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Lutron Releases 2026 Luxury Residential Trend Report

William Attardi on January 16, 2026

Lutron Electronics has released its Luxury Residential 2026 Trend Report: Living with Light, providing an in-depth look at emerging trends in residential lighting, automated shades, and controls. Informed by custom surveys from The Harris Poll driven by insights from high-net-worth homeowners and residential designers and architects, as well as Lutron sales and product data, the report highlights how lighting, shading, and controls are now central to both the aesthetic and emotional experience of a home. The report strongly signals that homes are increasingly prioritizing mood, wellness, and personalization. Motorized shades and app-controlled lighting are shifting from luxury upgrades to expected design essentials, while layered, tunable light is foundational to creating spaces that feel human, flexible, and attuned to the rhythms of daily life. Key findings:

  • Lighting as the Heart of the Home
  • The Shift Toward Dynamic, Tunable Light
  • The Evolution of Window Treatments
  • Customization, Personalization, and Materials
  • Smart Controls Complete the Design and the Experience

Download the complete report in PDF format: Lutron 2026 Trend Report – Dropbox

Welcome to the Lighting Controls Academy

William Attardi on September 6, 2025

In keeping with its alliance with NEMA and the NEMA Academy, the Lighting Controls Association is now the Lighting Controls Academy, a NEMA coalition. The LCA remains the leader in lighting controls education. Under the “Learn” tab, you can click the “Video Courses” button for a roster of free video courses that will be dramatically expanded over the next year. Under the “NEMA Academy” tab, you can access our Education Express courses that are registered for education credit. The new platform includes an enhanced website, comprehensive learning experience, and access to a broad and growing curriculum covering lighting controls in addition to other topics and categories such as lighting. Learn About Controls

NEMA Expands Make It American™ Certification to Connected Building Systems and Controls

William Attardi on August 8, 2025

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) has expanded its Make It American™ certification program to include a new product specification for connected building systems and equipment. These integrated hardware and software platforms, such as HVAC, building automation, and security platforms, are essential technologies for optimizing infrastructure resiliency and performance in the built environment.  NEMA’s Make It American program supports domestic manufacturing by helping companies demonstrate that their manufacturing processes, facilities, and supply chain management systems have undergone rigorous third-party expert audits to meet Build America, Buy America Act (BABA) domestic content rules – providing greater certainty and confidence to manufacturers, government agencies, and procurement officials seeking to source materials with enhanced levels of U.S.-manufactured content.  For more information about NEMA’s Make It American program and the Make It American BABA Registry of certified companies and products, visit here.  NEMA Expands Make It American™ Certification to Connected Building Systems and Controls  – NEMA

ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR Magazine Published Articles on Lighting

William Attardi on July 2, 2025

Lighting is a top money-maker for electrical contractors, and ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR Magazine has you covered with news and monthly articles on lighting innovations and technology, LEDs, lighting design, lighting control, indoor and outdoor lamps and luminaires, new products and more. Recent articles on lighting are available online:

Subscription – Electrical Contractor Magazine

The Genesis of the U.S. Space Force – On December 20, 2019, President Donald Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2020, officially creating the United States Space Force, a new and independent branch of the U.S. military. The establishment of the Space Force marked a historic shift in how the U.S. views and manages its military operations in space, reflecting the growing importance of space as both a domain of strategic competition and national security. The Space Force is tasked with ensuring the U.S. maintains its superiority in space, focusing on both the defense of space assets and the development of offensive capabilities. Its mission includes:

  1. Space Operations: Overseeing space-based systems, such as satellites, that provide essential services to the U.S. military, including communication, reconnaissance, and missile defense.
  2. Space Security: Protecting U.S. space infrastructure from threats, including anti-satellite weapons, cyberattacks, and other potential forms of disruption by adversarial nations.
  3. Space Research and Development: Developing and deploying cutting-edge space technologies, including space-based defense systems, that ensure the U.S. maintains an edge in space exploration and military operations.
  4. Supporting National Defense: Integrating space capabilities into broader national defense strategies, ensuring that U.S. forces can operate effectively in space as part of a multi-domain approach to warfare.

The Space Force is designed to streamline and strengthen the U.S. military’s space operations, which were previously under the purview of the U.S. Air Force. By separating space operations into a distinct branch, the government hoped to increase focus on space as a critical area of national defense and enhance the U.S. military’s ability to respond to emerging threats. Source: Day in History