The Argus Leader has reported that South Dakota’s Energy Management Office has created a revolving $2.8 million loan fund that can be used to purchase and install energy-efficient lighting (in addition to HVAC, windows, insulation, renewable energy) for K-12 school districts, state tech schools and nonprofits. The fund is part of the Federal Energy Efficiency [...]

A new standard for the design of high-performance green buildings is set to revolutionize the building industry. Published by ASHRAE in conjunction with IES and the U.S. Green Building Council, Standard 189.1, Standard for the Design of High-Performance, Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, is the first code-intended commercial green building standard in the United [...]

Green construction codes and standards are beginning to emerge on the national code stage. The standards go beyond energy standards such as 90.1 and the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) to cover additional areas such as site sustainability, water efficiency, indoor environmental quality and materials and resources. This is the subject of a new whitepaper [...]

The Advanced Energy Design Guide (AEDG) for Small Hospitals and Healthcare Facilities is designed to provide recommendations for achieving 30 percent energy savings over the minimum code requirements of ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-1999. The Guide focuses on small healthcare facilities up to 90,000 sq.ft., including acute care facilities, outpatient surgery centers, critical access hospitals and inpatient [...]

Japanese artist Hiroshi Sugimoto uses a camera to capture the expression of electric charge. The technique, which involves passing hundreds of thousands of volts through a film to a metal table, resulted in “Lightning Fields,” a series of striking images that capture the dynamic nature of electricity. Check it out here.

In late January, LightNOW published a short article about the International Dark-Sky Association’s position on blue light at night: In short, IDA said blue light produces higher light pollution with significant environmental impact, and discouraged the use of bluish-white light sources with >3000K color temperature. The post generated some very thoughtful discussion, and interesting points [...]

Air Cycle Corporation’s short video discussing lamp recycling and promoting its “Bulb Eater” product:

According to the Department of Energy, monitoring electricity can help consumers reduce energy consumption by up to 15%. Now Oregon Scientific has announced two new products designed to help consumers monitor energy usage and save energy in the home: The Advanced Wireless Appliance Manager monitors power consumption, carbon emissions and real-time costs for up to [...]

Below is my column for the Jan/Feb issue of Illuminate, for your consideration. Note that Jan/Feb is my last issue as editor at large. From here on out, I will not be leading the magazine as its editor but instead contributing it to as a staff writer. This was on my request … Death and [...]