Although LED lighting has evolved to the point that we talk about saving expenses in the flow of electric current (in theory the electricity bill is low) the implementation is extremely expensive.
Juan Tamayo*
As a designer, and although I don't consider myself an audiovisual expert, I've always had to deal with lighting. Incredible to see how a lamp, luminaire or bulb can ruin an entire design, because someone did not think how to control or even where to locate these elements.
As the title "Where You Can Go" says, I can not say, because with such a diverse universe of lighting and control it is difficult to mark a north, it is difficult to choose what is the best control protocol for a project between phase control in advance or delay, or LED luminaires of control by voltage from 0 to 10 v or 1 to 10v (if they are different and can generate problems if you are wrong), or control systems more focused on addressing such as DMX-512 (which we will call DMX) or Dalí, without counting the different additional control systems such as Control4, Crestón, KNX among others. With so much to choose from, how do you know what the future of LED lighting will be?
LED is a technology that is not so modern. In its creation in the 60s when it began with the color red and evolved in size and different colors. With this we have reached the decade of the 2020s, different types of size, color and color mixing to achieve developments such as screens or fascinating effects, such as simulating the circadian cycle (as living beings act with respect to the source of natural light). Then I go back and say: it's different to know where the technology is going. I hope in this article to invite you to explore a new development that can make your business as an audiovisual installer allow you to explore "the sky" in its entirety.
I'm talking about exploring the sky, and it's not about taking a plane trip, it's being able to offer your audiovisual project client the possibility of implementing the needs analysis, design of spaces and installation of elements in an integral way, adding modern lighting technologies to your audiovisual project, and not the other way around as it usually happens where the electrical or lighting company calls you to supply audiovisual elements.
Although LED lighting has evolved the point we talk about saving expenses in the flow of electric current (in theory the low electricity bill) the implementation is extremely expensive, because the cost of the control elements is higher, if we compare a dimerization system of a halogen source with an LED dimerization system its value can be similar, the difference is that the LED luminaire will require an LED Driver that is compatible with this light dimming system. That's where the cost can start to rise. Add if we install a directional control system such as DMX or Dalí, we must quantify what will be the cost of installing control wiring of these elements added to the pipe, accessories, among others.
Another cost that raises the implementation of LED lighting is maintenance, which designers usually do not contemplate. Companies that produce LED lighting guarantee that their LED bulbs can last 15,000 hours, 20,000 hours inclusive up to 50,000 hours (2,083 continuous days of illumination) but do not clarify that 90% of LED luminaire damage does not occur in the bulb, but in the LED Driver, which usually must be close to the luminaire. Possibly in a conventional project at a height of 2.4 meters it is easy to remove or repair it, but in projects where you install lighting at 6, 8 or 12 meters as an auditorium, the cost of maintaining a luminaire can be more expensive than buying 100 luminaires (without installation).
I hope that with this information you will not be discouraged in continuing to think about LED lighting for your project or your client. Recently I met a technological development of an American company where they modified the traditional way of making lighting. In this traditional form LED lighting only replaces Halogen or Fluorescent lighting in the type of technology that emits light, but its installation model is exactly the same. Wiring in high gauge (12 or 14) and installation of lighting circuits based on consumption by installed luminaires. Do not rule out that in the designs will depend on the electrical voltage supplied by the network, in some countries it is 110v in others in 220v.
This company what it does is to turn the LED lighting process into a model similar to the installation of distributed audio systems of 70 or 100v speakers. It is difficult to put it into words, but I will try to explain it. They developed an LED luminaire that does not require an LED driver per lamp or for a small group of lamps, they can install circuits with many LED luminaires and take them to a conventional 19" rack where there they locate their control units (or LED Driver) that resemble amplifiers and these are 4 or 12 programmable channels according to the power of the circuit, the working model and installation process.
Already with the model of electrical design they broke paradigms, but in addition to this they give the opportunity to the audiovisual installer to carry out this installation in the USA, since the wiring is not the same, because as it is only low voltage lighting because it does not carry the LED Driver (in technical words it is an electronic transformer that converts 110 AC to a DC voltage) its wiring can be of much lower calibers, no need to have additional electrical protection elements in the sky. Therefore, it reduces the installation expense that will be reflected in the project development.
Another important factor is that its installation model allows the developer together with the space designer, clients among others to choose the chassis of the luminaire without affecting the luminaire design, because all its assembly is modular.
With this system the project can have recessed LED lighting with warm whites of 2700 ° K and 3000 ° K where the luminaire can be chosen according to the project with lighting motors of 9, 18 or 36 volts, change of optical lenses, changes of baffles and change of support, but without changing the control and installation model. You can also have hanging elements with voltages of 36v but with the possibility of whites of 3000 ° K or 4000 ° K or if the project warrants it you can install lamps with adjustable whites between 2700 ° K to 6500 ° K, but if your project merits color change in lighting you can also acquire RGB lighting with white accompaniment either 3000 ° K or 4000 ° K.
Last but not least, this lighting system is all controllable with DMX, so no matter what the control system used in the project is, having a control driver from RS-232 or IP to DMX can perform any type of control.
I hope this article will allow you to explore new lighting element installation technologies in the development of your audiovisual project. My invitation is to study this and other new technologies so that you can take a broader view. Now as audio and video installers we can install lighting, and not be waiting for the electric company to call you to install the audiovisual, let's become the owners of the sky, and all in low voltage.
If you want to know more about these solutions or have doubts please leave the comment in the article and I will gladly help you solve them.
*Juan Tamayo, CTS-D, is an electronic engineer and currently serves as Manager of T-Árbol Audiovisuales SAS, product application engineer for Latin America for International Sales and Support Engineer for Synthax Inc.
