By Brent Protzman, Ph.D., Director of Product Management at Lutron Electronics Design professionals in the commercial building landscape are fundamentally shifting their approach to occupant comfort and energy efficiency. While architects and designers have long recognized the importance of daylight control, their toolkit could only do so much. Now, the intelligent, automated shading systems that [...]
Search: sustainable
Products + Technology, Sustainability
“SUPERWOOD” Stronger, Lighter, & More Sustainable Than Steel
InventWood, a Maryland-based company, is pioneering a revolutionary building material called SUPERWOOD that promises to transform the construction industry by combining exceptional strength with sustainability. Patented in 2018 by Dr. Liangbing Hu, SUPERWOOD is produced by removing certain components of wood’s cellular structure and compressing it, resulting in a material that is up to 12 [...]
Energy + Environment, Products + Technology
The Most Sustainable Luminaire In The UK Will Surprise You
A street light has just set a new record for the highest TM66 product circularity score, in the UK. It is the Oaken street light, manufacturered by Thorlux Road and Tunnel (TRT) Lighting, in the UK, with a TM66 score of 3.1. The CISBE TM66 circularity standard is designed to measure the carbon footprint [...]
The Copper Mark, And The Sustainable Copper Paradox
In a previous post, I’ve discussed sustainable aluminum as a path to further improve the sustainability of lighting. Another important metal to the lighting industry is copper. Copper is also critical for electrification, electric motors, electric vehicles, and many renewable energy technologies. The Copper Mark is a labeling program for copper producers to demonstrate [...]
Sustainable Lighting And Green Aluminum
Those of us with gray hair remember that luminaire housings were primarily made of steel until the LED revolution. Aluminum became the predominant luminaire housing material because of its superior thermal conductivity that keeps LED engines cooler. Today, there is enormous interest and pressure to make luminaires from more sustainable materials. More designers are [...]
Energy + Environment, Legislation + Regulation
Could Sustainable Lighting Product Regulations Be Coming to North America?
Industry discussions about sustainable lighting are increasing, but what would sustainable product regulations look like? The European Union (EU) is far ahead of North America on sustainable product regulations, and a look at what the EU is doing gives one vision of where sustainable product regulations could go in North America.
Energy + Environment, Lighting Industry
NAILD & Its Sustainable Lighting Committee Issue Open Letter About Integrated LED Luminaires
The National Association of Innovative Lighting Distributors (NAILD) and its sustainable lighting committee recently published an open letter, detailing a list of concerns with integrated LED luminaires and a set of recommendations for the industry.