| An international group of companies from the lighting industry –- including Acuity Brands Lighting, Cooper Lighting, Osram, Panasonic, Philips, Schréder, Toshiba, Trilux and Zumtobel Group -– is to initiate the formation of Zhaga, an industry-wide cooperation aimed at the development of standard specifications for the interfaces of LED light engines.
As rapid advances in LED technology continue, Zhaga will enable interchangeability between products made by diverse manufacturers. Interchangeability is achieved by defining interfaces for a variety of application-specific light engines.
Zhaga standards will cover the physical dimensions, as well as the photometric, electrical and thermal behaviour of LED light engines.
Zhaga is being formed for the benefit of the consumers in the expectation that standardization will prevent market fragmentation into incompatible light engines. Zhaga standards will give consumers the confidence to specify and purchase LED products that will be easily replaceable and commercially available, while continuously enjoying the performance upgrades that LED technology enables. In addition, this will foster innovation and competition in the application of LED lighting in general.
Zhaga’s membership will grow with the participation of other companies openly invited from across the lighting industry. Membership will be drawn from the broad spectrum of players in the LED lighting industry, such as LED light engine and LED luminaire vendors, as well as suppliers of components such as heat sinks and optics.
A first meeting of the consortium will take place in March 2010, at which members will make first steps in creating Zhaga standard interfaces for LED light engines. |
