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Zhaga confirms plan to transfer Book 18 to IEC

26 February 2019

The Zhaga Consortium has confirmed its plan to transfer Book 18 Ed. 2.0 to IEC, after the completion of the specification expected by mid-2019 and approval by the General Assembly. This Book describes a smart interface for outdoor luminaires and specifies power, communication, and mechanical aspects. The decision is following the already ongoing transfers of Books 1,7,10,12 and 14.

During its most recent members’ meeting, the Zhaga Consortium confirmed its plan to transfer Zhaga Book 18 Ed. 2.0 to IEC. This transfer follows the existing practice in Zhaga to bring successful and well-adopted specifications to the IEC. This way, Zhaga achieves a wider consensus, a larger audience and full harmonization with existing and accepted IEC standards and practices. The transfer of Book 18 Ed 2.0 follows the ongoing transfers by Zhaga to IEC of its LED module Books 1, 7, 10, 12, and 14, which all have been successfully adopted by the market.


Zhaga Book 18 2.0 describes a smart interface for outdoor luminaires and specifies power and communication aspects in addition to the mechanical aspects already covered in Book 18 Ed. 1.0. The book simplifies the addition of application modules such as sensors and communication nodes to LED luminaires with plug-and-play interoperability. This interoperability will be of great benefit to the entire value chain. It reduces complexity and adds value for the luminaire maker, installer and possibly, more importantly, the specifier. Zhaga Book 18 Ed 2.0 will allow any certified module to operate with any certified luminaire. 

“The Zhaga mission is all about interoperability”, Zhaga SG Dee Denteneer comments, “and what we are aiming for with Book 18 is a “USB-like industry standard for lighting”. A transfer to IEC of only the mechanical interface specified in Zhaga Book 18 Ed. 1.0 would fall short of our goals. Therefore, we will initiate the transfer only when Ed. 2.0 has been completed because this edition safeguards full interoperability.”


As described in the Press Release from 31 January 2019, Zhaga Book 18 Ed 2.0 is a collaboration with the Digital Illumination Industry Alliance (DiiA) and references DiiA specifications.  These DiiA specifications will be transferred to the IEC in a separate process, also following standing practice with the DALI protocols.


Zhaga will initiate the transfer with the highest priority after the completion of the specification and its approval by the General Assembly, expected by mid-2019.


References:
Press Release, 31 January 2019: Zhaga and DiiA agree joint certification program for a smart luminaire interface


About Zhaga

Zhaga is a global association of lighting companies that is standardizing interfaces of components of LED luminaires, including LED light engines, LED modules, LED arrays, holders, electronic control gear (LED drivers) and connectivity fit systems. This helps to streamline the LED lighting supply chain, and to simplify LED luminaire design and manufacturing. Zhaga continues to develop specifications based on the inter-related themes of interoperable components, smart and connected lighting, and serviceable luminaires. For more information, visit www.zhagastandard.org.

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NEW Zhaga has gone live!

17 December 2018

The Zhaga Consortium has widened its scope of work to address new growth areas in IoT and the service economy. To implement this move, a new Consortium Agreement has been written and members have renewed their membership. Next to component and luminaire manufacturers, the NEW Zhaga aims to expand its outreach to a larger group of companies and offers a new Community Membership.

As pre-announced in spring of this year, the Zhaga Consortium, following the most recent trends in the lighting industry had investigated how to best address new business opportunities in digital lighting and service models. This triggered the renovation process of the Zhaga
scope, to comprehensively address new growth areas in IoT and service economy requiring interoperability and interfaces to smart components, such as sensors and connectivity modules.


Now the NEW Zhaga has gone live by means of a new Consortium Agreement, it is based on a new Vision and Mission and expressed by the new Slogan “Smart standards. Smarter lighting.”


“Benchmarking against the “current Zhaga”, there is a lot of continuity”, states Dee Denteneer, Secretary General of the Zhaga Consortium. “The NEW Zhaga remains true to its original mission to “specify interfaces of components in LED luminaires”. Also, it will keep the specifications as thin as possible to maintain design freedom and scope for differentiation also in the next emerging space of interfaces to smart components.”


In fact, the new vision extends the current scope with interfaces enabling the connectivity of luminaires to the IoT network, and the upgrade and service of LED luminaires depending on the design choices by the luminaire manufacturer. This new scope aims for true interoperability and now includes the interfaces to sensors and connectivity modules, but also the interface between module and driver. This positions Zhaga as a key enabler of crucial developments in the lighting industry.

The NEW Zhaga is also reaching out to a new group of companies comprising installers, specifiers, architects, and end users. The ability to upgrade or service luminaires and the availability of a wide supply of interoperable components will become appealing to these user
categories, as well as the testing and certification program that warrants interoperability. To serve these new groups, the NEW Zhaga offers a “community” membership. Community members receive membership benefits like the access to selected information on the
members’ area of the website, the access to the Zhaga bookstore and the dedicated Community Membership logo. Community membership is free of charge.


Regular and Associate Members continue to receive specific benefits, such as early access to specifications. However, Zhaga has changed its publication strategy, and will no longer publish its specifications to non-member companies.

About Zhaga


Zhaga is a global association of lighting companies that is standardizing interfaces of components of
LED luminaires, including LED light engines, LED modules, LED arrays, holders, electronic control gear (LED drivers) and connectivity fit systems. This helps to streamline the LED lighting supply chain, and to simplify LED luminaire design and manufacturing. Zhaga continues to develop specifications based on the inter-related themes of interoperable components, smart and connected lighting, and serviceable luminaires. For more information, visit www.zhagastandard.org.