The past twelve months has seen many changes in the lighting market with LEDs continuing to make the headlines for their energy efficient properties. But this isn’t the only area which is seeing change as Matt Caygill, UK LED Business Manager for Tridonic explains.

For many companies the start of a new year provides a good opportunity to make changes and in the building services industry I suspect there will be many changes afoot as we continue the drive towards energy efficiency. But the new year is also a good time for manufacturers to take stock of the market and look at the opportunities which lie ahead.

The lighting market is no different and with the impending changes to Part L of the Building Regulations this is one area where we will see many changes in 2013. The other major change which we have begun to see is the move towards the specification of a complete LED package from one manufacturer and as a result we have introduced a number of new and exciting products to our already extensive range.

A complete solution

Tridonic has always been a market leader in the manufacture of electronic control gear and even though there is a still a market for this product range, we need to address the changes which are taking place in the industry – the main one being the huge growth in the sales of LED light sources and the resulting requirement for a complete package which includes control gear.

In the past the specification process has meant that our products have been specified alongside the lamps of other manufacturers. We will continue to offer LED control gear and by the end of 2013 we will have a new and extensive range. But we are also making changes because we believe that up to 40% of future LED sales will consist of closed packages, meaning that one supplier will deliver the entire package consisting of LED module, driver and emergency lighting.

LED technology is taking the lighting market in completely new directions with new installations and innovations which would never have been thought possible just five years ago. But as the achievements become greater, so do the expectations of the end user which is why manufacturers need to continue to innovate in order to meet those expectations.

But innovation is not just about producing a fancy new product which looks great in award winning buildings. Innovation is about the technology behind the products which can make an ordinary office building into a pleasant working environment through the use of a complete lighting solution.

New products

Our new LED product portfolio was first introduced in 2012 and now offers a range of solutions to fit virtually every application. This has been a huge transition for us as a manufacturer, but it is one that we have been able to make because of the research and development which we have carried out.

However, our systems approach is aimed at a market which is looking for innovative solutions to everyday needs and as a result we have introduced a series of solutions which can be just as easily incorporated into retrofit applications as they can into new build.

A good example of this is the new generation TALEXXengine STARK SLE LED which is a sophisticated energy saving system for use with LED downlights and spotlights in general lighting systems.  As well as boasting a longer life of up to 50,000 hours it also boasts 40% more light output when compared with previous versions.

We have also introduced the second generation versions of the popular TALEXengine STARK QLE and LLE LED systems, which have been enhanced to offer 20% more light output and even better light quality.

This is available in a square (QLE) version which is ideal for wide area illumination or for long-run projects, and a linear (LLE) version which has been designed for creating clear lines of light.  Both of these products can be used separately or in combination and offer a variety of options to luminaire designers who want an alternative to T5, T8 and TCL fluorescent lamps. 

The second generation versions also now offer integrated emergency lighting functions with LED modules equipped with either additional LEDs for emergency lighting or dimming when in emergency lighting mode. 

Our latest addition to the range in December was the TALEXXmodule STARK DLE Premium which is a tuneable white LED system that enables the colour temperature to be adjusted to suit different design requirements.  

The DLE Premium is DALI compatible to take advantage of advanced lighting management systems and can also be controlled using DSI, a colour control interface or Tridonic’s switchDIM, which enables standard mains voltages to be used for dimming and switching.

DLE Premium modules can be incorporated into a large range of luminaire types including downlights and spotlights and can also be used in scene-setting configurations, so that lighting can be adjusted locally.

This is just a small selection of the new ranges which we have launched onto the market but as you can see there are options to suit every requirement with the added benefit that the technology behind it will help you to achieve those necessary cost savings.

System benefits

The benefits of a complete system solution are something which we hear a lot about and certainly in this industry they have become ever more popular in the past few years.

One of the main reasons for this is that by specifying all of the products from one manufacturer you can benefit from economies of scale. But additionally it is also worth considering the fact that you can provide a greater degree of guarantee that the products will work as specified because they have been tried and tested as a complete package. For example we now offer a five year guarantee on the complete system whereas in the past we could only offer a guarantee on our control gear when it was specified with lamps from other manufacturers.

There are of course many other benefits which are offered through the specification of a complete LED solution including the fact that it is tailored to meet the specific requirements of the installation and the flexibility of being able to choose from a wide product portfolio.

But ultimately it is the reliability which is proving to be a winning factor and the knowledge that by working with a single manufacturer you can guarantee the end results – something which cannot always be taken for granted.