Optibility

Solid state manufactures are selling very expensive lights. They all have very compelling reasons to buy their product. Some call them smart lights, some are very good lights, but a 15 year light should be more than “just a light”.

A company called GreenLight Solid State is selling more than a light. It's a very good light. It's not as expensive as some, perhaps a little more expensive than others. So why GreenLight?

It seems as though this company is forward thinking about what solid state lighting really is. GreenLight doesn't have it completely defined yet but they seem to be on track to redefine how people perceive solid state lighting technology. Up to now when you purchase solid state lighting it's a “get what you pay for”, for the lifetime of the product, that's it. This is fine in most cases, however, GreenLight believes there should be more to it. Imagine if you bought a car and couldn't choose the paint color, or if that car had a tape cassette and you wanted to put in a CD player, but couldn't.

Currently when you invest in solid state, be it just a bulb or an entire system, that's it, again you get what you paid for. That seems logical, why wouldn't you, “get what you paid for”. What GreenLight is saying is, because of the comparatively long life of a solid state light, your buy in is typically higher than the conventional light alternatives and shouldn't you be able to change
or up grade at sometime during the life of that light?

GreenLight has created a light engine module (LEM) that is focused those issues. Their LEM is a self contained, high output, solid state light module unlike any other on the current market. They have created an “elegant design”, that's simple, logical, and a “no frills” approach. It is simply a heat sink, PCB, power supply, and lens packaged as a complete unit. However, what makes this so interesting is that they have taken a “one board, many applications” approach to the solution. It's rated IP60 out of the
box, but add gaskets and you can go as high as IP67. This means that light you bought to place under a protected porch can now be mounted instead, on the front of the building and just like in the commercial, “but wait there's more”!

Inevitably, the placement of a solid state fixture is going change within its 7 to 15 year lifespan. It may be that a wall is moved or colors within the room change or you just want to move the light to some other location.

A typical scenario. Your business has done well and you expand the break room into a conference room complete with rich walnut overtones and plush leather chairs. Very nice, but in the break room you had a single temperature light that only can turn on and off. Now you want that bi-temperature light that can be dimmed that you saw demonstrated at GreenLight. What GreenLight offers is an upgrade to the bi-temp board and a controller that they will put it in and it will only cost one third your buy in cost. They even offer you the incentive to recycle the left over parts by discounting your upgraded parts with a buy-back offer.

In another example say that same break room becomes a tech room. You had an on/off 3000k light and now you want a cooler 6500k light. No problem, upgrade. Or your parking lot light just got hammered by that last storm and left you with damaged lighting fixtures. If it's a GreenLight product they offer replacement parts to replace the old, damaged parts.

This is all based on one light, available in three basic size configurations. GreenLight calls this the LEMSYS +, a configurable system that utilizes GreenLight's “one LEM, many solutions” a LED light system that is a completely upgradable, add-on-able, and configurable.

When everyone else hands you their light and says, “here it is”...GreenLight ask, “how do you want it?”.

Maybe GreenLight has defined the future of solid state, they call it “Optibility”.