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 light.
• Emergence of RGBTW sources.
• Growth in busway power distribution for lighting. Growth in 48VDC architectural lighting systems, especially track and busway systems.
• Growth in long-range Bluetooth outdoor lighting controls.
• Smart home adoption is rising quickly, with implications for residential lighting.
• Touchless light switches with antimicrobial surfaces.
• Growth in micro luminaires, including micro downlights of 1/2” diameter or less.
• Circadian lighting moving from 2-channels to many-channels for greater stimulus versus brightness control.
• The mainstreaming of 3D-printed luminaires and diffusers.
• Growth in acoustic luminaires.

Legislation & Regulations:

• DOE GSL lamp regs have eliminated most incandescent and halogen sources. DOE has proposed additional GSL regs that only LED would meet. This poses challenges for some decorative LED lamps. Nearly all applications would require LED lamp or engine solutions.
• DOE’s proposed new ceiling fan regs. Smaller ceiling fans can remain AC motor, but larger ceiling fans would require DC motors. Impacts on motor controls for DC motors.
• Growing list of states banning fluorescent tubes and CFLs. 147 countries moving to ban fluorescent lamps.
• California Title 20 eliminated portable luminaire requirements (i.e. bulb-in-the-box).
• Proposed changes to FTC Lighting Facts Label, impacting additional lamp categories (i.e. low output lamps & color-tunable lamps).

 Lighting Industry:

• Residential lighting utility rebates are disappearing, except for downlights.
• ENERGY STAR is eliminating the lamps & luminaires programs, however, they’ve launched a new downlights program.
• Rapid electrification increasing electricity rates, retrofit ROI, metal shortages and price hikes, fines and incentives for building electrification, efficiency, and decarbonization.
• China’s diminishing share of US imports, and manufacturing shifts toward Mexico, India, and Southeast Asia. Part of the escalating and evolving US trade war with China.
• Growth of circular economy in lighting, and sustainability labels for lighting (i.e. Declare)
• LightFair’s decline (moving to every other year), and the rise of LEDucation and new regional trade shows.
• New lighting control trade shows (i.e. NYControlled and DLC Controls Summit)

What lighting industry trends are you anticipating in 2024? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Image: Pixabay.com

David Shiller

David Shiller is the Publisher of LightNOW, and President of Lighting Solution Development, a North American consulting firm providing business development services to advanced lighting manufacturers. The ALA awarded David the Pillar of the Industry Award. David has co-chaired ALA’s Engineering Committee since 2010. David established MaxLite’s OEM component sales into a multi-million dollar division. He invented GU24 lamps while leading ENERGY STAR lighting programs for the US EPA. David has been published in leading lighting publications, including LD+A, enLIGHTenment Magazine, LEDs Magazine, and more.

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