Products + Technology

  CES 2024 concluded last week, in Las Vegas, NV. While every imaginable type of tech was there, there were some lighting product releases. Here are two of them: NanoLeaf released its Sky Expansion Pack. See first two images. This NanoLeaf Skylight is designed to look and feel like a skylight. By replicating a dynamic [...]

  China’s near monopoly on rare earth metals production is diminishing, but still dominant. China’s market share of rare earth production has dropped from 97% a decade ago, to 70% in 2022. Rare earth minerals are critical to many important climate action technologies including magnets for renewable energy generation such as wind turbines, electric vehicles, [...]

  In 2020, I authored an article in LEDs Magazine alerting the industry to the misleading claims of all emergency TLED manufacturers (at that time), that their products were UL listed. Until now, all of the emergency TLED makers were getting emergency TLEDs UL listed as basic retrofit lamps under UL1598C (Type B), but they [...]

  Shoplight, a British manufacturer specializing in retail and hospitality lighting, launched a line of 3D-printed bioplastic downlights called Colt Bio. The plant-based polymer downlight housings are upgradable and achieve circular economy principles. The black, white, and grey color options are made from Greentech Pro bioplastic, while the Silk color is made from Non Oilen [...]

  The M18 RADIUS Site Light/Charger with ONE-KEY sets a new standard for cordless lights. Capable of running off of one or two battery packs, The RADIUS™ Site/Light Charger with ONE-KEY delivers full workspace coverage with 9,000 lumens for maximum 360° coverage. Adjustable output levels give the user the ability to light the site for [...]

  On June 30, 2022, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 54 into law to address the impacts of single-use packaging and plastic food service ware. This law requires that by 2032, single use plastics (packaging & food ware) in CA be reduced by 25%, 65% be recycled, and 100% be recyclable or compostable. The law [...]

  I researched for hours trying to get a complete picture of the origins, drivers, products, and claims around “less than 2% blue light.” As long as 6 years ago, Circadian Zirclight claimed their office products switched from conventional blue pump white LEDs during the day, to violet pump white LEDs in the evening for [...]

    Companies are beginning to produce fiber textiles, also known as biofabric, from fungus mycelium and plant roots. The following are two interesting examples. My Glo produces luminaires (light shades) and other home décor items from fungus mycelium. See the image above and directly below. The mycelium light shades are flame resistant, help clean [...]

48 volt direct current (48VDC) lighting has been slowly and quietly growing as a trend, over the past 5-10 years. Here are some important things to know. ORIGINS 48VDC power systems originated in the telecommunications industry. Telecom needed efficiency, resiliency during grid outages, and increased safety from shock. The telecom industry invested in the first [...]