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DOE: Why Tunable? A Look at Schools Using Tunable Lighting

William Attardi on June 27, 2025

LED technology enables dynamic lighting solutions that can adapt to the occupants, tasks, and daylight in a space. Tunable lighting systems can alter the intensity and/or spectral characteristics (color) of the source. As more schools across the U.S. transition from fluorescent to LED technology, many are likely to consider tunable lighting. This case study aims to help decision-makers by looking at past and current tunable lighting projects.

    • Why did schools choose tunable lighting?
    • What features were selected?
    • How was tunable lighting implemented?
    • What was the teacher feedback?

This case study examines tunable lighting installations at eight school districts across the United States. Why Tunable? A Look at Schools Using Tunable Lighting

 

The Lagging Transition to LEDs in Schools — Part 3 by Jessica Kelly, Andrea Wilkerson, Dan Blitzer

William Attardi on January 21, 2025

Parts 1 and 2 of this series discussed the sluggish adoption of LED technology in schools and the dim prospects for fluorescent lighting. This final part addresses the LED choices school facility personnel are considering and the new tradeoffs they face. Based on PNNL’s conversations with schools, the change to LEDs is underway. Upgrading lighting can reduce energy consumption and operating costs and refresh the look and feel of the school. Fluorescent lighting has served schools for a long time. What does maintaining an LED system look like for the next 30 or 40 years? While TLEDs seem like an easy solution today, relying on fluorescent luminaires and other components will become more challenging in the future. Compare the up front and ongoing costs for each LED option and consider developing a “standard” lighting solution that can be repeated over time, space by space, or school by school. The Lagging Transition to LEDs in Schools — Part 3 | 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.”