Driving Innovation in Landscape Lighting

April 1, 2008

Driving Innovation in Landscape Lighting
By
Joel Norenberg, Vice President - Sales & Marketing
Randy Osmundson, Senior Illuminologist
TouchStone Accent Lighting, Inc.

Every industry benefits from innovation, and landscape lighting is no exception.
What drives innovation in our industry? Experience. Experience breeds innovation as designers and installers continually strive to improve products and methods that result in increased value to the customer. That value can be in the form of cost savings, system longevity or, more importantly, enhanced effects.

Innovation can be directed toward any of a lighting system’s components including fixtures, transformers, mounting systems or even connectors, and is often the result of matching demand with available technologies, emerging markets, or even production capabilities that historically may not have been feasible. We just need to be open to recognizing the need.

Often, end users are not aware of many product innovations because improvements can be subtle, like an improved thread or the addition of an O-ring. However, the benefits in product quality, or efficiencies gained from these advancements, are undeniable.

Fixture quality has advanced substantially over the last several years as new metal alternatives have been introduced and fixture design has evolved, the result of which has been the designer’s ability to more accurately enhance architectural distinctions or unique attributes within a landscape. Lamp quality has also increased greatly with the introduction of halogen and more recently, xenon based lamps, resulting in extended lamp life and more available variations in color, intensity and beam angles. Transformers have improved with the addition of magnetic breakers, stainless steel cases and multi-tap voltage options for better management of the power source.

Mounting systems are going through a minor revolution with the addition of better stake designs and available technology which are resulting in flexible mounting systems – ideal for high-traffic areas. Connectors will also no doubt realize continuing advances through products like King connectors or Blazing Products silicone-filled connectors.

Something as basic as wire, can have innovative features that are hidden to the consumer, but can be valuable to the installer and designer. Strand count, sheath thickness and composition, as well as footage markings, are all properties of low voltage wire that have improved over recent years. Though less visible, these features become extremely valuable when technicians can now appreciate ease of stripping along with greater flexibility and durability, and wire usage is now accurate when invoicing is completed. And, let’s not forget about installation methods and techniques. How long ago did we utilize power equipment to install lighting systems? In many cases, use of this equipment simply did not justify the additional cost, manpower or clean-up expense that they created. Sometimes simplifying can be innovative.

Looking forward to the next wave of technology and innovation, LEDs (light emitting diodes) appear to have great appeal as a replacement for conventional lamps for a number of reasons. Very low power consumption, extremely long lamp life, and no generation of heat, are all potentially attractive aspects of this technology, provided it is applied in the appropriate situations. For instance, LEDs are not necessarily well-suited for landscape lighting in northern climates because this technology produces no heat and therefore cannot melt themselves clear in the winter. They can however, provide an excellent lighting alternative where the thermal issue is not important, but a bright, efficient marking device is.

Solar power is another innovation that has been lurking around our industry for some time, but because of its historically marginal performance, has not until recently, gained much acceptance as a viable power source. Significant advancements over the last few years however, in both solar cells and batteries, have greatly improved the performance of solar powered lights and will certainly continue to advance the value of solar power in a landscape setting. With increasing emphasis on being “Green” conscious, the combination of solar power and LEDs may be a perfect match. Functional and efficient, along with zero operating costs, meets the conservative criteria often scrutinized today and can be expected to gain momentum in the future.

Innovation manifests itself in a variety of ways, and how it does is not really important. Good ideas are just that… regardless if it is a better method or product or application or whatever. Making ourselves open to letting innovative thinking enter our businesses make each of us critically aware of how we can improve our own products, business methods and strategies and continue positively shaping our industry. As industry leaders, driving innovation is a responsibility that all of us should exercise with enthusiasm for that is where opportunities emerge. ▪