It used to be that LED lighting was the future of commercial lighting. Its cutting-edge quality fused with unprecedented savings to the bottom line made LED lighting the ideal choice for any refrigerated and frozen food manufacturer and distributor.

Fast forward to today, and many cold food processors are searching for wireless controls, cloud-based features and Internet of Things (IoT) capabilities coupled with flexibility, energy efficient ratings and best-in-class lumens per watt efficiency.

Kenall Manufacturing, Kenosha, Wis., for example, introduced the EnviroPro EPMP Sealed Top Access Luminaire for insulated metal panel (IMP) ceilings. This IP-rated, sealed, LED, high-output, top-serviceable 60x20-inch luminaire is said to reduce IMP ceiling cutout by 40% while protecting the IMP ceiling’s structural integrity.

“Our engineering and product design teams have put new emphasis on developing more high-quality sealed solutions for demanding environments, including food processing, sterile packaging and cleanroom and containment areas,” says Tim Stevens, product marketing manager. “The vast majority of our luminaires are now available in LED. And, Kenall currently has over 150 luminaires on the DesignLights Consortium (DLC) Qualified Products List.”

Last year, Kenall introduced TekLink wired and wireless lighting controls, which work seamlessly with TekDek and offer cloud-based options for freezer and cold storage areas, warehouses, manufacturing facilities, parking structures and other applications.

“Our research and development teams are always working to find the most appropriate way to integrate new technology across all of the market segments we serve,” adds Stevens.

Meanwhile, Orion Energy Systems, Inc., Manitowoc, Wis., developed new fixtures for its APOLLO VaporTight series, which features best-in-class lumens per watt efficiency up to 155 lumens per watt, delivering what is dubbed as the lowest energy (watts) consumed in their class. This series is durable, lightweight and suitable for demanding waterproof or dustproof environments such as food processing, cooler/freezer environment, washdown and more.

“A majority of Orion’s products for these applications are DLC premium-qualified and deliver some of the highest lumen outputs for the lowest wattage consumption in the industry. The products are designed with bi-level, dual-circuitry dimming, which allows for high and low lumen light levels in one fixture,” says Josh Kurtz, senior vice president of sales. “Plus, Orion offers various mounting methods to adhere to almost all environment application settings and comes standard with stainless-steel 316 marine grade latches and stainless-steel mounting clips with fixtures. Our LED fixtures also allow customers to effectively employ motion sensors and other controls in many conditioned spaces for the first time.”

For its part, Dialight developed the new Vigilant LED high bay, providing up to 26,500 delivered fixture lumens. Featuring Dialight’s in-house-designed power supply, next-generation LED technology and advanced optical design, the new Vigilant LED high bay is certified to UL1598/A and CSA 22 #250, and is IP66/NEMA4X-rated to operate in ambient temperatures ranging from -40°C to 65°C.

“Our Vigilant series of high bay greatly reduces glare over our previous series of fixtures,” says Jon Rud, director of sales for the Farmingdale, N.J., company. “For coolers that have racking in conjunction with forklift operation, this will dramatically improve their quality of light and perception. And, the ability to control when the lights are on through scheduling based on hours of production will enhance the work space during production times and reduce unnecessary lighting during times that traffic is reduced or eliminated.”

To stay on trend, many of today’s lighting manufacturers provide wireless remote and cloud-based protocol options for scheduling operation, daylight harvesting, dimming and occupancy control from a computer or hand-held device, says Robert Brown, commercial sales for 1st Source Lighting, Auburn, Calif.

“The majority of the control functions are enabled and pre-commissioned at factory, saving valuable time during installation,” he adds.

It’s also important for fixtures to be DLC premium listed for a higher standard of energy efficiency, performance and customer satisfaction.

“Premium listings also ensure eligibility for maximum rebates through energy utilities,” says Brown.

Go to http://bit.ly/1L8ZurQ to learn more about these and other lighting solutions.