David Shiller

  The American Lighting Association (ALA) put out a government affairs newsletter, last week, summarizing a trio of federal trade actions announced in early June that are poised to reshape cost structures, sourcing strategies, and compliance risk across the lighting and electrical supply chain, with implications extending well beyond metals pricing. At the center is [...]

  “Shadow” is best understood as a lighting-design methodology that intentionally uses shadow as a design material, not as a flaw to eliminate. In practice, it means shaping light so shadows help define form, depth, texture, atmosphere, and emotional tone rather than simply filling everything with uniform brightness. Traditional lighting often tries to reduce shadows. Shadow-based [...]

  Briteswitch has pulled together the latest rebate trends for Commercial Lighting Controls and EV Chargers, in separate articles. Rebate Trends For Commercial Lighting Controls Commercial lighting controls are moving from an add-on feature to a central part of rebate strategy as utilities push for deeper energy savings and look beyond simple LED retrofits. In [...]

  What Is Quantum Biology? Quantum biology is an emerging scientific field that studies the role of quantum mechanics—the physics of particles at the atomic and subatomic levels—in living organisms. It explores how biological processes rely on phenomena like quantum tunneling and coherence, rather than just classical physics and standard chemistry. Researchers focus on a variety of [...]

  Electrical distributor consolidation is gradually redrawing the lighting market, and the effects are showing up in pricing, service, and channel strategy. With at least 125 U.S. electrical distributor acquisitions in the last five years, the lighting industry is operating in a channel that is larger, more concentrated, and more competitive than it was at [...]

  Digital marketing firm, Unframed Digital, has published a 2026 report, Transparency Wins The Spec: How Product Brands Build Designer Trust Online. The report is based on a survey of 783 U.S. design professionals. Key survey findings include: 98 to 99% of design professionals shop for products online. 54% discover products through organic search. 59% [...]

  Color Kinetics (a Signify brand) has published a new application guide Illuminating Bridges. The Guide emphasizes that bridges are more than transport links, they are civic symbols, visual landmarks, and increasingly, experiential spaces. Thoughtful lighting plays a critical role in defining how these structures are perceived after dark. Done well, it enhances safety, reinforces [...]

  Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA) is an engineering methodology that optimizes product design to minimize production costs and streamline assembly. By prioritizing how parts are made and put together early in the design phase, companies reduce part counts, accelerate time-to-market, and eliminate expensive downstream modifications. The methodology is divided into two complementary core disciplines: Design [...]

  The National Lighting Bureau held an AI Think Tank on April 13, 2026. It brought together a cross-section of industry leaders to examine a question rapidly shifting from theoretical to operational: how artificial intelligence will reshape the lighting sector. The consensus was unequivocal—AI is no longer a future consideration but an immediate strategic priority. [...]