Location
Spokane, Washington, USA
Time
December 2025
Client Type
Commercial Complex Operator
Application Scenarios
Shopping mall atrium, corridors, retail display areas
Product
Concealed Linear Lighting System
LED module solutions
Custom Linear LED Module
Project Background:
In December 2025, Higntek participated in the interior lighting upgrade project for the NorthTown Mall shopping center in Spokane, Washington, USA. The project focused on upgrading the existing concealed linear lighting system installed in public areas, including the mall’s atrium, circulation corridors, and retail display areas.
NorthTown Mall represents a typical large-scale commercial lighting environment where lighting quality directly impacts customer experience and operating costs. For shopping centers, lighting differs significantly from many other indoor applications. Lighting systems are expected to operate for extended periods each day, typically throughout the entire business day. Therefore, even small differences in component efficiency, thermal performance, and reliability can lead to significant variations in annual operating costs.
Unlike many lighting retrofit projects that simply focus on increasing brightness, this project required a more comprehensive lighting solution. Prior to this upgrade, the existing lighting scheme had become increasingly inadequate over time. The client wanted to address several practical issues related to energy consumption and maintenance while improving the overall visual appeal of the shopping environment.
From our initial technical discussions with the client, we learned that their goal was not only to replace the existing light source, but also to create a more efficient commercial lighting system to foster a better shopping environment and help the shopping center maintain a more attractive space for future retail tenants.
To achieve this goal, Highlightek developed a customized, high-efficiency linear LED module solution based on the client’s installation structure, lighting requirements, and long-term operating conditions.
Customer Needs:
The client’s requirements were closely related to the actual operating conditions of the commercial complex.
Energy efficiency was paramount.
Since public areas require prolonged lighting daily, reducing energy consumption was one of the project’s most critical objectives. However, simply reducing energy consumption would affect brightness, thus impacting the customer experience. Therefore, the project goal was not “brighter,” but rather to achieve sufficient illuminance for the commercial space with less electricity. This necessitated improving the optical efficiency of the LED lighting modules, rather than relying on higher electrical input.
Secondly, consistent lighting quality across large areas was crucial.
Linear lighting applications in shopping malls typically cover long distances. The client’s previous use of flexible LED strips resulted in brightness decay, inconsistent light emission, and a decline in visual appeal in some areas after long-term operation. For a commercial complex, these issues negatively impact the overall spatial image. Therefore, reliability and consistency were considered from the initial LED lighting module design stage.
Balancing general lighting and retail display needs was also essential.
Different areas within the mall had different lighting priorities, and not all areas used the same light quality. Public corridors required efficient and comfortable lighting, while retail display areas needed better color reproduction (high CRI) for more accurate product display. Based on this understanding, we provided two versions of the module:
| Application Area | Recommended Solution |
|---|---|
| Public circulation areas | 4000K CRI 80 module |
| Retail display areas | 4000K CRI 90 module |
This allowed the customer to maintain a consistent color temperature throughout the space while adjusting color rendering performance according to application needs.
| Requirement | Target |
|---|---|
| Application | Concealed linear lighting |
| CCT | 4000K |
| CRI | 80 / 90 |
| Lighting Effect | Continuous & uniform |
| Control Compatibility | 0-10V / DALI |
| Installation | Modular connection |
| Reliability | Long operation lifetime |
| Efficiency | High lm/W output |
Project Risks and Engineering Challenges.
During the design phase, our engineering team identified several key technical challenges.
- Long-distance Voltage Drop.
Many linear lighting systems experience voltage drops as installation distance increases. This is particularly common in low-voltage constant-voltage systems. Compared to a 12V architecture, a 24V constant-voltage design provides lower current at the same power output, helping to reduce voltage loss and making it more suitable for long-distance linear lighting. Therefore, we chose a 24V architecture at the start of the project. - Current Thermal Management.
The client required high brightness output while installing modules within a concealed lighting structure. A concealed structure means limited airflow and heat dissipation space. Achieving higher brightness output requires balancing LED power density and thermal management to avoid overheating that accelerates luminous flux decay and shortens lifespan. Therefore, thermal design was considered a necessary factor in our material selection and solution customization. - Achieving Continuous and Comfortable Light Output.
The client required no visible hotspots, flicker-free operation, and low glare. This means that optical design needs to consider not only the LED itself, but also the LED spacing layout, optical lens structure, and installation distance.
Higntek's Solutions:
After reviewing the customer’s requirements, we did not simply replace the previous light source with a higher-output LED strip. Instead, we redesigned the module architecture around commercial lighting requirements. Our engineering decisions focused on three priorities:
- Stable long-term operation
- Higher energy efficiency
- Flexible installation and maintenance
NorthTown Mall Commercial Lighting Customized High-Efficiency White Linear LED Modules
24V Constant Voltage Architecture.
We selected a 24V constant voltage design because it provides better suitability for commercial linear lighting applications. Compared with 12V systems, the lower operating current helps reduce voltage drop during long-distance installation. To improve installation flexibility, we developed modular Zhaga-compatible dimensions:
| Module Size | Purpose |
|---|---|
| 20 × 320mm | Short-length applications |
| 20 × 560mm | Medium-length applications |
| 20 × 1120mm | Long linear installations |
This modular approach allowed the customer to combine modules according to different fixture lengths while simplifying installation and future replacement.
Aluminum PCB Thermal Design.
For a commercial environment with long daily operating hours, thermal reliability was a critical consideration. We selected a 2.0mm high thermal conductivity aluminum PCB. The purpose was not simply to increase heat dissipation capacity, but to maintain stable LED operating conditions over the entire service life. A cooler operating temperature helps improve:
- lumen maintenance;
- color stability;
- modules reliability.
High-Efficiency UHE 2835 LED Solution.
The module uses high-efficiency UHE 2835 LED chips with maximum luminous efficacy reaching: 233 lm/W.
However, maximum chip efficiency alone does not determine the final module performance. We optimized:
- LED quantity;
- LED spacing;
- electrical design;
according to the customer’s required illumination level and installation environment. The final design uses:
- 80 LEDs per meter
- 5W/m power consumption
This provided a balance between brightness, efficiency, and thermal performance.
Optical Optimization for Continuous Lighting.
To solve the customer’s concern about visible light spots, we integrated a 120° lightly frosted optical lens. This design helps create:
- smoother light distribution;
- reduced LED point visibility;
- more comfortable visual appearance.
For concealed linear lighting in commercial spaces, optical uniformity is often more important than simply increasing brightness.
| Parameter | CRI 80 Version | CRI 90 Version |
|---|---|---|
| CCT | 4000K | 4000K |
| LED Density | 80 pcs/m | 80 pcs/m |
| Power Consumption | 5W/m | 5W/m |
| Luminous Output | 1020 lm/m | 900 lm/m |
| Efficiency | 204 lm/W | 180 lm/W |
Project Results:
After installation evaluation, the upgraded LED module solution successfully replaced the previous soft LED strip lighting system.
The most visible improvement was lighting consistency. The previous solution had gradually developed issues during long-term operation, including uneven brightness and performance instability. With the new linear LED module, the mall achieved more consistent illumination across different areas.
From our engineering perspective, the biggest improvement was not only the initial brightness increase, but the long-term stability achieved through better electrical design, thermal management, and optical control.
The final project results included:
| Performance Improvement | Result |
|---|---|
| Energy Consumption | Reduced by approximately 32% |
| Lighting Uniformity | Improved |
| Flicker Risk | Reduced |
| Long-Term Stability | Improved |
| Maintenance Requirement | Reduced |
For a commercial facility operating lighting systems every day, the energy savings and reduced maintenance requirements create continuous value after installation.
Why NorthTown Mall Chose Higntek?
NorthTown Mall selected Higntek because this project required more than a standard LED supplier. The customer needed a partner who could understand the relationship between lighting performance, installation conditions, and long-term operation.
Throughout this project, our role was not limited to manufacturing the LED module. We participated in the engineering decisions behind the solution:
- selecting the appropriate voltage architecture;
- optimizing thermal design;
- balancing brightness and efficiency;
- designing modular dimensions;
- improving optical uniformity.
Our experience has shown that successful commercial lighting projects are rarely achieved by maximizing a single specification. The best solutions come from balancing:
- efficiency;
- reliability;
- visual comfort;
- installation practicality.
This is the approach Higntek brings to every customized LED module project.
Build More Efficient Commercial Lighting Systems with Higntek
Our engineering team can help you develop a customized lighting solution with optimized efficiency, reliable performance, and production-ready design.
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Dai Shunli
Founder & CEO
I founded the Higntek brand in 2013. Driven by technology, we provide high-efficiency LED module customization, development, and manufacturing for professional lighting applications. Leveraging over a decade of expertise in the LED lighting field, we offer one-stop OEM lighting solution manufacturing services, from theoretical design to production, including: requirements analysis, solution design, prototype development, testing and verification, and mass production. We are committed to providing customized manufacturing for the unique lighting needs of different industries, application scenarios, and customers.
Through continuous development, Higntek now has a 3,000-square-meter factory and over 200 employees, providing more than 1,500 customized LED solutions to customers worldwide. In the future, we will continue to uphold the principles of efficiency, excellence, and innovation, making the development and manufacturing of professional lighting modules simpler and more reliable.
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