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In a world where lighting management components manufacturers are constantly working to get the upper hand in innovation, collaboration, not competition, can be a great push forward. Protocols and standardization organizations like the Digital Addressable Lighting Interface (DALI) are helping to create a space in which components can work together to create stronger, more efficient LED lighting systems. GRE Alpha is at the forefront of such innovations, creating and offering DALI-compliant products that will help push the LED lighting movement into new spaces.

DALI: A Standard for Professional Lighting

DALI is known as the “true standard for professional digital lighting and lighting control.” A protocol set out in the technical standards of IEC 62386, DALI includes a list of parameters to be considered. These parameters include brightness and glare, color control, color rendering, light color and presence sensing, among many, many other criteria.

DALI offers the only“open standard” to promote uniformity and interoperability with a range of system components, enabling systems to utilize DALI-compliant components from many different suppliers. The uniformity involved in DALI products allows companies to manufacture different elements of a system, and each element seamlessly works to support the other pieces.

Because DALI’s purpose is to ensure the right quality of light in any given application setting, it is becoming increasingly important for building management systems. Leading lighting companies are launching DALI-compliant solutions for building management to offer better solutions for consumers. In fact, one such lighting company, Philips Lighting, recently listed the GRE Alpha DALI dimming module on its website. For a comprehensive list of DALI products on the market, visit DALI’s Product Finder page.

GRE Alpha in the DALI Age

Two of GRE Alpha’s products can be easily paired with existing lighting systems to upgrade them to DALI protocol compliance. These products include the SLD-DIM DALI and GLD-DIM-DALI dimming modules.

The SLD-DIM DALI dimming module offers wide-range DC input (8 to 48V), DALI control input, integrated strain relief and terminal cover, spring-loaded terminals for easy installation, 255 dimming levels, zero to 100 percent dimming range, duplicate terminals for parallel connection and up to 97 percent efficiency. The SLD-DIM DALI is Class 1 and Class 2 UL-listed, as well as FCC Class B and SELV. Designed to meet the newest standards in DALI lighting control protocol, the dimmer provides flexibility and ease-of-use for smart home lighting automation projects.

Similarly, the GLD-DIM-CC DALI Dimming Module boasts constant output for dimming strips and linear lighting, add-on for GLV series independent type, easy snap-on to GLV independent type LED drivers, wide range DC input (10 to 48V), zero to 100 percent dimming range, switch and DALI versions (0-10V and 1-10V), spring-loaded terminal for easy installation in luminaires and up to 97 percent efficiency.

The SLD-DALI supports constant voltage LED lighting products, whereas the GLD-DIM-CC DALI supports constant current. Additionally, the GLD-DIM-CC DALI comes with current selectable output of 350mA, 500mA, 700mA and 1050mA.

DALI Support and Innovation from GRE Alpha

As a member of the DALI organization, GRE Alpha offers DALI-compliant products that pair well with most DALI systems on the market. Several GRE Alpha products and solutions support the DALI, including the Six-in-One Dimming Module and the Seven-in-One Dimming Module.

The GRE Alpha Six-in-One LED Dimming Module offers a multi-colored status LED indicator, user-adjustable linear or logarithmic dimming transfer functions, integrated strain relief and terminal cover, spring-loaded terminals for easy installation, dimming controls (switch, 0-10V, 1-10V, VR, DALI and PWM), zero to 100 percent dimming range, wide range DC input (8 to 48V), 97 percent efficiency and up to 1023 dimming channels for high resolution smooth dimming.

GRE Alpha’s Seven-in-One Dimming Module is a single channel, 240W constant voltage dimming module that provides full-range, zero to 100 percent, high resolution dimming performance for constant voltage LED dimming applications. Flexible and easy-to-install, the unit comes with a multi-colored LED indicator, integrated strain relief cover and linear or logarithmic dimming characteristics that can be set for a wide variety of dimming applications. Each Seven-in-One Dimming Module comes with a built-in thermal shutdown with auto restart and overload protection.

Top-of-the-Line Offerings in LED Technology

GRE Alpha is committed to innovation and to delivering high-quality, leading edge LED lighting solutions. For more information about LED drivers, dimming modules and accessories, or to speak with a GRE Alpha product expert, visit the Enquiries page and fill out the Enquiry Form. Sign up for the GRE Alpha newsletter to stay up-to-date on new products and for early access to other GRE Alpha news.

GRE Alpha recently entered an ecosystem partnership with German electrical connections and electronic components manufacturer WAGO, a leading supplier of home automation systems and interconnectors. The products partnership between the two organizations will help to simplify and connect lighting systems for building automation.

“We have always strived to make our products as accessible and easy to use and install as possible,” said Richard Fong, Executive Director at GRE Alpha.“Our partnership with WAGO will enable our customers to more rapidly adopt smart lighting solutions and home automation systems with ease and simplicity.”

WAGO offers a variety of products including rail-mounted, pluggable rail-mounted and terminal block systems, connector systems, automation components, interface electronics, marking accessories and software for the building automation, lighting technology, power and process technology, current and energy measurement technology, industry and traffic engineering spaces.

Many of GRE Alpha’s products will be positively impacted by the partnership, specifically the XLD series and DALI dimming module which function well when paired with the WAGO DALI I/O module and DALI Multi Master module.

The GRE Alpha XLD Series is a UL/cUL listed Class 1 and 2 easy-install LED driver offering universal AC input, integral wiring compartments for reduced installation costs, constant current and voltage dual mode operation for flexibility and optimal performance, user-adjustable output voltage and current, 1-10V dimming options with SLD Smart Dim series dimming module, up to 92 percent efficiency, active power factor correction above 0.9, a heavy duty design for harsh environments, up to four combinable output channels, built-in protection (SCP, OTP, OVP and OCP), and an IP 65 standalone enclosure.

GRE Alpha’s SLD-DIM DALI dimming module features wide range DC input, DALI control input, UL/cUL Class 1 and 2 designations, integrated strain relief and terminal cover, spring-loaded terminals for easy installation, 255 dimming levels, wide range DC input of 8-48V, dimming range of zero to 100 percent, duplicate terminals for parallel connection and 97 percent efficiency.

“The home automation industry has been plagued with compatibility issues,” said Fong. “Often, incompatible power and lighting control solutions are paired, and flickering and poor lighting control result. At GRE Alpha, we aim to make our products compatible with a wide host of leading building automation systems—such as Lutron and WAGO—to ensure that every lighting project is installed with ease and works as it should.”

Always Innovating in LED Technology

GRE Alpha works tirelessly to partner with—and make its products compatible with—the best home automation networks in the lighting industry, giving specifiers ease of mind when it comes to upgrading and specifying lighting projects with automation features. The company is committed to innovation and to delivering high-quality, leading edge LED lighting solutions. Product offerings are rapidly expanding in dimming modules, lighting control systems, and LED lighting management accessories, consistently offering new solutions to aid in LED adoption.

For more information about LED drivers, dimming modules and accessories, or to speak with a GRE Alpha product expert, visit the Enquiries page and fill out the Enquiry Form. For more information about GRE Alpha’s current partnerships, visit the Partners page.

GRE Alpha recently presented at the 2017 Convergent Future Forum held from June 9 to June 12 at the China Import and Export Fair Complex. A prior exhibitor at the annual Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition event, this year the company was invited to speak about innovations in smart lighting.

GRE Alpha’s talk, titled “Importance of Dimming Performance in Smart Lighting,” garnered a lot of attention. Mr. Kelvin Kwong, Product Marketing Manager, spoke to a packed room about GRE Alpha’s place in the new era of LED lighting: Lighting 3.0. The speech centered around adaptation to essential LED lighting technologies, applications for smart lighting, and conversion to smart LED lighting through GRE Alpha’s innovative product lines.

 “We’re in an era where lighting alone is not enough,” said Richard Fong, Executive Director of GRE Alpha. “Lighting should work in tandem with sensors and IoT-connected devices to provide intelligent lighting functions.”

Mr. Kwong’s lecture introduced several GRE Alpha LED dimming products—including the DALI and DMX dimming modules and XLAV and XLA series of phase dimmable drivers—and explained how those products ease the process of switching to smart lighting. The products provide solutions that work with various smart lighting protocols, offering easier adoption of smart lighting technologies.

“The LED lighting industry has been greatly affected by the IoT movement,” said Fong. “We are seeing new applications for LED lighting in many industry verticals from general illumination to industrial lighting, medical applications and horticultural applications. GRE Alpha’s host of smart dimming control accessories and LED drivers will allow lighting companies to quickly and easily make this transition.”

In addition to presenting and allowing for audience questions, GRE Alpha was proud to support partner company Xicato Inc., a fellow LED components manufacturing firm. Xicato introduced a new range of IoT connected intelligent LED dimming modules that have high compatibility with GRE Alpha LED drivers.

“It was rewarding to be able to share our products and information with the visitors at the Convergent Future Forum,” said Fong. “We’re looking forward to what the future holds.”

The four-day lighting fair hosted more than 2,300 exhibitors from more than 20 countries and regions, spanned 17 exhibition halls and covered more than 175,000 square meters of exhibition space. GRE Alpha thanks Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai) for the invitation to present at such a prestigious event.

Constantly Innovating in LED Lighting Technology

GRE Alpha is committed to innovation and to delivering high-quality, leading edge LED lighting solutions. For more information about LED drivers, dimming modules and accessories, or to speak with a GRE Alpha product expert, visit the Enquiries page and fill out the Enquiry Form.

GRE Alpha was recently invited to present as an honored speaker at the 22nd annual Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition Convergent Future Forum sponsored by Guangya Messe Frankfurt Co Ltd. Mr. Kelvin Kwong, Product Marketing Manager at GRE Alpha, will present on the “Importance of Dimming Performance in Smart Lighting” on June 9, 2017, at 4:30 PM.

Held from June 9 to June 12 in the China Import and Export Fair Complex, informational session topics will cover essential technologies and applications for smart lighting, including IoT platforms, Li-Fi technology, smart data, smart dimming controls, and wireless mesh networks, among others.

“There are many smart lighting standards out there and the industry is trying to converge on a particular lighting protocol,” said Richard Fong, Executive Director of GRE Alpha. “GRE Alpha is hoping to play a part in helping easier adoption of smart lighting by providing dimming modules and smart lighting solutions that work with various smart lighting protocols. Our clients won't have to worry about which lighting protocol to use.”

GRE Alpha aims to act as the interface between smart lighting protocols and the lighting designers' vision,providing building blocks within a lighting system that allow consumers to easily adopt smart lighting technology. In addition to the speech by Mr. Kwong, the company will also be displaying several of its LED dimming modules and its XLAV series product line.

The forum, which will feature fellow industry leaders such as Trusted Link Technology Ltd, XlinkIoT Platform, Fudan University, Velmenni, Philips Lighting (China), DEKRA, and Xicato Inc., will focus on lighting accessories, components and equipment, LED technologies, and luminaries, diving deep into LED applications as well as smart lighting capabilities.

“With the advent of IoT, more and more electrical devices are becoming smart due to greater analytics and improvements in sensor technology,” said Fong. “The same can be said for LED lighting as different aspects of IoT converge to allow for advanced lighting in healthcare, agricultural and general lighting applications.”

According to Fong, the key to market adoption hinges on whether the industry can converge on protocols used to allow for proper function in a variety of lighting equipment. GRE Alpha is proud to be at the forefront of developing smart lighting controls that allow for seamless integration of various IoT lighting protocols with LED lights, allowing for rapid adoption and enhancement of lighting systems. The GRE Alpha team is looking forward to the Convergent Future Forum and to showcasing its innovative LED lighting management system solutions with event attendees.

The 2016 Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition involved more than 2,400 exhibitors from 23 countries and regions spread out across 17 halls. 145,080 visitors from 37 countries and regions attended the 2016 lectures, and the Guangzhou Guangya Messe Frankfurt Co team is expecting similar turnout in 2017.

For more information about the forum, or to register for a visitor pass, visit the Messe Frankfurt website. For more information about LED drivers, dimming modules and accessories, or to speak with a GRE Alpha product expert, visit the Enquiries page and fill out the Enquiry Form.

GRE Alpha is proud to announce the opening of its newest office location in Tokyo, Japan. With offices in Hong Kong, United Kingdom and the United States, the addition of a Tokyo branch bolsters the presence of GRE Alpha products in one of the fastest-growing LED lighting markets in the world.

“The office was opened to better serve the needs of our Japanese lighting clients,” said Richard Fong, GRE Alpha’s Executive Director. “We had to find the right people with intimate knowledge of the lighting industry—as well as a strong technical background—to follow up with our Japanese clients and work with distributors to help our products spread throughout the region.”

The Tokyo office will allow GRE Alpha more intimate knowledge of the Japanese market, provide improved market access, allow for better technology exchange with Japanese firms, and expand the company’s global market presence. It will also aid in spreading brand awareness, something that is very important to the LED lighting components manufacturer.

“The Tokyo office furthers our goal of providing quality LED power solutions to different corners of the world,” said Fong. “It’s something we believe in, and we’re excited to see where the expansion takes us.”

Beyond offering better service to clients in Japan, GRE Alpha also looks forward to taking part in the growth of the Japanese LED lighting market due to the expansion of new products and buildings in preparation for the summer 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

For more information on GRE Alpha, or to contact a GRE Alpha service representative and schedule a one-on-one appointment with a technical expert, visit https://www.grealpha.com/contact.