David Shiller

On March 13th, U.S. EPA’s ENERGY STAR program issued a memo with final decisions about sunsetting of the ENERGY STAR lighting programs. Here are the major takeaways from the decision memo: EPA is finalizing the sunset of the ENERGY STAR specifications (programs) for lamps and luminaires, effective December 31, 2024. Recessed downlights and downlight retrofit [...]

Translucent concrete, also known as light-transmitting concrete, is a building material that allows light to pass through it. It is made by embedding optical fibers in a concrete matrix, which allows the material to transmit light while still maintaining its structural integrity. The fibers used in translucent concrete are typically made of glass or plastic [...]

At LEDucation, it was encouraging to see the advancements in fiber optic lighting. A company called Universal Fiber Optic Lighting USA (UFO) exemplified this maturing of fiber optic lighting, including the adoption of LED illuminators / light sources, attractive side-emitting fibers, and attractive end fittings, including European crystal. Perhaps what was most impressive was the [...]

One week ago, on March 14th, the California Energy Commission (CEC) voted to repeal portable luminaires from the scope of Title 20 appliance efficiency regulations. Portable luminaires include floor lamps, table lamps, desk lampand other luminaires with a wall plug rather than a hardwired power source. Although CA Title 20 provided a number of paths [...]

Another fun find at LEDucation was a set of LED projectors with dual gobos that spin in opposite directions, creating the effects of moving water and moving fire. The company is Rosco. The X-Effects LED Projectors can achieve a variety of different lighting effects by changing gobos or adding color into either the Static Gobo/Filter [...]

An interesting find at LEDucation, last week was a line of linear luminaires from Lumentruss made from reclaimed pine engineered lumber. It has the appearance of shredded recycled lumber that has been pressed into new lumber. The finished look has an intense grain pattern that is even more pronounced than ‘virgin’ wood. Recycled wood both [...]

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has proposed a new rule that would ban non-compete agreements and clauses from contracts in the U.S. The motivation is to create more competition and innovation by allowing employees to change jobs freely, without being restricted by non-compete clauses. The rule would apply to both independent contractors and full-time employees, [...]

I recently had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Alp Durmus, Assistant Professor in the Department of Architectural Engineering at Pennsylvania State University (PSU). Many in the lighting industry know this department as a top academic lighting program in the US, but fewer know about its lighting lab. My tour of the lab’s capabilities was very [...]

The most interesting technology that I saw at LEDucation, last week, was the Airelight LED ceramic luminaires from GoldenEye Lighting. They’re a California-based manufacturer with a novel light source platform. Their luminaires reflect white LEDs within a ¼”-thick aluminum channel that serves as a diffusing chamber. The light emits through a diffuser that is alumina, [...]