Craig DiLouie

Acuity Brands, Inc. recently announced it has acquired for cash Fairview, PA-based Healthcare Lighting, Inc., a provider of specialized, high-performance lighting products for healthcare facilities. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. “Healthcare Lighting’s philosophy of delivering high-quality, energy-efficient lighting solutions mirrors that of Acuity Brands,” said Vernon J. Nagel, Chairman, President and Chief Executive [...]

OSRAM SYLVANIA recently announced plans to offer a comprehensive portfolio of energy-efficient lighting fixtures for commercial and residential use. The SYLVANIA fixture line is the latest expansion of the company’s solid state lighting portfolio, which includes LED modules, power supplies, controls, lighting services and the number one line of LED retrofits in North America. “With [...]

NEMA’s Electroindustry Business Confidence Index (EBCI) for current North American conditions slipped to 45.5 in June, dropping below the 50-point “growth threshold” for the first time since October 2010. The index had climbed as high as 69.6 as recently as February 2011, prior to a sharp run-up in oil prices and Japan’s earthquake and tsunami. [...]

Philips Capri’s Aeros and Core track families provide a series of luminaires in three sizes and with ceramic metal halide, low voltage and incandescent lamping. A Swiss Movement Aiming System, standard on all luminaires, features a locking mechanism that simplifies precision aiming. Click here to learn more about these products.

I’m proud to be recognized by the Illuminating Engineering Society (of which I’ve been a proud member for the past 16 years) as their current “featured member.” Check it out here.

On the heels of a sizable decrease in April, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) slowed even further in May. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine to twelve month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the May ABI score [...]

The 22nd consecutive edition of LIGHTFAIR International (LFI) broke all records for attendance and exhibit space in its May 17-19 run at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, the LFI 2011 venue. LFI covered 200,000 net sq.ft. feet of exhibits in its largest-ever trade show floor. There were 474 exhibitors, including 59 first-time exhibiting companies. [...]

Not lighting related, but very cool! Meet the Chevy Volt. The engine design relies on electric power from its battery until it reaches its maximum range, at which point it seamlessly transitions to gasoline combustion. Why is this important for a green car? The experience of driving it meshes with the way we think about [...]

The average retail price of electricity for March 2011 was 9.66 cents per kWh, 0.4 percent lower than February 2011 when the average retail price of electricity was 9.70 cents per kWh, and 0.9 percent higher than March 2010, when the price was 9.57 cents per kWh, according to the Department of Energy. The average [...]