BREAKING NEWS: 2021 Sapphire Awards finalists build out SSL roadmap toward design flexibility (UPDATED)

June 23, 2021
The 2021 Sapphire Awards finalists underscore the value of emerging technologies that enhance the human experience and safety in the built environment, while breaking away from conventional form factors.

LEDs Magazine is pleased to announce the 7th annual Sapphire Awards finalists. For 2021, 17 product categories were recognized, with submissions delineating a clear path toward solid-state lighting (SSL) and systems that do more than illuminate spaces.

The program opens annually with a list of categories driven by the trends of the past year. For example, this year the product categories for submission included UV LEDs and Systems in order to address the massive deployment of ultraviolet technology in disinfection applications over the past year. Inevitably, the editorial team and judging panel deem it necessary to modify categories that reflect a more appropriate description and/or competitive alignment of the entries once received. Indeed, the team determined that Circadian Lighting and Visible Light Disinfection Technology should be two separate categories, instead of one encompassing Lighting for Health and Wellbeing, in order to separate these into more appropriate application silos for the judging.

Each year, LEDs Magazine recognizes advances in performance and engineering of SSL components and systems in the commercial distribution stream. Launched in 2014 with the first winners announced at Strategies in Light 2015, the Sapphire Awards program has honored innovators and product developments that have advanced LED-centric SSL components, systems, and applications into the mainstream, and have promoted performance and capabilities beyond traditional light sources. 2021 Awards winners will be recognized in August during the virtual Strategies in Light conference (Aug. 24–25, 2021).

“A clear trend in Sapphire Awards finalists continues, with features that ease integration or installation of products, improve quality of light, and deliver clear value for commercial-grade applications, no matter the category of product,” said LEDs Magazine chief editor Maury Wright. “The judges were on the whole pleased to see a ‘leveling up’ of architectural SSL that provides both flexibility and beautiful light quality, plus big upgrades and crossover in smart components and connectivity, even in the horticultural application, for example.”

Following is the shortlist of 2021 LEDs Magazine Sapphire Awards finalists. Finalists appear in alphabetical order by company name under each category.

Packaged LEDs and OLEDs

Lumileds — Luxeon 3030 HE Plus Deep Dimming

Nichia Corporation H6 Series LEDs

Osram Opto Semiconductors — OSCONIQ C 2424

Modular LED Light Engines

Elemental LED — AlphaTECH X Linear LED lighting by Diode LED

LUXTECH LED Modules — LUXroll

MetroSpec Technology — FacetCore

Xicato — Xicato Intelligent Module XIM

LED Drivers

B Plus L Technologies Inc — QX7 programmable Bluetooth mesh wireless control LED drivers

Environmental Lights — REVI Drive DMX controlled power supply

MEAN WELL USA — LCM-25/40/60KN LED driver

Osram – Digital Systems — Indoor and outdoor D4i/DALI-2 certified programmable LED driver

ICs and Electronic Components for SSL

Infineon Technologies — BCR601/BCR602 linear LED controller IC

Keystone Technologies — MR16 Transformer KTET-20-1-LED-FDIM

Maxim Integrated Products — MAX25605 6-Switch sequential LED controller for automotive lighting systems

Power Integrations — LYTSwitch-8 controller IC

Emergency SSL Luminaires, Modules, and Drivers

Espen Technology — Espen emergency inverter, Model # VEMB15W-10V (C)

IOTA — IOTA ILBHI emergency driver

Signify — Bodine BSL06M emergency LED driver

Signify — Bodine BSL07B2-4Hour emergency LED driver

Smart and Connected SSL Enabling Technologies

MaxLite — c-Max lighting controls

McWong International — TruBlu interoperable Bluetooth-Zhaga-DALI controls

Xicato — Xicato Intelligent Gateway XIG

Smart and Connected SSL Systems

Acuity Brands — nLight AIR Autonomous Bridging Technology (ABT)

Digital Lumens — SiteWorx application suite

Xicato Xicato Smart Controls

Indoor Cove, Strip, Specialty, and Lamp Design

Environmental Lights — Continuous LED strip light – 2400K/6500K

Eureka Lighting — Mill acoustic luminaires

Green Creative — REFINE VHO PAR38 lamp

LED Linear — ULTIMA linear lighting

Indoor Decorative, Wash, and Pendant SSL Luminaire Design

A-Light — Align magnetic lighting system

Eureka Lighting — Celeste decorative pendant

Fluxwerx Illumination — Portal multi-mount luminaire

Inter-lux — 20Linear Perimeter linear system

QuarkStar — Q-Wall asymmetric linear fixture

Indoor Troffer, Track, and Downlight SSL Luminaire Design

Cooper Lighting Solutions — Metalux Perceive LED Specification Series

Eureka Lighting — Outline projector luminaire

Lumenpulse — Lumencore downlights

Solais Lighting — Solais Lucie family tracklighting

Industrial SSL Luminaire Design

eLumigen — High CRI Class 1 Division 2 fixture

Kenall Manufacturing — SimpleSeal CSERO, SimpleSeal CSERI cleanroom luminaires

Keystone Technologies — XFit Color Select Power Select linear high bay

Outdoor SSL Luminaire Design

Elemental LED — AlphaTECH X Linear LED lighting by Diode LED

The Lighting Quotient — elliptipar style S151 outdoor adjustable asymmetric luminaire

Lumenpulse — Lumenblade

Luminis — Bellevue

Specialty SSL Design

CATI B.V. — FCS (Floating Chip Solutions) material and interconnect technology

Innovations In Optics Inc. — LumiDLP – 35W UV LED DMD illuminator

Horticultural Lighting

GrowFlux, Inc. — GrowFlux Dimmer lighting controller

Osram Opto Semiconductors — OSLON Square Hyper Red horticultural LED

Samsung Electronics — LM301H EVO horticultural LED

Sollum Technologies — SF4 smart LED lighting system

Circadian Lighting Technologies

BIOS Lighting — BIOS SkyView Wellness table lamp

Light Cognitive — LC Skylight

Lumileds — LUXEON SkyBlue LEDs

Samsung Electronics — LM283N+ LED

UV LEDs and Systems

Bolb, Inc. — Transparent deep-UV LED

Energy Harness Corporation — Active Airflow UV-C fixture

Igor — Nexos Intelligent Disinfection platform

Nichia Corporation — NCSU334B deep-UV LED

Visible Light Disinfection Technology

Aleddra LED Lighting — UV-free air-sanitizing desktop lamp

Brilli Wellness Lighting — Brilli Bright Clean antimicrobial 24-in. LED vanity bar

Nichia Corporation — NF2W585AR-P8 dual-function LED

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LEDs Magazine congratulates all the finalists on bringing their achievements to market, and we thank our colleagues and judging panelists for their dedication to a fair and thoughtful evaluation of the Sapphire Awards program each year.

Revisit past Sapphire Awards finalists in 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, and 2015.

*Updated Sept. 13, 2021 3:30 PM for product name clarification.

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About the Author

Carrie Meadows | Editor-in-Chief, LEDs Magazine

Carrie Meadows has more than 20 years of experience in the publishing and media industry. She worked with the PennWell Technology Group for more than 17 years, having been part of the editorial staff at Solid State Technology, Microlithography World, Lightwave, Portable Design, CleanRooms, Laser Focus World, and Vision Systems Design before the group was acquired by current parent company Endeavor Business Media.

Meadows has received finalist recognition for LEDs Magazine in the FOLIO Eddie Awards, and has volunteered as a judge on several B2B editorial awards committees. She received a BA in English literature from Saint Anselm College, and earned thesis honors in the college's Geisel Library. Without the patience to sit down and write a book of her own, she has gladly undertaken the role of editor for the writings of friends and family.

Meadows enjoys living in the beautiful but sometimes unpredictable four seasons of the New England region, volunteering with an animal shelter, reading (of course), and walking with friends and extended "dog family" in her spare time.