Lighting for Tomorrow 2017 Award Winners: Residential Lighting

October 23, 2017

The 2017 awards for residential lighting products were announced at the American Lighting Association Annual Conference last month in Vancouver, BC. Winners must have successfully incorporated advances in both design and energy efficiency. (Shown in photo: Globe Electric Company (USA) Inc. G40 LED 6W vintage filament bulb).

By recognizing exceptional new products, Lighting for Tomorrow seeks to meet consumer expectations and leap over market barriers that inhibit the adoption and use of energy efficient residential lighting products. Launched in 2002, the competition is sponsored by the American Lighting Association (ALA), the Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE) and UL. 

The 2017 Lighting for Tomorrow competition reflected several key technology developments and market trends:

• the market is witnessing a reinvigorated drive for simplicity and user-friendliness in connected or smart lighting products
• success of a decorative luminaire is often due to the way the designer uses various materials in conjunction with LEDs as well as the combination of functional lighting and a sophisticated artistic appearance
• ceiling fixtures with flat luminous surfaces, as well as traditional slim under-cabinet fixtures, have become even thinner thanks to optical plastics and tiny LEDs designed to uniformly edge light large diffuse surfaces
• LED filament bulbs are becoming larger and more decorative in their filament design, some even acting as functional light sources in their own right rather than just luminous decorations for dim environments

The judging panel reviewed over 130 products, including LED indoor fixtures, LED outdoor fixtures, LED retrofit kits, LED replacement lamps, OLEDs, lighting control devices, connected lighting products, and ceiling fan lights. The judges were very pleased to see outstanding products demonstrating developments in form factor and construction, while taking advantage of solid state lighting technology.

Over a dozen energy efficiency organizations across the United States and Canada participated in supporting the 2017 competition as co-sponsors.

2017 Lighting for Tomorrow winners

From among the decorative fixture submissions, the judges designated two winners, an honourable mention, and a design award:

• Blackjack Lighting Iridium Pendant
• Project Greener Planet Dharma
• AFX, Inc. Post (honourable mention)
• Hubbardton Forge Zephyr LED Pendant (Judges Design Award)

The task lighting fixture category resulted in four winners and an honourable mention: 

• Good Earth Lighting 3-Head Motion-Activated Flood Light
• WAC Lighting — Duo AC LED Color Option Light Bar, Silo X20, and Oculux
• L’Image Home Products’ Dimmable Ultra Slim LED Undercabinet Wave with integrated wave sensor (honourable mention) 

Replacement lamp winners are 

• Bulbrite Industries LED Filament Bulb T6
• Green Creative Refine Series PAR38
• Bulbrite Industries LED A19 (honourable mentions and best 60W and 100W equivalent)
• MaxLite LED A21 lamp (honourable mentions and best 60W and 100W equivalent)

Connected or “smart” lighting winners are 

• Acuity Brands Lighting 6SL Bluetooth Speaker Light by Lithonia Lighting 
• Leviton Manufacturing Co., Inc. Decora Smart with Wi-Fi technology universal LED/incandescent dimmer

The emerging technologies winner is the OTI Lumionics Aerelight A1. Honourable mentions went to Acuity Brands Lighting Lithonia Lighting LED Grow Light and Dolan Designs Inc.’s Scene Master chandelier.

The judges selected Special recognition awards for four products that have notable attributes or fulfill a market or lighting application need. Products meeting a particular market need are 

• Globe Electric Company (USA) Inc. G40 LED vintage filament bulb, which provides a larger sized LED option for additional design applications 
• LEDVANCE SYLVANIA Ultra LED 3-Way A21 lamp, which has higher wattage equivalent outputs than previous LED 3-way bulbs 
• Globe Electric Company (USA) Inc. A19 LED spiral filament bulb (for filament design)
• PlanLED epikós (for being especially senior friendly)

The Emerson Volta ceiling fan receives the Judges Challenge Award, which includes a special call to action for the ceiling fan industry.

As more ceiling fan companies incorporate LED, they must carefully consider attributes of LED lighting and the impact of the fan on design to enable a positive customer experience.See the award-winning products on the Lighting for Tomorrow website: http://lightingfortomorrow.com/lft/site/winning-designs/.