Sharp Electronics Corporation Plans to Launch LED Downlighting

Sharp Electronics Corporation today announced its plans to launch a new portfolio of market-leading LED downlighting, track lighting, and recessed troffer solutions, designed and manufactured in its facilities in the US. This product offering is the first of what will become a steady stream of future luminaire and lamp solutions for lighting applications from Sharp. These Sharp LED offerings – which will be available for shipment in late summer 2012 – will include 6-inch and 4-inch diameter downlights, in both round and square options, multiple lumen packages, and a variety of finishes and colors; track lights in two sizes and lumen packages, with a number of color and beam angle options; and 2'x2' and 2'x4' recessed troffers available in variety of customizable finishes, and energy saving dimming control options. All of these Sharp products have been designed and will be manufactured at the company's Memphis, TN facility, thus enabling Sharp to deliver lighting solutions to customers in North America who require quick turnaround to get product to the job site. Additionally, Sharp's capabilities out of its Memphis facility enable it to create and implement features that address the specific needs of users in each region of North America via easy product modifications, such as different finish options and ceiling thickness accommodations, as well as substantial customization of standard products for signature projects. "With this announcement, Sharp is reinforcing its commitment to combine a history of LED leadership and innovation with our design and manufacturing capabilities in North America. Sharp is dedicated to leading the way in addressing the evolving needs of LED specifiers, distributors, installers, and end users across a range of markets," said Al Near, vice president, sales and marketing. "Sharp has been at the forefront of the LED technology industry since its inception – mass-producing LED devices for more than 40 years and leading the Japanese market in LED lighting devices." Sharp's LED luminaires are powered by its Zenigata chip technology which enables the delivery of extremely energy-efficient luminaires that offer higher color quality and better performance than comparable traditional source lighting products, such as incandescent, halogen, compact fluorescent, and even ceramic metal halide. Sharp LED lighting solutions are designed to meet the highest industry standards, including Design Lights Consortium, California Title 24, Chicago Plenum guidelines and are ENERGY STAR® qualified. With a design focus on "quality of light," not only should Sharp LED luminaires meet North America's most stringent energy codes, but they will do so by providing the color quality, dimming, and optical control properties similar to less efficient incandescent light sources, while providing even greater energy savings than mercury-filled, UV emitting fluorescent light sources. As compared to other LED lighting products, Sharp Zenigata components operate at high efficiency levels, combined with high levels of color saturation, yielding a CRI well above 90+. Most other LED products with comparable light output typically deliver CRI measurements in the low to mid 80s. Sharp LED luminaires are superior to traditional source lighting products as they consume less energy and produce less heat resulting in additional energy savings and reduced HVAC loads in buildings. In addition, Sharp luminaires do not give off UV light, which can cause color fading in fabrics and artwork and do not contain mercury, which can lead to lamp disposal issues. Sharp luminaires feature extremely long lamp life delivering approximately 50,000 hours of operation, which can significantly reduce the relamping of traditional lighting sources from 10 to 50 times over the life of the lamp. "Sharp's announcement of plans to launch a portfolio of LED luminaires in the US further reinforces the company's global focus on energy-saving and energy-creating products," said Near. "The extraordinary efficiency and color quality of our LED lighting solutions, together with the dedication to environmentally conscious practices at Sharp facilities contributes to Sharp's overall vision for a cleaner and healthier world." Sharp offers an expanding portfolio of leading LED solutions that ideally position the company to address the needs of markets including retail and hospitality, where clients require a complete set of solutions in order to create an attractive environment where customers can shop or relax. Source: sacbee.com