LIGHT FAIR International (www.LightFair.com) was held last week from April 23rd to the 25th. The world’s largest annual architectural and commercial lighting trade show and conference was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and followed Earth Day, which is always on April 22nd. LIGHT FAIR included technology that may meet the promise of Earth Day, that was conceived over 30 years ago back in 1970. According to the U.S Department of Energy (DOE) every kilowatt hour of energy saved not only saves money but also 1.3 lbs (.59kg) of CO2. What is good for your wallet is also great for the earth.
The question of impact was top of mind at the event for lighting manufacturers overall, but especially the Light Emitting Diode (LED) providers. The International and the US LED manufacturer exhibitors pride themselves on the groundbreaking efficiency of LED lamps over the older incandescent, halogen, metal halide, and fluorescent tube technology. The thousands of LED distributors walking the aisles at the massive event understood that this was the year of the LED fixture and LED tube.
However, Great technology alone doesn’t sell. LED quality, price, certification, and other variables all need to align in order to make a sale. Without a sale, technology is just an academic exercise and not a meaningful driver of economic or environmental change for the better.
Many LED manufacturers naturally chose to use the event to release new products while others chose to announce new advantages such as LED rebate qualifications. A few added LED financing programs to make it more affordable for commercial buyers to say “YES” to LED tubes and fixtures. A select fewer chose to advance the industry with new LED warranty offerings.
One standout company chose all four paths. Independence LED (www.IndependenceLED.com) had HOME COURT Advantage. The Greater Philadelphia based LED manufacturer not only released new products, but announced DesignLights Consortium – DLC Listed rebate ready qualifications, a global LED financing program, and an industry leading 10 year LED tube warranty. The company attracted the attention of the media with an article in Energy Manager Today that was released online on the third day from an interview conducted on the second day of the event. The pace of change is accelerating. Independence LED was also agile in their ability to quickly post the event highlights and article online.
