March 2009

One of my favorite bloggers, Jim Hutchison of Jim on Light (he’s chief design consultant for Alive Lighting, an entertainment lighting design firm), recently found this gem–“lighting bags” containing fluorescent materials, which react with chemicals in a cup. The result is illumination, seemingly from a “tea bag” (but unfortunately inedible), the product of South Korean [...]

In celebration of Lightfair’s 20-year Anniversary, its two historic Masters’ courses will be offered free of charge to LFI 2009 attendees and exhibitors registered for the Exhibit Hall or LFI courses–-based on generous support provided by Acuity Brands Lighting, Osram Sylvania, Amerlux Lighting Solutions and MechoShade Systems. COURSE #1: 20 Years of Light and Lighting: [...]

Sky Factory Offers EcoSlim Luminous SkyCeilings, an edge-lit product that the company says provides authentic illusions of sky displayed in an ultra-thin, toxin-free system. The new version of the product (EcoSlim) offers a low-profile design that eliminates ceiling clearance limitations, paving the way for renovation and retrofit installations. The image tile is only a quarter-inch [...]

Matthew Tanteri, IES, IALD Educator, Principal of Tanteri + Associates, LLC recently wrote to me to let me know that his consulting firm has moved to new offices at One Bridge Street, Suite 72, Irvington-On-Hudson, NY 10533, phone: 914.693.7800. His office is literally a stone’s throw from the water in a ground-level storefront in the [...]

I decided to post a quick note and photo about this relatively new product from Hampstead Lighting, as it has an interesting aesthetic and caught my eye while browsing HomePortfolio.com. This contemporary luminaire is constructed of clear, frosted/etched or mirrored glass and stainless steel with a single 24-80W lamp. It can be pendant, ceiling or [...]

NCQLP has announced that 299 lighting practitioners sat for the 2008 Examination. With a pass rate of 78.4%, the number of Lighting Certified (LC) individuals has been increased by 228, bringing the total up to 1,821, including six intern LCs. Of those who successfully completed the 2008 examination, 12% identify themselves as electrical engineers and [...]

The U.S. Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce recently announced that construction spending during January 2009 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $986.2 billion, 3.3% below the revised December estimate of $1.02 trillion. The January figure is 9.1% below the January 2008 estimate of $1.085 trillion. Spending on private construction was [...]

I recently wrote an article for TED Magazine about extended-life linear 4-ft. fluorescent T8 lamps. Industry averages: * 20,000 hours at 3 hours/start on instant-start ballast (the most commonly installed electronic ballast) * 24,000 hours at 12 hours/start on instant-start ballast * 24,000 hours at 3 hours/start on a programmed-start ballast * 30,000 hours at [...]

Furniture designer SAAZS has collaborated with Saint-Gobain Innovations to produce Planilum technology, which enables light to be incorporated as a material into stylish objects and furniture. Planilum, a complex multi-layered special glass containing a plasma gas excited through transparent conductive layers, can light up a 40-sq.m. room for 100 input watts. The result is incredible. [...]