LUTRON RADIORA3 LAUNCH IS MAJOR OPPORTUNITY FOR INTEGRATORS

Providing a new price point for high-functioning intelligent lighting and shading, RadioRA3 marks a major milestone for the company and offers huge potential for the expansion of the platform into many more projects. Pulse Cinemas explains the concept.

Offering fresh innovation for integrators, homeowners and related professions such as interior designers and developers, Lutron recently revealed its new RadioRA3 system at a packed event in the Science Museum in London. Many top Lutron executives from around the world involved in the development of the new product flew in for the event, joining the UK team and underlining the importance of this new initiative for the company.

This launch is a huge step forward for the UK’s retrofit lighting market as traditionally wired homes and high-end luxury apartments now can add whole home smart lighting control where either RA2 Select or HomeWorks wasn’t an option previously due to budgetary or other project-based reasons.

Providing a ‘middle ground’ for luxury new homes and renovations is designed to open the concept of intelligent lighting and shading to a wider audience with a distinctly UK/European angle to the style and approach of the systems.

Oliver Deakin-Faux, Senior Sales Specialist at Pulse Cinemas, says, “Lutron RadioRA3 is the most exciting launch from the company in a very long time. The seamlessly elegant Vierti Hybrid keypad is not just your wall control, but also your dimmer built-in. This is a complete game changer and will open many more opportunities for dealers, not only for whole home lighting solutions but also single room solutions such as media rooms and cinema rooms. We are very excited to get started and will be offering training and support to get dealers up and running.”

System details

RadioRA3 has been created to sit between RA2 Select and the HomeWorks systems. Designed specifically for and only available to integrators, a major attraction of the system is its scalability. It can support up to 400 devices (200 Type A + 200 Type X). Like the Type A version of Lutron’s Clear Connect wireless technology, Type X is known for its reliability. First introduced in the U.S. market four years ago, the full power of this Lutron technology is now available to Pulse Cinemas customers.

Vierti

A major aspect of the new launch is the new range of elegant Vierti keypads. They look fantastic and deliver sleek, tactile functionality that homeowners and interior designers will love.

Vierti has been created with significant input from the European and UK markets and has taken inspiration from luminaries such as the Bauhaus School of Art, Design and Architecture. Fully embracing the Bauhaus concept of ‘form follows function’, the keypads offer a simple, authentic experience, hitting key aesthetic principles such as remaining close to the wall to deliver a sleek finish (just 3mm).

Vierti offers a range of attractive finishes, with two polymer options, along with popular metals from the Alisse range that use a solid brass faceplate to give a premium and luxury feel. The choice of finishes and colours will provide any home - modern or period - with exactly the right look and feel. Vierti is offered in two options: a hybrid dimmer/keypad and a keypad-only model.

The hybrid keypad (with an in-built dimmer) is important as it offers the ability to retrofit with ease. Integrators simply swap out standard single toggle switches with the new Lutron system, with no major rewiring required, removing many common objections from end users who don’t want the ‘fuss’ of a major works programme. In some cases, days become hours. Vierti also delivers large, engraved buttons that offer intuitive and ergonomic use, complete with status LEDs providing clear feedback.

Lutron is keen to ensure that all these new keypads ship with engraving already completed, so the order process involves signifying which options to include before the items are sent. Options include a set of ‘standard’ engravings, in either ‘Morning, Afternoon, Evening, Off’ or ‘Bright, Medium, Low, Off’ but custom engraving is offered as well.

Oliver adds, “The direction Lutron has taken with two options of pre-defined engravings is a bold one but one I completely agree with. It eliminates the project delays over engraving conversations and gives the keypad a complete solution from the day of install.”

Full Colour RGB + Tunable White Lumaris Tape Lighting

Another hugely important part of the launch is a first from Lutron. Lumaris is a native RGB + Tunable White solution and delivers impressive flexibility and functionality with tunable white and RGB capabilities. This new set of options allows integrators and homeowners to create the right mood for every room and occasion. For those who love the warm, cosy glow of traditional dimmed lighting, it also features warm dim functionality.

Getting an effective tape lighting system up and running can be a challenge involving products from different makers—power from one, tape from another, and control from yet another. What is great here is that Lumaris offers a complete solution for all the components required, including extrusions, and is natively compatible with the whole of the RadioRA3 system. All integrators need to deliver is the mains power drop where the tape will be installed, and Lutron delivers everything else. Each reel of tape also comes with pre-soldered leads, and from there, solderless connectors make field connections simple and efficient.

It’s also the first system from the maker to deliver 0.1% dimming precision, offering smooth, precise control.

Programming Lumaris and the entire RadioRA3 system is done from Lutron’s PC-based programming software and of course, there is a fully featured app to allow homeowners or integrators to make adjustments on or off-site, creating the perfect mood for relaxing, entertaining, dining or any occasion. In a similar vein to the HomeWorks software, dealers can also deploy programming changes remotely from anywhere in the world, saving time on site visits.

It is also worth noting that RadioRA3 is compatible with all of Lutron’s wireless window treatments, such as the Palladiom Wire Free and Triathlon range.

Oliver underlines, “When specifying smart lighting systems, window treatments are often forgotten or left out of proposals but are a vital element of controlling the natural light within a space to give a complete solution. Also, this is a great way to add additional revenue to any single-room or whole house project. Speak to us about becoming qualified in Lutron’s window treatments.”

Training For RadioRA3

Oliver explains, “The training programme for this new system has been carefully designed in full partnership with distribution channels, and we are very excited to start this path of giving more of our customers the ability to leverage this new platform.”

It’s important to know that all the training is done in person and lasts a full day. Completion of the training delivers a basic RadioRA3 system to ‘live with’ and really get to know, providing confidence in the platform’s ability. Dealers who complete the course will be listed on a dedicated Lutron site for RadioRA3, helping create new leads as consumers search for solutions for their homes.

The course costs are £450.00 + VAT for the day, however, within this, dealers will also receive a starter kit that includes three circuits of lighting and control.

The first training date starts February 21, with additional dates in March, and will be held at Lutron’s Experience Centre in London, with regional dates to follow. Get in touch to find out more.