David Shiller

  You may have heard that the IEEE has released a new and important LiFi standard for light communications, 802.11bb. What you may not have heard is that the standard is based on a portion of the infrared spectrum, which effectively separates LiFi from visible light sources. Light fixtures will no longer hold any advantage [...]

  The Rhode Island fluorescent ban was signed by the Governor on June 22, 2023. After Jan. 1, 2024, it will be illegal to sell most compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) in Rhode Island. A year later, the sale of pin-based and linear fluorescent bulbs will become illegal. More information on Rhode Island’s ban is here. The [...]

  A new white paper by Parks Associates and Cox Communities sheds insights into the greater adoption and desire for smart home devices among apartment and condo residents (aka multi dwelling units or MDU). Their research found that 83% of MDU residents with smart home devices were satisfied or highly satisfied with their apartment or [...]

  In April, 2023, I wrote about the evolving and escalating trade war between the U.S. & China. One of the developments was the U.S. and some of its allies banning the sale of advanced AI computer chips to China. On July 3rd, China retaliated with an announcement that it would impose export restrictions on [...]

  Amazon dominates retail e-commerce but not B2B e-commerce. Here is a closer look: Amazon dominates retail e-commerce with $431 Billion in sales projected this year. Amazon’s retail Ecom market share is 37.6%. In second place is Walmart with $73.5 Billion in retail e-commerce sales, 1/6 that of Amazon. Amazon’s top retail e-comm categories are [...]

There are two lighting control trade shows now scheduled for this Fall. The first will be DLC Controls Summit ’23, held September 26 & 27 in Detroit, MI. This year’s Summit theme is “Unlocking the Potential of Networked Lighting Controls.” More information is available here. Then on November 14th, 2023, NYControlled, a new trade show, will [...]

  Have you noticed a decline in fireflies this Summer? I have, but so have scientists. Nearly 1 in 3 firefly species in the United States and Canada may be threatened with extinction, firefly experts estimate in a recent comprehensive assessment. Surveys abroad show declines from mangroves in Malaysia to grasslands in England. New research [...]

  The textile industry appears to be well ahead of the lighting industry in terms of circularity, recycling old textiles into new textiles. Textiles are most commonly used within commercial and residential luminaires as shades and diffusers. Here are 14 textile recycling companies that could be sourced to increase circularity in the lighting industry: Blue [...]

  In previous LightNOW reporting, I’ve written about EPA’s sunsetting of the ENERGY STAR Lamps and Luminaires specifications, along with the plan to launch a new recessed downlights specification. EPA has now released a second draft of the ENERGY STAR Recessed Downlights Version 1.0 specification (Version 1.0) intended to replace the Luminaires Version 2.2 specification (the existing [...]