PRESS
https://www.vogue.com/article/how-to-lighting-scheme-at-home-supermodel-secrets
https://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/21/led-holiday-light-sales-boom/
https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/blog/2011/03/ceo-Don-Piefer-LED-celebrity-photography.html
https://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/02/q-a-for-new-bulbs-new-sockets/
ARTICLES
The CFL Myth
This essay examines the Change a Bulb and Save the Planet campaign by the EPA. Using application analysis and research on in situ issues with the technology, the question is posed: given how we are likely to use these lamps, would we suggest the same promise the technology?
LD+A, the Journal of the Illuminating Engineering Society • October 2007
Socket-Share Conundrum
Follow up essay to CFL myth, screw-based LED (SLED) A-lamp replacements are examined for insitu issues as a function of temperature in common residential lighting applications. Due to ICAT rating acceptance across states, would SLED be a good application fit given issues with power supplies and phosphor degradation of LED at high temperatures.
LD+A, the Journal of the Illuminating Engineering Society • March 2009
Heir Apparent
Round table discussion of LED vs. CFL in common residential applications. 5 experts from the lighting industry discuss what technology will reign supreme.
LD+A, the Journal of the Illuminating Engineering Society • October 2009
Ubiquitous Lighting
The future of lighting controls is discussed within the context of ubiquitous computing. We examine the tenets of ubiquitous computing, show where it went wrong, and discuss how lighting is the perfect Trojan horse for the future of IT.
LD+A, the Journal of the Illuminating Engineering Society, Apps and Answers Column • June 2010
Micro Solutions in a Macro World
LED in the near field are examined. Principles of design are discussed along with common misapplications of LED lighting that manifest most overtly in task lighting applications. Working from the task backward, requirements are designed for the industry in designing near-field lighting instruments.
LD+A, the Journal of the Illuminating Engineering Society, Apps and Answers Column • April 2011
Absolute vs. Relative Photometry
Discussion of the disconnect between the characterization of fluorescent vs. LED product types as a result of DOE caliper program and adoption of LM79 verification. Common LED and Florescent samples are evaluated and results discussed. Given the life cycle cost benefit analysis involved in specifying LED products, suggestions are made for leveling the playing field and creating across-the-board technology agnostic testing protocols.
LD+A, the Journal of the Illuminating Engineering Society, Apps and Answers Column • December 2009
A Race to the Bottom
Discussion of how the current lighting codes through various agencies and industry concerns are outlining lighting practices that will lead to a systemically poorly lit built environment and resistance to adopting newer, more efficient technology that has resulted in the recommendations.
LD+A, the Journal of the Illuminating Engineering Society, Apps and Answers Column • August 2011
Lifetime and LEDs
We all knew that LEDs are supposed to last so much longer than incandescent. Discussion of the Red Herring that is LED lifetime. Given the perception by the average consumer of lighting as a disposable good, how do we reconcile the durable good standards placed upon products meant to compete on cost with other technologies.
LD+A, the Journal of the Illuminating Engineering Society, Apps and Answers Column • February 2011
About Light Meters
In the process of specifying lighting products, an extensive evaluation of photometry and orientation of lights in commercial offices based on 3rd party verified testing procedures. This is all done electronically via proxy of ies files and light rendering software. Discussion is around how rarely we test our assumptions in situ. Walking the space after installation with a meter, understanding the impact of distribution and getting a more hands-on approach to lighting design is recommended.
LD+A, the Journal of the Illuminating Engineering Society, Apps and Answers Column • September 2010
LEED 2.0
USGBC somewhat shocking adoption rate and LEED professional accreditation rate is placed in a historical context. The strengths of LEED in treating the building system holistically is pointed out. The inability of LEED to capture proper lighting metrics along with paucity of lighting credits is sited. Finally, the new requirements for LEED are discussed.
LD+A, the Journal of the Illuminating Engineering Society, Apps and Answers Column • March 2012
Design in the Era of LEDs
Talk about the “thoughtless and arbitrary” way that we design luminaires. Designing around the strengths of the technology instead of past technologies is stressed as the importance in this new paradigm of digital lighting. Discussion continues with thoughts around how we have to stop thinking about luminaire design as just bending metal. Mechanical, optical, electrical and thermal engineering makes old model of thousands of configurations obsolete.
LD+A, the Journal of the Illuminating Engineering Society, Apps and Answers Column • April 2012
Innovation in Lighting
In this piece, the pace of innovation in the lighting industry is called upon as too conservative and too hampered by the old lamp and fixture paradigm of lighting. Connections to other industries and other modes of innovation are made with a list of 5 recommended practices. Finally, the ability of lighting, given the corporate structure of most lighting companies are not set up for success ultimately in their cultivation of innovative culture.
LD+A, the Journal of the Illuminating Engineering Society, Apps and Answers Column • May 2011
Future Lighting Predictions
A futurist prediction of what change 20 years will produce in the lighting industry. Characterization of consumer acceptance of new technology and the pace are considered along with emerging technologies in lighting and in other industries.
LD+A, the Journal of the Illuminating Engineering Society, Apps and Answers Column • October 2011
Madness and Creativity
Innovation is one of the most sought-after yet ephemeral skill sets for an organization. The origins of the skill are discussed with reference to Madness and Modernism, the role of schizophrenia in modern art. Candidate requirements are discussed for innovation roles along with inter-organizational interaction once placed.
LD+A, the Journal of the Illuminating Engineering Society, Apps and Answers Column • August 2012
Planned Obsolescence
For lighting to win the game of perception and maximize its impact, two things need to happen: the technology in the marketplace needs to be of excellent quality, and we need a “hero metric.” With a tsunami of poorly made products coming on line, the former could be tough. LED products need to meet the requirements of the consumer, and in order to follow through on the promise of LEDs, lifetime becomes the hero metric.
LD+A, the Journal of the Illuminating Engineering Society, Apps and Answers Column • January 2013
Light and Art
The importance of lighting’s role in the creation and the exhibition of art are discussed. Current issues with Van Gogh Museum lighting roll out to a discussion of contextual capture. For example, the work of Edvard Munch is looked at in context of being created in his outdoor studio. How does the color and intensity of Norwegian Winter sky affect how the work of art is created and how it should be displayed for optimal fidelity?
LD+A, the Journal of the Illuminating Engineering Society, Apps and Answers Column • March 2013
Five Rules for Designing Roadway Lighting
Based on the work of Mark Rea, this how-to article stresses the needs of lighting to work with the limitations of the retina—especially in low-light conditions.
LEDs Magazine • April 2013
Garage Lighting
Many of the issues that we have with lighting in current applications is a result of new technology being designed into the old paradigm system. The piece discusses the use of Total Internal Refraction Optics in conjunction with LED technology to create new ways of lighting an application. The vertical of garage lighting is used as an example with glare being a critical issue.
LD+A, the Journal of the Illuminating Engineering Society, Apps and Answers • May 2013
The Art of Execution
The inability for companies to execute on a business plan is a problem in the lighting industry. Not only is it systemic in large corporation, it is surprisingly present in start-up lighting companies as well. Shepherding design intent from the design phase through launch is tricky—given the multi-level engineering involved with solid-state lighting.
LD+A, the Journal of the Illuminating Engineering Society, Apps and Answers • July 2013
The Selling of Science
An in depth look at dissolution of recommended practice to technical memorandum after several years in committee. Essay examines why S/P failed and the danger of factions of the industry attempting to make ipso facto metrics for spectrally enhanced lighting despite inconclusive evidence to its efficacy.
LD+A, the Journal of the Illuminating Engineering Society, Apps and Answers • September 2013
Lighting Lessons from an Artist
James Turrell is a perceptual psychologist by training and the most celebrated light artist alive. His recent retrospective at the Guggenheim shows the extent of his appeal. The essay talks about common methodology he employs that takes advantage of cognitive psychology for greater effect.
Contract Magazine • September 2013
The Art of Execution
The inability for companies to execute on a business plan is a problem in the lighting industry. Not only is it systemic in large corporation, it is surprisingly present in start-up lighting companies as well. Shepherding design intent from the design phase through launch is tricky—given the multi-level engineering involved with solid-state lighting.
LiD • November 2013
What Film Can Teach Us
The topic is lighting for film—how it is intuitive and derived from years of working with the medium physically every day. Discussion centers around the disconnect in the lighting industry with the actual medium we are packaging. Rules of thumb for successful lighting is recommended based on best practices in film.
LD+A, the Journal of the Illuminating Engineering Society, Apps and Answers • January 2014
The IoT soufflé
Everything today is “smart.” Lighting in development is no exception. The essay discusses what it really means to be smart and what needs to happen before we are able to seamlessly communicate and calmly assist users. Discussion ends with the idea of lighting as the perfect Trojan Horse for ubiquitous computing and networked intelligence in the built environment.
LD+A, the Journal of the Illuminating Engineering Society, Apps and Answers • March 2014
Have LEDs really Won?
This essay questions the common belief that LEDs are now the hands-down winner in the lighting technology battle. Discussion revolves around the fact that while, true: LEDs have disrupted every application, the real metric to use is consumer acceptance. Discussion of disposable vs. durable goods leads into what it takes to truly win the battle of public perception.
LD+A, the Journal of the Illuminating Engineering Society, Apps and Answers • July 2014
Control of Controls
Discussion of the opportunity lost by the lighting industry in not wrestling cost to the ground and making controls user-friendly. It is posited that it is only a matter of time before extra-industry behemoths recognize the important part lighting will play in the IoT broom out.
LD+A, the Journal of the Illuminating Engineering Society, Apps and Answers • October 2014
Circadian-friendly Lighting
As everyone jumps onto the circadian bandwagon offering naïve and compromised solutions, we discuss the characteristics of the circadian system, and how there are no one-size-fits-all solutions.
LD+A, the Journal of the Illuminating Engineering Society, Forward Thinking • March 2015
The Power of Data
Obscure application studies are discussed that allow for granular characterizations of data sets. As we move into the IoT paradigm, what kind of data do we want to look at, how do we practically capture the data? Discussion evolves to safety, security and the reams of data on lossy networks the camera offers as a sensor type. Alternatives are likened to Junk DNA, whereas, just because we don’t know doesn’t mean it is not valuable.
LD+A, the Journal of the Illuminating Engineering Society, Forward Thinking • July 2015
The Need for CTOs
In the new paradigm of LEDs, we discuss the expectations of the consumers—particularly in the B2B arena. Expectations that we get cheap products that are also durable is questioned, and we talk about the level of mechanical, electrical, optical and thermal engineering that need to go into every LED product. We conclude that the idea of a manufacturer producing thousands of fixture types a year as untenable.
LD+A, the Journal of the Illuminating Engineering Society, Forward Thinking • November 2015
Lumens are Dead
This article questions the most important metric in our industry today, the lumen. Questions about what it is and how it is derived show that we need better ways of capturing the success of a luminaire to appropriately light a task. The example of the grazer is used throughout.
LD+A, the Journal of the illuminating Engineering Society, Forward Thinking • April 2016
The Rise of the Robots
The article discusses the trend in other sectors in automation and subsequent dissolution of jobs as a result. We talk about the requirements for replacement, and we discuss the major categories of jobs in the lighting sector against the canvas of the inevitable.
LD+A, the Journal of the Illuminating Engineering Society, Forward Thinking • February 2017
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