the magazine of the electroindustry
er
Published by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association | www.NEMA.org | February 2016 | Vol. 21 No. 2
i
W
nn
2015 Herm
rd
wa
es A
The Expanding
Universe of Lighting
Inside:
n OLEDs: The Other Solid-State Lighting
n Lighting up Retail, Sports, and Historic Architecture
n Keying into the Intelligent City
n Bringing Down the Cost of LEDs
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CONTENTS
FEATURES
Fight or Flight: Facing the Expanding Universe of Lighting.....................................................................14
Exhorting the Case for Spectral Freedom...............................................................................................16
Small-Package, Mid-Power LEDs Enable Big Changes..............................................................................19
OLEDs: The Other Solid-State Lighting Technology.................................................................................20
Roots of Modern Light Bulb Set Precedents for Innovation.....................................................................22
Past as Prologue: What’s Ahead for Solid-State Lighting?.......................................................................24
Simplifying LED Control, Creating New Standards..................................................................................26
LEDs on Retrofit Fast Track for Historically Styled Lighting Applications...................................................28
Lighting: The Key to the Intelligent City................................................................................................30
Illuminating the In-Store Experience....................................................................................................32
Shedding Light on Advanced LED Sport Lighting Technology..................................................................34
Coming Next
Month
Next month, ei explores the new generation of sustainability. We’ll go beyond the three
traditional pillars—economic, social, and environmental—to include new technologies that
promote energy efficiency, new models for financing them, and new perspectives on regulations.
Look also for a new take on an old program—Gold Medallion Homes. It’s all part of a yearlong
celebration at NEMA’s 90th anniversary.
ECO BOX
ei, the magazine of the electroindustry text and cover pages are printed using SFI®-certified
Anthem paper using soy ink.
• SFI fiber sourcing requirements promote responsible forest
management on all suppliers’ lands.
• SFI works with environmental, social and industry partners to
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• The SFI certified sourcing label is proof ei, the magazine of the
electroindustry is using fiber from responsible and legal sources.
ei, the magazine of the electroindustry
Publisher | Tracy Cullen
Editor in Chief | Pat Walsh
Contributing Editors | Ann Brandstadter,
Christine Coogle, William E. Green III
Economic Spotlight | Tim Gill
Codes & Standardization Trends | Vince Baclawski
Government Relations Update | Kyle Pitsor
Art Director | Jennifer Tillmann
National Advertising Representative | Bill Mambert
ei, the magazine of the electroindustry (ISSN 1066-2464) is published monthly by NEMA, the Association of Electrical Equipment and
Medical Imaging Manufacturers, 1300 N. 17th Street, Suite 900, Rosslyn, VA 22209; 703.841.3200. FAX: 703.841.5900. Periodicals
postage paid at Rosslyn, Va., and York, Pa., and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to NEMA, 1300 N.
17th Street, Suite 900, Rosslyn, VA 22209. The opinions or views expressed in electroindustry do not necessarily reflect the positions of
NEMA or any of its subdivisions.
Subscribe to ei, the magazine of the electroindustry at www.nema.org/subscribe2ei.
Contact us at comm@nema.org.
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Newsmakers
NOTES
NEMA Officers........................................................................................................................................................................................5
Comments from the Chairwoman........................................................................................................................................................5
Views from the Top................................................................................................................................................................................6
We Are NEMA......................................................................................................................................................................................52
Michael Wendt (left), Siemens Healthcare,
Congressman David Joyce (R-OH), and Sheldon
Schaffer, Hitachi, discussed repeal of the medical
device tax during a recent visit to Capitol Hill.
8
DEPARTMENTS
Government Relations Update................................................................................................................8
Congress Suspends Device Tax, MITA Continues Push for Permanent Repeal......................................................................................8
Testimony on EPS Improvement Act Addresses SSL Drivers.................................................................................................................9
Regulatory Updates for NEMA Products Foretell 2016 Activities ......................................................................................................10
U.S. Supreme Court Affirms FERC Role in Demand Response............................................................................................................12
Call to Action: Senate to Begin Debate on Energy Policy Modernization Act....................................................................................12
NEMA Opposes Language Related to California Appliance Efficiency Regulations...........................................................................12
Electroindustry News...........................................................................................................................36
Make Safe Lighting a Fixture of the Home..........................................................................................................................................36
Technology to Remain Relevant in the New Year...............................................................................................................................37
Pekka Hakkarainen (left) represented NEMA and
the lighting industry in testimony before the
Subcommittee on Energy Power, which is chaired
by Congressman Ed Whitfield (R-KY).
We Are NEMA
9
Bidding Adieu......................................................................................................................................................................................38
Code Actions/Standardization Trends....................................................................................................40
Code Adoption Remains Active in West Coast Region........................................................................................................................40
A Brief History of the ANSI Z535 Standards........................................................................................................................................41
ASC C136 Publishes Standards with Significant Updates, Continues Work on New Projects............................................................42
IEC Pays Tribute to Longtime Members...............................................................................................................................................42
This Month in Standards .....................................................................................................................................................................42
ANSI Lighting Group Looks Forward to Dynamic 2016......................................................................................................................44
Revised SSL 7A Heralds National, International Impact ....................................................................................................................44
International Roundup........................................................................................................................46
TTIP: One Step to Increased Competitiveness? A European Viewpoint..............................................................................................46
Economic Spotlight..............................................................................................................................48
Serra Temizer
Tracy Cullen
52
Lighting Indexes for Third Quarter Indicate Mixed Results ................................................................................................................48
NEMA Business Conditions Indexes Retreat in December..................................................................................................................50
Save the date
NEMA’s 90th Annual Membership Meeting
Hilton Cleveland Downtown,
Nov. 16-17, 2016
Officers
Chairwoman
Maryrose Sylvester
President & CEO
GE Lighting
President & CEO
Current, Powered by GE
Vice Chairman
Michael Pessina
Co-CEO & President
Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
Treasurer
David G. Nord
Chairman, President & CEO
Hubbell Incorporated
Immediate Past Chairman
Don Hendler
President & CEO
Leviton Manufacturing Co., Inc.
President & CEO
Kevin J. Cosgriff
Secretary
Clark R. Silcox
FROM THE CHAIRWOMAN
In the January issue of ei magazine, NEMA President and CEO Kevin Cosgriff posited
three questions for membership to consider:
• Who are we now?
• What do we believe?
• Where should our industry be in 10 years?
I am pleased to offer some thoughts. But first, let me say it is my honor to succeed Don
Hendler as Chair of the NEMA Board of Governors for 2016—our 90th year and a pivotal
one for our industry.
As the world changes, and our industry with it, NEMA will by necessity evolve to keep
apace. The Internet of Things (IoT) and the connectivity of consumer, commercial,
industrial, and medical devices are good examples. Whereas in the past we have been the
industry that made the components that generated, delivered, controlled, and protected
electricity, now and in the future we add “connected” to that list of attributes. This is no
small change, but it is one we must embrace wholeheartedly in order to grow as an industry.
This issue of ei is devoted to lighting, and in some respects it shows how the IoT is
transforming this space. Each of the articles has unique insights, but they all rest on the
genius of light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Be it to revolutionized shopping (“Illuminating
the In-Store Experience,” page 30) or sports viewing (“Shedding Light on Advanced LED
Sport Lighting Technology,” page 32), the world is transforming before our eyes. It is the
new face of lighting.
As we have done throughout our entire history, NEMA will continue to collaborate
across all sectors to develop the shared knowledge necessary to advance our interests and
those of our customers. We will deliberately move in the direction of systems standards
to complement ongoing product-based ones. The convergence of digital and physical
equipment allows for systems fortified with sensors, controls, and transmitters that capture
data and communicate with other devices to facilitate living and working in new ways.
We believe in the future and our industry’s place in it. We embrace the notion that we
have the presence, power, potential, and imperative to enact meaningful change for the
betterment of our society.
As we reflect on the many accomplishments of our industry over the last near-century,
we esteem the innovators and leaders who have enabled us to take the electroindustry
(and our medical imaging partners) to the next level. We must be the group that drives
change in the electrical world. This will require innovation at all levels, by companies big
and small, component makers, and systems integrators. The same spirit and drive that
literally electrified the world in the past is ours to build on.
Where do we wish NEMA to be—members and staff alike—in the coming years? Simply
stated: out in front, adding value to our industry and our way of life. That will be our
legacy when NEMA turns 100. ei
Maryrose Sylvester
Chairwoman
NEMA Board of Governors
NEMA electroindustry • February 2016 5 Views
ŰŰDriving Innovation in an Accelerating Market
Amy Huntington, President, Market Group Americas for Philips Lighting.
The transformation
towards the Internet
of Things (IoT) and
a connected future
is happening at an
accelerated rate. As
we see an increase
in the adaption
of smart lighting
systems, we are also seeing a dramatic
change in products, business models,
and the industry as a whole. This has
had a direct impact on the innovation,
standardization, and regulation cycle,
creating new challenges in generating
effective standards that are necessary
to support design efficiency and cost
effectiveness yet still give the industry
freedom to innovate.
Traditionally, standards and regulations
(S&R) activities have focused on
established lighting technologies (e.g.,
incandescent/halogen, fluorescent, and
high-intensity discharge lamps and
ballasts), which have benefitted from
strong standards that were developed
over decades. These standards first
addressed safety and later expanded
to focus on energy efficiency and
greenhouse gas reduction. With a solid
framework of standards and norms in
place, regulators have and continue to
focus on performance metrics and levels
without worrying about how parameters
are measured and defined.
Through the years, NEMA has led
successful cycles of revising performance
standards for established technologies
and continues to address rulemaking
issues involving several mature
products. These products still account
for significant business and finance
innovation even though the applicable
product standards have been in place for
many years.
6 NEMA electroindustry • February 2016
However, the last 10 years have
seen a significant intensification of
S&R activity. With the fairly recent
introduction of LED-based lighting
technologies, which offer the promise
of massive energy-saving benefits,
newer and heavier regulations are being
introduced much faster than before and
almost immediately after new standards
are put in place.
Within this new reality, standards still
need to be thorough and comprehensive
without hindering industry advancement
and innovation. This is highlighted
with the impending California Title
20 regulations for LED lamps and the
Environmental Protection Agency’s
ENERGY STAR® V2.0 for both lamps
and luminaires. For the new category
of smart products, standby power
requirements have already been
regulated, which can ultimately stifle
innovation in this area.
For the new category of smart
products, standby power
requirements have already been
regulated, which can ultimately
stifle innovation in this area.
Now, with newer innovations in areas
such as intelligent lighting systems and
services focused on human-centric
lighting, performance-based metrics,
and overall system efficiency, we can
expect even more regulations to be rolled
out at an even quicker pace. Currently,
the Design Lights Consortium is
working diligently to create a networked
lighting controls specification even as it
recognizes that all required standards are
not in place yet.
Never has there been a greater sense of
urgency to develop effective standards.
Yet given the rush to regulation, there
are numerous risks that can impact
future innovation, including unforeseen
consequences and loopholes and
unenforceable requirements.
Preparing for Future
To avoid these risks, it is critical that
NEMA and the industry at large work
together to better prepare for increased
regulatory activity and protect the
industry so that it can continue to grow
and prosper. This work will require
• better understanding and further
educating customers about proposed
regulations, including potential
benefits and unintended consequences;
• actively engaging with policymakers
by providing comments on proposed
regulations and standards; and
• stimulating further industry
participation by encouraging nonmembers to join NEMA and help
shape the industry response.
With the rapid transformation taking
place in our industry, the role played
by the inter-company S&R teams
coordinated and led by NEMA is crucial
to the success and wellbeing of the
electrical industry. The next 10 years hold huge potential
for the lighting industry but will require
extensive industry participation and
collaboration to adjust to the dynamic
industry. ei
Watch Amy Huntington discuss connected
lighting systems and services at
www.nema.org/Insight-Amy-Huntington
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Government Relations Update
ŰŰCongress Suspends Device Tax, MITA Continues Push for Permanent Repeal
Shortly before leaving for an extended
holiday recess, Congress passed
legislation suspending the 2.3percent
medical device tax for 2016 and 2017.
Repealing the medical device tax is
MITA’s #1 legislative priority. The
two-year moratorium was included in
a bipartisan budget package that funds
the government and extends several
popular tax breaks. The agreement
came several months after the House
of Representatives passed legislation to
permanently repeal the device tax with
record-breaking bipartisan support.
Since the law’s inception, MITA has
aggressively led efforts with other
stakeholders to permanently eliminate
the tax, successfully arguing that the
device tax harms jobs and the economy
and stifles innovation by slowing the
pace of research and development.
In addition, industries subjected to
an excise tax in the Affordable Care
Act were thought to be able to make
up the costs through volume, but
that has not been the case for the
medical imaging industry.
MITA members organized a fly-in meeting on December 10, 2015 to voice support for repeal of the device tax. Seen in the
halls of Congress are (from left) Eleanor Kerr, Siemens Healthcare; Paul Biggins, Toshiba; Sheldon Schaffer, Hitachi; Joe
Robinson, Philips; Val Veitengruber, Sonosite; Dave Shoultz, Philips; and Michael Wendt, Siemens Healthcare.
While MITA members and staff
have participated in a campaign to
permanently repeal the tax for years,
they intensified efforts as the budget
package came together late in 2015. Part
of MITA’s strategy included frequent
meetings with congressional members
and staff, the launch of an extensive
advocacy campaign through social and
traditional media, and engaging “grasstops,” mobilizing stakeholders and
organizations in key targeted states.
MITA’s Board of Directors also held
three Capitol Hill fly-in days in 2015 to
share with lawmakers the device tax’s
negative impact on jobs, innovation,
and its effect on patients. The collective
strategy led to the two-year delay.
Although the tax has not been
permanently blocked, a two-year
suspension is seen as a positive first step
toward full repeal. As Congress enters
an election year, making the two-year
moratorium permanent remains MITA’s
top legislative priority. The progress
made on this issue has been due to the
strong advocacy of MITA members. It
is critical that MITA members continue
to stay engaged as the push for full
repeal continues. ei
Flanking Congressman David Joyce (R-OH) during the December 10, 2015 fly-in are Michael Wendt, Siemens Healthcare
(left) and Sheldon Schaffer, Hitachi. Photos by Cassie Ricci.
8 NEMA electroindustry • February 2016
Andy Dhokai, Director of
Federal Relations, MITA |
adhokai@medicalimaging.org
ŰŰTestimony on EPS Improvement Act Addresses SSL Drivers
Pekka Hakkarainen, vice president of
Lutron Electronics, testified in January
before the Subcommittee on Energy
and Power on behalf of NEMA and
the lighting industry regarding the
EPS Improvement Act. The industry
advocates that Congress fix the external
power supply (EPS) rulemaking, which
affects solid-state lighting (SSL) drivers.
The hearing was another forward step in
the process begun in May 2015 to resolve
this issue before the new EPS standards
go into effect on February 10, 2016. This
bill fixes the issue by excluding SSL
drivers from the EPS energy standards
and preventing solid-state drivers from
being included in other wide-ranging
rulemakings
The bill was offered by Representatives
Charlie Dent (R-PA), Dianne DeGette
(D-CO), Renee Ellmers (R-NC), Doris
Matsui (D-CO), and Mike Pompeo (RKS) as a standalone bill for consideration.
They offered identical language as an
amendment to the House energy package
in December.
The same bill is slated to be introduced
in the Senate as a companion
piece of legislation.
Jennifer Amann (left), ACEEE,, and Pekka Hakkarainen, Lutron, testified that Congress needs to correct the external power supply
rulemaking, which affects solid-state lighting drivers. Photo by Rebecca Card
NEMA has been working with energy
efficiency advocates on this issue.
Jennifer Amann, of the American
Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
(ACEEE), testified at the hearing in
support of the bill, saying, “The provision
in the bill explicitly granting [the
Department of Energy] authority to
set future standards on these products
is critical to ACEEE’s support for the
bill. Absent passage of this technical
correction, manufacturers would be at
risk of selling LED lighting products that
cannot be shown to meet the standard.”
Chairman Ed Whitfield (R-KY)
added, “The Obama administration’s
Department of Energy has enacted 34
energy conservation standards since
2009. Many of these standards are not
perfect and contain flaws that need to be
corrected. I thank my colleagues Renee
Ellmers and Diana DeGette for their
draft bill that would address this issue
and benefit both the manufacturers and
users of these products.”
NEMA staff and members will continue
working with stakeholders and our
supporters in Congress to resolve
this issue. ei
Joseph Eaves, Director,
Government Relations, NEMA |
joseph.eaves@nema.org
Pekka Hakkarainen (left), Lutron, represented NEMA and the lighting industry in testimony before the Subcommittee on Energy and Power, which
is chaired by Congressman Ed Whitfield (R-KY). Photo by Joseph Eaves
NEMA electroindustry • February 2016 9 Government Relations Update
ŰŰRegulatory Updates for NEMA Products Foretell 2016 Activities
NEMA expects the Department of
Energy (DOE) to conclude the General
Service Lamps (GSL) rulemaking this
year and lay out a path for light-emitting
diode (LED) lamp innovation through
2020, in addition to moving other
rulemakings farther along. We anticipate
implementing new specifications
for the Environmental Protection
Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR®
lamps and luminaires and developing
program guidance for ENERGY STAR
distribution transformers.
In California, we look forward to
beginning the revision cycle for
the California Building Efficiency
Regulations (Title 24) with an open,
collaborative approach involving
industry and utility stakeholders and the
California Energy Commission (CEC).
U.S. Department of Energy
The DOE issued a number of milestone
rulemaking documents and other
documents of interest in 2015. These
include several related to the rulemaking
for GSL, related to updates to test
procedures and reviews of data gathered
to date about the performance and
potential of the many lamp types
being investigated.
By February 1, the DOE is expected to
have published a notice of proposed
rulemaking (NOPR) for minimum
10 NEMA electroindustry • February 2016
energy conservation standards for
GSL. In support of this NOPR, the
DOE has been working to update test
procedures for LED lamps and compact
fluorescent lamps (CFLs), in addition
to reviewing standards for fluorescent
ballasts and reviving the rulemaking for
battery chargers.
It was interesting to see the DOE remove
uninterruptible power supplies (UPS)
from the scope of the battery charger
test procedure, ostensibly to bring them
in the scope of another rulemaking for
computer systems. NEMA noted that
the CEC references DOE’s previous
test procedure in standards for UPS,
and we pledged to assist the agency in
resolving any gaps that might result from
the changes.
In December 2015, the DOE finalized its
decision not to set energy standards for
high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps.
This event is the first of its kind, as these
decisions have typically been made early
in the process; the HID rulemakings for
test procedures and energy standards
were well underway, and significant
resources had already been expended.
Though some may criticize the DOE
for its negative determination in view
of the resources and time invested,
this was a very positive outcome. The
analysis concluded that standards were
not technically feasible or economically
justified in this case, and the DOE
was therefore obliged to decline to
establish standards.
NEMA and its members congratulate
the DOE on its decision. Fundamentally,
gains across the class were largely
impossible due to potentially onerous
design, testing, and reporting burdens
and unrelated market erosion from
solid-state lighting (SSL) products.
Throughout the process, NEMA
stressed technical challenges, arguing
that there was little to gain from
upgrading an obsolescing technology.
ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR saw significant activity
in 2015 for NEMA member products.
In lighting, performance specifications
for luminaires and lamps were updated.
NEMA is pleased that these updates
took place with strong stakeholder
involvement by the EPA and with several
meetings and interactive webinars. The
proactive involvement encouraged by
the EPA early in the process made the
updates quicker and cleaner.
As the draft specification evolved for
ENERGY STAR lamps, there were some
areas of performance the EPA decided to
relax rather than tighten. For example,
power factor and minimum lifetime
were reduced because of information
submitted by utility partners indicating
that these are not strong consumer
satisfaction drivers. There is market
evidence that relatively lower power
factor and shorter lifetime allows for
less-expensive products, which in turn
drives increased adoption. Initial cost
remains one of the most significant
adoption barriers.
Some might criticize the EPA for this
decision, but given that some utilities
had walked away from ENERGY STAR
to rebate lamps that did not qualify
for Version 1.1, the EPA had to decide
whether to increase stringency or relax
some parameters. The EPA did elevate
existing requirements in several areas,
almost eliminating CFLs from the
program. This decision reflected market
factors and careful consideration of the
program’s overall focus and opportunity
for impact.
NEMA was actively engaged in exploring
the potential of the emerging ENERGY
STAR distribution transformers
program. At the core of the discussion is
the fact that transformer efficiency varies
not only as a result of its construction
and materials used but also in terms
of field conditions. Making sure a
transformer is matched to the needs of
the customer and grid is critical.
The fact that a product bears the
ENERGY STAR mark is not a guarantee
of energy savings or optimum
performance if the selection process
does not involve appropriate use factors.
The program being explored seeks to
consider total ownership cost, which
takes into account field conditions and
individual customer needs, instead of
providing a list-based selection process.
California Energy Commission
The CEC pursued several updates to
the California Appliance Efficiency
Regulations (Title 20) in 2015. New
efficiency regulations for electronic
fluorescent dimming ballasts were
adopted, and late in the year the CEC
proposed ambitious requirements for
LED and small diameter lamps. These
requirements are very strict, putting
some categories in danger of elimination.
NEMA worked over the past two years
to educate and influence stakeholders
and the CEC in the science behind
LEDs and to help them understand the
interplay of performance parameters.
NEMA submitted dozens of pages of
technical comments over the update
process and is still working with CEC
staff to clarify the delicate interplay of
the parameters proposed for regulation.
The core challenge is that LED
technology is still developing, and the
right answer is not always clear when
contrasting an emerging technology
with a well-established one. Because
the CEC has elected to set aggressive
minimum standards early in the lifetime
of the LED lamps market, stakes are
high in terms of balancing product
performance, consumer acceptance,
and market factors.
Part of the challenge lies in the wellestablished regulatory models being
applied, where product performance and
price trends are examined for trends and
then requirements are set at the upper
limits of those trends (or lower limits if
one is addressing cost). The problem with
this model is that the data sets are small
because the product is new.
Without comprehensive data sets,
it is easy to err in estimating future
performance and market impacts
of regulations. Setting aggressive
requirements on an emerging product
can stifle innovation and steer products
down a development path that leads
to dead ends. It is NEMA’s goal to
influence the CEC to set more moderate
requirements that weed out poor
performers while allowing for wider
consumer choice and opportunities
for competition. ei
Alex Boesenberg, Manager,
Government Relations, NEMA |
alex.boesenberg@nema.org
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NEMA electroindustry • February 2016 11 Government Relations Update
ŰŰU.S. Supreme Court Affirms FERC Role in Demand Response
On Monday, January 25, the U.S.
Supreme Court determined that the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
(FERC) has the authority to regulate
demand response—that is, pay
consumers to use less electricity during
times of peak demand—in wholesale
energy markets.
Throughout the proceedings, NEMA has
supported FERC’s authority to regulate
demand response in wholesale markets,
which should reduce electricity demand
during peak hours, reduce wholesale
electricity prices, reduce strain on the
electric grid, and potentially reduce
instances of brownouts and blackouts.
Justice Elena Kagan authored the
majority opinion and was joined by
five other members of the Court in
overturning a decision of the U.S.
Court of Appeals for the District of
Columbia Circuit that held that FERC
had infringed on the authority of states
to regulate retail electricity rates. Justices
Scalia and Thomas dissented.
The Supreme Court’s decision made
two important determinations:
• FERC has the authority to regulate
demand response prices in wholesale
electricity markets; and
• FERC can compensate providers of
demand response at the locational
marginal price (the geographically
specific and dynamic price paid to
wholesale power producers).
According to the decision, FERC has the
authority to regulate demand response
at the wholesale level under Section 824
of the Federal Power Act; states have the
authority to regulate electricity at the
retail level. The Supreme Court noted
that wholesale and retail markets are
inextricably linked, and even though
FERC actions at the wholesale level may
impact a retail market, that does not
prohibit FERC from taking actions that
are solely aimed at wholesale markets.
The decision noted that “transactions
that occur on the wholesale market have
natural consequences at the retail level.
And so too, of necessity, will FERC’s
regulation of those wholesale matters.”
In addition, the Supreme Court
decided that the level at which FERC
determined that demand response
should be compensated was not
“arbitrary and capricious,” as some
opponents had argued.
More information is available on the
NEMA Currents blog at blog.nema.org.
ei
Patrick Hughes, Senior Director,
Government Relations and
Strategic Initiatives, NEMA |
patrick.hughes@nema.org
ŰŰContact Your Senators: Senate to Begin Debate on Energy Policy Modernization Act
As the U.S. Senate scheduled debate
on an energy bill that includes
many important provisions for the
electroindustry, NEMA encourages
members and others in the industry to
take action and contact their senators to
urge them to support S 2012, the Energy
Policy Modernization Act. The legislation contains a number of
NEMA-backed provisions that would
benefit a broad range of association
members in two main categories:
Energy Efficiency in Buildings and
Transmission, Distribution, and Storage.
NEMA’s position is available at
www.nema.org/Energy-PolicyModernization-Act. To contact a senator
through NEMA’s online system, visit
www.nema.org/Support-the-EnergyPolicy-Modernization-Act or call the
Senate at 202-224-3121. ei
Kyle Pitsor, Vice President of
Government Relations, NEMA |
kyle.pitsor@nema.org
ŰŰNEMA Opposes Language Related to California Appliance Efficiency Regulations
In recent comments to the California
Energy Commission (CEC) on behalf of
Lighting Division member companies,
NEMA urged commissioners not to
adopt language related to proposed
amendments to the Appliance Efficiency
Regulations relating to certain General
Service LED (light-emitting diode)
lamps, including omnidirectional LED
lamps, directional LED lamps, and small
diameter lamps.
12 NEMA electroindustry • February 2016
NEMA’s position is that the proposed
changes to Title 20 are based on poorly
analyzed data of the emerging LED
lamp market. The language promotes
unrealistically high color rendering
index (CRI) requirements for R8, which
effectively forces manufacturers to supply
nominal CRI 90 products to the market
instead of the CRI 82 specification
elsewhere in CEC’s proposal.
NEMA’s comments are available at
www.nema.org/Language-LED-andSmall-Dia-Lamps. ei
Alex Boesenberg, Manager,
Government Relations, NEMA
| alex.boesenberg@nema.org
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Fight or Flight:
Facing the Expanding
Universe of Lighting
Mark Lien LC, CLEP, CLMC, HBDP, LEED BD&C, Director,
Government & Industry Relations, Osram Sylvania
A
s our world grows more connected, it expands the lighting universe.
Globalization is accelerating, and lighting products are increasingly
connecting to other trades, forcing us to learn about industries previously
peripheral or unrelated to lighting.
Apps unite lighting with HVAC, door locks, thermostats, smoke
alarms, window treatments, coffee pots, cameras, sensors,
and more. Lighting has expanded to include features such as
changing colors, timers, sensors that detect movement, blinking
to alert us to phone calls, syncing to music, video surveillance,
data collection, Wi-Fi, and much more.
Complexity increases as the lighting community expands.
It becomes more difficult to comprehend the overwhelming
amount of new information, especially as it relates to
compatibility and interconnectedness. Lighting professionals
are having a difficult time staying ahead of the rapid shift to
solid-state. If the professionals are struggling, imagine the
effect on consumers.
Adding by Subtracting
The industry must look to add value by simplifying the changes;
understanding and distilling the new lighting world will be a
positive differentiator. Educating ourselves—and educating
selectively based on customer needs—will pay dividends.
Learning is always important, but in times of change it is
elevated to a critical level. Many of our customers understand
legacy technology, but that foundation is of little use as
electronics companies increasingly provide digital light sources,
luminaires, and controls.
14 NEMA electroindustry • February 2016
The lighting industry has progressed further in the past decade
than in the preceding century, and that progress is accelerating.
Futurist Ray Kurzweil projects that nanobots will connect
our neocortex to the cloud in about 15 years. Before this
game-changer arrives and before we discuss new solid-state
illumination, cybersecurity, nanotechnology, architectural laser
lights, graphene light sources, and exponential growth curves, we
should begin with the end in mind. That will allow us to focus on
the time between today and the day lighting is integrated into the
electrical infrastructure of buildings and applications, before our
brain activity controls lighting that is self-learning and adaptable
for our health needs and personal preferences.
Acceleration is relative. When everything is moving in the
same direction, as the spinning earth reveals, our perspective
is skewed and we may not accurately sense the velocity. Many
of the industries adjacent to lighting are also changing, and
our lighting community is poised to converge with them and
expand beyond current business intersections.
Companies that have survived or flourished in a reactive mode,
intentionally just behind the bleeding edge to minimize risk
(and save on research and development), may be out of business
already and just not know it yet. Risk increases if one drives
too slowly on an expressway; similarly, as speed limits are
removed, our lighting Autobahn becomes less regulated and
faces enhanced danger from the opposite extreme. Survival now
requires responses faster than last year’s Garmin can deliver.
The Expanding Universe of Lighting
Fight, Not Flight
Our reaction to the fear evoked by this dangerous pace can result
in either paralysis or adrenaline. With massive change occurring
all around us, paralysis is not a viable option for survival.
This is not a wake-up call—that should already have happened.
Success requires faster response, which involves learned skill,
experience, and risk. Our intuition is based on an increasingly
irrelevant past and can no longer be trusted without
modification, if not a complete reset.
Our response to the roar of change around us can be fight
or flight. We can get out now and try to minimize the
consequence, or we can charge into unfamiliar territory,
trusting our instincts and our team. In this new terrain, size
may prove an impediment rather than a security advantage.
Our companies have evolved to manage scarcity. Ownership
worked well for scarcity, but accessing or sharing works better
in an information-based world. While the information-based
world is moving exponentially faster, our organizational
structures are still very linear. Any company designed for
success in the 20th century is doomed to fail in the 21st.
The future is non-linear. To understand this, think of
photography. It was based on a scarcity model, with a cost per
photo (about $1) that encouraged photographers to conserve
film and processing. With digital technology, however, the total
cost is the same whether the photographer takes five pictures or
500. Even storage has become all but free. With digital photos,
consumers have applied facial and image recognition, darkroom
techniques, and word processing options like move, cut, and
copy. They have become publishers as smaller, high-quality
cameras have more affordable. Its future is non-linear.
Growth = Free?
Now, however, it is difficult to track the rate of change and to
project those changes. Current projections for the cost of an
LED replacement for a 60-watt lamp put it around $11 each,
dropping to $4 by 2020. On the most recent Black Friday, LED
replacements were featured at a large home-center chain for
99 cents, with everyday pricing at $1.99. The projections were
linear, but the costs decreased exponentially.
The electronics world has exponential growth algorithms in
its DNA. Moore’s law proposed in 1965 that the density of
transistors in an integrated circuit doubles every year. In 1975,
the law was revised to every two years, which has held true
since. It is expected to slow in 2020, when the paradigm shifts to
3D circuits, which will then continue the biennial exponential
growth pattern.
Complexity increases as our lighting community expands.
Consider that 10 years ago we had 500 million internet-connected
devices; today, we have 8 billion; and we are expected to have 50
billion by 2025 and one trillion by 2035. Information enables our
world, and we are merely one percent down this road. We need to
adjust our intuition based on this large-scale reality.
The U.S. Department of Energy predicts that, by 2020, LED
outdoor lighting will account for 75 percent of the installed
base; interior lighting will account for 48 percent. This is up
from 10 and three percent, respectively, at the close of 2014.
As our world grows more connected, the lighting universe is
expanding rapidly. We are moving beyond borders established
over the past century into uncharted territory. We can plot a
trajectory, but we need to change from the business models that
made us successful to those that have helped electronics and IT
companies thrive amid change at an exponential rate.
What if energy becomes all but free and the scarcity model no
longer applies?
If you have not started down this path, it may be too late. If you
have, fight complacency, stay alert, and watch with vigilance! ei
The lighting industry moved slowly for more than a century.
Plotting trajectories was simple: put a push pin in to mark the
lumens per watt (LPW), kilowatt hour (kWh) rate, energy code
requirements, or any other measurement, plotted against a
timeline. The path could be projected years ahead.
Mr. Lien has served on the Board of Directors of the Illuminating
Engineering Society. He is a member of multiple IES, NEMA,
ALA, and ASHRAE committees and serves as chair of the
NEMA Light Source Section Committee and vice chair of the
National Lighting Bureau.
Fascinating Fact
Richard Foster, PhD, a senior faculty fellow at
Yale School of Management, estimates the
average lifespan of an S&P500 company has
decreased from 67 years in the 1920s to 15
years today, and it will get even shorter with
major players annihilated by a new breed of
companies that embrace technologies from
groupware, nanotech, and datamining to
synthetic biology and robotics.
One firm identified 9,000 crowd-based
startups in 25 categories as the social business
movement threatens to further disrupt
established companies.
NEMA electroindustry • February 2016 15 Exhorting the
Case for Spectral
Freedom
Mark E. Duffy, PhD, Manager—Global Industry
Standards, GE Lighting
A color evaluation booth demonstrates the need for spectral freedom through a side-by-side comparison
of otherwise identical collections with different spectral characteristics. Photo courtesy of GE Lighting
W
ith the transformation of our lighting industry well underway,
consumers are beginning to learn what lighting professionals have
known for many years: light sources have color, and it can be important
in application.
Globally, as the industry transitions to more efficient lighting
for general service, the market is shifting to light source
technologies that can be spectrally tailored, such as fluorescent
and light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Tailoring a spectrum is
much more than designing the light source correlated color
temperature (CCT) or chromaticity coordinates; it involves
detailing every aspect of color perception or characteristics to
meet specific application needs.
For example, retail stores may use more saturated colors to
illuminate merchandise to attract shoppers. Restaurant owners
may seek softer, warmer spectrums to blend with candlelight
for a romantic ambience. Eldercare facilities, facing the agerelated challenges of its patients, may choose a time-controlled
combination of cooler (bluish) and warmer (orange-reddish)
light source spectrums to enhance circadian entrainment
objectives. Horticultural facilities may use light sources with
16 NEMA electroindustry • February 2016
specialized spectrums to promote plant growth. Industries
relying on color discrimination may benefit from spectrums
featuring larger color gamut areas.
The list of applications is nearly endless, and the value of and
need for spectral variety is undeniable. The new technologies
enable light source manufacturers to design the spectral
characteristics and better serve the specific needs of each
application.
To realize this potential for spectral tailoring, lighting
manufacturers need spectral freedom, which requires restraint
from enacting regulatory restrictions on light sources based
on their spectrum, due to the wide variation of intended
applications requiring different spectral qualities.
Spectral freedom involves a paradigm shift to the evaluation of
light-source efficiency in terms of radiated power in the visible
range rather than lumens per watt. This article explains the
concept of a new approach to light-source efficiency, reflects on
the responsibilities associated with spectral freedom, and urges
regulatory restraint.
The Expanding Universe of Lighting
Shifting toward Measuring All Visible Light
Since the CIE (International Commission on Illumination)
standardized the photopic luminous efficiency function V(λ)
in 1924,1 approximating the response of the human eye to
normal light levels, the lumen has been used as a measure of
luminous flux. For this discussion, it is important to note that
the luminous flux does not measure how much light is emitted
by the light source. The use of V(λ) to weight the spectral power
distribution (SPD) integration results in a quantity (lumens)
that measures the amount of green and yellow light and, to a
much lesser extent, red and blue light that is emitted from the
light source.
The ratio of lumens to input power (rate of energy consumption)
of a light source is called the efficacy, measured in lumens per
watt (lm/W). It is a popular misconception that the efficacy of a
light source determines its efficiency.
A paradigm shift toward measuring all of the visible light (blue,
green, yellow, and red) produced by a light source is needed for
spectral freedom. The SPD, obtained to determine the luminous
flux above, is integrated from 380 nanometers (nm) to 760
nm without any weighting function to calculate the radiant
power (W) in the visible region. In other words, the radiant
power measures the rate of visible light energy produced by a
light source.
This is actually much simpler than the luminous flux to
calculate. When the radiant power is divided by the electrical
input power consumed by the light source, the resulting
quotient is a measure of the actual radiant efficiency for
conversion of electrical energy into light. Use of the radiant
efficiency for visible light production by a light source is colorneutral, applying equally to traditional and new technologies.
As the relatively newer LED technology improves efficient
visible light production, the radiant efficiency serves as a
spectrally unbiased measure of efficiency.
Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage proceedings, 1924. Cambridge University Press,
Cambridge, 1926
1
Bold. Mobile.
Powerful.
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NEMA electroindustry • February 2016 17 continued on page 15
With Freedom Comes Responsibility
Exercising Restraint
With freedom comes responsibility, even for spectral freedom.
As noted earlier, spectral or color quality is application-specific.
Spectral quality requires a set of ratings for evaluating light
sources according to the wide variety of potential applications.
Spectral freedom can be hampered by well-intended regulations
aimed at optimizing one or more of the spectral metrics.
Although regulations have the clear intent of improving light
source efficiency and color quality—both noble goals—they
carry unintended consequences.
I like to use an analogy with the wine industry: Wine has
tremendous variety expressed in many different ways—white
or red; sweet or dry; pairs well with seafood, poultry, meat, or
dessert. Reading the label on a wine bottle provides insight into
the vast creativity of producers to market their wines using
descriptive language involving taste, smell, and sight. They use
rating systems that are subjective scores assigned by wine critics
and used to inform the consumer in the selection process.
Now I have whetted your appetite! Similarly, responsible
spectral design and selection must use a variety of objective
ratings tailored to inform specific application needs. Every
existing or proposed color quality metric uses the SPD as input
for the calculation. Each metric differs by the use of one or more
weighting functions for the SPD as well as in the complexity
of the calculation to reduce many integration quantities into a
single valued metric.
These weighting functions are sometimes called action spectra
to describe the effectiveness of light at each wavelength to
produce the desired effect. Luminous flux remains a valuable
metric that uses V(λ) as the action spectrum. Horticulture
applications may use chlorophyll absorption action spectra
to promote plant growth. Circadian applications rely on
the melatonin suppression action spectrum of intrinsically
photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGC).2 The CIE color
rendering index (CIE Ra)3 uses the average of eight test-color
(action spectra) samples.
Color saturation and discrimination metrics use gamut areas
derived from the chromaticity appearance of multiple color
samples, each with a specific reflection spectrum. Finally,
color preference indexes that combine effects of enhanced
saturation, minimal hue distortion, and color appearance are
also proposed.4
The effort by industry experts to transform metrics along with
the technology is vital to responsible use of spectral freedom.
A system that uses action spectrum ratings as a measure of the
spectral value for each application could be considered. Such
a rating system would need to be developed that provides a
simple means for users and designers to select light sources
suitable for each application. Each light source could receive
ratings according to suitable applications in order to avoid
misapplication.
Existing regulatory requirements based on light source efficacy
(i.e., lumens per watt) have the unintended consequence of
restricting spectral freedom by rewarding greenish spectra
and penalizing broader, more natural, saturated, or preferred
spectra. The use of luminous efficacy instead of radiant
efficiency of visible light in regulations has a subtle, indirect
influence on spectral design away from viewer preference in
general service applications.
As creative experts in the lighting industry develop more
efficient light sources, the next round of energy regulations has
the opportunity to provide spectral freedom by changing the
paradigm from luminous efficacy to radiant efficiency.
Potential regulatory restrictions based on color metrics will
directly interfere with spectral freedom. These restrictions
include color rendering (Ra), the red color rendering index
(R9), gamut area, and action spectra metrics for specific general
service or specialty applications.
Each of these metrics is intended to provide specific information
about a spectral characteristic for proper use in a relevant
application. They are under considerable revision as the part of
the lighting industry’s technology transformation.
The academic community is rapidly building the base of
knowledge for human vision and lighting-related science.
Innovative metrics that both refine existing spectral metrics
and address new application areas will be developed. Regulatory
restraint requires regional authorities worldwide to refrain from
attempting to improve the color quality of lighting products by
setting regulations that oversimplify a very complex science.
The challenge of shifting the paradigm for the electric lighting
industry, now well over a century old, is obviously great, but
now is the time for spectral freedom! ei
Mr. Duffy serves USNC as Head of Delegation and Technical
Advisor for IEC/TC34 and SC34A and chairs the NEMA Light
Source Section Technical Committee.
Illuminating Engineering Society, IES TM-18-08 Light and Human Health: An Overview of the Impact
of Light on Visual, Circadian, Neuroendocrine and Neurobehavioral Response, 2008
2
Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage, Method of Measuring and Specifying Colour Rendering
Properties of Light Sources. CIE Publication 13.3, Vienna: CIE 13.3, 1995
3
Vick K. and Allen G., “Quantifying Consumer Lighting Preference,” Proceedings of the 14th
International Symposium on the Science and Technology of Light Sources, Landmark Paper LP93,
Como, Italy, 2014
4
18 NEMA electroindustry • February 2016
The Expanding Universe of Lighting
Small-Package, Mid-Power
LEDs Enable Big Changes
David Venhaus, Senior Solutions Specialist, Hubbell Lighting
S
everal challenges—performance, light quality, and initial cost —have
prevented the wholesale adoption of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in
lighting, whether the application is a retrofit or new installation.
The performance part of the puzzle has been pretty much
won by LEDs, with fixture efficacies exceeding even the best
incumbent technologies by a minimum of 25 percent and in
some cases more than doubling the efficacy of luminaires. Light
quality also continues to improve.
The most exciting development is the rapid decrease in initial
costs. Over the last five years, many of the more common
applications like high bays and troffers saw massive price
decreases, some by as much as 75 percent.
The evolution in the emitter package, particularly midpower LEDs, specifically drove this decrease. If we rewind
to 2008-2010, we see tremendous effort in one- to threewatt emitter packages. The effort was mostly focused on
efficacy and extracting as many lumens from a single emitter
package as possible. While this led to some impressive gains
in performance, it did so almost to the point of becoming
problematic in certain applications.
How so? In an outdoor application, where an individual beamforming optic is placed over each emitter, the evolution was a
luminaire designer’s dream. Suddenly, hundreds of lumens were
available from a single-point source that, when paired with an
optic, made a potent combination.
But in an indoor application, where reduced glare and a smoothlit appearance was premium, this became a drawback. Suddenly
only eight or 10 emitters were needed to make a 3,000-lumen
2×2 troffer. This put too few emitters too far apart behind the
typical diffuser to allow for smooth delivery of light, leading to a
“lumpy,” spotty, or pixilated appearance.
The fix was to put a less efficient diffuser over the emitters,
killing of all those precious gains in efficacy, or using more
emitters than required, driving up cost.
Enter the mid-power emitter.
Smaller, low-power emitters were gaining traction in television
and other backlight units around this time. These emitters
paved the way for the current generation of mid-power emitters
that run at lower power levels (typically ¼ to ½ watt) yet still
make substantial amounts of light. Today, these emitters deliver
Mid-power emitters drive down the costs of LED products.
Photo courtesy of Hubbell Lighting
light at less than one-tenth the cost per lumen of their higherpower predecessors in 2008.
As the cost of these emitters plummeted, manufacturers
leveraged lean manufacturing techniques that afforded them the
opportunity to place hundreds of these emitters in a luminaire
in a cost-effective manner.
The impact was immediate.
Lower-thermal density meant standard glass-reinforced,
epoxy-laminated circuit boards could be used instead of more
expensive aluminum-clad printed circuit boards. With the
emitters packed tightly together, the LED light source more
closely emulated a fluorescent tube, eliminating pixilation.
This meant more efficient diffusers could be used, maximizing
efficacy while still delivering a smooth, low-glare appearance.
Higher overall efficacy also meant that the total power level fell
so much that standard-formed sheet-metal housing was all that
a heatsink required, eliminating the need for more expensive
extruded or die-cast heatsinks.
The end result? The cost of LED products plummeted. They are
approaching pricing parity with the outdated fluorescent products.
The next time you open up an LED product and see hundreds of
mid-power emitters, you might be tempted to think, “Wow, that
looks expensive.” On the contrary, all those emitters actually
reduced the cost of the product. ei
As the primary resource for LED-related information in the
Hubbell Lighting Solutions Center, Mr. Venhause is responsible
for identifying trends and concepts related to LED technology and
sharing that information with customers.
NEMA electroindustry • February 2016 19 OLEDs:
The Other Solid-State Lighting Technology
Peter Y. Ngai, PE, LC, FIES, Vice President of OLED Lighting, Acuity Brands Lighting
T
he solid-state lighting market is presently dominated by inorganic lightemitting diodes (LEDs). LEDs have high efficacy and long lifespans and
have nearly reached cost parity with traditional forms of lighting.
A relatively new technology has recently entered the commercial
sector, though, which has the potential to expand lighting
applications in many of the target lighting markets. Invented
in the late 1980s, organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) are
flat light panels. They are “organic” in that the key functional
materials are composed of organic compounds—complex
carbon-containing molecules.
The OLED Difference
OLEDs and LEDs are similar in that they are semiconductor
light sources. Both are dimmable, and when they are switched
on electrons are able to recombine with holes and release energy
in the form of photons. Neither luminaire contains mercury or
other hazardous materials.
This, however, is where the similarities end.
LEDs each come in a tiny chip. They pack a lot of lumens into
a focused point source. As such, they can be easily controlled
optically. However, because of their intense brightness, they
need to be kept away from direct view to prevent intense
glare. For this reason, diffusers, lenses, or reflectors are used
as shielding. In addition, heat is generated from a very small
region, which leads to high temperature and the need for
thermal management and heat sinking.
OLEDs, on the other hand, have diffused area sources, creating
light that is calm, soft, and comfortable to view. Their ultraslim form offers excellent visual light quality. OLED panels are
available in various shapes: circular, square, rectangular, and
others. Moreover, OLED panels can be made flexible. With
OLEDs, heat is dissipated though the entire light-emitting area,
so they are cool to the touch.
OLED efficacy has advanced tremendously in the last four
years. A high-CRI (color rendering index) OLED panel of 90 is
approximately 80 lumens per watt, and a nominal-CRI OLED
panel of 82 is around 100 lumens per watt. As for LEDs, the best
chip efficacy of a high-CRI LED with a junction temperature
of 25º C is about 120 lumens per watt. A nominal-CRI LED is
currently approximately 160 lumens per watt.
While these comparisons are useful benchmarks, relative
performance must be considered on the basis of luminaire
20 NEMA electroindustry • February 2016
Artwork courtesy of Acuity Brands Lighting
efficiency. Overall luminaire efficiency depends on driver and
electronic efficiency and light loss due to thermal and optical
factors. For LEDs, the U.S. Department of Energy reports that
there is a 12-percent light loss due to junction temperature
increase and another 11-percent loss due to optics. With OLEDs,
however, there are no additional efficiency losses to consider,
as confirmed by the same report. From here, it can be seen that
the efficiency of OLEDs comes sufficiently close to that of LEDs
for most lighting applications, and their efficacy is expected to
continually increase at a fast pace.
The Expanding Universe of Lighting
OLEDs Calm, OLEDs Bright
One of the most obvious OLED lighting applications is in the
areas of sconce, pathway, and decorative lights. For these, the
light source itself is celebrated. It provides visual interest and
visible information and orientation.
Secondary optics and heat sinks are not required for OLED
luminaires. For most sconce and marker light applications,
the brightness of the OLED is less than 2,000 candela per
square meter (cd/m2). This drastically increases the lifetime
of OLEDs to upwards of 100,000 hours, making them suitable
for 24-7 operation.
The minimal luminaire thickness makes it especially
appropriate for satisfying legislation requirements such as
Americans with Disabilities Act. Sconces and marker lights are
found in almost every kind of commercial setting, from office
buildings and hotels to healthcare facilities and public spaces.
OLED brightness is inherently calm and comfortable. They can
be viewed directly at close proximity without glare and are cool
to the touch. OLEDs are lightweight and thin and do not require
bulky accessories. The combination of these unique features
makes them ideal for close-to-user applications.
Taking OLEDs to Task
As a direct consequence of design freedom, traditional openspace ambient lighting requires that luminaires be laid out in
regimented grid-like patterns, such as 10 feet by 10 feet or 8 feet
by 8 feet, for visual uniformity. With OLEDs, lighting panels can
be regarded as light tiles, which may be arranged in multiples in
any form and shape. This gives a designer complete freedom to
create lighting layouts as envisioned by the design intent.
Design freedom offers another advantage of OLED lighting in
the form of application efficiency. Energy-efficient lighting can
be achieved not only by efficient light source alone but also by
delivering the right amount of light where it is needed. Without
the restriction of regimented grid-like layouts, OLEDs can
place light at points where it is needed most, providing tailored
lighting delivery. So, for instance, more OLED panels can be
placed for high workspace illumination, while in-between walk
space would have fewer panels for lower illumination.
A recent development in OLED lighting is to integrate a LED
into an OLED luminaire. A good example is in the application
of a pendant direct-indirect lighting system. Harvesting the
strength of an LED creates a highly effective, widespread
distribution of light for the indirect component, while allowing
the OLED to deliver to occupants a soft and comfortable light.
This hybrid approach also brings the overall efficiency and cost
of the lighting system close to that of a pure LED but with the
added benefits of an OLED.
One of OLEDs’ prime applications is task lighting. In fact,
because OLEDs are an area source with diffused lighting
distribution, they can provide an additional layer of volumetric
illumination to the immediate space surrounding a task area.
The surrounding layer of light created by OLEDs results in a
much more pleasant and inviting environment that enhances
clarity, dimensionality, and the appearance of space over and
beyond what traditional task lighting can offer.
Time to Shine
When coupled with low ambient lighting for circulation and
safety, this task-surround-ambient lighting system can deliver
effective lighting solutions for offices, libraries, and other spaces
where superior lighting quality and energy savings are needed.
OLED technology is still in a fast development stage, with
exciting advancements expected to reach its ultimate potential.
The lighting industry foresees brighter, larger, better-colored,
more efficacious, and even longer-lasting panels. Color-tunable
and flexible OLED panels are also on the horizon. Farther out,
it will be possible to have transparent OLEDs. Basically, the
OLED panel will be a light source when lit; when not energized,
the panel will be see-through and may be used as a window
or skylight.
As an extension to task lighting, the same principle can be
applied to countertop lighting for reception areas or nurses’
stations. OLEDs do not emit radiation in the ultraviolet (UV)
region, so their shadow-free, warm, and gentle light is suitable
for other close-to-user applications, such as mirror, shelf, and
display lighting.
One of the most important OLED applications is in general
illumination for offices and other commercial and institutional
spaces. OLEDs deliver not only adequate illumination for task
performance but also the necessary volumetric illumination
to satisfy people’s psychological appetite for brightness. At the
same time, OLEDs provide a glare-free visual environment.
While OLEDs are still more expensive than LEDs, their costs
are coming down precipitously. This is similar to what LEDs
experienced a couple years ago. In fact, there are already OLED
luminaires in the marketplace that have price points close to
that of their LED counterparts—a trend that is expected to
continue in the foreseeable future.
From an application standpoint, OLEDs will soon be integrated
into walls, ceilings, furniture, and appliances. It is even
conceivable that OLEDs will be woven into fabrics or carpets.
So, while there is no question that the future of OLED is bright,
there’s no time like the present to let OLEDs shine. ei
Mr. Ngai, a pioneer in OLED lighting, is a nationally recognized
authority on lighting technology and luminaire design,
NEMA electroindustry • February 2016 21 Roots of Modern
Light Bulb Set
Precedents for
Innovation
Paul Rodriguez, Program Manager, NEMA
W
hen Thomas Edison filed his patent for the incandescent bulb in 1879,
his was far from the first or only designer. Similarly, when energy
crises demanded the development of the modern compact fluorescent lamp
(CFL), it was not the first or only design of its kind. Light-emitting diode (LED)
technology got its rise in the semi-conductor industry and is only recently
seeing widespread commercial availability. Fueled by energy costs and
availability, the lighting industry has been forced to evolve quickly over the
last 150 years.
Filaments Yield to Florescent
The first arc lamp was shown to be capable of
producing constant light in 1835. It took more
than 40 years for Thomas
Edison to file a patent on
the incandescent lamp. In
1802
Sir Humphry Davy demonstrates
the interim, scientists were
the phenomenon of electric arc
feverishly trying to make
filament bulbs cost-effective
and longer-lasting.
The main focus of experiments during this time was the
makeup of the filament within the bulbs. Incandescent bulbs
work by heating the filament with an electrical current.
When the filament gets hot enough, it produces the light you
see. By varying the makeup of this filament, scientists found
different colors, intensities, and lifespans that were significantly
dependent on the type of filament used.
Early in the life of the filament bulb, the filament was made of
carbon. Mr. Edison even used a bamboo filament to achieve
a substantial increase in the lamp’s lifetime. Ultimately, the
industry saw huge gains in efficiency and quality with the use of
modern tungsten filament in 1904. Though Mr. Edison might
not have built the first light-producing source, the steps that he
made to improve the bulb were momentous. From the Edison
screw base for lamps to better manufacturing processes, Mr.
Edison was truly the father of the incandescent bulb.
Though incandescent bulbs were novel and eventually
found their way into the commercial market, inefficiency
and rising energy costs soon led to the development and
commercialization of the modern fluorescent bulb.
1835
First arc
lamp produces
constant light
2016
1900
Discharge lamps
gain popularity
1962
LEDs are used in
limited applications
Retail giant Ikea announces it will
sell only LED-based lighting products
1879
Thomas Edison
files patent for the
incandescent bulb
22 NEMA electroindustry • February 2016
1904
Tungsten filament demonstrates
efficiency and quality
1990
Invention of blue LEDs leads to
more commercial applications
The Expanding Universe of Lighting
Fluorescent bulbs found their start in the invention of discharge
lamps (lamps that work by passing an electrical current through
a gaseous chamber).
Sir Humphry Davy demonstrated the phenomenon of electric
arc in 1802. Discharge lamps were being studied as early as the
late 19th century, but they did not gain popularity until scientists
found that the introduction of different gases into the tubes
could create different light.
The most notable of these gases is mercury, which was found
to create a blueish-green light. Later, scientists found that they
could use phosphors to manipulate the color of the light coming
from the tube. These lamps were now giving off pleasant light
colors while using a quarter of the light of incandescent bulbs.
They also lasted ten times longer than their incandescent
predecessors.
Ceding Future to LEDs
In recent years, fluorescent lighting has grudgingly yielded
ground to LED technology.
LEDs existed as early as the 1960s but were used in very limited
applications. After the invention of blue LEDs in the 1990s, it
was a short step to more commercial applications. Scientists
again used phosphors to change the light color to something
more consumer-friendly. A global focus on energy efficiency and
conservation has put LEDs firmly in the lighting arena. LEDs
account for a sixth of the energy used for lighting in the U.S. and
are rapidly expanding into commercial and residential use.
As we reach new levels of energy efficiency with modern bulbs,
scientists are hard-pressed to achieve further efficiency from
the bulbs themselves. Using high-performance bulbs such as
modern LEDs in tandem with controls such as occupancy and
photo sensors compounds the benefits from both.
We can expect to see the next big innovation in lighting come
from the interfacing of these lamps and controls. ei
Mr. Rodriguez (paul.rodriguez@nema.org) works in the
renewables and energy efficiency arena. He manages NEMA‘s
High Performance Building and Daylight Management councils.
NEMA electroindustry • February 2016 23 Past as Prologue:
What’s Ahead for Solid-State Lighting?
James Brodrick, U.S. Department of Energy
minimizing configuration complexity, agreeing on how to
achieve interoperability between devices and systems that
need to be able to share usable data, and realizing the ability
to measure and report key performance metrics such as
energy consumption.
Not There Yet
Connected lighting systems ensure light is delivered only where and when it’s needed—
and much more.
O
ver the last decade, solid-state lighting (SSL) has evolved from a novelty
to a viable option for most general lighting applications. Back in 2005,
some likened the lighting market to the Wild West—not only because early
SSL products didn’t match the performance of the technologies they were
intended to replace but also because a lack of standards caused a great deal
of confusion that was compounded by exaggerated performance claims.
Today we’re seeing a new landscape. With SSL as a viable
option for almost all applications and industry-standard test
procedures widely used, there’s general acknowledgement that,
for the majority of lighting applications, SSL will eventually
become the dominant technology. It’s beginning to feel a bit
like the Wild West again. The replacement of today’s lighting
infrastructure with increasingly controllable SSL products (e.g.,
controllable for luminous flux, white-point, chromaticity) begs
consideration of what could be achieved by integrating other
microelectronic components, such as network interfaces and
sensors, into lighting devices.
Systems made up of connected lighting devices could become
data collection platforms that enable even greater lighting energy
savings in buildings and cities, and much more. This ability to
collect and exchange useful data and possibly even serve as a
backbone of the fast-emerging Internet of Things (IoT) offers the
potential to enable a wide array of services, benefits, and revenue
streams that enhance the value of lighting systems.
Right now, however, that potential is still on the table,
as technology developers try to strike a balance between
24 NEMA electroindustry • February 2016
To get everyone talking about how to most effectively work
together toward these goals, the U.S. Department of Energy
(DOE) held its inaugural Connected Lighting Systems
Meeting in November in Portland, Oregon. The event brought
together lighting technologists, their counterparts from the
semiconductor and IT industries, utility personnel, and many
others to start a cross-cutting dialogue about how best to take
advantage of the imminent collision between lighting systems
and the IoT.
Gabe Arnold of DesignLights Consortium™ spoke about why
it is important that lighting systems evolve and what those
evolved systems might look like in the near future. He noted
that until now lighting controls have seen limited deployment
and have not always met energy-saving expectations. This is
due, he said, not only to their complexity (which is driven in
part by a lack of standardization) but also to a lack of knowledge
of how to design, install, commission, and operate them—all
of which lead to higher costs, as contractors bid up their prices
to cover themselves.
Mr. Arnold posited a future in which sensors, intelligence,
communication, and even energy measurement are
incorporated into every device and luminaire and are integrated
and standardized so that costs are dramatically lower than
today. In such a scenario, we’d purchase lighting the way
we now buy cars—a basic model to which various advanced
features could be added.
Some of the necessities for achieving that vision were outlined
by Michael Poplawski of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
who emphasized the importance of energy reporting, noting
that “you can’t manage what you can’t measure.” He stressed the
need for interoperability, so that multiple devices, applications,
networks, and systems can work together and reliably and
securely exchange data.
The challenge, of course, is agreeing on common platforms
and protocols that facilitate the transfer of useable data among
lighting devices, other systems, and the cloud. Several groups
are establishing some order and consensus in this area.
The Expanding Universe of Lighting
Mr. Poplawski moderated a panel featuring representatives
from the ZigBee Alliance, the AllSeen Alliance, oneM2M,
and the Open Interconnect Consortium. Each is working on a
different aspect of, or taking a somewhat unique approach to,
interoperability. In the process, they are demonstrating how
industry can simultaneously compete and collaborate while
working toward a common goal.
DOE’s primary goal in hosting the Portland meeting was
to foster this kind of exchange and to ensure that energy
efficiency—which could be significantly increased by providing
intelligent SSL devices with data that allow them to optimize
their performance—doesn’t get lost in the shuffle amid all the
other services and benefits connected lighting is poised to bring.
Some of these other benefits were highlighted by a panel that
focused on recently installed systems. Kaynam Hedayat of
Digital Lumens described how a system installed at Atlas
Packaging not only saved energy but also provided occupancy
data for path tracking through the warehouse, which led to
optimized inventory placement and improved traffic flow.
The system is also used to monitor the energy consumption
of laboratory equipment for capital investment management,
monitor the energy consumption of production equipment, and
provide visibility into equipment utilization. (See “Tracking
Occupancy Saves Energy,” next page.)
Dan Cocosa of Google noted that, at his company’s facilities,
dimming the lights to 20 percent when occupants have vacated
a space is a response adjusted according to demand. Google
also plans to monitor energy consumption and use occupancy
sensors to optimize building-space utilization. This will
determine what entrances and exits people use the most and
automatically control lights and HVAC.
The potential of future connected lighting systems is
multifaceted and seemingly infinite. To reach that potential,
we must figure out where and how to collaborate. The DOE
meeting in Portland was a first step and will be followed by a
second meeting in June (details forthcoming). DOE also plans
to provide technical support for various industry consortia
efforts (in lighting and IT) and to conduct studies that test and
characterize various aspects of installed connected lighting
systems, providing manufacturers, specifiers, and users with
critical information on emerging products.
Collaboration is essential if the promise of connected lighting
systems is to be realized. It’s well worth the effort because
success will bring a whole lot more than energy savings. ei
Mr. Brodrick is the lighting program manager for the U.S.
Department of Energy Building Technologies Program. To learn
more about DOE efforts related to connected lighting systems,
visit www.energy.gov/eere/ssl/connected-lighting-systems.
Tracking Occupancy Saves Energy
A system installation saved energy, provided occupancy data, optimized
inventory placement, and improved traffic flow. Exhibit hall occupancy data
reported by connected lighting at 9:00 am (A), 3:00 pm (B), and 9:00 pm (C).
A
B
C
Images courtesy of Digital Lumens
NEMA electroindustry • February 2016 25 The industry’s attitude toward
LEDs will continue to demand
better performance, better
aesthetics, greater color
flexibility, and more consistent
dimming performance. Photo
courtesy of Lutron
Simplifying LED Control,
Creating New Standards
Pekka Hakkarainen, PhD, Vice President, Lutron Electronics
L
ED sources are no longer a lighting industry novelty. Since the phasing
out of most traditional incandescent sources, and the phasing in of
more stringent energy regulations, LEDs increasingly offer energy-saving,
high-performance alternatives for almost any application—residential
or commercial.
As LEDs become more readily available, prices continue to fall,
and consumers get more comfortable with this new paradigm,
customer attention turns to performance and control. LEDs are
now the most efficient alternative to incandescent bulbs, but
compatibility between LED lamps, drivers, and controls can
be confusing. When control technologies and lamps are not
properly paired, performance will suffer.
What Makes LED Control So Complex?
Incandescent lamps are really quite simple: the filament is the
principal electronic component. While physical properties
of filaments can differ, the technology required for dimming
control is universal.
LED lamps, on the other hand, are highly complex and
manufactured in a wide variety of designs. Instead of a single
26 NEMA electroindustry • February 2016
filament, multiple parts and pieces have to work together to
produce good light; a driver that delivers the appropriate voltage
or current, the LED arrays themselves, and heat sinks to keep
the LEDs cool and energy-efficient. Controlling or dimming
this complex system to achieve the same performance expected
from incandescent lamps is, therefore, a complicated task that
requires the right tools—compatible LED modules, drivers,
and controls designed and tested to work together. Agreements
between manufacturers are necessary to ensure that these
interfaces work, and those agreements ultimately lead to
interoperability standards.
The LED module itself determines the quality of the light, but
of all system elements, the driver has the greatest impact on
dimming performance. In screw-base LED lamps, the driver is
integral to the bulb. With LED fixtures, you can typically select
the driver or choose a fixture that integrates the right driver
based on the desired dimming range and performance needs. In
either case, the driver establishes the best possible performance,
including dimming range (how low the light can be effectively
dimmed), smoothness of dimming, and stability of light output
(ensuring that the light will not flicker or shimmer). To ensure
the best possible dimming performance, start by choosing the
highest-quality driver. See Figure 1.
The Expanding Universe of Lighting
The next step is to select a control specifically designed and
tested to get the maximum possible performance out of the
driver. In some situations, like open offices and public spaces, a
dimming range with a 20-percent low end may be acceptable. In
many other situations, such as conference rooms, classrooms,
private offices, and hospitality applications, or where the
occupant wants the flexibility to adjust the lights for any
situation, smooth, flicker-free dimming to very low levels is
absolutely critical to the success of the space.
Product report cards can also help specifiers quickly
understand how well a given control will perform with a
specific lamp or fixture by providing information such as the
number of fixtures that can be controlled, measured dimming
range, and perceived low-end light level. Additional digital
tools and online manufacturer sites provide the customer with
24/7 help to correctly specify, install, and use LEDs in any
situation. Unfortunately, very few consumers are aware of
these reports and tools.
Different control technologies—forward/reverse phase control,
0-10V control, digitally addressable control—result in varying
levels of lighting performance. Even the best driver will perform
poorly when paired with an incompatible or untested control
technology. And, while the driver establishes performance
opportunity, the control supplies the end-user interface
necessary to deliver the best user experience.
Simplifying the Process
As manufacturers, we have to take the risk out of LED
specifications. We can make it easier for our customers to select
and install the best LED solutions by focusing on products and
tools that consistently provide a positive LED experience for the
end user.
Clearing a Path to Compatibility
Because LED modules, drivers, and controls are currently
manufactured in such a wide variety of designs, manufacturers
have had to test literally thousands of combinations of lamps,
ballasts, and drivers and publish the results of these tests, as
well as comprehensive lists of compatible products, to help
their customers select, specify, and install LED systems. We
have to continue to be vigilant, accepting the responsibility
for delivering—and communicating—solutions that have been
specifically tested together and are rated to deliver the required
performance for any project.
NEMA is acutely aware that the customer is better served
when manufacturers work to eliminate the guesswork from
LED installations. Testing, publishing results, and distributing
information are part of the solution, but common design and
manufacturing standards will go a long way toward alleviating
some of the confusion surrounding LED compatibility. As such,
NEMA is working to establish compatibility standards, starting
with an interface standard for LED controls and lamps with
integral drivers—SSL 7A (see related article on page 42). SSL
7A was written to standardize phase-control dimming of LED
loads and address issues of compatibility, control lifetime, and
basic functional operation.
A new performance standard, SSL 7B, is also in the works,
chaired by Robert Nachtrieb of Lutron Electronics, and will
address performance standards not highlighted in SSL 7A, such
as dimming range (both high-end and low-end), light output
flicker and shimmer, dimming smoothness, and audible noise.
Once established and widely accepted, these new standards will
prove advantageous to both the customer and the manufacturer
to eliminate confusion and advance the successful installation
of LED lighting and controls.
NEMA is also working to develop a labeling protocol, chaired
by Jennifer Dolin of Osram Sylvania, to help customers quickly
and confidently select compatible LED lamps and controls
using identifying symbols on product packaging. Expected to
become available some time in 2016, this is another tool focused
on improving the user experience, managing expectations,
and cementing LEDs as viable, high-quality solutions for both
residential and commercial spaces.
The industry’s attitude toward LEDs is very different than it
was just a few years ago. The focus will continue to change from
acceptance of LEDs as a primary light source to demanding
better performance, better aesthetics, greater color flexibility,
and more consistent dimming performance. Our challenge is to
deliver innovative, simple solutions that advance the industry
and meet the wants and needs of all our customers. ei
Figure 1. To ensure the best possible dimming performance, choose a high-quality driver. Image
courtesy of Lutron
Dr. Hakkarainen, who received a Kite & Key Award,
chairs the NEMA Daylight Management Council.
NEMA electroindustry • February 2016 27 LEDs on Retrofit Fast Track for Historically
Styled Lighting Applications
Tom Salpietra, President & COO, EYE Lighting International
S
ince street lighting became popular in the U.S. in the last half of the
1800s, the light source has migrated from natural gas to mercury, then
to sodium lamps, and now to LEDs. While the ordinary “cobra head” and
shoebox are the most common luminaire designs found on top of light poles
today, over the years many cities invested in historically styled lighting
fixtures for their downtown shopping and residential streets because they
contribute to the safety, quality, and ambiance of the local experience.
World-famous thoroughfares such as State Street in Chicago,
Broad Street in Philadelphia, the Embarcadero in San Francisco,
and Peachtree Street in Atlanta have installed historically styled
lighting fixtures for many years.
Retrofitting Historical Lighting
Colleges and universities have similarly adopted period-style
lighting to enhance campus appearance and provide security
and illumination. Many institutions had special designs made,
often by hand, in an effort to capture a particular historical
significance for which the institution stands. Maintaining the
iconic symbol of the light post and fixture is as important as
the dorms, libraries, and campus greens with which the school
attracts freshmen and welcomes visitors.
Over the last decade, as budgets tightened and the pressure to
reduce operating expenses increased, the need for replacing
energy-inefficient light fixtures across neighborhoods, downtown
areas, and educational landscapes became a major initiative.
Going green has been at the center of changing traditional light
sources to solid-state lighting (SSL). Carbon emissions, global
warming, and the urge to do the right thing spurred mayors,
city councils, and colleges to look at options for lowering
operating expenses while becoming environmentally friendly.
This cutaway version shows the
entire solution after it is installed
in the fixture. This helps maintain
the classic or historical look of your
lighting fixtures.
All photos courtesy of EYE Lighting
28 NEMA electroindustry • February 2016
Georgetown University, home to 17,000 students in Washington, D.C., was founded in 1789.
Historically styled lighting on the campus blends with the colonial architecture and its sense of history.
The Expanding Universe of Lighting
Seeking Alternatives
Preserving Heritage and Saving Energy
What are the alternatives for retrofitting historical or decorative
lighting fixtures with LEDs? How can cities and educational
institutions keep their distinctive looks but move in the
direction of SSL technology?
Some of the kits on the market today, known as corncobs,
present challenges for all of these performance characteristics if
they haven’t been pre-tested in each fixture. Other kits that have
been pre-tested by the manufacturer present a less challenging
option, provided the kits fit within the framework and geometry
of the luminaire.
U.S.-based lighting manufacturers—the backbone of American
industry—and particularly NEMA members who contributed
to the association’s 90-year history, came up with solutions.
Working with municipalities, utilities, and co-ops, many
lighting companies designed new luminaires to replace
traditional, decorative-style light fixtures. Others have turned
to retrofitting existing light fixtures with LED kits, designed
to operate in the same manner as the traditional light source
but with an energy-efficiency focus. These approaches serve the
same end-game for achieving lower energy costs.
The challenge, though, with designing and developing any new
SSL luminaire or LED retrofit kit is the ability to capture the
performance as well as the aesthetic appeal of the product it is
replacing. In many applications, newer, sleeker designs with
controllability to dim or turn lights on/off remotely are desired, as
are energy measurement and monitoring. In others applications,
the networked solutions are less appealing and maintaining the
traditional appearance of the installation is preferred. Here is
where retrofit kits are the better choice.
LED retrofit kits come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Until
now, most are the screw-base Edison-style design. Others are
special designs made by some manufacturers to fit inside their
own historically styled product lines. Still others are designs
that are more universally applicable to a number of post-top
fixture constructions. In every case, though, the performance
and longevity of the LED retrofit kit are things the owner of the
luminaires expects to be standard and not validated by the enduser for thermal, optical, or electrical characteristics.
The Design Lights Consortium approves products for utilities
that sometimes offer rebates on LED upgrades to municipalities,
educational institutions, and privately owned facilities. The
Department of Energy, in collaboration with the consortium,
established guidelines and recommendations for validating the
performance characteristics of LED retrofit kits for post tops.
If the product is not on the qualified products list, it is a caveat
emptor scenario for customers.
Interest in keeping the existing fixture and using an LED
retrofit kit is increasing among owners of historically styled
streetlights. Not only are energy savings inherent in the SSL
technology, but there is an additional benefit in reducing landfill
waste by recycling the existing luminaire. In many cases, the
retrofit installation is just as quick, if not quicker, than changing
out the entire fixture head—but only if the design is right.
Although many city engineers are aware of this issue, others do
not recognize that installation time is often a hidden cost. They
are advised to try a sample installation and evaluate the entire
cost cycle, as well as the visual appeal, of the retrofitted fixture.
The reliability and maintenance-free benefits of LED lighting,
especially a retrofit, can only be achieved by looking to NEMAlevel manufacturers who make quality products and provide
quality service.
After all, the post-top light that casts its soft beam onto
downtown window-shoppers, nighttime runners, and families
and lovers that stroll through local parks is iconic to our
American heritage. ei
Mr. Salpietra previously held senior management positions with
Acuity Brands Lighting and Cooper Lighting, which is now Eaton.
Facility managers say that students report an increased sense of security after LEDs are retrofitted on
campus pathways, roadways, and parking areas.
The LED lamp, retrofitted in 2014 on the Georgetown campus, provides more and better-quality light
while saving on maintenance costs and energy use.
NEMA electroindustry • February 2016 29 Infographic courtesy of GE
Lighting: The Key to the Intelligent City
Joseph Howley, Manager—Industry Relations, Current, powered by GE
C
ities around the world are exploring a new kind of intelligence that will
transform the way we live, work, and interact.
It may sound like the opening line of a futuristic movie, but
this is a statement of today’s actuality. Our physical and digital
worlds are more interconnected than ever, and that connectivity
is powering the transformation of metropolitan areas around
the globe. “Smart cities” are no longer a fantasy and will become
a widespread reality as municipalities seek more efficient
solutions and citizens become even more connected.
Meaningful intelligence within cities is about more than cool
technology; it is imperative to managing global population
growth. Within the next decade, nearly 60 percent of the world’s
population will be living in urban areas, according to the World
Health Organization. Cities must find new, efficient solutions
30 NEMA electroindustry • February 2016
to handle this influx and manage the long-term effects, and this
is where the importance of big data and intelligence comes into
play. The global intelligent city market will be valued at $1.5
trillion in 2020, according to a 2014 Frost & Sullivan report,
proving smarter city solutions are well on their way.
Enabling Intelligent Cities
As cities search for ways to add intelligent capabilities, they
should not overlook their existing infrastructure. More and
more municipalities are realizing that upgrading street lighting
to LED offers a number of significant benefits. With low energy
consumption, diminished maintenance requirements, and
uniform light quality, LED streetlights are a great solution to
make cities more livable, workable, and appealing.
The Expanding Universe of Lighting
The integration of LED fixtures with sensors, transmitters, and
microprocessors allow these streetlights to gather and analyze
data to provide extraordinary insight into urban environments
in real time. The built-in controls on these fixtures create a lowpower, reliable communications network that is cost-efficient
and unobtrusive. The sensors and cameras in each fixture can
feed data back to a central computer for analysis, empowering
data-driven decision making. With all of these components
housed and operating within the LED, these lights are more
mini-computers than ordinary lighting fixtures.
Picture this: An ambulance leaves a hospital for the scene of
an emergency, and intelligent streetlights are able to detect
incidents and guide them along the most efficient route. The
same technology could be used to help you find the best way
out of town when a hurricane bears down on your
city. Or, say you want to head downtown to
a restaurant but don’t want to deal with
sparse parking. You could find a spot
on your smart phone from home,
as intelligent streetlights share
parking availability to municipal
databases. It sounds futuristic,
but the core infrastructure is
being put in place today.
The possibilities are
seemingly endless; further
examples of intelligent
lighting benefits include
the following:
• Environmental analysis: from monitoring air quality to
weather patterns, sensors and cameras offer the ability to
better understand what is happening and where
• Infrastructure improvement: intelligent streetlights can
facilitate metro-wide wireless Internet service, enable digital
utility-grade metering of poles, and bring new capabilities to
growing smart grids
Genesis of Intelligent Cities
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to building an intelligent
city, but we can see how they might look by considering
metropolitan areas already implementing this technology.
San Diego, for example, is executing a first-in-the-nation pilot
program of Current’s Intelligent Cities platform,
which adds sensor technology to LED
streetlights in the city’s core, opening
the door for data collection and
analysis. Already, this outdoor
wireless control technology
is installed in more than
3,000 streetlights across
the city, saving more
than $350,000 per
year in energy and
maintenance costs
thanks to real-time
usage monitoring
of individual
light fixtures.
• Advanced lighting
control: with smarter
on/off scheduling and
dimming of streetlights late
at night when there is little
traffic, intelligent lighting allows
reductions in wasted energy
Cities around the
world, from Barcelona
to Tianjin to Dubai, are
learning that intelligent
solutions can transform
urban infrastructure and
improve daily life while
preparing for urban influx. Lighting
• Parking optimization: when cameras
has gone from simple illumination
detect available parking spaces, drivers
to a new world of analytics
could be notified, reducing both
Outdoor wireless control technology installed in LED streetlights enables smart cities to
and improved city services.
emissions from idling cars and the
collect and analyze data, saving thousands of dollars per year in energy and maintenance
Connecting a city is the key
frustration of seeking a spot
costs. Photo courtesy of GE
to turning societal challenges
• Traffic flow: cameras and sensors
into opportunities, and we are taking great strides toward
monitor pedestrian and vehicle traffic, automatically detect
making that happen. ei
accidents, send notifications, and reroute traffic based on
road conditions
Mr. Howley is past chairman of the NEMA Lighting Division
• Asset management: complementing a smart grid
solution, intelligent light fixtures can notify municipal
service personnel of outages and issues and help with
infrastructure planning
and a recipient of NEMA’s Kite and Key Award.
NEMA electroindustry • February 2016 31 Illuminating the In-Store
Experience
LED-Based Indoor Positioning Services
Benefit Shoppers and Retailers
Kurt Vogel, Director, Retail Marketing, Acuity Brands Lighting
I
n spite of advances in retail technologies and savvy shopper marketing
strategies, “couldn’t find it” and “couldn’t find help” are all-too-common
shopping experiences that kill sales and erode shopper loyalty. New LED
lighting-based indoor positioning and wayfinding solutions have emerged as
powerful tools to engage and assist in-store customers, at the precise points
of purchase decision, in the aisle and on the shelf.
In-store positioning is similar to the Global Positioning System
(GPS) technology that many of us depend on while driving.
New technologies tailored to indoor environments have evolved
that use fixed-location transmitters or beacons, a mobile device,
digital indoor maps, and a loyalty app to provide location and
navigation within the store. Beacons are being tested by more
than half of the top 100 U.S. retailers,1 and Opus Research
predicts that by 2018 roughly $10 billion in consumer spending
will be influenced by indoor location positioning.2
Indoor Positioning: Technology Matters
Among the beacon technologies being trialed, one platform
has emerged as the clear winner in terms of accuracy, coverage
and, most important, low cost of deployment and maintenance:
LED lighting-based beacons using visible light communication
(VLC) technology.
VLC offers value and precision unmatched by other beacon
technologies. It takes advantage of the ultra-rapid oscillation of
light emission from LEDs to deliver binary code to a receiver
(imagine a very fast flash light sending Morse code) so fast that
the data signal is not visible to the human eye—but the light
source is.
VLC has one drawback: it works only as long as the customer
has his or her mobile device out and in active use; the accuracy
diminishes if the device is out of sight in a pocket or purse.
However, when the device is out and in use, VLC delivers
pinpoint accuracy; other beacons, in contract, are not as reliable
and can only locate to within several feet—not much of an aide
if looking for a small item in a vast, densely packed grocery
store aisle. Further, VLC works quickly to initially locate a
shopper (or product). Its low latency allows for a person or item
“Beacons Beckon,” by Diana Bradley, PRWeek, February 2015, page 34
1
“Mapping the Indoor Marketing Opportunity,” Opus Research, February 2014
2
32 NEMA electroindustry • February 2016
to be positioned within 1/10 of a second, and that position is
updated as often as five times per second.
A particularly valuable attribute of the VLC technology is its
ability to accurately determine a shopper’s orientation in the
aisle, displaying the direction in which the user is facing. This
can be critical to not only aiding the shopper in locating
merchandise quickly but also in saving time during the
restocking and shelf-set process. VLC can provide granular and
actionable information for delivering relevant point-of-purchase
messages (e.g., send the coupon for a cola when the customer is
facing soft drinks, and not when they’re looking at snack items).
The best-performing LED-based indoor positioning solutions
marry two complementary technologies: VLC and Bluetooth®
low energy (BLE). BLE complements VLC, providing accurate
location for out-of-sight devices. This innovative approach using
LED lighting systems provides significant advantages:
Painless for the retailer to incorporate; uses existing lighting
infrastructure rather than requiring additional equipment
such as stand-alone beacons, bringing faster return on
investment (ROI) to LED deployments
Powered at each fixture, which reduces maintenance costs by
making them battery-free, since the BLE radio is powered by
the light fixture
The Expanding Universe of Lighting
Placed everywhere humans are; reaches every connected
shopper that has a mobile device equipped with a camera or
BLE technology
Precise in determining location and direction of opt-in
shoppers anywhere there is light, with accuracy within
inches
Business Benefits for Retailers
Retailers have the opportunity to enrich the customer shopping
experience using these indoor positioning services. Here are the
key benefits:
Efficient, convenient, and personalized shopping: Shoppers
can quickly gather items from a shopping list and use
the app’s “blue-dot” mapping feature to get step-by-step
guidance to the exact location they seek. They also benefit
from better deals because the retailer can send coupons and
discounts tailored to their specific needs in real time.
More choice through omni-channel shopping: Working
with the retailer’s mobile loyalty app, indoor positioning
optimizes online, mobile, and in-store channels, providing
shoppers with information and tools to find, buy, and receive
the items they want. If the shopper wants more options, the
app can connect the shopper to the retailer’s online store to
browse additional items and get online-ordered merchandise
delivered directly.
Hassle-free new store experience: Indoor positioning guides
shoppers through an unfamiliar environment so they can
enjoy a new shopping experience with the same ease as in
their “home store.”
Beyond the customer experience, indoor positioning is making
its mark in other ways that bolster business for retailers:
Smarter Merchandising: Advanced data analytics, using
location data paired with point-of-sale and inventory data,
can better track the effectiveness of store design. Retailers
can detect in-store traffic patterns and dwell times, coupon
conversions, and other information to assess the impact of
marketing and merchandising strategies.
Optimized Operations: Employee deployment is optimized
by providing digital work orders that send a worker directly
to a customer needing assistance or to a location requiring
urgent attention, such as a spill.
Indoor positioning services provide a strategic platform for the
connected retail store of the future, with significant benefits for
both shoppers and retailers. Taking a comprehensive, hybrid
approach to indoor positioning that leverages LED lighting and
the two best performing indoor location-based services, VLC
and BLE, enables retailers to quickly find, engage, and satisfy
shoppers with the highest accuracy across the largest store area.
Higher sales, greater customer satisfaction, improved operational
efficiency, and stronger ROI on lighting assets make LED-based
indoor positioning a winning proposition all around. ei
Mr. Vogel has spent much of his career helping large retailers with
successful relight programs that enhance shopping environments,
improve customer experience, and dramatically reduce
operating expenses.
Infographic courtesy of Acuity
NEMA electroindustry • February 2016 33 Shedding Light on Advanced LED Sport
Lighting Technology
Joe Casper, Chief Technology Officer, Eaton’s Ephesus Lighting Business
S
ports broadcasting has come a long way since its early days. Super
Bowl I—then called the AFL-NFL Championship Game—aired in
1967. Compare the way that at-home broadcast looked to what the LED
(light-emitting diode) sports lighting technology for the 2015 Super Bowl
XLIX at the University of Phoenix stadium delivered, and the difference is
like night and day.
Many things are different. Today’s LED sports lighting
technology can now function as a complete system, from the
components of the luminaire, including the composition of the
LED itself, to the power supply, lensing, circuitry, software, and
controls, The result is sports lighting pleasing not only to the
human eye but also optimized for the increasingly sophisticated
broadcast cameras that capture the game and deliver it to
televisions at home. Essentially, this is digital lighting designed
for digital broadcast technologies, beyond high definition (HD)
to the emerging technologies of 4K ultra-high definition (UHD)
and 8K UHD, collectively called super hi-vision.
The 2014 World Cup was a test for 4K UHD broadcast. The 2016
Olympics will present another test for 4K UHD and 8K UHD
broadcast. For the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Japanese broadcaster
NHK intends to broadcast as much of the games as possible in
8K UHD. The cost of 4K UHD televisions is decreasing, making
them attainable for fans desiring the best at-home viewing
experience. Today’s LED lighting innovations are capable of
34 NEMA electroindustry • February 2016
delivering lighting optimized for these broadcast technologies and
will enable the best viewing experience on advanced televisions.
Light Quantity and Quality
Ultra-high-definition cameras require aperture settings that
will let in the ideal amount of light. As broadcast resolution
increases, so does this required aperture setting. When the ideal
amount of light is achieved, the lighting reaches the camera’s
digital sensors, optimizing the field depth and minimizing
adjustments required from camera operators.
While light quantity is very important for broadcast, light
quality is perhaps more so. One critical aspect of light is how
well it enables the accurate depiction of colors for broadcast.
The Television Lighting Consistency Index (TLCI) is becoming
the preferred measurement for color lighting accuracy in digital
broadcast. TLCI considers a greater spectrum of light, including
that which is captured by digital broadcast cameras, rather than
only the light spectrum perceived by the human eye, as in the
more traditional color rendering index (CRI).
While both are measured on a scale of zero to 100, TLCI and
CRI don’t directly correlate, so comparing their values to
promote understanding of TLCI requires some explanation. For
example, 65 TLCI is currently considered very good, while 65
CRI is unacceptable for today’s broadcasts. In fact, many sports
broadcasts require 90 CRI, while 90 TLCI lighting reproduces
The Expanding Universe of Lighting
color so accurately that a broadcast colorist
would likely not alter anything to improve
color quality for the viewer at home.
Having experienced poor light
Some sports lighting products today
quality with a metal halide
achieve a TLCI of at least 65 by using
sports lighting system, operators
of the University of Phoenix
a propriety diode incorporating a very
Stadium in Glendale, Arizona,
precise blend of phosphors to generate
installed LED fixtures for Super
a spectrum of light that is uniquely
Bowl XLIX. The result was a
optimized for perception by 4K UHD
remarkable increase in light
and 8K UHD broadcast cameras. Select
and uniformity, which greatly
luminaires have even achieved a 90 TLCI
improved the HDTV sports
rating, though this technology is not yet
broadcasting experience. Photo
courtesy of Spectra
feasible for widespread adoption in sports
venues. With innovations currently in
development, the widespread availability
and affordability of fixtures with higher
TLCI ratings will keep pace with
anticipated adoption of 4K UHD and 8K UHD broadcasts and
specify “warmer” tones for basketball and “cooler” tones for
their increasing requirements.
hockey. In court sports, flesh tones appear truer and the overall
color tone more favorable under a warmer color temperature
(similar to that of candlelight). Cooler color temperatures are
preferred for hockey, since they cause the ice to look more vivid
Flicker has been a concern of metal halide systems and some
and the puck to be more easily seen. This color-temperature
lesser LED systems, but some LED fixtures employ pulse width
tuning capability was recently deployed at Bridgestone Arena,
modulation, a familiar concept in solid-state lighting, to enable
home of the NHL’s Nashville Predators and host of the 2016
flicker-free slow-motion capture in sports broadcasting. Some
NHL All-Star Game.
companies are taking this concept further, using a unique,
ssuper–high speed phase-shifting technology to enable optimal
TLCI tuning allows for the adjustment of the spectrum of light
lighting performance compatible with super slow-motion
generated by luminaires to compensate for environmental
capture. This technology will support frame rates in excess of
differences in venues. For example, a football game beginning
8,000 frames per second, with no potential flicker with even
under a bright afternoon sun will have different lighting
the most sophisticated cameras, thereby ensuring compatibility
characteristics and spectrums as the game progresses and the
with new broadcast technologies.
sun sets. Today, the spectrum of light produced by lighting
fixtures can be altered to compensate for such shifts, providing
Another technology is color-temperature tuning and TLCI
a more uniform appearance throughout the broadcast and
tuning. Standards for professional sports are developing that
simplifying the broadcasters’ job.
Flicker-Free and Tuning Technologies
Bridgestone Arena, home to
the NHL’s Nashville Predators,
became the first venue to
implement a color-temperature
tuning LED lighting solution.
With just the push of a button,
the Ephesus Arena Pro 600
luminaires allow for a warmer
color temperature to be
programmed for basketball and
a cooler one for hockey, while
reducing energy costs by 85
percent. Photo by John Russell
More technologies beyond 4K UHD and
8K UHD will surely be on the horizon.
While it may not yet be certain what these
technologies require from lighting, our
industry will continue to be on the leading
edge of delivering what’s possible. ei
Mr. Casper has more than 30 years of
experience in solid state technologies and is
the founder and chief technology officer of
Eaton’s Ephesus Lighting.
NEMA electroindustry • February 2016 35 Electroindustry News
ŰŰMake Safe Lighting a Fixture of the Home
Light switches are critical connection
points and serve as the first line of
control for our electrical use. Over
time, these connections can become
loose, creating potential hazards,
and light fixtures and lamps can
have dark consequences if they
aren’t used correctly.
The Electrical Safety Foundation
International breaks down the safety tips
that are critical to maintaining a safe and
well-lit home:
Light Switches
☐☐ Check that all outlet and switch
cover plates are in good condition so
that no wiring is exposed. Replace
any missing, cracked, or broken
cover plates. Exposed wiring is a
shock hazard.
☐☐ Make sure outlet and switch plates
are not unusually hot to the touch. If
they are, immediately unplug cords
from these outlets and do not use the
switches. Unusually warm outlets
or switches may indicate an unsafe
wiring condition.
☐☐ Look for discoloration as an
indication of potentially dangerous
heat buildup at these connections.
Stand across the room and look
for a tear drop-shaped darkening
around and above outlet and switch
cover plates.
☐☐ Switches that only work
intermittently are a sign that wiring
may be loose or the device may be
cracked internally. This can present a
fire hazard.
If your lighting control points are
characterized by any of the above,
have your home’s electrical system
inspected by a qualified electrician as
soon as possible.
36 NEMA electroindustry • February 2016
Light Fixtures and Lamps
☐☐ Make sure all lamps and light
fixtures are certified by a nationally
recognized testing laboratory, such
as Underwriters Laboratories (UL),
Canadian Standards Association
(CSA), or Intertek (ETL).
☐☐ Always use a bulb of the correct type
and wattage. If you do not know
the correct wattage, contact the
manufacturer of the lamp or fixture.
A bulb with excessive wattage may
overheat and cause a fire.
☐☐ Install bulbs with extended lifespans
in hard-to-reach locations to limit the
number of times you have to climb a
ladder, move furniture, or engage in
potentially dangerous activities.
☐☐ Read and follow manufacturers’
safety instructions for fixtures,
lamps, and light bulbs.
☐☐ Make sure bulbs are screwed in
securely. Loose bulbs may overheat.
☐☐ Do not allow children to operate
lamps or nightlights.
Always look for telltale signs of electrical
problems such as dim and flickering
lights, unusual sizzling and buzzing
sounds from your electrical system, and
circuit breakers that trip repeatedly.
Contact a qualified electrician
immediately if any of these warning
signs occur.
For more tips on home electrical safety,
visit www.esfi.org. ei
Julie Chavanne, Communications
Director, ESFI | julie.chavanne@esfi.org
ŰŰTechnology to Remain Relevant in the New Year
With the new year underway, it’s
time to take a good look at your
current technology and networks. Are
they enough to keep your company
competitive in 2016 and beyond? Or
are there potential upgrades and addons you can make to fully leverage the
technology used to run your business?
For instance, although companies
are likely to already have broadband
networks in place, many find that they
can greatly increase their network speeds
at a lower cost than they are currently
paying. Others enhance business
productivity by modernizing their voice
networks and accessing newer features
and capabilities. Still more make updates
to their existing network security
systems to avoid hacks and cyber-attacks,
improving security measures across
their businesses.
One major type of business technology
that companies are using to remain
competitive in the growing global
marketplace is electronic data
interchange (EDI). How does this help?
How EDI Can Help Your Business
EDI involves sending business
documents electronically through
value-added networks (VANs), which
support millions of pieces of information
involved in business transactions. This
electronic format allows for uniform
communications among trading
partners, and, when implemented
properly, EDI greatly improves efficiency
by automating what was once done
manually by several individuals. This
then frees those resources up to deal with
other IT matters (e.g., LAN/WAN issues,
connectivity, etc.) rather than keying in
orders and business information.
Overall, EDI transactions are faster, more
efficient, and more accurate than manual
or paper-based operations, allowing
business systems to communicate
seamlessly and claims to be processed in
a timely fashion.
EDI Basics 101
Data
Data Swap Engine
Data
Data Swap
Swap Engine
Engine
Data
EDI
Standards
Directory
Standards
Directory
Map
Map
EDI Translator
EDI Translator
• No Company Too Small
EDI is applicable to businesses of
all sizes. Small businesses can build
the proper document exchange
infrastructure to efficiently transfer
documents with their trading partners,
allowing for resources to be reallocated
to more growth-structured policies.
Larger organizations can use EDI to
manage more complicated trading
partner relationships, such as special
pricing authorizations. Organizations
of any size can use EDI to speed up the
order or communications cycle and
generate revenue more quickly.
• No Industry Too Specific
EDI can help companies compete
within multiple industries. In
fact, the federal government
requires EDI for a number of
business communications, and the
Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act (HIPPA) mandates
standardized EDI for electronic health
care transactions. This necessitates
that businesses contract for EDI in
order to work with the government or
health care agencies.
IDEA’s Industry Data Exchange
With IDEA’s Industry Data Exchange
(IDX) VAN, users can exchange
documents with trading partners,
retail partners, healthcare agencies,
and the government faster and easier
than through traditional VANs or
paper-based methods. Hundreds of
business communications can be sent
securely and cost-effectively over the
Internet, even with companies that
aren’t EDI-capable.
The IDX offers one of the most flexible
solutions for document exchange,
allowing for quick expansion of a
business’s electronic capabilities. Users
have access to a tested, secure network
in which to conduct business, and they
can send documents in one format and
enable receipt in another.
IDX users can also use advanced EDI
tracking tools to easily monitor the status
of their documents, with all associated
attributes immediately viewable.
Overall, EDI affects the corporate
bottom line by increasing efficiency,
greatly reducing IT costs, and decreasing
the revenue recognition timeframe.
Communicating using EDI presents a
win-win for businesses looking to remain
competitive in the new year and beyond,
and IDEA’s IDX can help.
For more information about EDI or
the IDX, and to receive an analysis of
your business for the best EDI for your
business environment, contact Bill Nay,
IDEA, at wnay@idea4industry.com or
visit www.idea4industry.com. ei
Colleen Psomas, Marketing Manager,
IDEA | cpsomas@idea4industry.com
NEMA electroindustry • February 2016 37 Electroindustry News
ŰŰBidding Adieu
As my career at Baldor/ABB came to a
close at the end of 2015 (i.e., I retired), I
thought I would take a brief stroll down
memory lane and invite you along.
Testing at another location in that same
petrochemical plant managed to set
off alarms that shut down the whole
facility. Expecting to be asked to leave,
we were surprised to be thanked for
detecting a problem with the protection
system of the facility and invited back
to continue testing the next day. I
remember the twisting of a connecting
shaft to a dynamometer when testing an
induction motor on a variable-voltage
inverter and the shaft system was in
resonance with the sixth harmonic of the
operating frequency.
When I began working at the motor
manufacturer Dyna Corporation in 1966,
little did I know it would lead to a career
in electric machine design spanning
nearly 50 years and covering machines
ranging from fractional horsepower (hp)
to over 1,000 megavolt amperes. For the
last 35 years, I have had the opportunity
to continue working in basically the
same department, while the company
ownership changed seven times.
I witnessed design technology evolving
from the use of mechanical analog
computers to digital calculators, digital
computers, and finite element analysis
(FEA). Design drawings previously
done by hand using T-squares and
triangles are now done using computeraided drawing programs with the
ability to design in a 3D space. I kept
up with the changing technology and
adapted as necessary.
I fondly recall trying to stay awake
for three days while sitting in a power
generation station in the 1970s, waiting
for a switching event to occur on a
power system so we could verify the
accuracy of a new method to calculate
the interaction between the electrical
system and the rotating shaft system of
a turbine generator system. The effort
paid off and led to a career branch
related to further analysis of bus transfer
effects on both synchronous generators
and induction motors.
In the late 1980s, I was asked to develop
a method of analyzing the startup
torsional transients in a line-start
permanent magnet motor rated at
5,000 hp for a boiler feed pump, when
the largest one produced at that time
was approximately 15 hp. The primary
concern was that the torsional transients
38 NEMA electroindustry • February 2016
Roger Daugherty
in the shaft system might damage the
driven equipment.
The result was the development of a
version of a sectionalized rotor bar timestepping analytical model combining
electrical transient analysis with shaft
torsional analysis. Today, such analysis
can be performed using a combination
of electromagnetic FEA and rotational
system analysis. But the sectionalized
model runs in a few seconds, while the
FEA method sometimes takes more
than 30 minutes. There is something
to be said for continuing to harness
the power of simpler analysis methods
when they work.
I observed the energy behind a short
circuit at the terminals of a large turbine
generator as a fireball erupted out of the
test pit and went rolling down the aisle. I
remember standing in the Texas summer
sun testing motor startup transients on
a motor located under a large tank of
benzene. Even the use of a camera flash
was prohibited in such an area, and there
I was installing test equipment that had
the slightest chance of producing an arc.
I have participated in the evolution
of electrical machines, as increased
efficiency of induction motors has
become a prominent consideration, even
without the government’s insistence; as
the use of variable frequency controls
have become a major factor; and as
replacement with line-start permanent
magnet motors is on the horizon. I have
never understood why anyone would say
that there is nothing new to develop in
the area of electrical machines.
When I attended my first NEMA
meeting of the Medium AC Machine
Group, I did not know when to speak
or what to say to get my points across. I
guess I overcame that hesitancy.
I have touched many lives throughout
the past 50 years and have been touched
by many more than I could ever
remember. I wish each of you the best in
your future, whatever that may bring. ei
Roger H. Daugherty, PhD, Consulting
Engineer | rhdaugherty@ieee.org
Code Actions/Standardization Trends
Field Rep Report
ŰŰCode Adoption Remains Active in West Coast Region
Alaska, California, Hawaii, Utah,
and Washington currently have code
adoption activity taking place. The
busiest state is California.
California
On December 16, 2015, the California
Building Standards Commission
(CBSC) voted to adopt the 2016 edition
of the California building, fire, and
existing building codes. On January
19–20, 2016, the CBSC was scheduled
to have voted on the rest of the
International Code Council (ICC) codes
(I-codes), as well as the 2016 California
Electrical Code.
40 Mike Stone
These codes, collectively known as the
2016 edition of California Building
Standards Code (Title 24, California
Code of Regulations), are based on the
2015 edition of the ICC International
Building, Residential, Fire and Existing
Building Codes; the 2015 edition of the
Uniform Plumbing and Mechanical
Codes; and the 2014 edition of the
National Electrical Code® (NEC). They
are scheduled to be published by June
30, 2016, and will become effective on
January 1, 2017.
construction codes. The 2015 State
Building Code, based on the 2015
editions of the International Building,
Residential, Mechanical, Fire and Energy
Conservation Codes and 2015 Uniform
Plumbing Code, will become effective
on or around July 1, 2016. The NEC is
adopted separately by the Department
of Labor and Industry; the 2017 NEC is
scheduled to be considered for adoption
in late 2016.
The 2016 California Electrical Code
(based on the 2014 NEC) purposefully
contains very few state amendments.
During code adoption hearings,
several of the building standards
commissioners and state agency
directors mentioned that they are trying
to use national model code language.
This aligns with the NEMA policy of
direct adoption of the NEC, without
modifications, and bodes well for the
future of code adoption in California.
Hawaii
Hawaii is currently using the 2006
I-codes and the 2008 NEC. Code
adoption has been delayed for several
years due to a lack of administrative
resources at the state agency responsible
for construction codes. However, the
adoption process is now proceeding and
the codes are expected to be effective
in April 2016. The 2012 I-codes and the
2014 NEC will be used as the basis for the
new Hawaii building codes.
Washington
The Washington State Building
Code Council voted in November
2015 to adopt the 2015 editions of
the I-codes as the basis for the state’s
Alaska
Similar to Hawaii, in Alaska the
adoption of the 2014 NEC has been
delayed due to a lack of administrative
resources. However the adoption package
is now in final legal review, after which
NEMA electroindustry • February 2016
it will be sent to the lieutenant governor
for signature. Thirty days after signature,
the code will be effective. Alaskan
officials are hopeful for a February 2016
effective date.
Utah
In Utah, the legislature is responsible for
the adoption of all construction codes.
There has been considerable opposition
in the last several years, mainly from
homebuilders, to the timely adoption of
new residential codes. NEMA and our
coalition partners were successful during
the 2015 legislative session in defeating
what was originally a proposal to go to a
nine-year, and then a six-year, code cycle.
Those defeated code cycle bills included
the adoption of the 2014 NEC, so while
the negative aspects of extending the
code cycle were defeated, the adoption
of the 2014 NEC was also delayed. The
2016 legislative session promises to
be controversial again. NEMA and its
coalition partners are prepared to engage
the legislature once again. ei
Mike Stone, West Coast Field
Representative, NEMA |
mike.stone@nema.org
ŰŰA Brief History of the ANSI Z535 Standards
Geoffrey Peckham, Chair, ANSI Z535 Committee
Consider for a moment that
The idea of standardizing
the advantage of using symbols to
you’re looking at a sign:
the ways in which safety
communicate safety messages across
it’s black and white
messages can be visually
language barriers, the committee wrote
and contains only
communicated has
and published two new standards
text in a language
its origins in three
in 1991:
you can’t read.
standards: ASA
• ANSI Z535.3 Standard Criteria for
The result is that
Z35.1 Specifications
Safety Symbols
you haven’t a clue
for Industrial
whether the sign’s
Accident Prevention
• ANSI Z535.4 Standard for Product
message is related
Signs (1941), ANSI
Safety Signs and Labels
to safety, provides
Z53.1 Safety Color
ANSI Z535.6 Standard for Product
some other type of
Code (1945), and
Safety Information in Product Manuals,
information, or is just
ASA Z35.2 Standard
Instructions and Other Collateral
an advertisement. If the
Specifications for
Materials was published in 2006.
message were critical to
Accident Prevention
safety and meant to protect you A typical ANSI Z535.5 temporary safety tag Tags (1968). When the
from injury, a serious problem
Occupational Safety
would now exist. That’s why the ANSI
and Health Administration (OSHA)
Z535 standards were developed: to
wrote its first standards for workplace
provide much-needed guidance to those
safety in the 1970s, it cited the latest
responsible for communicating visual
versions of these three
safety messages in a way that makes
American National
them “stand out” from all the other
Standards whenever safety
types of information people see on a
signs, colors, or tags were
daily basis.
required. In 2013, OSHA
revised its standards
The overall goal of the six standards that
to include citations to
make up ANSI Z535 is to define best
the current ANSI Z535
practices for communicating safety so
standards.
that accidents are avoided and people
are better protected from harm. These
In 1979, the ANSI Z53 and
A typical ANSI Z535.2 environmental/facility safety sign
standards were not invented out of thin
Z35 standards committees
air; they have a history that stretches
were combined to form the
back many decades.
ANSI Z535 Committee on Safety Signs
Taken together, these six standards
and Colors. The committee was initially
established current best practices in
in charge of three standards:
the field of safety communication for
the U.S. In line with ANSI procedures,
• ANSI Z535.1 Safety Color Code
the ANSI Z535 standards are revised
• ANSI Z535.2 Standard
or reaffirmed approximately every
for Environmental and
five years. ei
Facility Safety Signs
Mr. Peckham is president of Clarion
• ANSI Z535.5 Standard
Safety Systems.
for Temporary Safety Tags
and Barricade Tapes.
A typical ANSI Z535.4 product safety sign/label
Illustrations courtesy of Clarion Safety Systems
Spurred by the need to
develop best practices
for conveying product
safety information and
NEMA electroindustry • February 2016 41 Code Actions/Standardization Trends
ŰŰASC C136 Publishes Standards with Significant Updates, Continues Work on New Projects
ANSI Accredited Standards Committee
(ASC) C136 is publishing two outdoor
lighting industry standards with
significant updates: ANSI C136.2-2015
Dielectric Withstand and Electrical
Transient Immunity Requirements
and ANSI C136.15 Luminaire Field
Identification.
ANSI C136.2 provides for minimum
performance requirements and test
procedures for evaluating luminaire
and control devices. It was revised to
include product family language in the
compliance and testing requirements
clauses, hipot tester use in the dielectric
withstand test clause, coupler/decoupler
language in the electrical transient
immunity test clause, and additional
ring wave and combination wave test
specifications in the test procedures.
This revision includes updated testing
protocols that are applicable for solid-
state lighting in addition to earlier
covered sources such as high intensity
discharge lighting.
ANSI C136.15 provides a simple,
uniform method for identifying the
type and wattage rating of a luminaire
used for roadway and area lighting. This
revision specifies rounding the wattage
for LED markers to the closest 10 watts.
Committee work is also continuing on:
• C136.10 American National
Standard for Roadway and Area
Lighting Equipment— Locking-Type
Photocontrol Devices and Mating
Receptacles—Physical and Electrical
Interchangeability and Testing
• C136.48 American National Standard
for Roadway and Area Lighting
Equipment—Remote Monitoring
and Control
• C136.50 American National Standard
for Roadway and Area Lighting
Equipment—Revenue Grade Energy
Measurement Devices within a Locking
Type Control Device
• C136.52 American National
Standard for Roadway and Area
Lighting Equipment—LED Drivers
with Integral Revenue Grade Energy
Measurement Means
The committee is open to all materially
affected and interested parties. However,
to achieve and maintain balance, C136 is
actively seeking additional members in
the user and general interest membership
categories. If interested, please contact
Karen Willis. ei
Karen Willis, Senior Lighting
Program Manager, NEMA |
karen.willis@nema.org
ŰŰIEC Pays Tribute to Longtime Members
NEMA’s Lighting Systems Division,
as secretariat to the Electrotechnical
Commission Technical (IEC) Technical
Committee 34 (TC34), hosted working
groups and a plenary session in Denver,
Colorado, in October 2015. The U.S.
National Committee last hosted TC34 in
October 2010, during the IEC General
Assembly in Seattle, Washington.
ŰŰThis Month in Standards
NEMA ICS 61800-6 TR-2015 Adjustable
Speed Electrical Power Drive Systems,
Part 6: Guide for Determination of
Types of Load Duty and Corresponding
Current Ratings
This standard explains how to determine
the types of load duty and related current
ratings for an adjustable speed drive,
and provides clarification to users for
application of NEMA member products
in industries such as heating and air-
42 NEMA electroindustry • February 2016
During the event, three attendees
received the 1906 Award for outstanding
service: Lawrence Barling, United
Kingdom National Committee, for his
role as chairman of Subcommittee 34A,
among other contributions; Doo-Hee
Cho, Korean National Committee, for
successfully leading the OLED safety
standard project; and Frederic Guiraud,
French National Committee, for leading
the IEC definitions project and for years
of service to TC34.
The 1906 award was created in 2004
by the IEC Executive Committee to
commemorate the year the IEC was
founded. It recognizes exceptional recent
achievements related to the activities of
the IEC that contributes to advancing the
work of the commission. ei
conditioning, industrial automation and
machinery. It may be purchased in hard
copy or downloaded for $53.
recommendations for Type IC recessed
luminaires intended for installation in
contact with low-density and mediumdensity polyurethane foam thermal
insulation. It may be purchased in
hard copy for $49 or downloaded at
no charge. ei
NEMA LE 7-2015 Recessed Luminaires
Intended for Contact with Expanding
Polyurethane Foam Insulation
This new standard defines a subset
of insulation contact (Type IC)
luminaires that are appropriate for use
with polyurethane spray foam. This
standard also provides requirements and
Karen Willis, Senior Lighting
Program Manager, NEMA |
karen.willis@nema.org
Ann Brandstadter, Manager, Standards
Publication and Marketing, NEMA |
ann.brandstadter@nema.org
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Code Actions/Standardization Trends
ŰŰANSI Lighting Group Looks Forward to Dynamic 2016
NEMA is the secretariat for the
American National Standards Lighting
Group (ANSLG). This group is made
up of three committees: Accredited
Standards Committee (ASC) C78 Electric
Lamps; ASC C81 Bases, Holders, and
Gauges; and ASC C82 Electric Ballasts.
ASC C78 and ASC C82 each contain four
working groups that cover fluorescent,
high-intensity discharge and solid-state
technologies. Each working group has an
active list of standards projects.
2015 was a dynamic year for the three
ASCs. ASC C78 published 11 standards
(seven reaffirmations and four revisions),
including American National Standards
Institute (ANSI) C78.377-2015. This
standard deals with chromaticity and
incorporates support for new LED
lighting products in the lower correlated
color temperature range. The ad hoc
group that handles C78.377 is already
busy working on a new version of the
standard and tackling issues such as
perceived or preferred white colors below
or above the black-body locus.
cover topics such as LED drivers for
operation life estimation and dimming
characteristics.
ASC C81 published four reaffirmations
in 2015 and is currently working on
revisions to some of these standards.
Participation in the ANSI lighting
activities is open to everyone and does
not require NEMA membership, though
an annual working fee is accessed.
There are biannual committee meetings,
but most of the standards work is
accomplished by teleconference.
ASC C82 published three standards
in 2015 (ANSI C82.77-5-2015, ANSI
C82.77-10-2014, and ANSI C82.6-2015)
and has a couple of standards that are
ready for publication and should be
published in 2016. These include the
proposed standard ANSI C82.16 Methods
of Measurement for LED Drivers.
The ASCs will continue to be busy in
2016, with publication activity expected
from all three. This will consist of a
mix of reaffirmations and revisions, as
well as new standards such as proposed
ANSI C82.15, which deals with LED
driver robustness. Several new ASC
project groups were recently formed to
NEMA’s Lighting Systems Division,
as secretariat of ANSI ASC C78,
C81, and C82, is looking for industry
experts in the user and general interest
categories to participate in standards
development activities. Contact NEMA
at nemalighting@nema.org if you are
interested. Please indicate your interest
category and your area of expertise. ei
Michael Erbesfeld, Program Manager,
Lighting Systems Standards, NEMA |
michael.erbesfeld@nema.org
ŰŰRevised SSL 7A Heralds National, International Impact
The latest version of NEMA SSL 7A-2015
Dimming of LED Lamps still provides
for electrical interoperability between
dimmers and dimmable LED lamps,
but it now simplifies the combination of
dimmers and lamps and has an improved
method of measurement.
Engaging a broad range of stakeholders
has allowed NEMA’s work in LED
dimming to have national and
international impact.
44 NEMA electroindustry • February 2016
The revision of SSL 7A has cleared the
way for a parallel marketing effort,
led by Osram Sylvania Manager of
Sustainability and Environmental
Affairs Jen Dolin, to develop a NEMA
LED dimming logo. The NEMA LED
dimming logo, in turn, clears the way for
SSL 7A to be cited by the Environmental
Protection Agency ENERGY STAR®
Dimmable Lamp Specification.
NEMA’s influence extends
internationally as well. The International
Electrotechnical Commission Joint Ad
Hoc Group 17 has selected NEMA SSL
7A to form the basis for development of a
global standard on dimming LED lamps.
The NEMA Lighting Controls Section
expects to publish SSL 7B, a standard on
LED dimming performance, in 2016. ei
Robert Nachtrieb, PhD, Chair, NEMA
Lighting Controls Section,
and Lead Scientist, Lutron Electronics
Company, Inc. | rnachtrieb@lutron.com
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International Roundup
ŰŰTTIP: One Step to Increased Competitiveness? A European Viewpoint
Dr.-Ing. Jörg Ed. Hartge, Senior Director, Technical Legislation and Standardisation, and
Johannes Kirsch, Senior Director, International Affairs ZVEI (German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association)
When we look at trade relations between
the U.S. and Germany, 2014 was not a
sensational year. From January through
December, exports from Germany to the
U.S. were up 4.5 percent; imports from
the U.S. to Germany were up 1.4 percent.
For 2015, the figures are much more
promising: from January to September,
exports from Germany rose by 17.9
percent whereas imports from the U.S.
increased by 15.3 percent.
Taking into account that these are preTTIP1 figures, one can imagine what
could happen if barriers were reduced or
even abolished.
Sizing Up Differences
When we compare market access
conditions between Europe and the U.S.,
we see fundamental differences:
• From a European point of view,
the U.S. market is characterized
primarily by different federal and local
standards, mostly originating from
traditional labor and safety conditions.
Additionally, every machine or
appliance used at workplaces must be
certified by a nationally recognized
testing laboratory (NRTL). This
mandatory third-party certification
is a barrier to trade for European
manufacturers.
• When U.S. manufacturers access
European markets, most of their
products have to comply with
harmonization legislation according
to the New Legislative Framework.
This means companies have to
consider European standards that,
in most cases, are different from U.S.
standards, and instead of mandatory
third-party testing, companies must
check if their products comply with
Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is a
trade agreement being negotiated between the European Union
and the U.S.
1
46 NEMA electroindustry • February 2016
the European requirements by their
own responsibility.
• They must also declare conformity
with these requirements and stamp
CE (which is the unified conformity
mark for the European Union market)
on every product. The manufacturer is
responsible for failures occurring from
its product, if based on mistakes in the
design or during the manufacturing
process. That system works (with a
few exemptions, e.g., electromedical
devices or explosion protection)
without involving additional testing
companies or authorities.
• The market for engineering products
in the EU is already open to all
manufacturers (provided their
products comply with the relevant
standards) with regard to market
access, but not in the U.S., where
mandatory testing is a recurring
obstacle for every contract.
The difference in standards for
engineering products on both sides of
the Atlantic is often based on differences
in infrastructure and existing technical
systems. Sometimes the differences are
historical. Regardless, they cannot be
removed in the short term and could be
removed only with unacceptable risks
and costs for changeover.
Speeding Access to Markets
Independent of what we can expect
from the ongoing TTIP negotiations,
we think there should be an additional
proposal to speed the process of access
to the U.S. market for domestic and
European manufacturers, without
reducing consumer protection and
shop floor safety.
If we regard the standards as a more or
less constant element of the framework
conditions we—as a first step—should
strive for lowering the second barrier
to trade, i.e., the U.S. system of thirdparty testing. It suffers from a quasimonopoly of a single NRTL. Component
manufacturers in particular are faced
with the fact that they cannot choose
the certifier freely—it is predefined by
the certifier of the end product of the
individual customer. This is detrimental
for U.S. and EU manufacturers.
Therefore, ZVEI proposes a modification
within OSHA’s NRTL system. If OSHA
were to introduce a unique NRTL mark
that would be applicable for components
as well as finished products that had
to be used and accepted by every other
NRTL with no distinction, then the
current dominant NRTL would face
more competition.
Consequently, a similar effect would
arise for end products. The unique
NRTL mark could lead to a quality mark
that says in essence, “This product is
certified as required by law,” independent
of which certifier had been chosen by
the manufacturer.
Competing NRTLs would have to
reduce certification fees and certification
processes would be accelerated—to the
mutual benefit of domestic and European
manufacturers.
Time to market for products or
components already tested by another
NRTL would be reduced; customers
and consumers could profit from
innovative solutions.
This is, from our point of view, a
way to increase competitiveness and
business for industry on both sides of
the Atlantic. ei
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Economic Spotlight
ŰŰLighting Indexes for Third Quarter Indicate Mixed Results
The NEMA lamp shipment indexes are
composite measures of NEMA member
companies’ U.S. shipments of compact
fluorescent, halogen, incandescent,
and LED replacement lamps. Product
shipments data are drawn from NEMA
statistical surveys and are adjusted for
seasonal fluctuations.
Laurie Miller, Director,
Statistical Operations, NEMA |
laurie.miller@nema.org
LED A-Line Lamp Shipments Surge
LED A-line lamps posted another
strong showing in 3Q 2015, surging
237.2 percent during the quarter on
a year-over-year (y/y) basis. Halogen
A-line lamps posted a y/y increase of
33.0 percent. In contrast, incandescent
A-line lamps decreased by 31.5 percent,
while compact fluorescents lamps
(CFLs) dropped 28.0 percent. Compared
to 2Q 2015, LED shipments rose 17.2
percent, while halogen A-line shipments
increased 4.6 percent. CFL shipments
saw a quarter-to-quarter decrease of 16.3
percent and incandescent A-line lamp
shipments decreased 16.5 percent.
As of 3Q 2015, halogen A-line lamps
accounted for almost half of all
consumer lamp shipments at 48.6
percent, followed by CFLs (27.3 percent)
and incandescent A-lines (9.0 percent).
LED A-line lamps increased their sales
share by two percentage points, to 15.1
percent of the consumer lamp market.
Lighting Systems Index Increases during Third Quarter, Shows Mixed Results for Components
NEMA’s Lighting Systems Shipments
Index, a measure of demand for lighting
equipment, increased by 4.8 percent
year-over-year (y/y) and by 4.4 percent
quarter-to-quarter during 3Q 2015.
The increase was driven by the fixtures
component of the index, which gained
ground on a y/y basis, while the
emergency lighting, ballast, and lamp—
large and miniature—components
recorded offsetting y/y declines.
48 NEMA electroindustry • February 2016
Linear Fluorescent Lamp Indexes Continue to Decline
NEMA’s linear fluorescent lamp
shipment indexes for 3Q 2015 continued
the downward trend that began in 2014.
The index for T12 lamps declined for the
seventh consecutive quarter, dropping
by 40.4 percent on a year-over-year
(y/y) basis. T8 and T5 shipments also
continued to decline, decreasing by
10.9 and 10.6 percent, respectively, on
a y/y basis.
T8 lamps accounted for a 72.8-percent
share of fluorescent lamp shipments
in 3Q 2015, with T12 lamps claiming
a 15.5-percent share and T5 lamps a
10.9-percent share.
HID Lamp Indexes Decline during Third Quarter of 2015
NEMA’s shipment indexes for highintensity discharge (HID) lamps declined
in the third quarter of 2015. Compared
to the same period last year, sodium
vapor lamp shipments fell 12.3 percent,
shipments of mercury vapor lamps
decreased by 16.3 percent, and shipments
of metal halide lamps decreased by
14.5 percent.
Mercury vapor lamps accounted for 3.7
percent of high-intensity discharge lamp
sales in 3Q 2015, while sodium vapor and
metal halide lamps accounted for 33.2
percent and 63.1 percent, respectively. ei
NEMA electroindustry • February 2016 49 Economic Spotlight
ŰŰNEMA Business Conditions Indexes Retreat in December
NEMA’s Electroindustry Business
Conditions Index (EBCI) for current
conditions in North America fell to
41.2 in December, as a larger share
of panelists reported that conditions
deteriorated (35 percent) than reported
they improved (18 percent).
Forty-seven percent of the panelists
stated that the business environment
was unchanged. The December EBCI
reading represented a substantial decline
from November’s reading of 58.3. In
November, only 17 percent of panelists
claimed that business conditions
worsened, while 33 percent reported that
they improved and 50 percent stated that
they were unchanged.
The survey’s measure of the intensity of
change in industry business conditions
also swung to negative territory in
December, dropping from +0.2 to
-0.2 in November. Panelists are asked
to report intensity of change on a
scale ranging from –5 (deteriorated
significantly) through 0 (unchanged) to
+5 (improved significantly).
Meanwhile, the EBCI for future North
American conditions slipped to 52.9 in
December from 55.6 in November. A
smaller share of panelists in December
(29 percent) expect conditions to improve
over the next six months than was the
case in November (33 percent). A slightly
larger share in December (24 percent)
expect conditions will deteriorate than
was the case in November (22 percent).
The share expecting to see no change
in business conditions rose to 47
percent in December from 44 percent
in November. ei
Tim Gill, Deputy Chief Economist,
NEMA | tim.gill@nema.org
50 NEMA electroindustry • February 2016
We Are NEMA
I am
I am
NEMA
NEMA
From Darkness to Light
Serra Temizer, Manager,
Business Information Services
Prior to joining NEMA in August
2013, I was in the dark about the
complexity and changing nature of
the lighting industry. At the time
I had a limited knowledge of the
electroindustry and was unaware
of how many components go into
creating the lights I use in my
everyday life.
As a senior associate in NEMA/BIS,
I was responsible for assisting with
many of the market data programs,
and I quickly saw the importance of
the data collected every month, with
each report providing a snapshot into
the changing market dynamics.
Over the past two and a half years,
I have seen the landscape of the
lighting industry shift, as new energyefficient technologies developed and
emerged in the market. The insights
that emerge from the data collected
each month have painted a picture of
the lighting industry that is passed
on to members through services such
as market data reports and lighting
indices. As the lighting industry
continues to evolve, the market data
serves as an invaluable resource for
members as they forge a path into the
future of lighting.
This past year I was offered the
opportunity to take on greater
responsibility within NEMA. As
manager of the lighting and power
equipment market data programs,
I am able to work more closely with
other staff members to better support
section activities.
Through working with industry
directors and government affairs
personnel, I have seen that guiding
our members into a bright future is a
goal shared by all of NEMA.
Advancing Electrical and
Medical Imaging Innovations
Having
promoted
American
manufacturing
for more
than 15
years, joining
NEMA was a
natural fit.
Tracy Cullen
Senior Director,
Communications and Marketing
My appreciation
for American
manufacturing
was born in the specialty chemicals
and plastics arenas; my experience
is gleaned from the service
contracting, engineering, and
manufacturing markets; and my love of
communications comes with strong ties
to international business publishers.
As a veteran of high-stakes
communications, this is a great
opportunity for me to exert my
entrepreneurial drive, build cohesive
teams and generate campaigns that
grow revenue, influence public policy
agendas, and generate favorable
publicity across multiple channels.
I am especially excited about using
my experience in digital media
management to grow NEMA’s social
media presence and lead the redesign
of www.nema.org.
NEMA is a prestigious association,
and I am delighted to be a part of
it, working to advance America’s
electrical and medical imaging
innovations.
Stock art Credits
Cover, 2: ©iStockphoto.com/aurumarcus
10: ©iStockphoto.com/ gecko753
12: ©iStockphoto.com/Adelevin
20: ©iStockphoto.com/mbortolino
52 NEMA electroindustry • February 2016
20: ©iStockphoto.com/bygermina
28-29 karandaev / Dollar Photo Club
32 Sergey Nivens / Dollar Photo Club
34: ©iStockphoto.com/DAVID MARIUZ
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