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DALI Alliance to Host Third Annual DALI North America Summit in Dallas

William Attardi on May 2, 2026

The DALI Alliance announces that its 3rd Annual DALI North America Summit will take place September 16 and 17 in Dallas, Texas, alongside ArchLIGHT Summit, the commercial and architectural lighting event held September 15 and 16 at Dallas Market Center. The DALI Summit brings together lighting designers, manufacturers, integrators, and technology providers to explore the latest developments in standardized lighting control and smart building integration. The event continues to grow as a key forum for advancing interoperability, data-driven lighting, and the role of lighting within connected building systems.  DALI Alliance to Host 3rd Annual DALI North America Summit in Dallas | EC&M

Seeking Standardization: Open Systems Are Becoming More Relevant by Craig DiLouie

William Attardi on March 13, 2026

As lighting systems evolve from simple illumination devices into connected infrastructure, the industry is placing more emphasis on open, interoperable standards. While many control platforms still rely on proprietary hardware and software, open standards are becoming increasingly relevant. A significant player in standards is Zhaga-D4i (zD4i). It combines a standardized plug-in interface for sensors and communication modules with a common digital language for data exchange. For electrical contractors, this framework can simplify installation, improve upgradability and create new opportunities for offering connected lighting solutions. To address this, Zhaga introduced Book 18 in 2018. Now in its fourth edition (released in 2025), Book 18 defines how a smart node physically attaches to an outdoor LED luminaire, receives power and exchanges digital information with the driver. In effect, Book 18 serves as the socket standard for modern connected outdoor lighting. Around the same time, the DALI Alliance expanded its DALI-2 standard to better support internet of things (IoT) and luminaire-level control. With Zhaga’s Book 18 managing the physical and electrical interface and the DALI Alliance’s D4i managing the digital handshake, the two organizations partnered to create the zD4i product certification. Seeking Standardization: Open systems are becoming more relevant | Craig DiLouie – Electrical Contractor Magazine

DALI Alliance and IES Collaborate for Lighting Standardization and Education

William Attardi on May 10, 2025

The DALI Alliance and the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) are pleased to announce a strategic collaboration aimed at advancing the development, adoption, and harmonization of educational initiatives around global lighting standards. Through this collaboration, the DALI Alliance and IES will coordinate on activities such as education and training programs, and outreach to designers, engineers, and specifiers. The goal is to create greater alignment across lighting technologies and accelerate the deployment of intelligent and sustainable lighting solutions worldwide. DALI Alliance and IES Collaborate for Lighting Standardization and Education – tEDmag

Remembering the Solemn Purpose of Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States observed on the last Monday in May to honor and mourn U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the armed forces. The holiday traces its roots to the years immediately following the American Civil War (1861–1865), which caused massive casualties—roughly 620,000 soldiers dead, about 2% of the U.S. population at the time. Communities across the North and South began spontaneously decorating the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers, wreaths, and flags, a practice that gave rise to the original name: Decoration Day. On May 5, 1868, Major General John A. Logan, commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR)—a powerful Union veterans’ organization—issued General Order No. 11. This proclaimed May 30, 1868, as a nationwide “Decoration Day” to honor those who died in the Civil War. After World War I, the holiday expanded to honor all American service members who died in any war, not just the Civil War.  In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act to create more three-day weekends for federal employees. This moved Memorial Day to the last Monday in May, effective in 1971, when it was also officially named “Memorial Day.” As one 1868 quote put it: “That Nation which respects and honors its dead, shall ever be respected and honored itself.”