Who is SSL?

Solid State Luminaires manufacturers the next-generation of LED technology at an affordable cost. Seven years of exhaustive research, a network of world-wide partners and utilization of the best technology available has culminated to form Solid State Luminaires, your premier LED solution provider.

Unlike stand-alone conventional incandescent light bulbs and fluorescent sources, the performance of LED-based lighting depends heavily on fixture design to minimize performance-robbing thermal build-up and control excessive and wasteful beam spread. Refer to our expansive product line for the highest performing, most efficient LED products on the market.

Our interior LED solutions offer not only affordability and energy efficiency, but also a high level of flexibility in optical controls.

Our dramatic exterior lighting solutions offer opportunities to create complete, fully integrated building and grounds treatment.

About LED Technology

Thanks to advances in engineering and processing technologies, aluminum and plastic have taken on leading roles in a paradigm shift toward a greener world.

Architectural lighting is on the cusp of the first major technical change in more than 100 years. Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs), once low-power sources for flashlights and indicator lights in appliances, toys and cell phones, are surpassing the intensity and efficiency levels of incandescent and fluorescent lighting. LED technology and "Solid-State Lighting" fixture engineering are advancing exponentially, enabling high-power light output for architectural applications while realizing the "green" benefits of lower power use, sustainability and minimal environmental impact.

LEDs are chips of semi conducting mineral compounds that, when subjected to a minuscule electric current, cause electrons to change energy levels and emit photons (light) as the flow through a junction between dissimilar materials. Specific wavelengths (colors) emitted by the LED depend on the materials used to make the diode.

Apples to Apples

There are important differences between conventional and LED luminaire testing and reporting. Conventional products are tested using relative photometry where actual test data is adjusted to the light output of a standardized lamp. This is not possible with LED products, so absolute photometry is used, reflecting actual light from the test source without adjustment.

In any comparison of luminaire to luminaire performance, the effect of losses from ballast, lamp operating temperature, and optic system must be included to realize an accurate result. The table below illustrates the difference between information used to compare conventional lamp/luminaire products to an LED product.

Initial Performance

Product	Lamp Lumens	Lamp Watts	Lamp Efficacy lm/W	Optical Efficiency	Ballast Efficiency	Thermal Factor(1)	Fixture Lumens	Fixture Watts	Fixture Efficacy lm/W
Vertical Lamp CFL Downlight	1710	26	65.8	65%	90%	85%	945	28.6	33
Halogen PAR Downlight	940	75	13	85%	--	--	--	--	--
LED Downlight	-(2)	-(2)	-(2)	-(2)	-(2)	-(2)	650	17.1	38

(1) Thermal factor includes losses in lamp lumens due to ambient operating temperature above lamp rating in open air.
(2) Integral to luminaire, included in absolute photometric data reporting.

Further consideration must also be given to lumen depreciation over the life of the products being compared. The following is an example of lumen depreciation and its effect on two of the same two sources.

Average (Mean) Performance Over 35,000 Operating Hours

Product	Mean Lamp Lumens(3)	Lamp Watts	Lamp Efficacy lm/W	Optical Efficiency	Ballast Efficiency	Thermal Factor(1)	Mean Fixture Lumens(4)	Fixture Watts	Fixture Efficacy lm/W
Vertical Lamp CFL Downlight	1440	26	65.8	65%	90%	85%	796	28.6	27.8
LED Downlight	-(2)	-(2)	-(2)	-(2)	-(2)	-(2)	553	17.1	32.3

(1) Thermal fcator includes losses in lamp lumens due to ambient operating temperature above lamp rating in open air
(2) Integral to luminaire, included in absolute photometric data reporting.
(3) Mean lumens typically at 40% of rated lamp life for conventional lamps.
(4) LED Mean fixture lumens at 50% of L70 service life.

Differences in other loss factors, such as dirt depreciation require additional consideration. Most LED luminaires seal the LEDs within the luminaire to protect them from dirt infiltration and moisture, while fluorescent and incandescent lamps are not. Ambient operating temperatures affect lamp and LED technologies in very different ways.

About Lumen Priority

Energy Wasted from Lumen Depreciation

All luminaries lose light over time. This is called lumen depreciation, describing the steady loss of light from light source aging, dirt accumulation, and luminaire materials degradation over the life of a product. To anticipate this, specifiers utilize lumen depreciation factors to include these losses, to insure light levels remain at or above the designed light level over the life of the system.

Typically, specifiers choose a point in time for operating a lighting system to calculate the accumulated losses in light from luminaire and light source degradation. For purposes of illustration, 70% of a rated lamp life is chosen. To accommodate losses to that point, a multiplier is used to determine initial lumens required for a new system. In this case, 20% more light is applied to accommodate the lumen depreciation of the lamp alone. This sets the amount of energy the system will consume over its entire life, even though light levels decline steadily.

Conventional Lamp Systems

With conventional lighting systems, light levels vary from over-lighting to under-lighting as lamps age and burn out. Over this time energy consumption remains unchanged from the initial over-lighting period. The result is a constant cycle of high and low light levels, while the energy consumed remains constant.

The cycling of light levels from over-illumination to under-illumination means that the system is designed to consume a set amount of energy, while light levels fluctuate continuously over the life of lamps and luminaires. Because of this, each time the light level is higher than needed, energy is being wasted, while any time light levels fall below the design level, energy is wasted from producing less than desirable light output.

Solid-State Lighting

While the cycling of over and under illumination is significantly extended with the use of solid-state products, lumen depreciation remains a factor in lighting design calculations. This results in initial over-illumination to insure light levels are maintained over time, similar to conventional products. The result is a steady consumption of energy, producing a constantly depreciating light level.

Applying conventional calculation methods to solid-state lighting results in the same initial over-illumination and a steady decline in delivered light output as the system ages, while energy consumption remains constant.

Lumen Priority Approach

By taking advantage of the electronic nature of solid-state luminaires, it is possible to constantly adjust power consumption to maintain a desired initial light level. The result is a continuous light level over the life of the system, with a significant savings in energy use.

By applying automatic power regulation to start a new system at a lower power level that is increased gradually over time to compensate for lumen depreciation, over-illumination is eliminated and energy is saved.

With LumenPriority systems (like those employed by Solid State Luminaires) using programmed depreciation for diver current control, the only losses a specifier must include in lighting calculations are environmental (dirt depreciation), and any exceptional thermal conditions (high temperature environments). The result is a constant delivery of a desired light level, and a significant saving in energy over time, by eliminating the waste of over-illumination.

The only losses a specifier must still accommodate are those related to the application and luminaire design, such as dirt accumulation and loss from lens or diffuser degradation. These loss factors impact all lighting systems, regardless of source.

In addition to saving energy and maintaining a desired deign light level, operation of LEDs at a reduced current level extends the life of the system, delaying lumen depreciation significantly. The LumenPriority approach supports long LED life, constant light output, and delivers reduced energy consumption.

For more on the Lumen Priority concept, visit www.lumenpriority.org. This is an independently hosted site dedicated to the communication of the concept of regulating solid-state lighting systems to realize additional energy savings and extended service life.

Paint Line, Fabrication and Customization.

The design process begins with our team of engineers designing fixtures in SolidWorks and then converting the designs into laser cutting machine files quickly with Cadman conversion software. This allows us to go from concept to production in hours, instead of weeks.

Our 100,000 square foot facility is equipped with a state-of-the-art Laser Cutting Machine manufactured by LVD Strippet. The Orion 3015 Series Laser Cutter provides our fabrication department with extreme flexibility in quick turn custom fabricated parts as well as standard production parts. The Orion is capable of cutting cold rolled steel, stainless steel, aluminum reflector sheets and other ferrous and non-ferrous materials.

Our Powder Paint Coating Line is a six stage system capable of providing sophisticated, environmentally friendly paint finishes on a variety of metal surfaces, both ferrous and non-ferrous. Our paint line, which was custom manufactured by Rapid Engineering, has a state-of-the-art touch screen panel that has system profiles for a variety of paint surfaces which allows for quick modifications to respond to unique customer requests. The six stage Chemical Metal Conversion System, developed by Chemtall, is comprised of the following stages:

• Stage 1: Alkaline Cleaner
• Stage 2: Water Rinse
• Stage 3: Phosphate
• Stage 4: Water Rinse
• Stage 5: RO Spot Free Water Rinse
• Stage 6: Non-Chrome Seater

Our AAMA (2603, 2604 and 2605) approved paint facility is also equipped with a dry-off/degas oven, application spray booth and a paint cure oven. Our small lot and quick color change capabilities allows us to respond swiftly to customer needs. We use Dupont® Alestra® powder coat paint, our standard colors are black, white, bronze and silver. For a list of other available colors, please refer to our Powder Coat Paint Index.

Team Members