Lighting Industry

On December 22nd, I published a story about the U.S. DOE’s proposal to significantly increase general service lamp (GSL) efficacy requirements, here. I’ve since learned that many manufacturers of lamps and luminaires, in the decorative lighting industry, are concerned about certain classes of LED lamps that won’t meet the proposed new federal standard. At issue [...]

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) proposed to expand the types of lamps that are required to display the Lighting Facts Label. The Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) specifically proposes to add: Lower-brightness lamps (light bulbs) that are not regulated by US DOE. These are lamps below 310 lumens and 30 watts. “Any other [...]

The California Energy Commission (CEC) has formally proposed to end Title 20 regulations on portable luminaires. CEC has issued Notice of Proposed Action (NOPA) for the Repeal of Portable Luminaires Rulemaking, TN # 247747. Portable luminaires include wall plug products like table lamps and desk lamps. The CEC proposes to repeal standards for this appliance [...]

Some in the lighting industry are concerned and closely following both state and federal policy efforts known as Right to Repair. The original motivation is over the right to repair consumer electronic devices and farm equipment. The lighting industry is concerned that proposed state and federal policy proposals might create unintended, burdensome requirements on the [...]

Sea, air, and trucking models all predict dropping freight volumes in 2023, which would lead to lower shipping costs and could make some goods more affordable. This is according to a trio of forecasts released last month. Those three forecasts found a “severe rate of contraction” in transportation prices measured in November, according to the Logistics Managers’ [...]

Factory activity in China is expected to show extended declines in December, according to a Reuters poll, as the end of the country’s “zero-COVID” policy and rising infections began to affect production lines. Some analysts anticipate labor shortages and increased supply chain disruptions. Fears of a global recession due to rising interest rates, inflation, and the [...]

There are increasing signs of rough times in the horticultural lighting industry, including cannabis, food, flowers, and other Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) crops. Some examples include: Osram suggesting that growers cannot currently afford the expenditure on LED lighting because rising energy prices are consuming their budgets. Read more here. Signify’s CEO is also seeing a slowing [...]

Both business owners and employees should be aware of the new HR trend called “quiet hiring.” Quiet hiring is when an organization acquires new skills without hiring new full-time employees. Sometimes, it means hiring short-term contractors (external quiet hiring). Other times, it means encouraging current employees to move into new or additional roles within the organization [...]

  Here is a quick summary of six acquisitions and one closure, announced in the fourth quarter of 2022: Midstream Lighting acquired Hyperion (horticultural lighting). Details here. Munich-based ARRI acquired Clay Paky (entertainment lighting) from ams Osram. Details here. Applied UV, Inc. acquired PURO Lighting & LED Supply Co. Details here. Legrand acquired Encelium Advanced [...]