Craig’s Lighting Articles

My contribution to the November issue of ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR provides a basic summary of major changes in the commercial lighting section of the 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). IECC 2018 reduces lighting power allowances, expands mandatory control requirements, and includes clarifications.

My contribution to the December issue of tED Magazine, the official publication of the NAED, provides an update on the development of LiFi technology, including its early commercialization efforts.

As an energy-saving and long-life product, TLED lamps are generally well suited to applications with high energy costs, long operating hours, or where the owner wants to minimize maintenance. Compared to other options such as replacing the luminaires, they are specifically well suited to applications where the owner wants to maintain a similar space appearance, has a limited budget, or is spot relamping a large facility. However, control options are often limited. Enter connected TLED lamps, which offer sophisticated wireless control.

In 2017, the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) evaluated the performance of a selection of LED lighting products with very high published efficacies close to or topping 200 lumens/W. All seven were industrial luminaires, with all but one featuring unshielded light emitters. DoE set out to validate the efficacy claims, characterize commonalities between the products, and identify any performance tradeoffs. Pairs of product samples for each of the seven luminaires were tested for horizontal light level, flicker, and maximum luminance (photometric brightness). Further, 23 knowledgeable observers visually evaluated the products in a mockup.

In December 2017, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued a report evaluating the energy-savings potential of LED lighting in horticultural applications. A subsequent May 2018 report by the Lighting Research Center, however, reached different conclusions.

Nearly 50 million people aged 65 and over live in the United States, with about 1 million living in more than 30,000 assisted-living communities, according to the National Center for Assisted Living. They can be challenging for lighting design, as the visual system undergoes physiological changes with age that can reduce visual acuity and color discrimination while heightening sensitivity to glare.

I recently contributed an article to the Lighting Controls Association website breaking down the new lighting control requirements in the 2018 version of the International Energy Conservation Code.

Manufacturers may market their connected lighting products as IoT-enabled, which means it features connectivity, intelligence, sensors, and bi-level data communication. This enabling has led to claims that installing a connected lighting system proofs a facility for future IoT enactment, which is true in theory but requires diligence in specification, addressing issues such as interoperability, scalability, security, and more.

One year after its founding, in May 2018 the IoT-Ready Alliance released a standard specification allowing any type of Internet of Things (IoT) sensor or control module to connect seamlessly to a luminaire or other building system. Standardization is a significant step in enabling the IoT.