how to build a circular economy
Nice article in Fast Company introducing the principles of Circular Economy strategies, mostly taken from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. A circular economy is one where goods are restored and regenerated more widely, moving from a system of virgin inputs and piles of waste to one that returns used products to a useful state. It is also an economy that minimizes resource use by moving away from individual ownership towards more leasing, renting, and sharing. The aim is to cut environmental damage and allow companies to keep control of the value in their products. Continue reading how to build a circular economy
U.S. DOE includes sustainability in R+D roadmap
There is far more to sustainability in lighting technology then merely reducing energy consumption — so I’m thrilled to see that the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solid-State Lighting group has included a new section exploring the broader topic of sustainability in … Continue reading U.S. DOE includes sustainability in R+D roadmap
light + building 2014: zumtobel
And now…a special presentation for a friend of mine who has a new interest in all things Zumtobel: A few pictures that I snapped of the Austrians’ booth at Light + Building. Congratulations! Continue reading light + building 2014: zumtobel
light + building 2014: building controls and visualization
The past year I spoke at several events about how smart industry standards are needed to open up second-level innovations in the lighting industry that are hard for many industry insiders to appreciate. Specifically, communication and data standards for lighting … Continue reading light + building 2014: building controls and visualization
arch daily: richard kelly
Thomas Schielke published a nice piece on Arch Daily summarizing Richard Kelly. Go check it out… Continue reading arch daily: richard kelly
light + building 2014: camera-based occupancy sensors
Both Panasonic/VS and Toshiba demonstrated technical concepts for using cameras for advanced, precision occupancy sensing. Such occupancy sensing brings to life more dynamic, personalized control possibilities, including even the possibility of gesture recognition in the future. Right now, these … Continue reading light + building 2014: camera-based occupancy sensors
light + building 2014: direct LED backlighting
Both Samsung and LG demoed some interesting OEM components taken straight from the display divisions: LED boards with unique flattened optics for back-lighting a diffusion surface. Here’s from Samsung: Here’s from LG: Continue reading light + building 2014: direct LED backlighting
light + building 2014: LG
LG, through both its LG Innotek and LG Chem groups, seems to be investing rather heavily in design — and it is starting to show off in their lighting offerings. Although it all feels like LG is merely “testing the … Continue reading light + building 2014: LG
light + building 2014: tunto
I can’t possibly chronicle all the gorgeous design in the decorative halls at L+B, but one company especially caught my eye (again…I noticed them last L+B, too): Tunto, a Finnish lighting manufacturer that discretely integrates LED lighting into beautiful plywood … Continue reading light + building 2014: tunto
light + building 2014: flex-tape
An interesting trend in lighting tech right now is the growing use of flexible circuit boards for lighting — commonly called “flex-tape”. Think of this as the high-quality evolution of ye-olde LED rope light. Lots of suppliers showed flex-tape components … Continue reading light + building 2014: flex-tape
craig dorety: division
Via Cool Hunting: Beautiful light art by artist Craig Dorety that reminds me a great deal of the James Turrell installation at the Guggenheim — but at a different scale. Continue reading craig dorety: division
Quickly Prototype Circuits With New Inkjet-Printable Conductive Ink
Another way conductive inks are moving towards mainstream applications…this time through low-cost inkjet printing. Continue reading Quickly Prototype Circuits With New Inkjet-Printable Conductive Ink
on being an expert (in lighting?)
Wicked funny video flowing around the web on being the only expert in a meeting… And yes, I’ve unfortunately been the “expert” in many meetings that went very, very much like this one. Particularly when architects and sales guys were involved. … Continue reading on being an expert (in lighting?)
light + building 2014: 37 kilometers in 3 days
Light + Building is a beast. Every two years, close to 200,000 people, thousands of manufacturers, journalists and customers from the lighting and building automation industries descend on Frankfurt’s sprawling Messe convention center. This is my 4th Light + Building…and … Continue reading light + building 2014: 37 kilometers in 3 days
rijksmuseum: president obama visits
The big deal here in Amsterdam on Monday was President Obama visiting the Rijksmuseum. He made one a hell of an entrance, considering they blockaded the entire Museumplein and landed not just one, but four helicopters for his short trip … Continue reading rijksmuseum: president obama visits
tishman construction: developer of 2′ x 4′ ceilings and occupancy sensors?
Ever wonder where 2′ x 4′ ceilings come from? Or occupancy sensors? I just read an interesting biography called “Building Tall” by John L. Tishman. John Tishman led the construction division of his family’s real estate company for many decades. … Continue reading tishman construction: developer of 2′ x 4′ ceilings and occupancy sensors?
PLACE-it project
It is interesting to see how much fundamental R+D work is going into flexible electronics, including systems focused on LED and lighting applications. The PLACE-it project (Platform for Large Area Conformable Electronics by InTegration) is a research consortium funded via the European … Continue reading PLACE-it project
philips rocking the iF design awards and european patent office
Sometimes it’s nice to brag about your company… Philips has been honored with 47 prestigious awards at the 2014 iF design awards, including an unprecedented 4 Gold awards. The iF seal of good design is awarded by one of the world’s most influential design competitions. This year Philips has achieved the highest number of awarded entries in 2014, in the product category. According to the rankings: Samsung is #1, with Philips in a very close #2 position, followed by Sony in #3. Apple is down at #6. And you can bet that Philips covers its ass with IP: Royal Philips … Continue reading philips rocking the iF design awards and european patent office
hive systems
Hive Systems is an interesting Dutch startup that is building software for simulating and controlling networks of interactive devices. I met their team after I presented at the GlowNext Symposium in Eindhoven (November 2013). Quoting their site: HiveKit is a … Continue reading hive systems
philips + disney storylight
Coming soon: Combining the power of mobile apps with connected lighting, Philips Lighting is connecting Disney bedtime stories to color-changing ambient lighting. What a powerful natural combination: Disney has a long history of using show-control systems to create magical experiences … Continue reading philips + disney storylight
