Category: Industry

Industry Innovation News
Living Building Challenge Compliant Since 2020

DMF downlights surpass international sustainability standards, helping clear the path towards multiple regulatory incentives

June 5, 2023

DMF Lighting is proud to have its LED Downlight System and Surface-Mount LED carrying the Declared Label and be Living Building Challenge compliant since 2020. The Living Building Challenge is an international sustainable building certification program. Similar to LEED, Green Globes, and other standards recognized by local, state, and international governments, it’s the world’s most rigorous proven performance standard for buildings. People from around the world use its regenerative design framework to create spaces that give more than they take.

Living Buildings are:

  • Regenerative buildings that connect occupants to light, air, food, nature, and community.
  • Self-sufficient and remain within the resource limits of their site.
  • Create a positive impact on the human and natural systems that interact with them.

 

“An LBC certified building has to use construction materials – including lighting equipment – that do not contain certain toxins. Using an LBC Compliant product meets this mandate, eliminating adverse environmental, health, and social impacts.”

Benjamin Chen
Product Architect, DMF Lighting

DMF’s commitment to better living

Efficiency and sustainability are core values at DMF, pushing us to design ever-more energy efficient lights and informing the materials we use to build our products. Projects using DMF’s downlight system and surface-mount cylinders, are on the pathway to reaching the top classification of Living Certified.

LBC Red List Approved under the Declare program, DMF’s downlight and cylinders fulfill the disclosure credit requirements under LBC Materials Petal Imperatives in fostering a transparent materials economy free of certain toxins and harmful chemicals deemed non-sustainable. In addition, the Declare program is also an officially recognized compliance path in LEED v4 under the Building Product Optimization credit.

Regulatory Incentives

Developers who choose to become LBC compliant ensure the sustainability of their project, and may even qualify for certain regulatory incentives. “In Seattle, projects in certain zones with LBC certification could build up to 25% more floor area and height than regulations allow,” stated Chen. While in Miami Beach, LBC compliant projects may be eligible for a full rebate on mandated sustainability fees. Moreover, LBC certification increases a building’s long-term value, and makes it more desirable for clients interested in reducing their environmental footprint. Compelling incentive case studies can also currently be seen in Vancouver, Washington, Ohio, and Oregon.

Using non-LBC compliant  products puts developers and designers at risk of including toxic materials in a project. By using LBC Declared and compliant products like DMF’s LED lighting solutions, projects are one step closer to pursuing the highest level of sustainability and regenerative design.

For more information on DMF’s Living Building Challenge compliance, please visit our Declare Products page.

Learn more about the International Living Future Institute.

 

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Industry Products
Turtle Power

DMF’s commitment to a sustainable future drives our latest initiative: Sea Turtle Safe Lighting

March 1, 2022

UPDATE: DMF Lighting’s sustainable Turtle Friendly lighting technology has been added to the next generation DRD2 Fixed Module & M Series Residential Downlight. All of the latest features in our next gen downlight, including integrated 0-10V dimming and field-changeable optics, is now available across our line of Turtle Friendly downlights and cylinders.

All life has a profound relationship with light. A light’s color temperature influences people’s productivity and comfort. For sea turtles, lighting can be the difference between life and death.

Journey to the Sea

As soon as they hatch, sea turtles hatchlings face a harrowing journey for survival. Turtle eggs are first nested in the sand on beaches. After hatching, the baby turtles must climb from beneath the sand to crawl to the ocean, all while avoiding predators like crabs and raccoons. Even once in the water, they remain prey to seabirds or sharks. Only 1 in 1,000 hatchlings will survive to adulthood.

But that’s just sea turtles natural predators. Today, hatchlings face an additional obstacle during their dash to the ocean, artificial light.

Beachfront Lighting

Sea turtles are phototactic, meaning they are attracted to light. Hatchlings will use the brightest light source, traditionally moonlight reflecting off the water, to move toward the ocean.

However, artificial lighting from nearby properties can cause disorientation, resulting in the death of thousands of hatchlings each year in Florida alone.

In response, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) released guidelines to minimizing lighting’s impact on sea turtles to conform with state regulations, such as Coastal Construction Control Line (CCCL) permits and Environmental Resource Permits (ERP).

The Three Golden Rules to Sea Turtle Lighting

Specifying sea turtle lighting is simple. For all property owners living adjacent to sea turtle nesting beaches, the FWC recommends following the three golden rules, Low-Shielded-Long.

Keep it Low
• Fixtures must be mounted as low as possible to achieve required light levels
• Bulbs must produce the lowest wattage/lumens necessary for the needed purpose

Keep it Shielded
• Fixtures must be completely downward-directed
• Fixtures must shield the bulb, lamp, or glowing lens from the beach

Keep it Long
• Lamp/Bulb must produce only long wavelength light (560 nm)

To be effective, all three rules must be applied. They are all equally important!

DMF’s Commitment to a Sustainable Future

DMF values efficiency and sustainability, pushing us to design ever-more energy efficient lights and informing the materials we use to build our products. Our latest initiative is no different.

DMF engineers have taken our innovative downlights and reimagined them to conform with the golden rules of sea turtle lighting. Now you can have all the flexibility, performance, and quality of an M Series Residential LED Downlight or M Series LED Cylinder and still adhere to some of the most stringent of environmental regulations.

Learn more about the M Series Residential
Learn more about the M Series Cylinder

Download Spec Sheets:

Turtle Friendly M Series Cylinder

Turtle Friendly M Series Round Downlight

Turtle Friendly M Series Square Downlight

 

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Industry Innovation Products
Introducing the DRD Series
DMF’s next generation DRD Series modular downlighting system now hits every lighting spec you may come across
June 7, 2021

We’ve stayed up for hours, so you don’t have to

The next generation DRD Series is engineered for ultimate flexibility. Write fixture schedules with ease using a single housing. This versatile solution can keep up with the fast-paced and ever-changing nature of your projects.

A single family can support 98% of downlighting use cases.

  • Fixed, adjustable, or wall wash downlighting
  • 750 to 1250 lumen output
  • Field-changeable beam angles from 15 to 90+ degrees
  • Integrated 1% dimming with TRIAC/ELV or 0-10V
  • A range of color temperatures including Warm Dim

Learn more about the DRD Series

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Industry
Dimming & Controls
Managing the quality of our built environments through better lighting and integrated controls
April 13, 2021

Today’s dimming and lighting controls are more complex since the invention of LEDs and interconnected lighting systems. But as the future for LED lighting grows stronger, complexities like compatibility between lamps, drivers and controls should be assessed.

This article will cover the evolution and benefits of LED lighting with dimming and controls, and how SMART IoT systems are now a driving force behind consumers adopting the technology.

Dimming Control for LEDs

Essentially, dimming is controlling the power in a circuit. Most LED circuit dimming is done via reverse-phase dimming. Far gentler on drivers, this means the voltage is ridden gently through the circuit and then shut off. Reverse dimming was discovered after common forward-phase dimming, aka TRIAC dimming – chopping off the forward “positive” part of the sine-wave and back part of the “negative” end. The idea was to improve the longevity of circuitry, particularly of drivers.

 

TRIAC vs ELV vs 0-10v

TRIAC (or forward-phase) dimming was traditionally used to dim older incandescent or halogen bulbs on 120v AC. But since poor compatibility caused negative effects on LED efficacy and lifespan, other methods for controlling current using drivers are used.

Extra Low Voltage (ELV) dimming, unlike TRIAC, uses reverse-phase dimming – also used to control LED lighting. Aside from smoother dimming, it reduces energy consumption, prevents unnecessary power surges, and puts less strain on drivers. ELV uses a transformer (or driver) to control a 120vAC power supply to 12vAC or 24vAC.

0-10v is typically used in commercial environments. Originally used to dim fluorescent lights, it uses a dedicated DC voltage between zero and ten volts. The design is such that 0v is the lowest dimming level and at 10v the light source should be at 100% of its output.

 

Controlling the quality of light

The ability to change light intensity and color without distraction, in itself is a major advantage. A system that controls color and brightness can improve productivity and a sense of wellbeing – which in turn, helps improve energy and concentration. 

In a residential or hospitality setting, the benefits of lighting controls may appear more obvious – users are likely to sense a natural feeling of relaxation and ambiance.  Other commercial environments like in retail, can make use of dimming to highlight certain product lines. This would be an area where both light intensity and color temperature work synergistically to create the best possible effect.

It’s this flexibility that offers most of the advantages of controlling a light source. Because as our needs change, light should be responsive and flexible enough to meet them – it’s how light profoundly transforms the look and feel of a space.

 

Good Dimming vs Bad 

Dimming your LEDs opens a whole new experience to the look and feel of a space. So what makes good dimming? When you have the flexibility to seamlessly dim down to as low as 1% (particularly with 0-10v dimmers) that’s pretty exciting. The comfort from controlling the way your surroundings look and feel is immensely satisfying.

In the natural world, as light intensity reduces, the color becomes warmer. And good dimming pairs with control-compatibility and high CRI lighting. This becomes critical to maintain a feel of natural light in a space throughout the entire dimming cycle as brightness and color change. Using LEDs such as high-spec downlighting not only provides greater driver compatibility for greater control but improves the quality of light and longevity.

However, despite the best intentions bad dimming is still an issue. Often incompatibility between lights and controls causes issues with flicking, flashing or complete failure.

So it’s important that drivers and controls match the spec of luminaires – particularly with retrofit installations. Since inexpensive LEDs have become so widely available, they become attractive to people and business owners who wish to upgrade. However, compatibility is often seen as a costly issue for both residential and commercial properties.

The point is, it’s worth investing in lighting that works across a multitude of high-grade dimming systems. This creates an environment where you have maximum control, reliability while providing an inviting space for people.

Creating Comfortable Spaces

Today, building occupants and lighting system architects are drawn to the benefits of controlling a light source for a variety of reasons. For example, with LED lighting in the home or workplace, you can now control both the brightness of a light source and the correlated color temperature (CCT). In fact, studies show an improvement in the wellbeing, safety, and productivity of employees (1).

When we’re exposed to natural light – or the equivalent, it literally enhances the quality of our lives – since we feel alert during the day and rest better at night. This is what technologies like Warm Dim address since it gives users the flexibility to create a vibrant and comfortable space. Should we add in some specific content around DMF Warm Dim technology here?

 

Compatibility & Systems Integration

EcoSystem technology is a control method for LEDs that provides addressing of individual fixtures and status feedback from the LED drivers. This makes it easy to digitally assign occupancy sensors, daylight sensors, time clocks, manual controls and other controls to one or many fixtures without complicated wiring. This opens up an entire suite of energy-saving, system-monitoring and system-control schemes where the design, setup and rezoning are all done within software, making the electrical and control design simple.

An increasing number of homeowners now wish to integrate their homes with advanced lighting controls. After all, controlling the light in our environment has a huge impact on making better, more practical use of spaces. For example, a family dinner vs watching a movie – you want to control the lighting to reflect the mood.

Midday/Dusk/Twilight……..

However, SMART lighting goes beyond these “mood” benefits. For example, the way it improves efficiency for unoccupied rooms or provides optimal brightness or color for a task using high-CRI lighting. And with more of our built environment taking advantage of WiFi-enabled controls, IoT technologies – and adaptive lighting – integration and controls have become a primary consideration for designers and contractors.

Business owners are also exploring the benefits of SMART-controlled lighting. Attention is placed on how it can not only improve the “feel” of a work environment through a progression of natural lighting but how it offers improved safety (highly-focused lighting) and energy savings too (e.g. reducing wastage in unoccupied spaces or unnecessarily over-lit rooms).

 

System Integration and DMF

The compatibility of LED dimming controls is a major factor for OEMs. For highly flexible lighting, it’s essential that drivers and dimming controls are future-ready and adaptable to existing fit-outs.

From advanced commercial systems to simple wall-box dimmers, DMF downlighting is ready for your control needs. High performance TRIAC/ELV, 0-10 and Lutron® Ecosystem are built-in, and DMX, DALI, and PoE are always available. Each product is rigorously evaluated against leading lighting control solutions at our in-house dimming lab to ensure compatibility with today’s control systems. We then publish the results with our product Specification Sheets and Dimming Guides. The result is a seamless, worry-free dimming experience.

 

Please see product Specification Sheets and Dimming Guides for more information.

Contact our team to discover the advantages of our flexible dimmable-lighting technology.

 

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Industry Innovation News Products
Gold Standard
DMF Lighting’s award-winning DCD Series recognized again for its lighting performance, flexibility and innovation
January 8, 2021

2020 PIA Award Winner

The DCD Series follows up its 2020 LFI Innovation Award with another prestigious accolade, a 2020 Product Innovation Award.

Now in their tenth year, the PIA celebrates the latest advancements and achievements in lighting. Presented by Architectural SSL, the judging panel recognized the DCD Series in the Downlight category, praising how it simplifies the installation process with its breadth of modular features.

 

JUDGES’ COMMENT:
“Finally! A downlight for all applications. A designer’s dream come true. Love the ‘one-stop shopping’ mentality for creating this design sensitive fixture. I really appreciate the flexibility, (spot lights, wide angles, etc.) within the same housing. From the design aesthetics point of view, it allows for consistent and uniform grid of downlights while they can have different functions. And options for changing the type of heads without removing the entire fixture is definitely an added bonus and adds flexibility if the space changes.”

Modular Downlight

The DCD Series downlighting system is flexible enough to illuminate your whole project with a broad range of light and aesthetics options, all with just one housing. Select from either a General or Adjustable module, and pair it with a beautifully finished trim to create exactly the results you’re looking for. The DCD Series makes it all simple with precision-crafted, inter-operable components.

The DCD Series is literally whatever you want it to be, as its flexibility radically simplifies configuration in the field. With just one housing type, it allows for adjustment of beam angles; increased light output; driver service—all without tools.

 

Learn more about the award winning DCD Series Higher Lumen Downlight.

Architectural SSL Magazine, November – December 2020

 

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Industry
Seven Saintly Solutions
Respected lighting designer David Warfel returns to conquer the Nine Deadly Sins of Lighting Layout
October 26, 2020

At the 2020 CEDIA Expo Virtual experience, DMF teamed with respected lighting designer David Warfel to present the Nine Deadly Sins of Lighting Layout, an interactive webinar covering the most common lighting layout mistakes. Now, he’s back with the Seven Saintly Solutions, a direct follow up presenting some secrets to better lighting layouts.

Seven Saintly Solutions

1. In the Beginning, There Used to be Darkness
2. Let There be Layers of Light
3. Let Your Light Shine on What You Want to See
4. See No Evil: Banish Bare Naked Bulbs
5. Lift Your Eyes to the Lighting Above
6. Tend the Eternal Flame of Low Lighting
7. Keep Christmas All About Christmas Lights

 

Original Sin(s)

Watching David Warfel’s first webinar, Nine Deadly Sins of Lighting Layout, is not required to understand Seven Saintly Solutions, but it helps! Don’t worry, you can watch a replay of the webinar if you missed it (or just want a refresh).

Nine Deadly Sins of Lighting Layouts

1. Ceiling Fan Light Syndrome
2. Four Cans and a Fan
3. Vanity Insanity
4. Perfect Shadows
5. Countertop Caper
6. Overhead Dependency
7. Binary Existence
8. Death of Details
9. Geometry Versus Humanity

 

 

David Warfel is an author and educator at the crossroads of architecture, light, and integration. He serves as lighting advisor to the ProSource buying group, leading the development of the first integrator-specific lighting certification program, and is former head of the graduate lighting design program at the University of Illinois.

David’s company built the revolutionary Signature Custom Lighting Design service to be an affordable, easy option for lighting design. The LCHY team partners with custom integrators nationwide to help them grow in lighting fixture sales and navigate the complex and rapidly changing world of light.

His design credits range from projects at Carnegie Hall and Las Vegas’ Luxor to Chicago’s Hyde Park Arts Center and multiple themed spaces for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. While he and his team still design commercial projects, their primary focus is on custom residential projects from coast to coast (and beyond).  His work and writing have been featured in Technology Design, Fine Homebuilding, Lighting Australia, and multiple times on Houzz.com.

David is the founding designer of Light Can Help You and blogs at languageoflight.blog.

 

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Industry Innovation News
DCC Added to Living Building Challenge Compliancy
The DCC Cylinder pendant joins DMF downlights in surpassing international sustainability standards
October 13, 2020

The Living Building Challenge is an international sustainable building certification program. Earlier this year, our recessed LED downlight system achieved Living Building Challenge compliancy. Now, we’re proud to announce we’ve expanded our compliant product offering to include the DCC Cylinders as well. With its aluminum-alloy unibody design and RoHS approved electrical components, our surface mounts are up to 90% recyclable and free of non-sustainable, harmful toxins.

Living Building Challenge

Similar to LEED, Green Globes, and other standards recognized by local, state, and international governments, the Living Building Challenge is the world’s most rigorous proven performance standard for buildings. People from around the world use its regenerative design framework to create spaces that give more than they take.

Living Buildings are:

  • Regenerative buildings that connect occupants to light, air, food, nature, and community.
  • Self-sufficient and remain within the resource limits of their site.
  • Create a positive impact on the human and natural systems that interact with them.

DMF’s continued commitment to better living

Efficiency and sustainability are at the core of DMF, pushing us to design ever-more energy efficient lights and informing the materials we use to build our products. Projects using DMF’s downlight system or surface mount pendants are on the pathway to reaching the top classification of Living Certified.

For more information on DMF’s sustainable products, including associated building credits, read our post on Living Building Challenge compliancy.

 

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Industry
Nine Deadly Sins of Lighting Layout
Presented by respected lighting designer David Warfel
October 13, 2020

The quality of a light fixture does not matter … if the fixture is in the wrong place. Getting the right light in the right place is not rocket science, but that does not keep thousands of custom homes from horrible lighting.

As a fan of DMF Lighting products, acclaimed lighting designer David Warfel stopped by the DMF booth at the 2020 CEDIA Virtual expo to preach the Nine Deadly Sins of Lighting Layouts that his team sees time and again, so you can avoid them on your next project.

Nine Deadly Sins of Lighting Layouts

1. Ceiling Fan Light Syndrome
2. Four Cans and a Fan
3. Vanity Insanity
4. Perfect Shadows
5. Countertop Caper
6. Overhead Dependency
7. Binary Existence
8. Death of Details
9. Geometry Versus Humanity

 

David Warfel is founding designer of Light Can Help You, author, and educator at the crossroads of architecture, light, and integration. He serves as lighting advisor to the ProSource buying group, leading the development of the first integrator-specific lighting certification program, and is former head of the graduate lighting design program at the University of Illinois.

David’s company built the revolutionary Signature Custom Lighting Design service to be an affordable, easy, and highly professional option for lighting design. The LCHY team partners with custom integrators nationwide to help them grow in lighting fixture sales and navigate the complex and rapidly changing world of light.

His design credits range from projects at Carnegie Hall and Las Vegas’ Luxor to Chicago’s Hyde Park Arts Center and multiple themed spaces for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. While he and his team still design commercial projects, their primary focus is on custom residential projects from coast to coast (and beyond).  His work and writing have been featured in Technology Design, Fine Homebuilding, Lighting Australia, and multiple times on Houzz.com.

David blogs at languageoflight.blog and lives in Madison, WI.

Industry Products
Creating Layered Light with DMF's Modular System
Each DMF LED module is specially designed to play a different role in illuminating a space
August 4, 2020

Properly lighting a room requires more than just picking a few bulbs to screw in. Of course, using any general light bulb will sufficiently illuminate an area so you can see. But what if you want to highlight an accent wall? Or need an area to relax or work? That requires lighting design. And today, lighting design lives in three distinct layers: Ambient, Task, and Accent Lighting. All three of which can be achieved using a combination of versatile DMF downlights.

DRD2: Ambient Lighting

Also called General Lighting, the ambient layer provides the illumination required for occupants to see the space in its entirety. Most often, this layer is constructed through recessed downlighting and the DRD2 excels at it. With it’s wide beam angle and shadow-less illumination, the DRD2 makes spaces feel secure and inviting.

DRD2X: Task Lighting

Once the ambient layer sufficiently illuminates the space, use the task layer to enhance function of specific areas. In an office, this might be the desk workspace. In a kitchen, task lighting illuminates cooking surfaces or countertops. This requires a light source with a high center beam candlepower value, like the Apex Series DRD2X. Plus, its controlled optics produce tighter beamer angles, making it a great spotlight over surfaces like work tables.

For higher ceilings, the DCC Cylinder, which suspends from the ceiling, is another option for ensuring the light is focused and makes it to the desired surface.

With both the ambient and task layer in place, any room should be fully functional for its intended purpose. The final layer will take the functional bases of the ambient and task layers and add artistry and style.

DRD4: Accent Lighting

The accent layer adds a decorative finish by complimenting the other two layers and highlighting architectural features like columns, floral arrangements, and wall art. This layer is the most subjective of the three but offers the most opportunity for artistic influence. A great lighting designer can use the accent layer to blend the other two and tie the space together.

The natural fit in this layer is the DRD4 Adjustable Downlight, which pivots smoothly and locks in place to perfectly illuminate the features of the room.

Tying it All Together

Depending on the usage of the space, a room’s lighting needs may change throughout the day. To achieve this, lighting layers must work in conjunction with each other, but also independently of one another.

Lights off and shades up in the middle of the day. Task lighting at the work station in the late afternoon. Dimmed ambient lighting with contrast accent lighting to relax in the evening. You can automate all these settings with a keypad control, creating different scenes and a room with multiple zones of light at different light levels.

Modular Lighting

Laying out a space with different light sources in different areas to achieve unique lighting effects while interfacing with a specific control system may seem like a daunting proposition, but DMF’s award winning modular systems are up to the task. Compatible with three LED modules, each interchangeable during and after installation, allows your lighting to easily adapt to changing owner preferences and future room redesigns.

Modular lighting reaffirm our commitment to designing products that perform beautifully and are intuitively simple.

Learn more about the benefits of modular lighting.

 

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Industry News
Leading Home Integrator Discusses the Importance of Lighting
CE Pro speaks with Miami-area Maxicon about soaring growth in lighting fixtures, aided by DMF Lighting’s versatile housings and modules
July 9, 2020

While audio-visual and automation have always been pillars in the custom home integrators industry, lighting also plays a major role. Integrators have installed lighting controls for years, but now lighting fixtures have seen a substantial increase in installations.

One of the companies spearheading that growth has been none other than DMF Lighting. With over 20 top integrator dealers added in the last year, we are proud to be recognized as a fast-growth CE Pro Bullet Brand for 2020.

 

The Dealer Perspective

CE Pro, a leading home integrators publisher, recently spoke with Andres Klein, one of the founders of MAXICON home integrations. The two discussed how lighting controls, fixtures, and DMF products fit into the portfolio of solutions at his firm.

“One of the things we love about DMF is that ability to have one housing and the possibility of really playing with multiple lamps and multiple trims.”
– Andres Klein, MAXICON

Klein discusses how DMF’s systems of modular products fit in perfectly with other AV components. It allows designers to make changes after construction is complete, similar to audio systems, which is critical in home integration.

Read more about the relationship between lighting and home integration and as well as DMF’s modular approach to downlighting.

 

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