Hella and Hubbell to develop non-automotive LED lighting

June 22, 2011
Hella will supply LED light engines that will be incorporated into Hubbell’s roadway lighting fixtures.
Hella LED light engine Automotive electronics and lighting supplier Hella has formed a strategic partnership with US-based lighting manufacturer Hubbell Lighting to develop and market a non-automotive application of Hella’s LED lighting technology in North America.

The two companies intend to form a cross-branding relationship in which Hella will design, develop and manufacture LED modules (or light engines), while Hubbell Lighting will market and distribute roadway lighting fixtures into municipal markets.

The Hella LED light engine, which is designed for installation into existing cobra-head style roadway fixtures, will be manufactured at Hella's facilities in Flora, Illinois.

The 48-LED module has a power consumption of 75W and produces 5850 lm, at an efficacy of 78 lm/W. The standard color temperature is 4800K and the stated power factor is 0.95. The module provides a Type 2 or Type 3 lighting distribution.

Around two years ago, Hella, which is at the forefront of developing LED lighting for automotive applications including headlights, introduced LED street lights in its native Germany.

Simple LED replacement This was followed in July 2010 with the introduction of Hella’s LED street-lighting products in the North American market.

The Hella LED light engine, which is designed for installation into existing cobra-head style roadway fixtures, will be manufactured at Hella's facilities in Flora, Illinois.

The Hella LED module will be integrated into Hubbell's RM series roadway fixture at the company's plant in Christiansburg, VA. It will also be marketed as a retrofit kit for existing roadway luminaires.

The product is intended to replace 150-watt high-pressure sodium (HPS) and 175-watt mercury lamps and fixtures. It is estimated there is an installed base of 34 million streetlights in place in the US.

Hubbell Lighting will manage product marketing and distribution through its global sales network. The companies expect to introduce the new LED product line during the third quarter of 2011.

LED module in fixture "We see tremendous growth opportunities for LED lighting in North America," said Steve Lietaert, VP of program management for Hella Electronics Corp. "LED technology offers an energy-efficient, low maintenance alternative to conventional lighting."

Richard Abernethy, VP of Hubbell Outdoor, Industrial and Emergency Lighting, said: "The opportunity to retrofit existing street lighting provides municipalities a simple, cost-effective, sustainable solution for the growing need to conserve energy and control maintenance costs."