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2025 Lighting Resource Guide by Jim Lucy

 Our 2025 picks for where to go when you need to learn more about lighting, from A-Z. With all of the technological changes in lighting over the past few years, getting the latest available information on products and trends is critical. The associations, government resources, publications, websites and universities listed are EW’s updated picks for the best lighting education, information on trends and new products, and networking/educational opportunities at lighting industry events.  The trade associations listed capture the diversity of business interests in the lighting industry.  2025 Lighting Resource Guide | Electrical Wholesaling

Education Express to Become NEMA Academy

Big news! The Lighting Controls Association’s Education Express is moving to NEMA’s new learning platform: NEMA Academy. This transition will provide an improved user experience and new opportunities for professional development, with the same Education Express courses combined with a growing curriculum of courses in lighting and other electrical fields. If you are one of our tens of thousands of Education Express students, your account will automatically transition to the new NEMA Academy platform, which will officially launch on May 1, 2025. Education Express to Become NEMA Academy

Lighting Controls Association Announces New Course on Home Automation Authored by C. Webster Marsh

The Lighting Controls Association has published a new offering in its popular Education Express system, EE306: Introduction to Home Automation. Home automation is technology that enables homeowners to integrate, manage, monitor, and control their lighting, shading, HVAC, security, entertainment, electric-vehicle charging, circuit breakers, and appliances. Solutions range from standalone devices to scalable systems allowing homeowners to control the entire home from a centralized platform. The primary benefit is comfort, convenience, and lifestyle enhancement through customized automation, with additional benefits such as lower energy costs, reduced carbon footprint, and enhanced security. Lighting Controls Association Announces New Course on Home Automation

Commercial Lighting Rebate Trends for 2025 by BriteSwitch

Despite concerns of LEDs reaching market saturation and legislation restricting fluorescent lamp sales passed in 15 states, commercial lighting rebates are still as strong as ever. Programs may have evolved to adapt to current market conditions, but overall, these incentives remain widely available across North America and continue to be an important tool for improving the payback of lighting upgrades. Now that most programs have been updated for 2025, we take a look at the biggest trends, how rebate programs are evolving, and how to take advantage of them.

Commercial Lighting Rebate Trends for 2025

Free Learning Opportunities for Electrical Professional

With a special focus for electrical professionals, the Facilities Expo has solutions for any building challenges you might face. Here you will learn from industry experts, network, and explore our solution packed exhibitor floor—all for free! The Facilities Expo is a premier destination for facility managers, maintenance managers, and energy managers seeking innovative solutions, industry insights, and networking opportunities to optimize facility operations, enhance sustainability, and drive business success. Register at events throughout 2025 at: EXPOS | Facilities Expo 2025

2024 State of the Cannabis Lighting Market by Jolene Hansen

There’s no doubt that the relationship between cannabis and light is one of the most crucial aspects of cannabis cultivation and ultimate success. From light intensity to spectral properties, to light uniformity, to dimming technology and much more, every new discovery in the cannabis industry opens another door for growers, researchers, and lighting manufacturers to explore. In this 2024 “State of the Cannabis Lighting Market” report, you’ll find exclusive data revealing practices of your cannabis cultivation peers, with valuable insights into the evolution of cannabis lighting trends through the years. The study behind this report was made possible with support from Fluence and was conducted by third-party research organization Readex Research on behalf of Cannabis Business Times. Click here for a PDF of the full report. 2024 State of the Cannabis Lighting Market report on lighting trends and benchmarks among commercial cultivators | Cannabis Business Times

Lighting Revolution in Two Graphs: LED Distribution In Residential And Commercial Applications by Craig DiLouie

As the LED revolution achieves increasing adoption, a recent report by the Department of Energy illuminates the growth. Published in April 2024, the “2020 U.S. Lighting Market Characterization” https://tinyurl.com/3fczwe9s estimates technology distribution among the U.S. installed base of units (lamps/luminaires), along with energy consumption. Residential sector: Let’s start with the residential lighting sector, where an estimated 6.5 billion units are installed, accounting for 80% of lighting installations. LED was the most popular light source in 2020 with 3.1 billion units installed or 48% of the total, nearly 50% less energy than in 2015.  Commercial buildings: In the commercial building sector, with its estimated 1.6 billion installed units, we see a similarly striking snapshot of LED earning virtual parity with other light sources. In 2020, LED reached an overall share of 48% of the installed base and a rough parity with fluorescent, nearly 30% less energy than 2015 and 57% less than 2001. Again, LED adoption is today the majority light source in commercial buildings.  Lighting Revolution in Two Graphs: LED distribution in residential and commercial applications – Electrical Contractor Magazine

RESEARCH: Commercial Lighting Market to Reach $56 Billion by 2030

Research and Markets has published a new analysis, Commercial Lighting Market……Forecast 2025-2030. The 187-page document covers key factors driving the growth of the commercial lighting market sector (including fixtures for hospitality, retail, workspaces, and more applications), which reached over $17 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 20% in the coming years. The analysis forecasts that the market will reach over $56 billion by 2030 due to increased sustainability efforts, including a focus on human-centric adaptive lighting, adoption of smart lighting and retrofitting infrastructure, as well as the acceleration of urbanization. The analysis provides information on market restraints, such as the maintenance of fixtures, as well as market opportunities, such as solar lighting solutions, in addition to the PESTLE (political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental) factors that influence market data. To find the full report, visit Commercial Lighting Market by Offering, Installation Type, Communication Technology, End-use Application, End-User – Global Forecast 2025-2030

TRAINING: How to Design a Lighting Control System by C. Webster Marsh and Craig DiLouie

Based on EE105: Lighting Control System Design, a new course in the Lighting Controls Association’s Education Express program provides detailed information about designing an effective lighting control solution. In Part 1 of this Lighting Controls System Design series, we learned about key documentation including the Content Intent Narrative (CIN), Sequence of Operations (SOO), and Owner Project Requirements (OPR). The next step in design development in Part 2, is to turn these requirements and conceptual design into a realized design. In Part 3 of this series on how to design a lighting control system, we will discuss installation and post-occupancy. You will learn about bidding, responding to questions from installers, reviewing submittals and defending your design, following-through with the installation of the equipment, functional testing, training essential staff, and ultimately ensuring the owner is satisfied. How to Design a Lighting Control System

Interesting: The Three Pillars of Independence of an Organization

The 3 Pillars of Independence most commonly refers to a framework from the UK voluntary sector (specifically promoted by organizations like Bond and the Directory of Social Change). It is a toolkit for assessing and maintaining the independence of charities, NGOs, or civil society organizations.

The Three Pillars are:

  1. Independent of Party Politics – The organization (or regulator) must remain free from bias or influence by any political party or the government of the day. Decisions should be impartial, not favoring one political side.
  2. Independent of Populism – It should not be swayed by popular public opinion, media-driven campaigns, or transient public pressure, especially on controversial or unpopular causes.
  3. Independent of the Press – Freedom from media influence or pressure, ensuring decisions are based on evidence and law rather than headlines or public narratives.

This toolkit was created to monitor potential political encroachment on charitable regulation and to ensure charities can operate without undue external interference.

 

Check out the learning sessions we posted…

August Blog: Learning to Get Better by Bill Attardi

WE ARE NOW LIVE ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@BillAttardi