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Welcome to NEMA Academy

William Attardi on May 11, 2026

NEMA Academy is our new online platform offering accessible, high-quality training to strengthen industry knowledge and support workforce development. Advance your expertise with trusted, industry-backed training in lighting controls, dimming systems, and energy code compliance. Whether you’re focused on LED lighting controls, building automation, or IoT integration, NEMA Academy offers practical, standards-based courses to help you stay competitive and compliant. Explore our webstore and start learning today—designed for professionals who power the future of the built environment. NEMA Academy

LiteTrace Introduces Bluetooth Wall Switch with Integrated Occupancy Sensor and Dimming

William Attardi on April 8, 2026

The Keilton+autani IWS102/DWS102 by LiteTrace Brands transforms standard wall switches into intelligent control hubs that manage both hardwired lighting and networked devices based on occupancy, without requiring ceiling-mounted sensors or fixture modifications. Unlike typical occupancy sensors that only control their hardwired load, the IWS102/DWS102 offers dual control architecture: hardwired occupancy-based switching for connected lighting plus wireless Bluetooth control of additional networked loads. The integrated 4-button interface provides manual dimming and On/Off control while occupancy functions operate independently. A single wall-mounted sensor orchestrates lighting and equipment control across an entire room through the Keilton+autani Bluetooth network, including plug load controllers (WF20R) for appliances and equipment. Ideal for conference rooms, private offices, lunch rooms, storage areas, copy rooms, and restrooms where coordinated lighting and equipment control maximizes energy savings. SPEC-IWS102.B1.pdf SPEC-DWS102.pdf

The Value of Dimming by Levin Nock

William Attardi on January 9, 2025

It’s easy to see the energy benefits of dimming: the more an LED fixture is dimmed, the less electricity it uses. In terms of future-proofing the energy savings of lighting projects, the longevity of LED products makes it paramount to strengthen requirements for dimmability and other lighting control strategies now, since LEDs installed today are expected to work for a decade or more. The latest version of the DesignLights Consortium’s (DLC) Solid-State Lighting (SSL)Technical Requirements stresses the importance of dimming as a way to increase energy savings, while allowing occupants of offices, conference rooms and other spaces to adjust light levels to their comfort or needs. All LEDs are inherently able to dim and nearly 100% of DLC-listed fixtures are dimmable. Expanded adoption is the necessary next step to capturing the benefits of dimming. The Value of Dimming | EC&M

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.”