New GE Suspended LED luminaire

Steve K said:

I have an odd fascination by edge lit lights like this, so I'm certainly intrigued. Whether or not this actually has any advantages is a separate matter.

After reading GE's marketing material, I'm confused by one particular claim......
"Efficient lighting is all about focusing a light source exactly where you need it, such as at the bottom shelves in store aisles," said Simon Fisher, General Manager EMEA – Commercial Office, GE Lighting. "Lumination EL Series Luminaires are perfectly suited for store aisle lighting because they can deliver precise, uniform light directly to the lower shelves, pushing light through and drawing attention to poorly lit items on the bottom shelf. Store managers can maximize valuable shelf space without having to worry that lower-shelf items will be overlooked by customers."

How does this light "deliver precise, uniform light directly to lower shelves"?
I was hoping that the second link would provide some sort of data on the radiation pattern, but I didn't see it. My assumption is that some of the light will be allowed to exit the sides of the "blades", but most will radiate out of the bottom edge of the blade. The shape of that edge should influence what the radiation pattern is, but I'm having trouble figuring how it will deliver precise light to lower shelves.
Any thoughts?

Anyway, it's an interesting product. I'm guessing that the world will still prefer unobtrusive lighting in offices and stores, but maybe this has a place in trendier locations?? Especially when you can program the color balance to change over time (that'll be in the next generation of the light, perhaps?).

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Steve K said:

I have to amend my earlier comments... the link does have a menu on the left, and one of those is the datasheet. It does show a radiation pattern which is fairly directional. It also talks about a special design that produces the pattern. My interpretation is that the texture on the sides of the waveguide is actually small molded optics that direct the light downwards as well as throwing a bit of light to the side. Kinda cool, but I wonder if it's any better than than just controlling the shape of the bottom edge that the light would exit from eventually.

In any case, it is a nice vehicle for showing off the use of high technology lighting!

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