Changing Scene

A new study from the Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute found that office workers who receive a robust dose of circadian-effective light in the morning, from electric lighting or daylight, experience better sleep and lower levels of depression and stress, than those who spend their mornings in dim or low light levels.

The modern office is seeing a major design shift as work styles change, mobile device use continues to grow, Millennials enter the workforce, and businesses embrace green, energy efficient technologies. Today’s workplaces are being redefined as dynamic, reconfigurable environments that can easily evolve with the changing needs of a company and its workers.

The Richard Kelly Grant was established by the New York Section of the Illuminating Engineering Society in 1980. Originally conceived as a scholarship program and later opened to young persons working in lighting in North America, the Grant is administered by the New York Section under the auspices of the IES.

LED luminaires present new challenges for those maintaining outdoor- and roadway-lighting systems. In other luminaire types, maintenance crews often clean the luminaires when they do a bulk or single relamp (Illuminating Engineering Society of Australia and New Zealand (2012)), so the lamp life drives the cleaning schedule.

The proper recycling of mercury containing lamps has become the focus of several programs and government legislation recently. Several provinces have developed programs designed to eliminate mercury containing lamps from ending up in landfills, while others are dominated by private recycling programs.

An iconic structure in the Greater Montreal landscape, the Jacques-Cartier Bridge has been used by Canadians to cross the Saint Lawrence River for over 87 years. The five-lane steel bridge, spanning over 3,350 m (11,000 ft), is best known for the eight finials, or architectural ornaments, that sit atop its four main columns and resemble the Eiffel Tower. Already an unmistakable landmark, the bridge was lit for the first time in its history to help commemorate both the 375th anniversary of Montreal and 150th anniversary of Canada. The idea was to reflect the energy and pulse of the city in real time through the use of over 2,800 intelligent LED lights attached to the steel truss structure. 

 This was this year’s theme at LIGHTFAIR International (LFI) in Philadelphia. We could add the future of design and art too. Without doubt, LED lighting is everywhere. It’s no longer the exception. The LED revolution we’ve been talking about is taking place in all areas of lighting and is opening up unexpected opportunities.