ROAL Electronics and JLC Tech Announce Products for DC FlexZone Grid System
Armstrong Ceilings has announced that it has teamed with two additional industry leaders in LED lighting– JLC Tech and ROAL Electronics – that manufacture components compatible with the Armstrong DC FlexZone Grid System. DC FlexZone grid is the only Emerge Alliance registered ANSI-UL certified ceiling suspension system that has the ability to distribute safe, low voltage dc power to lighting fixtures, sensors, and other electrical devices in the ceiling. The Emerge Alliance and dc powering will be significant topics of discussion at Darnell’s Energy Summit to be hosted in Dallas, Texas, September 9-13, 2013.
ROAL Electronics offers a wide variety of digital power control and solid state lighting (LED) electronics. Its products include switch mode power supplies, LED ballasts and drivers, and control/user interface electronics. Its DC FlexZone compatible Safe Energy Servers provide efficient down conversion of ac line voltage to safe 24Vdc as well as provide a gateway for ZigBee® wireless to wired 0-10V controls.
JLC Tech is based in Pembroke, Massachusetts and designs and manufactures lighting products utilizing LED technology that can become integrated parts of the building construction. Its new T-BAR LED Smartlightâ„¢ fixtures run on 24Vdc power consuming only 8.5W per linear foot and are designed to easily integrate into the grid system of a suspended ceiling in place of cross tees where light is desired.
By teaming with leading manufacturers like these, Armstrong is able to provide a pre-engineered, easy-to-specify ceiling suspension system that provides a ready infrastructure for the delivery of safe, code-compliant, low-voltage direct current power. DC FlexZone grid can significantly improve the flexibility and reuse of interior spaces by enabling faster and easier repurposing and reconfigurations to satisfy the changing needs of the occupants without the need to rewire.
By providing “plug and play†modularity, DC FlexZone also greatly simplifies the management and control of lighting and other devices normally found in the ceilings of commercial buildings. In addition to enhanced interior flexibility, DC FlexZone grid can also contribute to the energy efficiency of buildings by enabling the use of more energy efficient devices and controls.
The distribution of dc power directly through interior infrastructures such as ceilings can also be a key component in systems that make more efficient use of on-site dc-based renewable energy sources, such as solar. Armstrong Ceilings and its partners are members of the EMerge Alliance, an industry association that promotes the adoption of safe dc power distribution standards and use throughout commercial buildings.
