August 9, 2023

[UPDATED] These Lighting Brands Are Driving Progress

IES Progress Committee recognizes 60 innovations, more than half come from seven companies

The mission of the Illuminating Engineering Society’s Progress Committee is to evaluate developments in the art and science of lighting throughout the world and prepare an annual report of achievements for the Society. Each year the committee selects lighting products, research, publications and design tools for inclusion in the annual Progress Report.

As the 2023 Progress Report was revealed on Friday, IES Progress Committee Chairperson, Tejal Thakur, explained that the team evaluated 92 submissions introduced to the market between August 1, 2022 and July 31, 2023, for inclusion in the 2023 Progress Report. Submissions were categorized as follows: light sources, luminaires, materials, power supply, controls and luminaire accessories. The committee also reviewed design tools and publications, ultimately selecting 60 items for inclusion in the report.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

Inclusion in the Progress Report can be for various reasons, such as a new feature or a combination of features. These features may include adjustable intensity and adjustable color temperature, smaller size, higher lumen output, higher efficacy, and germicidal ultraviolet (GUV).

Several lighting brands, including Cooper Lighting Solutions with seven, had multiple products included in the Progress Report. Green Creative and Acuity Brands also had strong showings, with six and five products, respectively.

UPDATE August 11: Acuity Brands was awarded 6 selections. Not 5.

Today the IES Progress Committee confirmed that Acuity Brands earned six inclusions in the 2023 IES Progress Report, not four or five as previously, and accidentally, communicated by the committee.

qqqq-1 (16).jpg

TWO BAGGERS: Bodine, Kirlin and Selux each had two products included in the Progress Report.

SIGNIFY TOTAL: Adding Cooper Lighting and Bodine together gives parent company, Signify, a total of 9 product inclusions.

HANGING CHAD... 4, 5 or 6? : There seems to be a miscommunication or misunderstanding between the IES and Acuity Brands:

The published Progress Report cites five inclusions from Acuity Brands, but Acuity Brands recently announced that it was awarded six inclusions.
Adding more confusion, during the Progress Report presentation, it was stated that Acuity Brands earned four product inclusions, but we believe that was possibly an accidental oversight that didn’t capture A-light as a brand of Acuity Brands.
We believe the right number is five. We will update this article if that changes.

CONGRATS TO ME!: The Illuminating Engineering Society awarded itself with five inclusions – all publications, no products.

IES Consultant, Mark Lien, presented an insightful analysis of the current year’s Progress Report as well as an analysis of how the submissions, categories and product innovation have emerged over the last 10+ years.

Lien explained that this year’s submissions demonstrated an increased focus on material transparency and sustainability. He pointed out that environmental, social, and governance (ESG) aspects may align with profit opportunities in the market.

Lien detailed additional observations including:

The IES Progress Committee's 2023 Progress Report shows a contraction in categories, reflecting an evolving lighting industry heavily influenced by LEDs.
The trend line for submissions shows a clear decrease. In 2014 there were over 260 submissions. This year, the number was 92, going below 100 for the first time on Lien's chart which captured data from 2008 onward.
The committee recognizes advancements in the field, but the data may indicate a decline in innovation or a maturing marketplace.
Categories such as research and design tools have dropped, while LED sources have fallen from a previous high of 50 to 14 this year.
Controls surprisingly dropped to four submissions despite predictions of growth.
Several companies had multiple acceptances, with Cooper Lighting, Green Creative and Acuity Brands standing out.
10 companies were included for the first time ever including Modular International, Jokerlight and Lifeline

NOTE: A previous version of this article accurately captured information presented by the IES Progress Committee relating to first-time inclusions, but that data has been challenged as inaccurate by two companies that were the subjects of the committee's report.

The Lighting Quotient informed us that this year was the eighth time its products were represented (not the first) and e-Lumingen claims this was the second time its products were represented in the Progress Report.