September 2023

  Audi announced that its 2024 Q6 e-tron will be the first model to include its second generation digital OLED taillights. The new taillights communicate warning symbols to other drivers, including accidents and breakdowns by displaying a specific static rear light signature with integrated warning symbols and the regular rear light graphic in critical road [...]

Utility programs in four Northeast states have evaluated LED linear ambient market share. The utility consulting firm, DNV, performed all four rebate program evaluation reports for Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Jersey. Projected LED linear ambient market share for 2023 ranges from 83% to 94%. Market shares this high may eventually make it difficult [...]

  Blue Laser Fusion, Inc. (BLF) was founded in 2022 by Shuji Nakamura, Ph.D., 2014 Nobel Laureate in Physics and Professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and co-inventor of the blue / phosphor converted white LED; Hiroaki Ohta, Ph.D., General Partner of Waseda University Ventures (WUV); and Richard Ogawa, a Silicon Valley-based attorney. [...]

Some estimates are that up to one billion birds each year are killed in collisions with windows. A new report titled, “Building Safer Cities for Birds: How Cities Are Leading the Way on Bird-Friendly Building Policy,” details the growing number of cities, municipalities, laws, and policies that are reducing deadly bird collisions with buildings. The [...]

  2023 has already seen quite a few lighting manufacturer shut downs. I’m not talking about Chapter 11 restructurings nor acquisitions. Here are seven lighting manufacturers that shuttered operations so far in 2023: Universal-Douglas – Shut down March 22nd. More details here. Pathway Lighting – Shut down June 9th. Asset auction closes September 13th. More [...]

Recently, we announced the LightNOW Fall Philanthropy Series. The series will spotlight some of the stories of impact, giving, and commitment made by people and companies in our industry. We are excited that so many companies and organizations have signed on to participate. As part of our background research for the series, we learned about [...]

The September 2023 issue of LD+A has an interesting article arguing that a 180-degree cut-off for street and area lights is an inadequate requirement. The article is written by Thomas Paterson, who lays out the following arguments for a tighter beam cut-off angle, such as 150 or 120 degrees: Tolerance – A 180-degree cut-off doesn’t [...]

  Scientists from Fishtek Marine, a manufacturer of sustainable fishing gear, had a surprise discovery. Bright lights that they added to crab pots to catch more crabs instead attracted loads of scallops. The scallops swam into the traps to get to the lights. Traditional scallop fishing involves dredging the bottom of the ocean, causing considerable [...]

    I had the pleasure of interviewing Derek Richardson, CEO of Deako, about their unique approach to residential smart lighting controls. Shiller: Derek, thank you for sharing your expertise with LightNOW readers. I have to admit that I hadn’t heard of Deako until recently, but Deako seems to have a very large footprint in [...]