David Shiller

The Smart Surfaces Coalition has launched a peer learning network to help cities increase climate resilience through “smart surfaces” infrastructure. This initiative, announced on Monday, aims to connect city staff and provide them with valuable resources to implement climate-resilient solutions. Smart surfaces, as defined by the coalition, include reflective, porous, and green urban surfaces, as [...]

  IBM has unveiled groundbreaking research in optics technology that could revolutionize how data centers train and run generative AI models, using light instead of electricity. The company’s co-packaged optics (CPO) innovation aims to replace electrical interconnects in data centers, offering significant improvements in speed and energy efficiency for AI and other computing applications. IBM [...]

  The DOE’s new CALiPER testing report on upper-room Germicidal Ultraviolet (GUV) luminaires highlights significant advancements and persistent challenges in this technology. Upper-room GUV, recommended by both ASHRAE and the CDC, has shown promise in delivering substantial energy savings while meeting ASHRAE Standard 241 and CDC ventilation targets without requiring major HVAC upgrades. Key findings [...]

  Four award programs have recently announced their Call For Entries: The New York City Section Of The IES Lumen Awards For outstanding lighting design projects. More information and entry submissions are here. Deadline: January 10, 2025.   National Lighting Bureau Tesla Awards For excellence in lighting projects, both new construction and retrofit. More information [...]

The LED revolution has given us micro-luminaires, micro-LEDs, and smaller drivers. Everything can be miniaturized, so why not louvers? That’s what QTL (formerly Q-Tran) has done with their new VERS-NANO-LOUVER (11). The product features a co-extruded lens with integrated louvers that provide 35° viewing angles, delivering exceptional glare control ideal for direct view applications. The [...]

  The 2024 “State of the Cannabis Lighting Market” report, published by Cannabis Business Times with support from Fluence, provides an in-depth analysis of lighting trends and practices among commercial cannabis cultivators. This report, which has been published annually since 2016, highlights the ongoing evolution and significant changes in cannabis lighting technology and practices. The [...]

I previously wrote about the potential of liquid cooling for high power LED luminaires, here. Liquid cooling is becoming increasingly popular for AI servers in advanced data centers, the charging cables for high-powered Level 3 EV chargers, and even next gen EV batteries. Traditional air-cooling methods can no longer meet thermal dissipation requirements for these [...]

  The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced a large investment of $970 million to be distributed among 125 U.S. airports across 46 states, as well as Guam and Palau. This funding is part of President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and represents a shift in focus for FAA investments. Traditionally, the FAA has concentrated on [...]

  A new study investigates the effects of near-infrared radiation (NIR) in ambient indoor lighting on human cognitive performance, emotional state, and cardiovascular health. The research addresses the absence of NIR in modern electric lighting systems and energy-efficient windows, despite its biological activity and therapeutic applications. In a preregistered within-subjects double-blind experiment, 151 university students [...]