At Light + Building 2024, there were no big technology breakthroughs, but the incremental gains are beneficial.
I saw a smattering of companies promoting Matter, including Prolicht, who was promoting 100% Matter. I thought there would be more.
In 2016 and 2018, we saw the term IoT everywhere. t was rarely seen in Frankfurt last week; however, we did see a lot of Networked Lighting Controls. Most of this was in Hall 8, which was packed Sunday through Wednesday.
Also, surprisingly to me, not much in the way of Light + Health. Sustainability seemed to be one of the overarching themes—both in the stand construction and in the products. Light + Building gave their first ever prize for a sustainable booth to Zumtobel. The ERCO and XAL stands were among several with sustainable construction techniques.
There were no big technology breakthroughs, but the incremental gains are beneficial.
Miniaturization was a big trend. Various companies were promoting their small size including:
- ½ inch downlights at Lucifer Lighting
- ½ size drivers at Leedarson; they use GAN to increase the switching speed, reducing the need for storage. Apparently, EVs have driven down GAN pricing, making it viable for drivers.
The BEGA BugSaver was a luminaire for efficient illumination in urban and natural environments. It enhances the sense of security for inhabitants while additionally protecting nocturnal animals. The light color can be switched from 3000K to accommodate people, perhaps early in the evening, to an amber color that I thought was 1800K. BEGA prefers to call it Amber as it is only similar to 1800K, which does not attract insects. It’s also good for turtle, salamanders, owls and most nocturnal animals.
There is a certain irony as the industry has come full circle; it wasn’t too long ago that we used light (bug zappers) to kill insects.
Luxam had one of the most effective stands, it was small compared to BEGA, but on a specifier per square meter cost, no one beat Luxam.
:AERO introduced the AMOO Vanity Light. Several people told me about this product, and I stumbled upon it as AERO graciously allowed the VLDC to hold an event. Think about a restaurant that has a combination of 2-tops and 4-tops with a precise downlight spotlighting each table. When a party of sixteen arrives, the four-tops are pushed together, and the lighting becomes a mess. AERO’s beams of light move with the tables, without the physical lights having to move. Brilliant!