Big strides have been made at SENSO. We’ve expanded our facility, staff, and product line. Now it’s time to put it all together. This summer we designed and published a brand new catalog!
Tag: senso
Raising SENSO’s CRI
Let it shine! Raising SENSO’s Colour Rendering Index
Whether it’s fresh food, fashion choices, splashy art, or eye-catching products, colour is key to so many human experiences. And without light, colour simply can’t exist.
In a way, SENSO is in the business of bringing colours to life. That’s why a fixture’s Colour Rendering Index (CRI) is a key consideration of any project.
CRI is a measurement, on a scale of 1 to 100, of a light’s ability to show colours naturally, allowing the human eye to detect subtle variations. Higher CRI ratings mean that a light is better at rendering colour; lower CRI ratings are cheaper and make colours appear dull or unnatural.
As LED technology improves, expectations rise. As we pride ourselves on being leaders and not laggards, SENSO is standardizing all of our module fixtures (used in the majority of our downlights) to 90 CRI. The usual threshold to be considered a quality product is 83 CRI, but more and more frequently 90 CRI is now considered the minimum.
As we keep up with the latest advances in lighting engineering and design, SENSO can offer exceptional colour quality coupled with the high energy-efficiency of LED lights. With all of our products capable of 90 CRI in a wide array of colour temperatures, we’re ready to find the perfect solution for any project—in full, living colour.
Facing Flicker
Facing flicker: scary consequences, smart solutions
A floorboard creaks somewhere in the attic. You glimpse luminous ectoplasm flitting from room to room. Strange moans permeate the night. And every evening, your lights flicker ominously…
If your home is haunted, Senso Lighting can’t help much with the ghost. As for the flickering light, however—that we can solve!
Negative effects of flicker
Of all the freaky effects of the Halloween season, chronic flickering lights can be legitimately scary. Flickering lights can affect your health—sometimes even if the flicker is too rapid for your eye can detect.
For example, most fluorescent lights flicker anywhere from 100 to more than 20,000 times per second. While you’re not likely to visually pick up on flickering at that rate, a 1989 study found that office workers were twice as likely to experience headaches under lights that flickered at 100 Hz compared to non-flickering lights.
Visibly flickering lights are distracting, and can lead to migraines, eye strain, and fatigue. Flicker can also trigger seizures in photosensitive epileptics, although this condition is rarer than the popular media would have you believe (only about 5% of epileptics are diagnosed as photosensitive).
What causes flicker?
Many lights flicker as part of their normal operation. For LEDs, flicker arises from a variation in the voltage fed into the module: both in amplitude (how much the voltage changes) and frequency (how quickly the voltage changes). Direct current (DC) voltage theoretically eliminates flicker because it offers a constant voltage with no variation. However, since no power supply is perfect, there will always be some ripple present.
How Senso controls flicker
At Senso, we pride ourselves on providing exceptional quality control, and that includes controlling flicker. Power is key, and so we start by selecting industry-leading drivers and power supplies that provide clean DC power with low ripple. We’re also big proponents of the Xicato XIM module for its top-notch low flicker capabilities.
We also test our modules for visible and invisible flicker to ensure that we’re using the best components possible and confirm manufacturers’ claims about their products. Our Goniophotometer’s advanced optics and processing power is able to detect and measure flicker that that is invisible to the naked eye. We want you to have the best experience possible with your lighting solutions—which mean we don’t want our lights to be a literal headache for you!
Happy Halloween from Senso Lighting!
All about XIM, part 2
Controls and dimming
Set the mood. Lower the lights. Or crank them up. Maybe you want to automate specific scenes or time lighting changes in advance. Xicato’s XIM module offers exceptional controls for its smooth dimming experience.
Senso Lighting is a big fan of Xicato, and so for part two of our five-part series on the XIM module, we’re focusing on its superior dimming and controls.
Dimming
First, the quality of the dimming is important. Xicato offers affordable, quality dimming that is deep and smooth, with no flickering anywhere in its dimming range. Robust dimming capabilities offer almost limitless options: whether it’s to create ambience in your home, light up a performer on stage, or create the optimal mood for your business, dimming can do the job.
Just as important, XIM modules can be programmed to different scenes throughout the day based on your changing needs. Adaptive lighting customizes your lighting design to a range of different uses, and also provides excellent energy savings.
Controls
XIM modules offer three different control methods: standard 0-10V dimmer switches, networked DALI control, and Bluetooth. Each module comes with an integrated 0-10V or DALI driver, and both have the Bluetooth control option available.
With DALI controls, you can automate dimming with more complex capability, such as scenes and timed lighting. You’ll also be able to connect other DALI fixtures to your main controls, giving you easy access to your entire lighting network.
Bluetooth control eliminates all control wiring: all you need is an iOS device. Using the control panel on a laptop with a USB dongle, you can group fixtures, set scenes and maximum intensities, and see lifetime operations of individual fixtures. Because you can easily configure modules individually, Bluetooth control cuts programming costs significantly.
Reaching Farther
Bluetooth control is limited by signal strength, and Xicato has a solution for controlling lights across large areas. The Xicato Gateway acts as a boosted signal that can reaches farther than a standard Bluetooth driver. To cover large distances, combine multiple gateways—you can control them all through a single laptop.
Have a large-scale project? Senso can provide on-site commissioning of Xicato Gateways.
Stay tuned to learn more about Bluetooth and Beacon technology in our next XIM module post.
SENSO CELEBRATES 10 YEARS
Happy birthday to us! 2017 marks Senso Lighting’s 10th anniversary of providing inspiring lighting and exceptional customer service. Here’s a look back at the journey that led us here.
Founded in 2007 by Rolf Hurbin, Senso found early success when its Pure fixture uplighter won the IIDEX NeoCon Innovation Gold Award. “I always wanted to be in control of the design and functionality of the product,” says Rolf, whose career began as a lighting engineer in Europe. “I had a strong desire to have a manufacturing facility of my own, to create jobs and build a company for the future of my family and employees.” From 5 employees in 2007, Senso has now grown to 40 workers with hundreds of clients and thousands of jobs completed throughout North America.
With the early years focused on smaller fixtures such as step and marker lights, Senso’s first milestone came in October 2010 with the launch of the Leto series of downlights. Popular to this day, Leto lights helped Senso break into the larger commercial market. From there, Senso’s product line grew to include pendants, track lights and larger linear systems.
The Leto series set the foundation for developing innovative designs like the Latona, Asteria and Vesta series. Senso’s dedication to customized, environmentally friendly lighting solutions using industry-leading technology has never wavered: each fixture is created with care and expertise, perfectly matching clients’ needs. In 2016, Senso invested in a state-of- the-art testing facility capable of absolute photometry tests that produce an exact “real-world” measurement, resulting in even more precise lighting designs for clients.
Looking forward to the next 10 years and beyond, Senso’s vision remains strong. “I would like to make sure that whatever we do, we do it with passion and respect for the environment,” says Rolf. “We build lighting for the future: a product that is here to last and allows people to fully enjoy any building and lighting environment.”
The future, as they say, is bright.
Thank You For Attending Our Grand Opening
Thank you to everyone for helping to make our Grand Opening celebration a success. With your donations and support Senso was able to raise over $5000.00 dollars for The Cerebral Palsy Foundation of Alberta.
Our clients and suppliers are the key element for our success and we are grateful for all of your continued support. Our community is stronger when we work together. Thank you.
We look forward to offering our continued commitment to our agents, providing superior customer services with our industry leading LED fixtures.
Thank you.
New Location Grand Opening Party
We are inviting our supporters, friends and industry leaders to join us for an evening of stampede fun. We have a live performance by singer Shannon Smith, exciting games with hourly prize draws and a grand prize, Senso tours to explore our newly improved facilities, and catered dinner with wine and beer. Come and have a good time celebrating with us at our Grand Opening Party on July 7, 2016 from 3pm to 9pm.
RSVP available on our website: www.sensolighting.com.
or send us an email at rsvp@sensolighting.com.
Senso is a proud supporter of Cerebral Palsy Association in Alberta. (cpalberta.com) Proceeds from the Grand Opening party will be donated to support people who are affected by Cerebral Palsy and other disabilities in Calgary.
Please note: Taxi vouchers will be provided.
The Goniophotometer
As a company it is important to us that our clients have the most current and accurate information about our fixtures. Senso prides itself in producing quality light and industry leading customer support. With our new facilities and testing capabilities we are able to accurately quantify the quality of our product as well as support to our customers with on-demand testing services.
Find out more Here.
WE HAVE MOVED TO A NEW FACILITY
We are pleased to let you know that the Senso Team are settling into our new facility at 302 50 Ave SE of Calgary, Alberta. We would like to express our appreciation for your understanding during this transition. We are also grateful for your continuous support and loyalty, which made our progress possible. Our new facility provides us the capability to provide better quality product and service. With the larger warehouse and assembly area, we are able to produce larger quantity and maintain our high standards on products. We also have a few talented addition to our office team, looking forward to provide better service and technical information for you.
