EMerge Alliance® Members Philips and Armstrong Ceilings Partner to Develop Lighting Solutions

EMerge Alliance® members Philips and Armstrong Ceilings have partnered to develop complete building lighting solutions that will accelerate the adoption of low-voltage Direct Current (DC) technologies. The solutions will be compatible with Armstrong’s DC FlexZone ceiling systems, a plug-and-play design that allows for maximum design flexibility and efficiency. FlexZone ceiling designs (as well as virtually all DC uses) integrate perfectly into Nextek Power Systems Direct Coupling® microgrid systems, which connect a variety of renewable power resources to building loads, without the usual power loss associated with inversion to AC power and the subsequent rectification back to DC.

A major advantage of such a system, as noted in the aftermath of hurricane Sandy, is its independence from the AC grid. Buildings sat without electrical power for days or weeks after the storm. DC Microgrid systems can operate both in conjunction with the grid, or, when necessary, in a completely stand-alone mode.

For more information about how a DC microgrid can work in your business environment, contact Nextek Power Systems at info@nextekpower.com.

For more information about Armstrong’s DC FlexZone ceiling systems, see http://www.armstrong.com/commceilingsna/article55189.html.

For information about the EMerge Alliance® see http://www.emergealliance.org/.