David Shiller

  The 2025 Smart Home Technology Trends Survey, conducted by Harbor Research for the Association for Smarter Homes & Buildings (ASHB), details escalating adoption, evolving consumer attitudes, and emerging opportunities in the smart home sector across the U.S. and Canada. Drawing insights from 611 respondents, the report highlights a rise in smart home adoption—from 49% [...]

  It was roughly 12 or 13 years ago that the first COB LED tape lights hit the market. I remember a client making me aware of the new tape light that eliminated pixilation, which was the primary benefit of COB tape light. Today, there are a dizzying array (pun intended) of COB tape lights [...]

  Realtor.com’s new 2025 Home Trends Report found that efficiency, sustainability and nature-inspired design are on the rise, while more opulent or space-heavy features are losing ground—highlighting a shift in how Americans define comfort and value. Sustainability and Efficiency There is a pronounced shift toward sustainable, eco-friendly home design in 2025, driven largely by increasing awareness [...]

  The 7th annual Tesla Awards program recognizes excellence in lighting projects that through the creative use of lighting systems and controls, illustrate the value of lighting including: improved visual performance, promotion of health and wellness, environmental impact including reduced light pollution/preservation of nighttime lighting quality, enhanced safety and security, and increased overall occupant satisfaction. [...]

  Editor’s Note:  Since first publishing this story, the Kwikset Halifax LED Lever has also been recognized with an honorable mention in the 2025 SecurityInfoWatch.com Readers’ Choice Product Awards, in the Door Hardware & Locks category. Kwikset announced that its Halifax LED Lever door handle was named a winner in Good Housekeeping’s 2026 Home Renovation [...]

  The September 2025 Dodge Construction Network data show a continued rebound in total construction starts, with a 3.1% month-over-month increase to a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of about $1.26 trillion. The upturn is driven primarily by a sharp rise in nonresidential starts, which climbed 11.9% for the month, while residential starts rose 3.6%. [...]

  Reflect Orbital, a California startup, plans to launch a demonstration satellite in 2026 that will unfold a large mirror (about 60 by 60 feet) to direct sunlight to specific ground targets, initiating a broader goal of a constellation of roughly 4,000 solar reflectors to provide “light on demand” and extend daylight hours. The venture [...]

  Following intense backlash from business leaders, bipartisan members of Congress, and industry groups, the EPA is reconsidering the ENERGY STAR program after initially announcing plans to eliminate it in May 2025. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has stepped back from terminating the program and is now exploring options to preserve or restructure it, though no [...]

The DesignLights Consortium (DLC) released the DLC Technical Requirements for LED Lighting: SSL V6.0 and LUNA V2.0. Solid-State Lighting is DLC’s LED program, while LUNA (Light Usage for Night Applications) is DLC’s dark sky program. These updated requirements apply to both indoor and outdoor non-residential applications. The DLC Technical Requirements for LED Lighting: SSL V6.0 [...]