Project Overview

The D700+ is a high-performance LED downlight that incorporates numerous design innovations to provide more adaptable, sustainable, and ambient interior lighting. Key features include:

• A unique deeply recessed, low-glare design.

• An airtight universal gimbal that allows for easy adjustments without sacrificing home thermal efficiency.

• Endless styling options with a range of interchangeable filters and paintable fascias.

• A choice of black and white body colours.

• Advanced Tru-Colour technology for more vibrant and lifelike interior colours.

• An IC rating, allowing the fitting to be abutted and covered with insulation.

• A 40,000hr lifetime, backed by a 7yr warranty.

Organisation

Brightgreen

Team

The Melbourne-based Brightgreen design team consists of several Product Design Engineers who work under the guidance of CEO and Head of Product Design, David O’Driscoll.

Project Brief

The Brightgreen team were tasked with designing a viable alternative to the high-glare, diffused LED downlights that have been widely adopted throughout Australian homes and commercial spaces. After close examination of the market’s needs, the team were able to identify the key problems often associated with standard LED downlight designs and ideate possible solutions.

The D700+ expands on the on the key innovations of its predecessor the D900+, incorporating unparalleled styling options and Tru-Colour technology, as well as new efficiency features and a unique design that drastically reduces light spill. The luminaire is designed to last up to 40,000hrs and comes backed a market-leading 7-year warranty.

Project Innovation/Need

Solving the key problems that homeowners, architects, electricians and interior designers experience with standard LED downlights, the D700+ rethinks interior downlighting – providing unmatched comfort, efficiency and styling options.

With a patented low-glare lens and a deep-recessed design that shields the light source from the viewer’s direct line of sight, the D700+ projects an unimposing beam to silently champion interior architecture and design – instead of dazzling viewers with unwanted light spill. The fitting has been proven to drastically reduce the occurrence of light spill, or glare, by creating more inviting interiors with lower Unified Glare Ratings.

In addition to the low-energy LED technology that comes standard with all Brightgreen products, the D700+ is designed to cut heating and cooling energy usage so much, that it will cover the cost of lighting up an average-sized Australian home. Thanks to its airtight, ball-and-socket gimballing system and IC rating, the D700+ allows users to benefit from a fully insulated roof and sealed ceiling – improving overall home thermal efficiency.

The luminaire’s interchangeable filter and fascia system opens up a world of creative possibilities for users looking for different styling, colour and lighting effects.

Design Challenge

Incorporating the findings of their research into the design process, the Brightgreen team were required to engineer a low-glare luminaire that would provide users with the freedom to tailor the fitting to suit their space.

Adaptability was a fundamental requirement for the D700+; the design team wanted to ensure that users were given the ability to adjust the fitting over its exceptionally long lifespan. In addition to the twist-on, twist of fascia and filter system, the team designed a gimballing mechanism that allows the light to be articulated in any direction with ease.

After numerous prototypes and trials, a ball-and-socket gimbal was developed and optimised. This innovation offers users the ease of reorienting the light’s beam with a simple, one-finger push from the front, and provides sufficient friction force to ensure that the luminaire will stay in place after adjustments.

To provide electricians with easier installations, particularly in small roof cavities, the design team engineered a smaller, lighter heatsink using finite element analysis. This method ensures that the luminaire will stay cool during use and can be safely abutted and covered with insulation.

Sustainability

Brightgreen’s mission to defy planned obsolescence is underpinned by the belief that by designing products with the longevity and efficiency of D700+, the company can help to reduce the carbon footprint of households, offices and public spaces. The D700+ is at the forefront of LED technology in both efficiency and light quality, two features that generally contradict each other.

Thanks to its IC rating and airtight gimbal, the D700+ eliminates air leakage and gaps in insulation. This allows users to increase overall thermal efficiency, thereby reducing their carbon footprint. Its exceptional 7-year warranty makes the D700+ a truly reliable and sustainable choice.

The D700+ is free from heavy metals, including hexavalent chromium, mercury and lead, which are found in CFL lights and other LED lights. The design is primarily made from recyclable materials, and when the D700+ does eventually reach its lifespan, Brightgreen will recycle it for the customer through its buy-back-scheme.