Is the LED boom over? Maybe so, but not in sports lighting. The energy savings and cost reductions with LED, and the advancements in controls now means you can get that NFL “look” for your local high school field. As Royce says, it can make participants feel like they are part of something bigger. Royce Banuelos is the marketing manager for SLG Lighting, an LED lighting manufacturer known for their high bays, commercial lighting, and turn key sports lighting solutions. He has an extensive 15+ years of experience in marketing and has been in lighting for 4 of those years, falling in love with the industry of making the world a brighter place. 

Yes, there is a market north of the border! The Toronto area is huge and deserves its own lighting show. Gaurav saw the opportunity and jumped on it all the way from India. With his company, MEX Exhibitions, he plans to “provide a platform for the lighting community to engage in meaningful dialogue and explore the future of smart lighting, LED technology, and design.” And he’s getting help from The Lighting Agora’s Tom Butters who is acting as the Knowledge Partner for the educational program. Spoiler alert - we’ll be there live streaming from the Get A Grip On Lighting booth! Bonus as a GAGOL listener: use the code NAILD40 to receive a discount on your registration fees. Gaurav Juneja, Director of MEX Exhibitions Pvt. Ltd. and MEX International Inc., is a pioneering leader in the B2B exhibition industry specifically for lighting industry, apart from many other Industry Verticals. He has played a transformative role in the industry, most notably through his leadership in launching major trade shows that have become flagship events in each sector. Gaurav was instrumental in the launch of LED Expo India in 2009, a ground breaking platform that introduced the Indian market to advanced LED technologies and solutions, helping accelerate the adoption of energy-efficient lighting across the country. Following its success, Gaurav spearheaded the expansion of the brand into Southeast Asia by establishing LED Expo Thailand in 2013, making it one of the largest and most influential lighting shows in the ASEAN region. Tom Butters, LC, is the creative mind and developer behind some of the most well received educational tools and events of the global lighting industry. Since 1986, Tom has worked in or served the entire array of the lighting industry. He uses this diverse background and empathy to understand the needs of the individual or organization to deliver high quality lighting education to suit the precise needs of the user. Tom is a proud board member of the Nuckolls’ Fund for Lighting Education and an Emeritus Member of the IES. As the Senior Manager then Director of Canlyte/Philips Lighting Concept Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada from 2000 to 2016, Tom developed and delivered top level lighting education to thousands of attendees in all segments of the lighting industry. Tom was the co-developer, along with F.X. Morin, of the globally successful free lighting app “IES Ready Reference”. He is the creator of “Light for Life – a Global Collaboration 2020” which involved 17 webinars from 15 lighting organizations from around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tom was the director of the IES’ free 4-hour live webinar “Germicidal Disinfection in the Days of COVID-19” which had over 3600 live attendees from 56 countries and has been viewed by thousands more as a free offering on the IES website. 

Special Release! It’s almost September and that means the Archlight Summit is almost upon us. Lea and Cindy update Michael on what to expect this year at The Dallas Market Centre in Dallas Texas. Educational and enjoyable. Catch up with friends and colleagues you haven’t seen for a while. September 17 and 18. Lea is a seasoned professional with over 25 years of experience in Trade Show Sales, Attendee Development, and new business development, specializing for over 14 years in the commercial and architectural lighting industry. Lea joined the Dallas Market Center this past April and is focused on Attendee Development and Exhibit Sales for ArchLIGHT Summit. She is dedicated to driving exhibit hall growth by attracting high-profile exhibitors and key industry attendees, ensuring the show's success, and expanding its impact in the lighting industry. Cindy is an award-winning Independent Marketing Consultant who’s been working in the lighting industry for 20 years. She has an extensive background in Event Management and Marketing in various industries including professional sports, non-profit events, and industry trade shows. She got her start in the commercial and architectural lighting industry with Acuity Brands and continues to serve as a marketing specialist for a variety of clients in architectural lighting. Cindy was contracted by the Dallas Market Center four years ago to create and manage ArchLIGHT Summit to Central Texas. She serves as the Director of Event Strategy and is responsible for exhibitor growth, association involvement, board members and overall event marketing and management. Cindy serves as the National Marketing Chair on the Women in Lighting + Design Board of Directors. 

Chad Palmer from Energyficient Systems joins Michael and Greg to talk about selling, the heightened value of lighting distributors, and maintenance engineering. Chad specializes in electrical products made for those who work in and build barns. And you might have seen him in Season 11 of “Fireball Run.” Chad Palmer is the President, CEO at Energyficient Systems, Inc., a lighting distributor with a national footprint serving the ESCO market and Energyficient Products, LLC. a manufacturer of lighting and electrical products for the agricultural industry.

IoT. What’s that? Internet Of Things. This is an emerging market. Yeah, it’s not exactly lighting controls, but it’s all becoming interconnected. Lights, HVAC, emergency, WiFi, elevators… even refrigerators are becoming connected. If you’re in controls, you might want to put “knowledge upgrading” on your radar. You can start by listening to Mike Skurla in this episode. As Chief Product Officer at Radix IoT, LLC–Michael Skurla helps consolidate global Marketing & Product Viability, focusing on forthcoming product strategy and intellectual property for markets including unique R&D initiatives, cloud/managed services, merger & acquisitions targets. Previously, as CTO, Skurla set product strategy. He has over two decades of experience in control automation and IoT product design with Fortune 500 companies, focusing on the intersection of software and hardware, emphasizing data aggregation and analytics for mission-critical industries. 

If you need a certain color from an RGB LED light, you just mix the right combination of red, green and blue, right? Not so fast! What about dimming? Solveig explains the challenges with dimming steps, variances in dimming rates in chips, the intensity of each color, and what the human eye sees. That’s why Solveig and Schnick Schnack Systems are working on high-quality RGB lights. Even though her favorite color is pink, Solveig Busler loves all colors of the visible spectrum. As Member of the Executive Board at the German LED manufacturer Schnick-Schnack-Systems GmbH, she provides TV-Studios, rental and production companies, as well as architectural projects with LED modules and luminaires as well as control systems. 20 years in the lighting and entertainment industry have made her an experienced and knowledgeable partner for ideas and projects of all sizes. 

Are building owners and engineers still not seeing the benefits of lighting controls? Gary explains the reluctance to embrace the technology when the long term benefits are hard to weigh against the upfront costs. As Gary says, how do you compete against a 99 cent on/off switch? Education! (So spread the word on The Lighting Controls Podcast!) Gary Meshberg, LEED AP, LC, CLCP, IESNA is vice chair of the Lighting Controls Association and director of industry and market engagement for Digital Lumens/Encelium. A 32-year industry veteran, he previously served as director of marketing, VP of sales and specification business manager for major lighting manufacturers. He chairs the IES Lighting Commissioning Committee, previously served as past education chair for the Dallas IES Section and founded and served as chair of the Home Lighting Control Alliance 

If you’re not a member of IMARK, maybe you should think about it. As Steve tells Michael and Greg, current members love it. They love the rebates, but IMARK is more than just rebates. IMARK provides training portals, product sourcing support, group health insurance and a group 401(K) to name a few benefits. Steve Ruane is the VP, Marketing and Member Services for IMARK Electrical. In that role, he is responsible for the group’s s marketing programs and group meetings such as GainShare and Gateway to Growth, Leadership Conference), member education (IMARK University) , and corporate communications both print and electronic. 

We’re really geeking out on this one. Steve Terry from ETC is all about codes and standards. Name a code in emergency lighting and Steve probably had a hand in shaping it. He chats with Webster and Ron about the history of lighting control and the confusion that can result from the complexity of ever-evolving standards. Steve Terry is currently the Director of Standards & Industry relations at ETC. From 2001-2017 he held various executive positions at ETC, including VP of Research & Development, where he led the team responsible for global product development. 

Wind turbines are a zero emissions solution to energy needs. But with solutions, new problems always arise. We’ve all seen the giant wind turbines towering into the sky and with any tower, there is a risk for air traffic. And how do we solve that problem? With lights. Sometimes blinking. And that has been a problem for residents in Germany who live near them. Thomas Herrholz and Dark Sky GmbH from Germany is a company that has been developing techniques to activate obstacle lighting only when it is really needed for air traffic. Their solution enabled them to realize that the lights on some wind-turbines can be turned off up to 98% of the night time. So most of the time the obstacles are illuminated for nothing! 

Ellis is back! If you’ve met him, you know about his contagious energy and enthusiasm. Well he is bringing that energy and enthusiasm to a new campaign to help you, the distributors. Ellis talks to Michael and Greg about the state of the market, building trust and ramping up TCP’s support for its distributors. Born in Shanghai, Ellis spent the early years of his life living through the cultural revolution in China. He came to the U.S. to study in 1979, following in the footsteps of some members of his mothers’ family who had emigrated about 30 years earlier. TCP was formed in 1993, and he became its President and Chief Executive Officer. 

Title 24, 2011…DDC Revolution…LP 16…OPR…Commissioning…LP 8, formerly DG 29… It’s enough to make your head spin. Lyn makes it all clear. She even states the exact measurement of a “crap-ton.” But seriously, you want to listen to this and tap into Lyn’s vast knowledge of standards and regulations. Lyn is an MEP Coordinator for DPR Construction. She uses her 20+ years of experience to start up and build quality into integrated systems for HVAC, electrical/lighting, control systems, fire protection, backup power, and technology. In her spare time (lol), she’s the chair for the update to DG-16 (the standard for lighting/controls commissioning), on the board of the Building Commissioning Association as well as co-chair of the annual conference, co-chair for the new standard on control sequences for lighting control systems (LP-16), teaches classes on lighting controls, and supports Techbridge, an afterschool STEM program. 

Have you ever had to go through a giant facility and count fixtures and estimate the replacement cost? Well Melvin’s company Patabid can help you with that. Using Artificial Intelligence and machine learning, that task can now be automated. Now you’ll have more time to listen to Get A Grip On Lighting!

Melvin is the President/CTO of PataBid. Prior to co-founding PataBid in 2018, Melvin worked in the construction industry for 15+ years as an estimator and project manager. As an entrepreneur, Melvin co-founded PataBid and is the full stack developer on the platform, specializing in the development of the internal ML/AI systems. In addition to developing the platform, Melvin is responsible for building the deployment systems and developing key business partnerships. 

We get back to basics with lighting distributor Brian Amundson, President of Pacific Lamp Wholesale. We start off with a video of possibly the most hellish room you could ever experience. Brian discusses with Michael and Greg, how to handle a situation like that, and sticking up for the customer in general. Brian began his career in the lighting industry with Pacific Lamp Wholesale, in 2009. Before Pacific Lamp he sold radiant floor heating, solar electric, and solar water systems. That is how he got started working with utility rebates and tax credit programs. Pacific Lamp founder Dave Junkin, a founding member of NAILD, came out of retirement, and Brian was the first person he hired after his son decided to do another line of work. Dave took him under my wing and taught him everything he knows about the business. Brian purchased the company from him in 2019. Brian would like to see more sustainable lighting and better standards of uniformity and would like to contribute to making the industry a better place with more collaboration between manufacturers and distributors to give end users better quality fixtures. He would love to see higher end lines manufactured in the US again! He is a huge advocate for dark sky friendly and animal friendly lighting that has purpose with the correct color and distribution based on the application. 

Webster and Ron talk with Dan about how Toggled came to be, from TLED’s to dimming to entire building lighting controls. But with growth comes challenges. Dan and our hosts talk about retrofitting, ballasts/not-ballasts, bluetooth, data collection, cyber security, and even dealing with asbestos in an old building. Daniel Hollenkamp Jr. is responsible for Toggled’s day-to-day operations; he oversees sales, marketing, manufacturing, and research & development. Previously, Hollenkamp was Toggled’s lead manufacturing engineer, where he ramped up the company’s mass production efforts. He has more than 12 years of experience in electronics manufacturing and seven years of experience in the LED industry. 

Mark discusses with Michael, practicing mindfulness when under the night sky. He proposes that astronomy was the first science, out of necessity. The night sky is the only view that hasn’t changed and now a large portion of humans can’t even see it. Mark says, whatever your view - clouds, streetlights - just be in the moment and enjoy what you have. (But still, let’s eliminate light pollution!) Mark Westmoquette is a mindful stargazing expert, astronomer, author and Zen teacher. Mark holds a PhD in Astrophysics and was a professional astronomer before switching gears, and now teaches yoga and mindfulness full-time. Mark has been studying Zen with Zen Master Daizan Skinner from Zenways for over 10 years. 

We’ve all heard of the War of the Currents - the battle between George Westinghouse (AC) and Thomas Edison (DC) in which Westinghouse mostly won.  Well Edison would have been happy to get behind Bolis Ibrahim and his quest to get back to DC power.  With lower power demand from LED and the push for sustainability, it looks like the comeback of DC makes sense.

Bolis Ibrahim comes from an electrical engineering and project management background in both the electronics manufacturing and electrical contracting industries. Bolis is passionate about the rise of intelligent buildings that utilize DC (direct current) power distribution, advanced sensors, and intelligent automation to dramatically reduce energy consumption to achieve net-zero operations.

Henrik Clausen is leaving Get a Grip on Lighting. In this episode, he and Michael look back on his time as host. It was fun and emotional. They touch upon lighting for the office, teaching about lighting, selling darkness and our relationship to fire. Don’t worry, we’ll get Henrik back now and again. Henrik Clausen B Eng; M IDA, M IESNA, Associated Professor, AAU Henrik has been involved in lighting for over 30 years in both commercial and academic positions. 

Welcome to The Lighting Controls Podcast, where we discuss all things lighting controls. Webster and Ron will be joined by various guests from the lighting industry. In this, our first episode of the new series, Webster and Ron look back at the Conversation Series and look ahead at the future of the new Lighting Controls Podcast. 

Jeff Nefouse, Vice President at A-M Electric, is a third generation President after his Grandfather Ed Saag (a founding member), and his father Greg Nefouse. Maybe in 20-25 years, we’ll see Jeff’s son as the fourth generation president! 

 Michael and John discuss with Etta how to engage people with Dark Skies so as to bring them back. Etta is taking steps to do just that with her company, Visit Dark Skies, where you can immerse yourself into a true nature experience with her audio-guided stargazing. Etta Dannemann, Dipl.-Ing., has been in the lighting industry for 10 years before founding VISIT DARK SKIES GmbH, a company dedicated to the experience of the natural night sky. As a lighting designer, she has been interested in light and darkness and especially in light-related biological processes like the darkness adaptation of the human eye.  

Have you ever had a contractor ask, “Where’s my stuff?” As Matthew says, his product OrdrTrak will help you find “stuff.” In other words, it’ll help with - just like the name says - order tracking. In 2022, we want “instant gratification,” and more of it. Can the technology keep up with the demand? As Michael says, the problems seem to be perpetuating themselves faster than the solutions can catch up. It’s a complex challenge. Matthew spent 35 years in the electrical industry. In 1988 he started writing software to help his agency, which led to interest in other agencies purchasing the software. And that eventually brought him to TradeTech Solutions and developing OrdrTrak. 

The final episode in our Technical Update Series, previously streamed. 

The smarter our buildings become, the more data they generate. Lighting controls data could prove valuable for facilities managers, manufacturers, and lighting designers. For example, button press data can reveal insights into occupancy levels, when and where lights were turned on or off, and adjustments to light settings. These data can prove valuable for facility owners hoping to cut down on energy waste, or for lighting designers who commission future lighting systems. But as valuable as the data are, the building industry is still learning how to interpret and leverage the data. Greater insight into this data could lead to more informed decision-making on the efficiency of our buildings.

There’s air pollution, water pollution and noise pollution. Why hasn’t light pollution been recognised the same way? This is the question Michael Colligan and John Bullock tackle with Yana. Of course it takes awareness, but also commitment. And it just might be that the best way to get commitment is to get it in the books legally. It’s a complex problem that Yana is dedicated to studying, and maybe… solving? We didn’t even get into her research on space law. We’re going to have Yana back! Yana Yakushina is a practicing lawyer and researcher in the field of environmental and space law. Currently, Yana is working on her Ph.D. thesis on the legal recognition of light pollution as an environmental problem at the University of Ghent (Belgium). 

Alex and Paulina are our first guests from Mexico. And they seem to have many of the same challenges as in the rest of North America - problems with Chinese products and standards and certifications, for example. They are making headway on light pollution however, starting with some dark sky compliant areas in the Baja Peninsula and working its way through Mexico. Alex is an Architect and Lighting Designer from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia. With extensive experience in lighting design, mainly in the industrial and commercial sectors. He has collaborated on multiple projects to achieve green certifications, such as LEED. He is a university lecturer, teaching Lighting courses in the Architecture program. Passionate about sharing knowledge, he has conducted various workshops where light is the medium for expressing ideas. Co-founder with his wife Paulina of Wawa Lighting. Paulina is an architect from the National Technological Institute of Mexico and holds a master's degree in Lighting Design from Aalborg University in Denmark. She has over 10 years of experience collaborating on hospitality, residential, urban, and industrial projects in Mexico, the United States, and Europe. She is the co-founder of Wawa Lighting, an architectural lighting design firm. Committed to education, she actively participates in courses, diploma programs, master's programs, and workshops, where she seeks to share knowledge about the culture of light and dark skies. 

Specifications! Integrations! Complications! Sean Wynne brings his unique perspective as a sales rep and discusses, with Webster and Ron, the challenges of navigating among the various entities on a project. Sean understands the benefits of having an integrator on a project. He is a specifications sales agent, but as Webster says, he is almost an integrator's agent! Sean has had 15+ years of lighting industry experience. He began on the manufacturing side, switched to agency side, back to manufacturing and finally, within the last year, returned to the agency side and joined Reflex. His primary account focus at Reflex is the lighting design market. 

Germicidal ultraviolet (GUV) lighting is a promising new technology with the potential to contribute to healthier buildings and cleaner air for occupants. New PNNL research finds that GUV is potentially more effective and energy efficient than turning up ventilation systems. However, since the technology is so new, commercially available products have not been properly studied or vetted. 

As you’ve heard on this podcast before, existing satellites are incapable of detecting the blue light of LED’s and thus produce incomplete imagery of light pollution. Ken explains to Michael how he and his colleagues are sending balloons almost 30 kilometers into the sky and beginning to map light pollution in a very unique way. 

Ken Walczak is the Senior Manager of Far Horizons at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago - a hands-on science, engineering and research program for students, volunteers and the public. He is a board member of the International Dark-Sky Association and an associate member of the IES. 

DOE will be launching the next phase of L-Prize, the Prototype Phase, this summer which will include some new enhancements and participation opportunities for industry with a $2 million Prize pool. This is an opportunity for lighting designers, manufacturers, and innovators to advance the U.S. clean energy economy for next-generation LED lighting. L-Prize will reward innovations that move rapidly to improve lighting performance, resulting in energy, carbon, and cost savings for American businesses and consumers. Guest speakers Gabe Arnold and Kelly Gordon can give a brief overview of the history of the L-Prize, how it has helped bring innovative products to U.S. homes and buildings, and what the opportunity space is for LED lighting. Arnold and Gordon can also describe past winners and what judges are looking for in the Prototype Phase. 

Craig gives Webster and Ron his 9000 foot view of the lighting industry. From education to evolution - Craig gives his take on network controls, sensors, bite-size training video clips, and writing, among other things. By the way, check out his fiction: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/682045.Craig_DiLouie Craig DiLouie, LC, CLCP is a journalist and educator in the lighting industry and serves as education director for the Lighting Controls Association, a council of NEMA dedicated to educating the public about lighting control technology and application. He is also a lighting columnist for tED Magazine and Electrical Contractor. 

Episode 2 of our Technical Update Series previously streamed. Michael Myer and Axel Pearson discuss “Lighting System Integration.” DOE's Better Buildings' Integrated Lighting Campaign is a national effort to accelerate the adoption of advanced lighting controls and sensors and of the integration of lighting with other building systems. The campaign shares resources, provides technical guidance, and recognizes the exemplary adoption of integrated lighting. Guest speakers will share success stories, integration use cases, and advanced lighting strategies of this year's participants. Listeners will come away with actionable information they can use in their own lighting upgrades and retrofit projects. 

Michael discusses with Catherine Pérez Vega the question: Is light a pollutant? Catherine is researching the effects of artificial light on organisms and there is little doubt that it is. And there’s little doubt that it affects the organisms called humans, as well. Obviously modern society needs some artificial light at night, but all the other organisms don’t. As Catherine says, “how do we apply artificial lighting for our benefit, but at the same time take care of the night time?” Catherine is currently a Doctoral candidate in Biology at Freie Universität Berlin, Germany with her research taking place at the Light Pollution and Ecophysiology research group of Leibniz Institute for Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB). Her work involves the interphase of ecology and architectural lighting to mitigate environmental solutions for urban lighting design applications. 

Episode 1 of our Technical Update Series previously streamed. Kate Hickcox and Aaron Smith discuss “Sustainability in Lighting.” Historically, the lighting industry has focused on the impacts of carbon emissions produced from the use of lighting technologies but understanding embodied carbon impact is critical because once embodied carbon is released in early stages, there’s no opportunity to decrease those substantial early impacts through energy efficiency modifications. Join us each Thursday at 11 am Eastern 

Michael and Greg discuss wireless and wired lighting controls with Greg Galluccio from Energy Focus. Wireless is hackable which is a problem in critical infrastructure. Wired controls require pulling wire through a building. The solution? Powerline controls. No Cloud. No hub. As Michael says, it’s a bit like edge computing where the technology and the smarts is at the point of use. It’s not simple stuff, but Greg and Energy Focus are figuring it out. You can speak to him about it at the Energy Focus booth at the Achlight Summit.. Greg joined Energy Focus in 2021 and serves as Senior Vice President of Product Management and Engineering, responsible for developing, directing and implementing Energy Focus’ product strategy, engineering development and portfolio offering. 

Lighting showroom manager Michelle Cruz, ArchLIGHT Summit manager Laura van Zeyl, and designer Andrea Hartranft join us in this episode.They are working on Women in Lighting events and programs at this year’s ArchLIGHT Summit in Dallas. Beyond telling us what to look forward to at the show they help us understand that the lighting world is welcoming to women and having spaces for women to be alone is still valuable and useful for the whole community. They also discuss the importance of having good food at industry events, getting students and emerging professionals to show up for these things, and what ArchLIGHT Summit might look like.

We’re a little off-topic here, but it’s for a good cause. Instead of the usual black tie event to raise money to fight cancer, founders of the H Foundation decided to create an uplifting event with The Goombay Bash. So grab your Hawaiian shirt and get yourself to the Navy Pier in Chicago on July 27th and help fight cancer (https://www.goombaybash.com/). While you’re there, order yourself a Goombay Smash, just like the one Michael is drinking in this episode. Cortney Hausser has dedicated her career to the nonprofit industry holding numerous positions over the years in this sector. She began her career in 2010 as the Partnership Builder for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will & Grundy Counties. After leaving her position to pursue a more corporate setting, Cortney took the role as Development Associate for the Bolingbrook Hospital Foundation where she advanced the fundraising efforts to support the healing mission of Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital. Through this role, Cortney reinvigorated the Employee Charitable Giving Program nearly doubling the amount raised year over year. In October of 2015, Cortney made the decision to pursue a new role within the cancer nonprofit sector. Cortney began her position as Executive Director of The H Foundation in December of 2015. As Executive Director of The H Foundation, Cortney sits on the Advisory Board for the Friends of the Lurie Cancer Center. She was the recipient of the 2019 West Suburban Chamber of Commerce and Industry 30 Under 40 Award, graduate of the 2014 Adventist Hospital Emerging Leader Program, a prior member of the Exchange Club of Joliet and the recipient of the 2012 Exchange Club of Joliet William H. Lipsey "Rookie of the Year" Award. John Rot is a proven community and charitable leader. He started his career doing business valuations as a part of the appraisal group for Arthur Anderson. After leaving this position, John managed Hortons of La Grange, Inc., a pillar in La Grange since 1896. After two years in a management position, John purchased the company and created the business we know today as Hortons Home Lighting. This business propelled John’s track record as an experienced businessman. His entrepreneurial spirit led him to opportunities of investment and ownership in the La Grange Theater, Q-BBQ, and The Hot Dog & Burger Co. His advocacy to the La Grange community drove him to invest in a $2 million renovation of the historic La Grange Theater in order to maintain this community asset. Through his business ventures, John has served as an Advisory Board member for the largest co-op in the lighting industry and as an Advisory Board member for the Friends of the Lurie Cancer Center. He was the recipient of the 2016 Business Person of the Year for the Rotary Club of La Grange, 2005 La Grange Business Association Person of the year, and served as the 2004 La Grange Business Association President. John is a Founding Father and the current President of The H Foundation. 

Lighting is getting more complicated all the time. Our guests Tony Esposito, Founder of Lighting Research Solutions, and Jason Livingston, Principal at Studio T + L, are here to help us understand the IES’ bigger book of color rendering — TM-30. Lamps and luminaires tested under these procedures can result in 140 different measurements; but none of those will probably end up printed on boxes on your shelves. Perception changes based on conditions and these measurements can help designers create useful comparisons that go far beyond high and low or good and bad color rendering. Please listen as we all celebrate fidelity, vividity and possibility in lighting.

Seeing is believing, so both of our guests will be at the ArchLIGHT Summit in Dallas, TX this September with a brand new demonstration room. NAILD will also be there for our own convention, so please drop by and check it all out. 

This special release of our series features Diane Knutson, a regional dark sky advocate / business owner turned Dark Sky International Board President. In this episode Greg Ehrich and Michael attempt to disentangle the need for jargon as a sales gimmick and the hurdle of hurdles jargon puts in the way of advocates and educators. Whether we end up calling what we do Night Sky Protection, Night Time Restoration or just Flipping the Switch the value of darkness at night continues to be there for the world to rediscover.

Christopher Cuttle has had a lifetime in lighting and he has a shelf full of awards and recognitions to reflect it.  Listen to this episode and you’ll understand why. Henrik Clausen talks with Kit about his unique way of looking at light and how it’s applied to a space. 

Christopher “Kit” Cuttle, MA, PhD, FCIBSE, FIESANZ, FIESNA, FSLL, is a lighting educator, designer and author. During a long career, he has held the positions of Head of Graduate Education in Lighting at the Lighting Research Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York; Senior Lecturer at the Schools of Architecture at the University of Auckland, and the Victoria University of Wellington, both in New Zealand; Section Leader in the Daylight Advisory Service, Pilkington Glass; and Lighting Designer with Derek Phillips Associates (now DPA Lighting Consultants), both in the UK.

Michael and John are thrilled to have Professor Foster on the podcast. He brings his deep scientific knowledge and understanding of circadian photobiology. Russell tells us about his discovery of the third photoreceptor in the eye for which he got a lot of pushback from the scientific community in the 90’s. They don’t push back anymore. Professor Foster is the Head of Oxford’s Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, the founder and Director of the Sleep and Circadian Research Institute and is a Fellow of Brasenose College Oxford. His research addresses how circadian rhythms and sleep are generated and regulated and what happens when these systems fail as a result of societal pressures, ageing and disease. 

OPR. What are the Owner's Project Requirements? That's what Julia Gordon posits on every project. Julia, along with Webster and Ron, discuss where a lighting designer goes from there. What’s the best way to design and implement the controls? Who should design and implement the controls? How do you work with the electrical engineer? This stuff will make your head spin. Fortunately, you’ve got this episode of the Conversation Series to clear a few things up for you. With 25+years as a lighting designer, Julia’s background has given her the ability to bring an extraordinary level of attention to detail and create enthusiasm in all phases of her projects; from initial design development, through photometric analysis, project document preparation, specification, and the final site aiming of light fixtures. 

Efficiency. Isn’t that what everyone strives for? Well, the lighting industry is going digital with productivity improving applications. Ben and Paul discuss how they have come up with a way to curate lighting product content - kind of a mix of Spotify/Wayfair/Pinterest for lighting specifiers. Fueled by manufacturers and agents this might be the ticket. Might be time for you to check gosourcery.com. Ben Fischer brings over 7 years of partner level experience in the lighting industry and has a strong, entrepreneurial mindset with a vision for strategic growth and innovation. Paul Hudson brings over 20 years of lighting experience and strong relationship-building skills with clients and manufacturers. 

This is David’s second time around on Get A Grip On Lighting. David talks, with Michael and Greg, about his dislike of recess cans (“why do you want to light the carpet?”). David's experience has led him to put down his light meter and use his eyes to measure what is bouncing off the walls. Michael doesn’t quite agree with discarding the light meter, but they do agree that the important lighting is vertical lighting. David Warfel is Midwestern farm boy turned lighting designer, author, and educator who passionately shares the gift of light. Whether blogging at languageoflight.blog, writing for Fine Homebuilding, Technology Designer, and Houzz.com or designing residential and entertainment experiences from coast to coast, David simply wants to help others live better lives through the scientific and artistic application of radiant energy. 

Our old friend is back! John Arthur Wilson joins Michael and Greg to complain about the state of the controls manufacturing industry. Why isn’t there a standard yet on this critical infrastructure? Let's think about the end-user, the CUSTOMER! John Arthur Wilson is a lighting-industry influencer with a curiosity for lighting and its myriad connections with society. Motivated by community and a desire to provide value, he offers a unique perspective that blends pragmatism, creativity, and big-picture thinking. 

In this episode you get three unique perspectives on urban lighting. Co-host Michael Colligan in Canada, co-host John Bullock in the U.K and guest Kate Hickcox from The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. They discuss the challenges of lighting populated areas. Will more light decrease crime? Will less light? Perhaps it has to do with the kind of lighting. Listen to this, then join the conversation. Kate Hickcox joined PNNL as a Lighting Research Scientist in 2020. She is a creative thinker in the field of lighting, with over 18 years of experience in both lighting research and lighting design. No matter which hat she’s wearing, her goals are simple – to provide equitable and universal lighting solutions that support humans and the environment. Kate’s unique background blends the artistic with the practical and allows for discovery of unique design solutions and innovative research-based strategies. 

Amardeep Dugar talks with host Henrik Clausen, about the poetry of lighting. As he explains it, language is compositional just as lighting is. And so Amardeep has been examining the connection between poetry and lighting. He is also looking at architecture itself as a light source. He believes this may be achieved with bioluminescence. Could that mean the end of light fixtures? Amardeep also instructs yoga and has taken up the guitar. A trained architect and an advocate for all the elements of lighting – design, education and research – Dr. Amardeep M. Dugar is the founding principal of Lighting Research & Design. Aside from working on high profile projects and teaching at several architecture schools, he has been instrumental in conducting lighting workshops educating students and professionals about the importance of lighting. He is also the co-founder of an online platform for lighting called the Virtual Lighting Design Community. He has been elected to the IES Board of Directors and is part of several committees within the IES. 

Let’s go back to the time when people accepted that light bulbs would burn out. Michael calls it a “pseudo subscription model.” You could sell light bulbs to customers on a pretty regular schedule. We don’t need to tell you how that changed with the advent of LED. Michael and Greg discuss how distributors should react to the change.

Javid discusses, with Webster and Ron, the technological evolution of controls, from the ancient Greeks using mirrors to control light for the stage, to “old telephone” style patching, to digital controls. If you haven’t guessed, Javid, like many of you, comes from a theatrical background. Wait till you hear how he lit a production of “The Crucible.” You’ll wish you’d seen it. Javid Butler is a lighting designer and energy engineer who holds LC, CEM, and CMVP certifications. He has contributed to the development of many lighting standards including RDM and sACN, and chaired the task group for E1.27 DMX512 cabling standards. 

Trinity Warranty started out offering extended warranties for HVAC, refrigeration and generators. About 10 years ago, with municipalities pushing for LED, they saw an opportunity to offer parts and labor warranties. With a little number crunching, they figured out how to sell 10 year labor coverage and 5 year extended parts coverage. If you’re installing for a municipality or a stadium, get your customer to listen to this episode. Gus Vassilopoulos is the Digital Marketing Manager and Richard Jurek is the Strategic Account Manager at Trinity Warranty Solutions. 

As Bastian Groiss says, people see light as an enabler for vision. But light - sunlight in particular - is so much more. It triggers hormonal reactions, allows your immune system to recharge and gives the mitochondria the energy to repair your eyes. Of course healthy light during the day allows healthy darkness at night to do its thing. And stop wearing sunglasses! Bastian is of German origins with a rural upbringing. He is a former project manager, self taught wood worker and handyman, spiritual explorer, student of the Diamond Approach, ambassador for regenerative agriculture, circadian rhythms, natural light and reconnecting with nature.