April 2016

The Architecture Billings Index saw a dip into negative terrain for the first time in five months in January, but inched back up in February with a small increase in demand for design services. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate 9- to 12-month lead time between architecture billings [...]

NEMA’s Lighting Systems Shipments Index, a measure of demand for lighting equipment, decreased 2.6% quarter-to-quarter while posting a 0.1% increase year-over-year during 2015Q4. Fixtures, emergency lighting, and miniature lamps, components of the index, gained ground on a year-over-year basis, while ballasts and large lamps abd components recorded year-over-year declines.

National Architecture Week is a public awareness campaign dedicated to elevating the public’s appreciation of design and to bring attention to the role architects play as a force for positive change in communities. This year’s National Architecture Week will bring special focus on architects’ ability to impact communities through design and collaboration. Click here to [...]

Lighting Services Inc has added a Product Builder feature to the LSI website. This feature allows users to configure an LED luminaire to their specifications then export the order details into a PDF document for professional use or to forward to a representative or supplier. You can also “Create Project” in the Product Builder. Once [...]

“Where the Light Is: Home Lighting Trends” is a major feature article I wrote for the March issue of ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR. The 2008 housing-market crash ended the home construction boom. A steady recovery began in 2012, and it continues today, bolstering the U.S. economy. Historically, residential construction averages 5 percent of the country’s gross domestic [...]

Lumenpulse Inc., a manufacturer of specification-grade LED lighting solutions, recently announced it has acquired Fluxwerx Illumination Inc., a privately owned pure-play specification-grade LED lighting solutions provider based in British Columbia, Canada, for a total initial consideration of $60 million. Founded in 2011, Fluxwerx is a manufacturer of LED luminaires, with several innovations including the company’s [...]

The Illuminating Engineering Society has announced a call for speakers for the Society’s 2016 Annual Conference to be held from October 23 – 25 in Orlando, Florida at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Hotel. The theme for this year’s event is Connected Light. The IES is seeking subject matter experts from diverse disciplines to present [...]

Republication of Postings from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solid-State Lighting Program by Jim Brodrick, SSL Program Manager, U.S. Department of Energy The topic of droop comes up quite a bit when discussing LED lighting R&D. But exactly what is droop, and why do we care about it? Simply put, droop is a phenomenon [...]

2nd Ave Lighting recently unveiled the Anillo Ellipse 5 Light Cascading Pendant. This modern sophisticated system features adjustable elements of ambient light, including five elliptic spectral halos that appear to rotate in space and create an impressive visual effect. Supported by cables, this grouping of Solar Black-finished solid steel rings reveal Crystal and Contrail Mist [...]