Site – the ERCO grazing light wallwasher for the outdoor area: Emphasising wall structures for a three-dimensional effect

Lüdenscheid, January 2015. Vertical illuminance in the outdoor area underlines the role of light as the fourth dimension of architecture most effectively - it is instrumental in defining and modelling the cityscape at night. With the new Site grazing light wallwasher ERCO now offers a façade luminaire of the highest technical standard. This robust in-ground luminaire brings out the finest material textures of façade architecture. With unprecedented precision and uniformity, the new lighting tool lives up fully to ERCO’s maxim of “light digital”.

Vertical illuminance, a strong focal point of luminaire manufacturer ERCO, is ideal for highlighting specific qualities of architecture and increasing its spatial effect. As a special form of vertical illuminance, grazing light creates an intense three-dimensional effect on walls, emphasising the texture and material of historic structures or unusual façades in the most striking way.

Grazing light emphasises surface textures and materials
With the Site in-ground luminaire, ERCO has developed an efficient lighting tool with highly sophisticated photometrics for the illumination of wall textures and façades as an eye-catching feature. The new LED wallwasher produces an even grazing light that brings out even the finest façade texture exquisitely. The specific material qualities of natural stone, concrete, brick or wood are highlighted to produce a relief-like effect that adds an almost tactile dimension. The resulting façade appears clear and glare-free with features that allow it to stand out in the dark. In contrast to conventional wallwashers which bathe façades in soft light, Site creates dynamic and impressive light and shadow effects. Without spill light, the luminaire creates optimum viewing conditions for the human eye, thereby preventing disturbing glare and directing the focus entirely onto architectural details.

Efficiency
The Site in-ground luminaire integrates unobtrusively into the setting creating scenic grazing light effects along the façade. With its asymmetrical light distribution, the grazing light wallwasher can be positioned to within 30cm of a vertical surface and still produce an exceptionally uniform beam. The luminaire can be tilted conveniently by up to 10° in both directions to allow for perfect final alignment regardless of natural tolerances, thereby maximising the grazing light effect. The LED photometrics of Site are optimised for grazing light achieving good uniformity on the vertical plane even when spaced far apart. This means that only a few luminaires are needed for striking scenographic light. In addition to its scenic effect, grazing light ensures efficient illumination in the outdoor area, making Site ideal for emotive façade illumination in efficient and cost-sensitive design concepts.

Effective LED photometrics

As a special form of vertical illuminance, grazing light requires a linear light source. ERCO therefore created specific LED PCBs for grazing light wallwashing that are arranged in a line. The energy-efficient and powerful LED photometrics in the Site grazing light wallwasher feature custom-developed collimators. These are responsible for the unprecedented precision in accentuating textures and contribute significantly to the superior efficiency of the high-power LEDs.

Comfortable handling and maximum stability

As a corrosion-resistant outdoor luminaire, Site is mounted using a specialised polymer recessed housing and can also be installed in raised floors using the mounting kit. The luminaire can be tilted by 10°to compensate for uneven floors and optimise the grazing light effect. Site further excels with great stability and can withstand a weight of up to 2 tons.

Technical features of Site

ERCO lens system: Softec lens
Light distribution: Grazing light wallwasher
ERCO LED module: High-power LED on metal core PCB,
light colours: warm white or neutral white
Protection mode: IP68
Control gear: Switchable or DALI dimmable
Housing: Plastic, black