Dialogue For An Industry In Evolution The inaugural SSL Design summit held Aug. 26–27, 2008, in Weehawken, N.J., proved a great success by virtue of the participants, their feedback, and the powerful dialogue that ensued in the course of the two days. The event attracted approximately 80 industry stakeholders, lighting designers, and innovators from across the solid-state lighting field. Participants included conference co-chairman and IALD President Jeff Miller, along with lighting designers Matthew Tanteri and Leni Schwendinger.
Having the right information to work with was a recurring theme of the summit. Govi Rao of Lighting Science Group reminded attendees of how early in the adoption cycle the design community really is.
Speakers emphasized the need for accurate photometric and other test data to back up manufacturer claims. This has been a significant addition to the suitability checklist that has been presented the past few years, and a natural step now that key standards and evaluation criteria are in place, including IES LM-80, which provides luminaire-level performance criteria, and LM-79, which covers LED lifetime characterization.
Fundamentally, there was agreement that light-emitting diode–based ); lighting is on track and beginning to prove itself to the skeptics who still do not believe it is ready for prime time. There are still holes, both in how to distinguish quality products from among the field of offerings and the validity of spec sheet claims. Selecting a solid-state lighting partner is not for the faint of heart, but it is becoming easier to spot the winners as more hard data and industry specifications become available.