IES GO: Lighting Podcasts

Mark Lien, industry relations manager for the IES, recorded an audio version of his free-verse column written for the May 2021 issue of LD+A. Titled “Beyond Sunset,” the poem traces the trajectory of lighting history from the origins of electricity to modern day.

We recorded a special Forces of Change video interview in March 2020 to provide a report on the impact of COVID-19 on lighting professionals from the vantage point of some prominent individuals representing various roles within our industry. Moderator Mark Lien talked with Diane Borys (Noctiluca Lighting Design and Consulting), Megan Carroll (New York Digital), Erik Ennen (MNCEE), Bob Preston (Capital Electric Supply), and Randy Reid (Edison Report). Now in November 2020, eight months after the initital discussion, we're revisiting the impact of COVID-19 on Lighting Professionals.

We have recorded a special Forces of Change video interview to provide a report on the impact of COVID-19 on lighting professionals, during these difficult times, from the vantage point of some prominent individuals representing various roles within our industry. Hear from Diane Borys (Noctiluca Lighting Design and Consulting), Megan Carroll (New York Digital), Erik Ennen (MNCEE), Bob Preston (Capital Electric Supply), Randy Reid (Edison Report), and moderator Mark Lien (Illuminating Engineering Society).

Harold (Hal) Wallace, the Curator of the Electricity Collection at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History sits down with host Mark Lien for a fascinating conversation about the history of electric lighting on another edition of Forces of Change.

Dr. Karma Sawyer of the DOE is Mark Lien’s guest and they discuss where the DOE is heading in 2020 and beyond specifically with regards to lighting.

Mark Lien sits down with Dr. Robert Karlicek of LESA at RPI to discuss how Intelligent Lighting Systems can transform how people live and work.

Probably no one in North America is more responsible for energy-saving dollars in lighting than James Brodrick over the last two decades. Jim reflects with Mark Lien on his work at the DOE and what he planning to do now and into the future.

The inventor and Noble Prize winner Shuji Nakamura discusses his invention of blue pump yellow phosphor white light LEDs and what he sees going forward.

Eunice Noell-Waggoner sits down with Terry McGowan and discusses her career signature research and crusade for more empathy in lighting design for seniors and those with low vision.

The purpose of this article is to evaluate from a biological standpoint the rationale for the establishment of a Circadian Lighting standard put forward by UL under the direction of Dr. Mark Rea of the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. This critique is limited in scope but also applies to utilization of the Circadian Stimulus (CS) calculator also developed by the LRC.

Whether you call it “circadian lighting,” “biologically effective lighting,” or some other name, the principle is the same: the color and intensity of light can be used to regulate the timing of our biological clocks, or “circadian rhythms.” For architects and lighting designers, this is an opportunity to provide healthy and comfortable environments for building occupants.

Mark Lien chats with IES Past President and editor of the Edison Report Randy Reid about the 20th Anniversary of the Edison Report, the importance of integrity in reporting, the invasion of the IT conglomerates into the lighting industry as well as some of the new lighting technologies that he finds fascinating.

As our population continues to grow, farm land disappearing and an increased awareness of what goes into our produce, the need to increase yield without chemicals is a critical topic. Host Mark Lien and Dr. Pocock discuss using LEDs (irradiance, spectral composition, timing, duration) to program photochemical, photosynthetic, development and biochemical processes in plants and the development of a physiological biofeedback system to maintain or change LED physiological programs. In layman’s term growing to produce better, stronger, faster. This fascinating, ground-breaking, and often warm interchange should not be missed.  Dr. Tessa Pocock is a Senior Research Scientist at the Center for Lighting Enabled Systems and Applications (LESA) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. After obtaining a Ph.D. in plant physiology in Canada she moved her research to Sweden as a recipient of a prestigious Marie Curie Fellowship. She joined RPI in 2014 after a decade in the European horticultural lighting industry where she oversaw over 800 LED spectral high throughput experiments on greens, herbs, and medicinal plants. She is co-inventor on three technology patents, has authored or co-authored three book chapters and twenty-one peer-reviewed articles and has spoken at over 27 international conferences.  “We work at the leading edge of LED systems engineering, plant photobiology,  plant physiology, and greenhouse environmental controls. Our goal is to develop, transfer and implement energy-efficient CEA lighting systems to reduce your operational costs and lower your carbon footprint. This means increased profitability without compromise. Join Greenhouse Lighting and Systems Engineering (GLASE) and become part of the first horticultural lighting technology hub.”

As if our lighting community needs more disruption, we are poised for a radical change in how we make, distribute and sell our products. We have experienced two digital revolutions already in communication and computation. We can communicate instantly across the globe at no charge and computers are integrated into our lives. Digital fabrication is the third digital revolution. When we can make our own lighting sources, heat sinks, optics and luminaires in our garage or locally at a store with a larger 3D printer (3D Kinkos?) then business as usual is over. Container loads from Asia, our sales and distribution network and other peripheral support processes cease when costs equalize though local 3D printing. This will happen incrementally at first then accelerate to exponential growth as we experienced with communication and computation. The revolution has already begun with choices of 3D printers available on Amazon Prime for under $200. The Lighting Research Center has expanded their LED Lighting Institute to include content on 3D printing. Nadarajah Narendran, Ph.D. is the Director of Research at the LRC and is the Professor teaching a hands-on 3D lighting class. He has been leading a team that conducts research and educational programs to accelerate the development and market transformation of lighting technologies. The seminar culminates with participants designing, building and evaluating their own lighting fixtures including custom 3D printed components. Please enjoy this conversation between Narendran and host Mark Lien on this timely issue impacting in our lighting community. Dr. Narendran leads a team that conducts research and educational programs to accelerate the development and market transformation of solid-state lighting technology. He is the Professor, School of Architecture, as well as Director of Research at the Lighting Research Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He is a Fellow of the Illuminating Engineering Society. Winner of Rensselaer’s William H. Wiley Distinguished Faculty Award, Taylor Technical Talent Award (Best Technical Paper), and PEW Teaching Leadership Award.

David DiLaura offers a captivating reflection on his career in lighting including the changes in teaching requirements and expectations and his extensive work to develop the 10th Edition Lighting Handbook. Trailblazers and Icons is an inspiring and informative series of interviews with some of the lighting communities’ most recognized thought leaders, teachers and practitioners and others. The interviews, conducted by IES Fellow Daniel Blitzer, elicit from each interviewee their major contributions to lighting and their perspective on some of the major issues currently facing the lighting industry. Additional interviews will be added to the series each year with a handful of others who have blazed a trail in lighting.

Sam Berman recounts his path into lighting research, recent changes of the energy codes and the science of lighting. Trailblazers and Icons is an inspiring and informative series of interviews with some of the lighting communities’ most recognized thought leaders, teachers and practitioners and others. The interviews, conducted by IES Fellow Daniel Blitzer, elicit from each interviewee their major contributions to lighting and their perspective on some of the major issues currently facing the lighting industry. Additional interviews will be added to the series each year with a handful of others who have blazed a trail in lighting.

Jan Moyer literally wrote the book on Landscape Lighting. She sits down with host Dan Blitzer and expounds on her career path and what she is up to presently. Trailblazers and Icons is an inspiring and informative series of interviews with some of the lighting communities’ most recognized thought leaders, teachers and practitioners and others. The interviews, conducted by IES Fellow Daniel Blitzer, elicit from each interviewee their major contributions to lighting and their perspective on some of the major issues currently facing the lighting industry. Additional interviews will be added to the series each year with a handful of others who have blazed a trail in lighting.

Rita Harrold became the first woman President of the IES in 1985, seventy-nine years after the IES was established. Rita discusses her trailblazing career which includes a long turn as the IES Director of Knowledge. Trailblazers and Icons is an inspiring and informative series of interviews with some of the lighting communities’ most recognized thought leaders, teachers and practitioners and others. The interviews, conducted by IES Fellow Daniel Blitzer, elicit from each interviewee their major contributions to lighting and their perspective on some of the major issues currently facing the lighting industry. Additional interviews will be added to the series each year with a handful of others who have blazed a trail in lighting.

Mark Rea discusses the state of lighting education today, the need for revised discussion on lighting metrics, levels and need for action now. Trailblazers and Icons is an inspiring and informative series of interviews with some of the lighting communities’ most recognized thought leaders, teachers and practitioners and others. The interviews, conducted by IES Fellow Daniel Blitzer, elicit from each interviewee their major contributions to lighting and their perspective on some of the major issues currently facing the lighting industry. Additional interviews will be added to the series each year with a handful of others who have blazed a trail in lighting.

Christopher “Kit” Cuttle delivers a compelling paradigm shift on how lighting is measured as well as reminisces about his career, thus far. Trailblazers and Icons is an inspiring and informative series of interviews with some of the lighting communities’ most recognized thought leaders, teachers and practitioners and others. The interviews, conducted by IES Fellow Daniel Blitzer, elicit from each interviewee their major contributions to lighting and their perspective on some of the major issues currently facing the lighting industry. Additional interviews will be added to the series each year with a handful of others who have blazed a trail in lighting.

Howard Brandston regales us with his discussion of how he got his start in lighting, his career with the IES and his approach to lighting design and education. Trailblazers and Icons is an inspiring and informative series of interviews with some of the lighting communities’ most recognized thought leaders, teachers and practitioners and others. The interviews, conducted by IES Fellow Daniel Blitzer, elicit from each interviewee their major contributions to lighting and their perspective on some of the major issues currently facing the lighting industry. Additional interviews will be added to the series each year with a handful of others who have blazed a trail in lighting.

Douglas Steel, Ph.D. is a Translational Scientist with NeuroSense, a medical technology consultancy developing novel phototherapies for treating a number of nervous system conditions including PTSD, sensory processing disorders, migraine headache, depression, and emotional and stress-related conditions. Dr. Steel received his PhD in Biomedical Sciences from Columbia University.  Doug is a member of the IES Science Advisory Panel For the past several years he has been working on the development of spectrally-tunable LED lighting arrays, which can be used as an alternative to prescription drugs for the treatment of a number of neurological and psychiatric conditions.  He has a broad view of light and health that extends beyond just circadian response.  Please enjoy this conversation between Doug and Mark on timely issues in our lighting community.

Numerous medical studies have shown that exposure to blue light at night suppresses the production of melatonin by the pineal gland in our brains and so disrupts our circadian rhythms. As a result, we may have difficulty sleeping. It is therefore only common sense that we should specify warm white (3000 K) light sources wherever possible, especially for street lighting. True or false?

These are transformational times for the lighting industry. The cost of LED-based products has dropped dramatically. At the same time, increased sophistication and capabilities of tunable LED arrays, controls, and sensors now enable the commissioning of platforms that can precisely control light intensity, correlated color temperature, and relative spectral content.

With his co-founder and co-host Michael Colligan, Greg Ehrich started the Get a Grip Podcast in February 2017. Recognizing that there is a need in the lighting industry for a forum for people to get together and discuss many interesting subjects and issues, Get A Grip was born. At the time of this post Get a Grip is posed to pass 30 podcasts. Greg talks with our own Podcast host Mark Lien on the success of “Get a Grip” and discusses the need for lighting knowledge, discourse, and conversation to be available for all segments of our industry. You can experience their podcast series here. http://getagriponlighting.com/

This podcast features two key members of the ANSI/ASHRAE/IES 90.1 Lighting Subcommittee that establishes lighting power density levels for this foundational standard.  The discussion reveals and explains to our lighting community a new project that is funded by ASHRAE, IALD, BC Hydro and the IES.  Project tasks will support the work of the 90.1 standard by providing AGI32 modeling runs by application.  These models will improve the accuracy of and strengthen the effectiveness of this and the other standards affected by 90.1.  It is a concern especially because LED luminaires are now being used as the primary baseline to establish LPD’s instead of traditional sources.  This has resulted in significant energy savings but there is an end game.  The partners want to verify that the quality of lighting is not impacted in future versions of 90.1 and the other standards that reference it. Michael Myer has been with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) for 11 years. Prior to coming to PNNL Michael was a practicing lighting designer with Naomi Miller Lighting Design and before that Hayden McKay Lighting Design. Michael’s work at PNNL includes energy codes and appliance standards as well as market transformation related to parking and interior lighting. Michael has been an active member of the IES and is current co-chair working on the revised version of DG-18, a member of the Energy Management Committee, and has participated in a task group related to parking lighting. Marty Salzberg worked as an architectural lighting consultant for more than thirty years. Her work was honored with multiple industry awards for design and energy efficiency. As a member of the Illuminating Engineering Society, Marty has been a member of the Library Lighting Committee since 2003 and is currently the committee Chair. Marty is a Professional Member of the IALD, where she contributes to the work of the Energy & Sustainability Committee by serving as the IALD representative to the ASHRAE/IES 90.1 energy standard development committee. She recently served on the IALD committee to edit the Guidelines for Specification Integrity, teaches about the NYC Energy Code at BEEx and is teaching lighting design at the New York School of Interior Design. Kelly Seeger is Technical Policy Manager for Signify where she leads building codes and standards activities for North America, advising company business groups, market teams, and researchers on implications for products and systems from pre-development through installation. She serves as Lighting Subcommittee Chair of ASHRAE SSPC 90.1 and is also active in the development of CA T24 and IECC and is involved with key organizations relevant to building efficiency, green building standards & codes, energy rating and benchmarking, and smart buildings. Kelly has worked in lighting and energy efficiency in the U.S. for nearly twenty years; her experience includes lighting design and application, strategic planning, a voice of customer and market analysis, presentation and training, and energy efficiency & transformative market consulting. She holds M.S. Lighting and B.S. Building Sciences degrees from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York. She is Lighting Certified by the NCQLP, a LEED Accredited Professional, and is Past President of the New York City Section of the Illuminating Engineering Society.

There is a common-sense argument being presented in the popular media that since humans evolved under sunlight, our bodies must surely make use of all the solar energy available to us. Given that more than 50 percent of this energy is due to near-infrared radiation, we are clearly risking our health and well-being by using LED lighting that emits no near-infrared radiation whatsoever.

Discussions about Lighting as a Service (LaaS) are no longer focused on whether it will evolve into an essential aspect of future lighting projects, but rather on how many billions of dollars will be involved and how soon it will become a common offering. Until recently “As a Service” companies did not focus on or understand the lighting community. This podcast demonstrates how this has changed. Virginia Hewitt, from Sparkfund, understands our lighting market and is a knowledgeable evangelist for LaaS. In this podcast, Hewitt identifies which lighting skill sets will benefit most from LaaS. Virginia is responsible for the growth and performance of the many sales arms at SparkFund. Her expertise lies in training and developing partner companies to integrate Technology Subscriptions as a core of their businesses. Prior to SparkFund, Virginia was a researcher with ACEEE. Her authorship includes the City Scorecards, Cool Policies for Cool Cities, and Small Loans for Energy Efficiency. She is a graduate of Duke University’s School of the Environment with a degree in Environmental Policy.

Presentation: Randy Burkett, FIALD, FIES; Kevin J. Flynn, FAIA, NCARB, IES; Carol McGlogan; Craig Casey; Kristina K. Martin, PE, LC, LEED AP A group of industry leaders representing many facets of the lighting industry; Architects, Distributors, Engineers, Lighting Designers, Lighting Controls Specialists and Lighting Manufacturers discuss the lighting design process, how best to improve the process, how best to interact with the other trades and other pertinent lighting industry topics.

Presentation: Randy Burkett, FIALD, FIES; Kevin J. Flynn, FAIA, NCARB, IES; Carol McGlogan; Craig Casey; Kristina K. Martin, PE, LC, LEED AP A group of industry leaders representing many facets of the lighting industry; Architects, Distributors, Engineers, Lighting Designers, Lighting Controls Specialists and Lighting Manufacturers discuss the lighting design process, how best to improve the process, how best to interact with the other trades and other pertinent lighting industry topics. This two-part 2.5-hour presentation was co-produced by the IES, AIA, and the IALD. It is a perfect learning tool for IES Section Events, IES Emerging Professionals, Post-Secondary institutions and for viewing independently by anyone new to the Lighting Industry in any of its wonderful facets.

The first presentation in the Indispensable Lighting Series is a two-hour, two-part video entitled, Architecture for Light by Kim and Paul Mercier. In Part Two, Lighting Design in the Era of Energy Codes, the authors discuss the lighting design process, integrated design, and explore case studies involving these concepts.

The first presentation in the Indispensable Lighting Series is a two-hour, two-part video entitled, Architecture for Light by Kim and Paul Mercier. In Part One, Heirloom Ideas, Modern Semantics and Current Realizations, Kim and Paul examine design considerations for creating the built environment that embrace light.