Energy + Environment

Dark Sky, Energy + Environment

Cities Adopting Policies To Prevent Bird-Building Collisions, Including Lighting

Some estimates are that up to one billion birds each year are killed in collisions with windows. A new report titled, “Building Safer Cities for Birds: How Cities Are Leading the Way on Bird-Friendly Building Policy,” details the growing number of cities, municipalities, laws, and policies that are reducing deadly bird collisions with buildings. The [...]

Construction + Economy, Energy + Environment

US DOE Assesses Critical Materials For Energy

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has completed an assessment of critical materials for energy. The Energy Act of 2020 defines a “critical material” as: Any non-fuel mineral, element, substance, or material that the Secretary of Energy determines: (i) has a high risk of supply chain disruption; and (ii) serves an essential function in one [...]

Energy + Environment, Lighting Industry

CA CPUC Approves $4.3 Billion For Energy Efficiency, Targets Rural & Underserved Communities

  The California Public Utility Commission (CPUC) approved $4.3 billion in investments for energy efficiency efforts from 2024 through 2027, along with a forecasted budget of $4.6 billion from 2028 through 2031. Roughly 14% of the budget will be channeled to programs that target disadvantaged and underserved communities to ensure equitable access to energy efficiency programs. The [...]

Energy + Environment, Lighting Industry

It’s Time For Recycled Textiles In The Lighting Industry

  The textile industry appears to be well ahead of the lighting industry in terms of circularity, recycling old textiles into new textiles. Textiles are most commonly used within commercial and residential luminaires as shades and diffusers. Here are 14 textile recycling companies that could be sourced to increase circularity in the lighting industry: Blue [...]

Codes + Standards, Energy + Environment

ENERGY STAR Releases Second Draft Of Recessed Downlight V1.0 Spec

  In previous LightNOW reporting, I’ve written about EPA’s sunsetting of the ENERGY STAR Lamps and Luminaires specifications, along with the plan to launch a new recessed downlights specification. EPA has now released a second draft of the ENERGY STAR Recessed Downlights Version 1.0 specification (Version 1.0) intended to replace the Luminaires Version 2.2 specification (the existing [...]

Codes + Standards, Energy + Environment

New British Verification Program For Lighting Industry Circular Economy Claims

  While circular economy principles are getting started in the North American lighting industry, they are far more advanced in the European lighting industry. In England, the LIA (Lighting Industry Association) and CIBSE (Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers) have joined forces to introduce a new product verification program aimed at promoting circular economy practices [...]

Construction + Economy, Energy + Environment

Electrification Impacts On Lighting, Part 7: State & Municipal Fines

At LightFair, I was part of a panel presenting the impacts of electrification on the lighting industry. This is the final article, Part 7, of the series. Dozens of states and municipalities have begun adopting energy benchmarking regulations that include fines to building owners who fail to meet either emissions or energy efficiency requirements. New [...]

Construction + Economy, Energy + Environment

Electrification Impacts On Lighting, Part 5: DC Fixtures

  At LightFair, I was part of a panel presenting the impacts of electrification on the lighting industry. This article is Part 5 of the series. Electrification of building heat, hot water, cooking, as well as the transportation sector will create tremendous stresses on the electrical grid and utilities. This is already beginning to happen [...]

Construction + Economy, Energy + Environment

Electrification Impacts On Lighting, Part 4: Material Shortages

At LightFair, I was part of a panel presenting the impacts of electrification on the lighting industry. This article is Part 4 of the series. Two of the biggest consequences of electrification will be the mass adoption of electric vehicles as well as the rapid increase in renewable energy generation. Both of these will create [...]

Energy + Environment

Electrification Impacts On Lighting, Part 3: Deeper Energy Efficiency Retrofits

  At LightFair, I was part of a panel presenting the impacts of electrification on the lighting industry. This article is Part 3, about various factors that will all drive up energy costs for building owners and motivate much larger energy efficiency retrofits moving forward. Electric utility rates have historically increased an average of 2.5% [...]

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