Cooper Lighting has introduced the McGraw-Edison TopTier LED-based luminaire for parking garage and canopy applications. The solid-state lighting (SSL) product is based on the WaveStream optical light guide technology that relies on LED edge lighting to produce uniform diffuse light across the surface of the optic.
The recent trend in LED-based fixtures for parking garages has gone away from designs that directly expose the LED sources and toward designs that use some type of diffuser to minimize glare. Glare can be more problematic in parking garages, where fixture mounting heights are relatively lower than in outdoor area lighting applications. We first mentioned the trend in a Lightfair report last spring, and later in the year Cree announced a parking-garage fixture designed to minimize glare.
WaveStream technology
The Cooper approach to uniform glare-free light is perhaps more elegant than others on the market. The WaveStream optic is based on technology that Cooper licensed from Rambus. LEDs inject light into the planar optic from the edge and miniature optical features, which Cooper calls AccuAim, embedded in the optic material deflect the light forming the diffuse surface emission. Cooper has demonstrated WaveStream technology for a few years but showed the first actual WaveStream-based products at LightFair this year.
While light guides have found more prevalent usage indoors, the surface-emission properties appear to be a good match for the canopy and parking applications. "Our TopTier luminaire offers an unparalleled combination of performance and visual comfort," said Mark Eubanks, president of Cooper Lighting, a division of Eaton. "The luminaire's industry-leading optical performance, low power consumption, low life-cycle cost, versatile configurations, and architectural aesthetics serve as an ideal solution for both retrofit and new construction opportunities."
Cooper said that the new fixtures deliver up to 118 lm/W and offer 76% energy savings relative to HID fixtures. The company will offers versions with flux output spanning 3000–9000 lm, and CCT options from 3000K to 6000K. Optionally, Cooper will supply the fixtures with occupancy sensing and other adaptive-control technologies that can further enhance energy savings.
Metalux Skyridge fixture
Cooper also recently added more WaveStream-based products to its indoor portfolio, making the Metalux Skyridge fixtures commercially available after demonstrating them at Lightfair. The Skyridge fixtures are an alternative to fluorescent fixtures in recessed troffer applications. The nearby photo shows the fixtures deployed to light an office corridor.
The Skyridge fixtures deliver efficacy up to 109 lm/W, depending on CCT that ranges from 3000K to 4000K. Cooper offers the family in 2×2- and 2×4-ft configurations with lumen packages ranging from 2000 to 4800 lm.
Standard drivers for the Skyridge family support 0–10V dimming. Optionally, Cooper offers support for DALI (digital addressable lighting interfaces) networks and controls.
