in a lamp in most cases..
DiLouie: What are typical benefits of upgrading existing track lighting to LED? What’s the market opportunity? What is typically involved in completing the upgrade?
Harreys: Energy consumption when switching from conventional sources to LED is a huge savings for the end user and one of the biggest benefits when making the change. In most cases of switching from a conventional source to LED is looking at the ROI. The cost of your fixture needs to be backed up by the decrease in fixture wattage. There are still a large group of retail spaces which haven’t converted to LED, especially in the Tier B and Tier C retail stores. In those lower end applications, you are working against a gimbal and lamp set up which is very low up-front cost, so that is a challenge that is now being solved with lower cost integrated fixtures. Adding in LED recipes to mimic the different sources makes that transition much easier and helps to get all stakeholders that are usually involved on board such as Facility Managers and Visual Merchandisers.
DiLouie: What are the main attributes of an LED track light and system that electrical distributors would be looking for? How do they confidently select a quality product?
Harreys: Since track lighting is most commonly used as accent lighting, electrical distributors should be looking at the center beam candle power they are getting per lumen package and beam spread. Not all 1000lm, spot beam spreads are made the same. You can see large differences in the actual intensity you are getting out of the luminaire and onto the merchandise. You want to create contrast when using track lighting, the candela produced is almost more important than the lumen output.
Most track systems, look the same from the ground level but looking at the conductors is where you will see the difference. Round and flat conductors are common, but “U” shaped conductors are where you will have a long life and better quality. The “U” shape gives you multiple and reliable contact with track head, where are the rods or flat styles will give you just one point of contact that will degrade over time causes dead spots in the track, flickering fixtures and arching.
DiLouie: What are value-added features distributors should be selling, and for what applications or problems are they ideally suited?
Harreys: Track lighting is still the most flexible lighting solution available when spaces are changed consistently. In a retail space where product and store layouts are changed seasonally, the visual merchandisers and store designers need lighting that can adapt to their different layouts accordingly.
Retail is an evolving industry where stores are increasingly becoming “experience” spaces which need to attract, engage and inspire customers. Track lighting can have a significant impact in a store by highlighting specific items and spaces. With the added value of LED recipes, track lighting will only enhance the look of products and entice customers into and around the store.
DiLouie: What are the control capabilities of LED track lighting? What control strategies are possible and typically implemented?
Harreys: The controls capabilities in LED track lighting is progressing quickly, especially over the last 12 months. In most retail applications, the track heads are controlled individually from the other luminaires, so they come on in the morning and turn off after store closing, leaving downlights for example on after hours. Wireless is the next step in enabling track further controls capabilities such as Tunable White and the ability to talk to track heads individually or in groups. This will allow lighting designers and visual merchandisers more flexibility when lighting a space, but also more flexibility to adapt quickly and easily as spaces change.
DiLouie: If you could tell the entire electrical industry just one thing about LED track lighting, what would it be?
Harreys: Although the design styles of LED track heads are very similar now, not all track heads perform the same. You need to look past lumen output into what intensity is being delivered in terms of candela. Track lighting is used to sell and create contrast and emphasis in a space. The candela measurement is key in creating that differentiation within a space, but often times over looked for lumen output.
DiLouie: Is there anything else you’d like to add about this topic?
Harreys: The introduction of LED recipes to track lighting will be an increasingly important theme in the market. In the past 12 months, they have become much more prevalent as the technology has become more efficient. It makes a big impact in a space vs. standard CCT/CRI configurations. LED manufacturers can pick very precise color points for specific merchandise whether it be produce in a supermarket to a pair of white sneakers in a department store.
