BREAKING NEWS: 2021 Sapphire Awards finalists build out SSL roadmap toward design flexibility (UPDATED)
LEDs Magazine is pleased to announce the 7th annual Sapphire Awards finalists. For 2021, 17 product categories were recognized, with submissions delineating a clear path toward solid-state lighting (SSL) and systems that do more than illuminate spaces.
The program opens annually with a list of categories driven by the trends of the past year. For example, this year the product categories for submission included UV LEDs and Systems in order to address the massive deployment of ultraviolet technology in disinfection applications over the past year. Inevitably, the editorial team and judging panel deem it necessary to modify categories that reflect a more appropriate description and/or competitive alignment of the entries once received. Indeed, the team determined that Circadian Lighting and Visible Light Disinfection Technology should be two separate categories, instead of one encompassing Lighting for Health and Wellbeing, in order to separate these into more appropriate application silos for the judging.
Each year, LEDs Magazine recognizes advances in performance and engineering of SSL components and systems in the commercial distribution stream. Launched in 2014 with the first winners announced at Strategies in Light 2015, the Sapphire Awards program has honored innovators and product developments that have advanced LED-centric SSL components, systems, and applications into the mainstream, and have promoted performance and capabilities beyond traditional light sources. 2021 Awards winners will be recognized in August during the virtual Strategies in Light conference (Aug. 24–25, 2021).
“A clear trend in Sapphire Awards finalists continues, with features that ease integration or installation of products, improve quality of light, and deliver clear value for commercial-grade applications, no matter the category of product,” said LEDs Magazine chief editor Maury Wright. “The judges were on the whole pleased to see a ‘leveling up’ of architectural SSL that provides both flexibility and beautiful light quality, plus big upgrades and crossover in smart components and connectivity, even in the horticultural application, for example.”
Following is the shortlist of 2021 LEDs Magazine Sapphire Awards finalists. Finalists appear in alphabetical order by company name under each category.
Packaged LEDs and OLEDs
Lumileds — Luxeon 3030 HE Plus Deep Dimming
Nichia Corporation — H6 Series LEDs
Osram Opto Semiconductors — OSCONIQ C 2424
Modular LED Light Engines
Elemental LED — AlphaTECH X Linear LED lighting by Diode LED
LUXTECH LED Modules — LUXroll
MetroSpec Technology — FacetCore
Xicato — Xicato Intelligent Module XIM
LED Drivers
B Plus L Technologies Inc — QX7 programmable Bluetooth mesh wireless control LED drivers
Environmental Lights — REVI Drive DMX controlled power supply
MEAN WELL USA — LCM-25/40/60KN LED driver
Osram – Digital Systems — Indoor and outdoor D4i/DALI-2 certified programmable LED driver
ICs and Electronic Components for SSL
Infineon Technologies — BCR601/BCR602 linear LED controller IC
Keystone Technologies — MR16 Transformer KTET-20-1-LED-FDIM
Maxim Integrated Products — MAX25605 6-Switch sequential LED controller for automotive lighting systems
Power Integrations — LYTSwitch-8 controller IC
Emergency SSL Luminaires, Modules, and Drivers
Espen Technology — Espen emergency inverter, Model # VEMB15W-10V (C)
IOTA — IOTA ILBHI emergency driver
Signify — Bodine BSL06M emergency LED driver
Signify — Bodine BSL07B2-4Hour emergency LED driver
Smart and Connected SSL Enabling Technologies
MaxLite — c-Max lighting controls
McWong International — TruBlu interoperable Bluetooth-Zhaga-DALI controls
Xicato — Xicato Intelligent Gateway XIG
Smart and Connected SSL Systems
Acuity Brands — nLight AIR Autonomous Bridging Technology (ABT)
Digital Lumens — SiteWorx application suite
Xicato — Xicato Smart Controls
Indoor Cove, Strip, Specialty, and Lamp Design
Environmental Lights — Continuous LED strip light – 2400K/6500K
Eureka Lighting — Mill acoustic luminaires
Green Creative — REFINE VHO PAR38 lamp
LED Linear — ULTIMA linear lighting
Indoor Decorative, Wash, and Pendant SSL Luminaire Design
A-Light — Align magnetic lighting system
Eureka Lighting — Celeste decorative pendant
Fluxwerx Illumination — Portal multi-mount luminaire
Inter-lux — 20Linear Perimeter linear system
QuarkStar — Q-Wall asymmetric linear fixture
Indoor Troffer, Track, and Downlight SSL Luminaire Design
Cooper Lighting Solutions — Metalux Perceive LED Specification Series
Eureka Lighting — Outline projector luminaire
Lumenpulse — Lumencore downlights
Solais Lighting — Solais Lucie family tracklighting
Industrial SSL Luminaire Design
eLumigen — High CRI Class 1 Division 2 fixture
Kenall Manufacturing — SimpleSeal CSERO, SimpleSeal CSERI cleanroom luminaires
Keystone Technologies — XFit Color Select Power Select linear high bay
Outdoor SSL Luminaire Design
Elemental LED — AlphaTECH X Linear LED lighting by Diode LED
The Lighting Quotient — elliptipar style S151 outdoor adjustable asymmetric luminaire
Lumenpulse — Lumenblade
Luminis — Bellevue
Specialty SSL Design
CATI B.V. — FCS (Floating Chip Solutions) material and interconnect technology
Innovations In Optics Inc. — LumiDLP – 35W UV LED DMD illuminator
Horticultural Lighting
GrowFlux, Inc. — GrowFlux Dimmer lighting controller
Osram Opto Semiconductors — OSLON Square Hyper Red horticultural LED
Samsung Electronics — LM301H EVO horticultural LED
Sollum Technologies — SF4 smart LED lighting system
Circadian Lighting Technologies
BIOS Lighting — BIOS SkyView Wellness table lamp
Light Cognitive — LC Skylight
Lumileds — LUXEON SkyBlue LEDs
Samsung Electronics — LM283N+ LED
UV LEDs and Systems
Bolb, Inc. — Transparent deep-UV LED
Energy Harness Corporation — Active Airflow UV-C fixture
Igor — Nexos Intelligent Disinfection platform
Nichia Corporation — NCSU334B deep-UV LED
Visible Light Disinfection Technology
Aleddra LED Lighting — UV-free air-sanitizing desktop lamp
Brilli Wellness Lighting — Brilli Bright Clean antimicrobial 24-in. LED vanity bar
Nichia Corporation — NF2W585AR-P8 dual-function LED
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LEDs Magazine congratulates all the finalists on bringing their achievements to market, and we thank our colleagues and judging panelists for their dedication to a fair and thoughtful evaluation of the Sapphire Awards program each year.
Revisit past Sapphire Awards finalists in 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, and 2015.
*Updated Sept. 13, 2021 3:30 PM for product name clarification.
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Carrie Meadows | Editor-in-Chief, LEDs Magazine
Carrie Meadows has more than 20 years of experience in the publishing and media industry. She worked with the PennWell Technology Group for more than 17 years, having been part of the editorial staff at Solid State Technology, Microlithography World, Lightwave, Portable Design, CleanRooms, Laser Focus World, and Vision Systems Design before the group was acquired by current parent company Endeavor Business Media.
Meadows has received finalist recognition for LEDs Magazine in the FOLIO Eddie Awards, and has volunteered as a judge on several B2B editorial awards committees. She received a BA in English literature from Saint Anselm College, and earned thesis honors in the college's Geisel Library. Without the patience to sit down and write a book of her own, she has gladly undertaken the role of editor for the writings of friends and family.
Meadows enjoys living in the beautiful but sometimes unpredictable four seasons of the New England region, volunteering with an animal shelter, reading (of course), and walking with friends and extended "dog family" in her spare time.
