It’s reported that Kim Lighting, a leading manufacturer of outdoor architectural lighting, released a much-anticipated white paper on the lighting industry's overall failure to properly bring commercial outdoor LED lighting to market. Titled "Why Today's LED Site and Area Luminaires Are Not Measuring Up," the white paper explores the challenges associated with using LED technology for outdoor lighting to achieving results that are sustainable and do not sacrifice performance.

Findings in the white paper include: First, as LED developers continue to research and design new manufacturing processes, phosphor compounds and color calibration techniques, LEDs will become the preferred technology for indoor and outdoor lighting. Second, white light LED technology is still in its earliest stages of development and it is counter-productive for the industry to introduce products that deliver LED lighting, however sacrifice performance. Third, the general performance of LED site luminaires on the market today are not properly designed or adequate for large area outdoor, roadway, or site lighting use. Forth, prematurely introduced LED site and area luminaires are not performing as marketed when tested under current IES standards. Fifth, the total efficiency of a luminaire is less relevant when lighting outdoor tasks due to the absence of inter-reflections between walls, floor, and ceiling. The true efficiency of an outdoor luminaire should be expressed as its ability to deliver lumens in its intended direction, limit spill light, and ultimately create a comfortable, glare-free nighttime environment.

The white paper evaluated one existing LED site luminaire from a known manufacturer by several accepted standards of outdoor site lighting, not simply efficiency. The evaluation found the luminaire to fall below the standard needed to properly light an outdoor site in its distribution, efficiency and spacing. Details of the evaluation are found in the white paper.

According to Bill Foley, vice president and general manager of Kim Lighting, LED technology has changed the industry, and promises even greater change in the not-too-distant future. While its potential for use with large area site lighting or roadway applications is evident, no manufacturer has yet to achieve the efficiency and performance levels necessary to warrant its use in this way. Kim Lighting understands these challenges and will be first to develop innovative LED area light solutions that perform as promised.