February 10, 2023
5 Things to Know: Week Ending February 11
Signify makes another move. And we clear up confusion surrounding a baffling lighting headline.
Here's a roundup of some of the week's happenings curated to help lighting people stay informed.
1. Denver’s Visual Interest Expands South
Earlier this week, the inside.lighting I-Team reported on Midwest Signify agent, C&O Sales, expanding its Signify representation into Iowa – but that wasn’t the only instance of a Signify agent recently moving into adjacent territory.
As of February 7, 2023, Signify transitioned to new sales representation for its Genlyte Solutions collection of luminaire brands and Color Kinetics throughout New Mexico and in El Paso, Texas.
Visual Interest, which already represents Signify’s complete range of professional lighting in Colorado, has been appointed the lighting sales agent for these Signify brands in the territories. Allied Group Sales will continue to represent Signify’s Philips LED lamps and Advance portfolio throughout New Mexico and in El Paso.
2. ASHRAE Closes a Lighting Loophole
ASHRAE released the latest version of its benchmark energy efficiency standard, ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-2022 – Energy Standard for Sites and Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings. The latest version includes an expanded scope for building sites and major additions appearing for the first time in a minimum-efficiency U.S. model energy standard or code.
“We have identified some ambiguity in the standard by offering guidance on regulating only buildings and not sites,” said ASHRAE Standing Standard Project Committee 90.1 chair Don Brundage. “Examples include exterior and parking lot lighting, which if not provided through the main electric panel in the building, were not within the scope of Standard 90.1 previously."
3. EdisonReport News Sirens Cause Confusion
Attention-seeking police sirens have been lighting up EdisonReport since yesterday after it published a 24-word “article” alluding to a legal settlement between Chicago lighting agents Force Partners and KSA Lighting & Controls.
EdisonReport’s flashing alerts and urgent flurry of police siren posts across social media have left some well-informed lighting people amused and others confused – as inside.lighting published a detailed article of the settlement in principle on the very same day Illinois federal courts were informed of it on December 16, 2022. The inside.lighting report included many more important details including the nature of the case, important terms of the settlement and names of the other defendants; Acuity Brands, Jim Williams (KSA President) and Ashley Williams (once a KSA employee and now principal of The Lighting Digest.)
We share this news tidbit to clear up confusion caused by the recent, baffling fanfare and not to besmirch other news organizations that seemingly become inexplicably exuberant over incomplete, 2-sentence reports of 2-month old news.
RELATED: More Breaking News from Chicago »
4. Copper shortage
CNBC warns that there isn't enough copper in the world — and the shortage could last till 2030.
The world is currently facing a global copper shortage, fueled by increasingly challenging supply streams in South America and higher demand pressures. Copper is an important component of lighting and electrical products – including building wiring – and it is a leading pulse check for economic health due to its incorporation in various uses such as electrical equipment and industrial machinery.
5. Coresential spins off Lighting & Controls in Florida
According to a recent agency announcement, effective February 1, 2023, the Coresential Lighting and Controls Division began operating independently as Affiliated Lighting and Controls of Florida. Other divisions of Coresential will continue to operate as Coresential. This announcement comes four months after multiple North Carolina lighting agents came together in what was described as a “merge” to form Affiliated Lighting and Controls.
Tampa-based Coresential represents numerous electrical and lighting brands including Eaton Crouse-Hinds, RAB Lighting and Hunter fans & lighting. We were unable to find a line card for Affiliated Lighting and Controls – but they seemingly registered the domain afflc.com in August 2022.
