Sustainable lights win L Prize
Three prototype luminaires with strong sustainable credentials have been awarded a share of £1.65 million in the US Government’s L Prize.
Signify, Lightly and Grid Interactive Efficient Building Alliance all shared the spoils with, respectively, a 3D printed light, an office luminaire made of wood, wool and hemp and a recessed ‘troffer’ fitting with integral networked control.
A prototype of ultra-high efficient 3D printed luminaire with an efficacy of 196 lumens per Watt was Signify’s winner.
The Generation Flex modular luminaire combines what the company terms cutting-edge materials and adaptable 3D printing concepts with ground-breaking energy efficiency and optics that deliver flexibility, reduced energy consumption and a high quality of light.
It features a new LED module developed in partnership with Samsung Electronics which works with Signify’s high-efficiency D4i LED driver and state-of-the-art optics to deliver an efficacy of 196 lm/W while maintaining a high quality of light.
Built around a housing-agnostic general lighting module, the luminaire supports a variety of form factors for both new construction and renovation projects.
The Generation Flex follows circular design principles. Its cups and electronics can be printed, and its reversible, click and clamp assembly allows for on-demand delivery and repair.
Lightly developed a low-carbon, architectural-grade linear luminaire, pictured, using locally sourced materials. The high-efficacy luminaire is made of novel, biodegradable materials, using wood, hemp, and wool as alternatives to plastic and metal. The localised production and supply chain uses poplar harvested in the area, and a declare label provides material transparency.
The third winner in the luminaire category is the Helios HPR-LP160, submitted by Grid Interactive Efficient Building Alliance (GiEBA) in San Diego. GiEBA developed a high-efficacy architectural-grade troffer with integral networked communications based on the open-source Google Thread wireless protocol.
The troffer collects and stores luminaire data beyond the L-Prize requirements, and the built-in wireless capability allows for a basic sensor to be installed without wireless capabilities. The luminaire is designed for disassembly with modular components and easy-to-follow end-of-life diagrams for disassembly and recycling.
The three companies will now share £1.65 million, an incentive to develop their product for the next phase of the L Prize, which is organised by the US Department of Energy to encourage innovation in the lighting industry.
• Diary date: Circular Lighting Live 2024, Recolight’s flagship conference and exhibition, takes place on Wednesday 9 October 2024 at the Royal College of Physicians in London. Free to specifiers, Circular Lighting Live 2024 will feature leading experts, specifiers and policy makers who will share their insights into forthcoming standards and legislation, emerging technologies and new business models. More info: www.circularlighting.live
