GE Lighting's (NYSE: GE) Evolve™ LED Scalable Cobrahead fixture has earned a Best-in-Class designation in the "Roadway Lighting" category in the 2012 Next Generation Luminaires™ (NGL) Solid-State Lighting Design Competition. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America, and the International Association of Lighting Designers, the NGL awards were created to recognize excellence in energy-efficient LED commercial lighting unit design.

The Evolve™ LED Scalable Cobrahead fixture, a product of GE ecomaginationSM, was among just four products that received Best-in-Class honors, standing out significantly above other entries in its category. These winners came from four different manufacturers and covered four categories of outdoor lighting.

Also receiving formal NGL award recognition were GE's Evolve™ LED Contemporary Conical Post Top, noted for its uniformity and glare control, and the Evolve™ LED Modular Area Light, commended for its light distribution and color quality.

GE Evolve™ LED Scalable Cobrahead fixtures are the next evolution of GE Lighting's LED roadway lighting technology.

GE Lighting products have captured three Best-in-Class distinctions and nine award recognitions since the NGL competition began in 2008 (no competition was held in 2011). In addition, Albeo Technologies Inc., acquired by GE Lighting last fall, earned Best-in-Class in last year's Indoor category for its H-Series High Bay LED fixture. Albeo's energy-efficient High Bay LED lighting solutions also were recognized in 2008 and 2009.

 
The town of Tarentum Borough, Penn., recently upgraded 100 percent of its street lighting to GE's Evolve™ LED Scalable Cobrahead fixture.

 

Continuing Excellence
After GE's first Evolve LED Medium Cobrahead (ERMC) won Best-in-Class ("Street/Roadway Lighting") in the 2009 NGL competition, GE asked its top engineers to make it even better-and they did. The Evolve LED Scalable Cobrahead fixture, introduced in 2012, offers increased light output and more pavement distribution patterns to suit a wider range of roadway classifications, while using up to 25 percent fewer watts than traditional Cobrahead fixtures.

Judges applauded the light distribution, color quality, and light output of the Evolve LED Scalable Cobrahead ER2S fixture. Comments included: "wide distribution," "good backlight control" and "like control." GE's Evolve LED Scalable Cobrahead ERS4 and ERS4 with reverse module fixtures also were acknowledged by the judges for good lighting distribution, low glare, and high light output.

From 120 to 4
This year's NGL competition included 120 products representing 42 different manufacturers and covering 10 different outdoor-lighting categories. Of these, only 37 were chosen as "recognized winners," meaning that they were considered worthy of specification.

Of the 37 recognized products, four-including GE's Evolve LED Scalable Cobrahead fixture-received the additional designation of Best-in-Class. Entries were reviewed for color, appropriate illuminance, light distribution, glare control, appearance, serviceability, value, and energy efficiency. Power quality and lumen maintenance also were evaluated, and flexibility, innovation, and controllability were taken into consideration.

"The goal here is to recognize products that are not only attractive, but that are also energy efficient and deliver good lighting quality," said DOE Solid-State Lighting Program Manager Jim Brodrick. "It reminds me of football, where the most effective quarterbacks aren't just good passers - they can also run well and see the whole field."

Outdoor awards were presented Feb. 14 at Strategies in Light in Santa Clara, Calif.

Indoor products were evaluated separately, and winners will be recognized March 20 at the LEDucation 7 conference in New York City.