The winners of the first annual Next Generation Luminaires(tm) competition have been disclosed at Strategies in Light conference(SIL) in Santa Clara, California, February 18-20, 2009. The awards recognize excellence in the design of energy-efficient LED luminaires for general illumination, using white light in commercial lighting applications.

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA), and the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD), the competition is designed to recognize well-designed, energy-efficient, and attractive commercial solid-state lighting that uses a fraction of the electricity of standard incandescent, halogen, and high intensity discharge fixtures. By encouraging new designs and technologies, Next Generation Luminaires(tm) aims to increase market acceptance and awareness of LEDs for general illumination lighting. The competition was launched at LightFair in May 2008 and attracted 68 entries from 29 lighting companies.

Of the 68 entries submitted, 22 were given special recognition in the market ready category and three of these were chosen as “best in class.” In the emerging category, five products were selected as noteworthy. The Best in Class winners in the market-ready category were:

    (1) GE for its Immersion(tm) jewelry case lighting

    (2) Journée Lighting for its AZARA track-mounted luminaires

    (3) Winona for its STEP03 indoor/outdoor step lighting.

Winona Lighting also earned one of the 19 “recognized” designations in the market-ready category, for its Winscape LED16 outdoor flood fixture. GE Lighting was also recognized for its Architectural Cove Lighting. Philips Color Kinetics earned recognition for three of its eW Powercore products - a surface-mounted downlight, an undercabinet fixture, and a linear cove light.

Downlights were popular with designs by Specialty Lighting Industries, Gallium Lighting LLC, Lightolier, Amerlux Lighting Solutions, and Cree LED Lighting all receiving recognition. MP Lighting and Amerlux both were recognized for track lighting products. Tech Lighting provided an LED pendant fixture with 40 different pendant options. Albeo Technologies Inc. offered an LED alternative to high-intensity discharge high-bay lamps. Cree submitted a noteworthy high-lumen-output 24-inch square ceiling light and LED-Linear was recognized for an undercabinet luminaire.

The five “emerging” products selected as noteworthy but not yet market-ready included two by GO Lighting Technologies, a 24-inch round ceiling-mounted fixture and a 4-foot LED linear lamp which could be hung or wall mounted, as well as a down-light by Ledion Lighting, a linear pendant by Beta Lighting, and a submersible linear by Winona Lighting.