David Shiller

48 volt direct current (48VDC) lighting has been slowly and quietly growing as a trend, over the past 5-10 years. Here are some important things to know. ORIGINS 48VDC power systems originated in the telecommunications industry. Telecom needed efficiency, resiliency during grid outages, and increased safety from shock. The telecom industry invested in the first [...]

National nonresidential construction spending ticked up 0.1% in October to a seasonally adjusted annualized basis of $1.1 trillion, according to a new Associated Builders and Contractors analysis.Manufacturing and infrastructure investments fueled a 0.1% uptick in October, but warehouse and distribution center spending declined. The small gain marks the 17th consecutive month of growth, primarily due to activity [...]

The U.S. DOE Lighting R&D Program has two open funding opportunities: The SBIR Program is looking to fund development of Advanced Lighting Fixtures, horticultural lighting, and germicidal UV solutions. Letters of intent for the SBIR are due Jan. 3. The DOE also has the BENEFIT FOA with concept papers due 12/18/23. SBIR link. The BENEFIT FOA [...]

  The following is a list of 24 lighting industry trends to watch in 2024, broken into three categories: technology, regulations, and industry. Technology: Alternative ceiling fan blade geometries: Toroidal? Bladeless? AI impacting lighting, including: AI generative design, AI chips going into IoT products, and AI in building automation systems. Emergence of AC COB tape [...]

  LightFair has announced that the 2025 trade show and conference will be co-located with HD Expo + Conference, as well as open showrooms at the Las Vegas Design Center (LVDC). The three events combined are being dubbed “Las Vegas Interior Design Week.” LightFair will be May 4-8, 2025 at the Las Vegas Convention Center [...]

  The following is an excerpt from my article in the December issue of LD+A: “As the coronavirus pandemic raged on, an upscale bistro in Dallas, TX became one of its many casualties. The restaurant had been located in an iconic chrome and glass gem structure within the grassy downtown oasis of Klyde Warren Park. [...]

  In the absence of Federal government action, lawmakers in 28 states have proposed legislation to end seasonal time changes each Fall and Spring. In March, 2022, The U.S. Senate passed a bill to make Daylight Saving Time permanent. The bill went nowhere in the House, and has made no apparent progress in the past [...]

  The Minamata Convention on Mercury was held 10/30 – 11/3, 2023, in Geneva, Switzerland. During the convention, 147 countries agreed to phase out all fluorescent lamps by 2027. This decision will accelerate adoption of LEDs. According to the appliance efficiency non-profit, CLASP, the phase out will have the following beneftis cumulatively between 2027 to [...]

On September 11th, 2023, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) published a final rule implementing Reese’s Law. The intent of the law and CPSC ruling is to prevent childhood choking and ingestion hazard from coin cell batteries. In the lighting and ceiling fan industries, this typically impacts handheld remote controls. Products utilizing coin cell batteries [...]