Sunday, March 10, 2013

Toshiba’s LED Lighting to Illuminate Japanese World Heritage Site

Toshiba announced that Toshiba Group has donated and installed LED lighting and a photovoltaic power system to illuminate the Golden Hall at Chuson-ji, a Buddhist temple and UNESCO World Heritage Site in Iwate prefecture, northeast Japan. The lighting will be switched on at a ceremony at the temple on September 22.

Chuson-ji is the most famous of five sites making up the Hiraizumi World Heritage Site, a complex of temples and gardens forming an earthly representation of the Buddhist Pure Land, or Nirvana. The temple, a Special Historic Site that dates back to the 12th century, is best known for the Konjikido, the Golden Hall, recognized as one of world’s most beautiful and elaborately decorated buildings.

The philosophy of Chuson-ji is to live in peace and in harmony with nature, and the temple compound is renowned for its atmosphere of serenity and spirituality. Toshiba has respected this in its work at the temple and the lighting of the Golden Hall.
The photovoltaic system has a 5kW output capacity that feeds into the temple power supply, and more than compensates for power consumed by the LED lighting. The system is built on the roof of the souvenir shop near the Golden Hall, with no visible impact on the temple’s scenic beauty, and respects the philosophy of Chuson-ji by delivering natural, renewable energy. Even more care has been taken with the lighting of the Golden Hall, in respect of its historic and cultural importance.

A wooden building entirely covered in maki-bashira gold leaf, supported by pillars intricately decorated with mother of pearl and maki-e lacquer in gold and silver, the Golden Hall houses three altars. Each is adorned with statues representing a seated Amida Buddha, surrounded by other standing bodhisattva: Kannon and Seishi, six Jizo and two Niten (though one Niten is missing). The Golden Hall is now protected from the elements by a concrete outer structure, the Shin-Oido.

Lighting engineers from Toshiba Group companies carried out on-site investigation and extensive simulations to support the design and development of non-intrusive fixtures and lighting that not only provides interior and exterior illumination but a warmth and brilliance that renders lively, natural colors free of glare. The lighting is designed to complement the decoration and the artifacts, not to compete with them, and to make it seem as if the light originates within the objects, not outside them.

Chuson-ji is in Tohoku, the region devastated by the March 2011 earthquake, which is still working for a full recovery from the disaster. Under the "Toshiba Tohoku ASHITA (Future) Plan," Toshiba Group is supporting Tohoku’s efforts for self-initiated recovery with a number of projects that are evaluated and adjusted for appropriate content and timing. In providing LED lighting and renewable power for Chuson-ji, Toshiba hopes to help encourage more tourists to visit the wider Tohoku region.

The Konjikido is the second UNESCO site that Toshiba has illuminated with its state-of-the-art LED lighting and fixtures. The company is now in the second phase of installing LED lighting at the Louvre in Paris, where it has already lit up the main and smaller pyramids and Napoleon Square. This year it will illuminate the Mona Lisa, the Red Room gallery that is home to many large and well-known paintings, and the main entrance, the Napoleon Hall.

Architects Choose Cooper Lighting As the Preferred Brand of Choice

Cooper Lighting, a leader at the forefront of transforming the lighting industry and setting an unmatched standard for innovation and reliability, is pleased to announce that it has been named the preferred brand of choice in the Lighting: Interior/Exterior category in Architect magazine’s 2013 Brand Use Study. The magazine is the official publication of the members of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Surveyed Architect readers named Cooper Lighting as a brand leader in Brand Familiarity, Brands Specified/Used in the Past Two Years, and Brand Specified/Used the Most.

The 2012 Brand Use Study, sponsored by Hanley Wood, LLC, publisher of Architect, and conducted by the independent research company Readex Research, provides an in-depth look at the product brands used by Architect readers. Specifically, the study researches respondents’ familiarity with, use of and opinions about 593 brands in 45 product categories.

Readers were asked, with respect to the Lighting: Interior/Exterior category:
1. Which brands have you heard of?
2. Which brands have you specified / used in the last two years?
3. Which brands do you specify / use most often?

With respect to brand familiarity, Cooper Lighting was mentioned by 78 percent of all respondents – as high or higher than any other lighting manufacturer. Cooper Lighting was also listed by architects as the number one most frequently specified/used brand in the last two years. In addition, Cooper Lighting was named as one of the two brands specified/used most often among all lighting manufacturers. In summary, Cooper Lighting received more first place rankings than any other lighting manufacturer.

Halo LED Recessed Lighting
Halo Recessed Lighting

Builders Name Cooper Lighting’s Halo Brand the Leader in Lighting for the

Cooper Lighting, a leader at the forefront of transforming the lighting industry and setting an unmatched standard for innovation and reliability, is pleased to announce that its Halo brand of recessed, track and surface lighting products has once again been named the Brand Leader in lighting by Builder magazine. Awarded for the fifteenth consecutive year, Halo was given top honors, sweeping all four lighting categories including Brand Familiarity, Brands Specified/Used in Past Two Years, Brands Specified/Brand Used Most, and Quality. The company will be featured in Builder’s April issue.

For 57 years, Halo has been the industry leader providing high-quality recessed downlighting, track, and surface lighting products. With changing local and national energy codes and legislation, the demand for energy-efficient alternatives is greater now than ever before. Halo’s comprehensive portfolio of LED products continues to grow, addressing the need for ENERGY STAR®, high-efficacy choices to meet today’s challenging needs. As homeowners become more receptive to new LED lighting technologies, they not only want energy-efficient solutions, but high-performing and reliable products that create a comfortable living environment.

Builder magazine’s 2013 Brand Use Study, sponsored by Hanley Wood, LLC, was conducted by the independent research company Readex Research to provide an in-depth look at the product brands builders recognize and use most and how they rate quality. The report highlights respondents’ opinions about brands in 70 product categories. The 2013 Brand Use Study results will be featured in the April issue of Builder.

Halo LED Recessed Lighting
Halo Recessed Lighting

RAB Lighting Wins The Most Next Generation Luminaires Outdoor Awards for a Single Lighting Brand

RAB Lighting, the leading manufacturer of affordable LED lighting, is proud to announce that it has won three Next Generation Luminaires awards for its innovative LPACK52, LGOOSE13 and PLED2X26 LED luminaires. This is the most awards for any brand in the outdoor lighting category.

• LPACK52 is a 52 Watt wallpack that reduces energy consumption by 80% compared to the 250 Watt metal halide systems it is designed to replace. It is available in three cut-off options and maintains the look of a traditional wallpack from the front.
The judges were also impressed by the LPACK52's strong light output and glare control.

• LGOOSE13 is a 13 Watt decorative LED gooseneck fixture featuring a versatile, direction-adjustable head, designed to replace 70 Watt metal halide and match the architecture of Main Street storefronts and building perimeters.
The judges considered the LGOOSE13 to be aesthetically pleasing with a warm color and low glare. Its low price also makes this luminaire a good value.
• PLED2X26 is a high-performance 52 Watt pendant mounted LED downlight. It is UL listed as suitable for wet locations and comes complete with 6", 12" and 18" mounting stems which can be used alone or in combination for a variety of mounting heights, making it ideal for parking garages.
The judges thought the compact, sleek design of the PLED2X26 was an attractive alternative to the rectangular or circular fixtures that are typically used in parking garages. They also thought this luminaire gave good lateral light distribution and was a good value.

Like all RAB LED luminaires, the LPACK52, the LGOOSE13 and the PLED2X26 all feature a 100,000-hour LED lifespan and a five-year bumper-to-bumper warranty.

The Next Generation Luminaires (NGL) Solid State Lighting Design Competition was launched in 2008 to recognize and promote excellence in the design of energy-efficient LED luminaires for commercial lighting applications.

The NGL award-winning products must display exceptional lighting quality and consistency, glare control, application suitability, and luminaire appearance, as well as energy efficiency. Of the 120 products judged (representing 42 manufacturers) just 37 were chosen as "Recognized" winners, meaning the panel of judges would recommend these 37 products to other specifiers.

The NGL Competition is sponsored by the Illuminating Engineering Society, the International Association of Lighting Designers and the U.S. Department of Energy.
RAB LED Lighting
RAB Lighting