What’s Hot in Lighting This Year

By Diane Duenez

Take a stroll through any home improvement store and you can’t help but notice it’s all about downlights. The chandelier and recessed look is still there, but according to Tony Davidson, CEO of Kichler lighting, it’s all about LED downlights.

“Our Kichler LED downlights continue to be a success since entering the category in late 2015 with the first generation low-profile LED downlight. Shortly after, we introduced a second generation with higher lumens, multiple finishes and Title 24 certifications.”

With the success of the LED downlights, the focus is not limited to commercial spaces.

You will find the recently introduced “Horizon LED downlight” everywhere from single-family homes to multi-unit and commercial structures.

Davidson sees the popularity of the LED downlight as a long-term trend with opportunity for growth. “Kichler will continue to expand our downlight assortment with new and efficient LED lighting arrays, and provide opportunities to make installation even easier and more efficient.”

Since LEDs have higher efficiency at a lower cost, these fixtures are typically installed in multiples within a room.  Often evenly spaced out, the light from each intersects, creating an even, overhead lighting effect.

Taking those one step further, connected and tunable white lighting is a hot sell.

Dave Moeller is the Director of Customer Markets at Graybar. He says the lighting distributor has seen a significant amount of interest in connected lighting and tunable white lighting.

Connected lighting combines the benefits of LED with integration for even more efficient buildings that can communicate with their users. Graybar has seen it used in both renovation and construction. Moeller says it’s a sustainable solution because you’re saving more energy (and money) and you are helping the building adapt to its user. It can help the owners and property managers achieve a “well building” by creating a healthier environment for the people in the facility.

So what’s the “hot” item selling in your distributorship? Are LED downlights and tunable systems lighting up your bottom line? Or are you seeing an entirely different trend taking shape? Let us know at info@tedmag.com!