September 7, 2024
5 Things to Know: September 7
PG Enlighten delights Chicagoland lighting people. Plus, Cooper and Genlyte tweak their branding.
Here's a roundup of some of the week's happenings curated to help lighting people stay informed.
1. PG Enlighten Showcase Draws Lighting People Together
On Thursday night, lighting professionals from Chicagoland and beyond gathered in Chicago’s Fulton Market District for the PG Enlighten 2024 Showcase. The event, now in its third consecutive year, hosted over 50 lighting manufacturers showcasing architectural lighting products.
PG Enlighten, a respected and long-standing lighting agency in the Chicago market, hosted the event, where tabletop displays highlighted the latest innovations in lighting and controls. Attendees from the local lighting community networked, mingled, and celebrated the lighting community.
Enthusiasm among guests and exhibitors was high, with many commenting on the "great venue" and the value of seeing a veriety of new architectural lighting and controls products in person. Some attendees noted that connecting with factory personnel would enhance collaboration on future lighting projects.
Pre-show pose: (L to R) Tom Benton and Marc Pilipuf of PG Enlighten, Al Uszynski of Inside Lighting
Guests represented a broad spectrum of the industry, including professionals from design and architecture, as well as developers, general contractors, and major distributors. The event also featured a live band, entertaining attendees late into the night with hits spanning from the 1990s to today, adding to the vibrant atmosphere.
2 . Cooper and Genlyte Embrace Signify Branding
Both Cooper Lighting Solutions and Genlyte Solutions are tweaking their brand messaging to include “a Signify business” which highlights the world's largest lighting company as their parent company while also maintaining their respective identities in North American commercial and industrial lighting markets.
As a measure to align with Signify’s newly redefined global business units, in early 2024, Signify rolled out a new identity for its Genlyte Solutions business, serving Professional customers in North America with indoor luminaire brands Lightolier, Day-Brite/CFI, Ledalite, Chloride and Alkco; outdoor luminaire brands Lumec, Hadco, Gardco and Stonco/Keene; connected lighting systems and controls brands, Interact and Philips Dynalite; the Philips LED lamps and Advance electronics portfolios; and global architectural lighting brand Color Kinetics.
Now, Cooper Lighting Solutions has unveiled a new logo, highlighting its identity as a Signify Professional business. Cooper Lighting Solutions serves Professional customers in North America with a product portfolio including indoor luminaire brands such as HALO, Metalux, NeoRay, Corelite, Portfolio, and Sure-Lites, outdoor luminaire brands such as Streetworks, McGraw-Edison, Lumark, and Ephesus, and connected lighting systems and controls brands such as WaveLinx and Intelligent Lighting Controls.
Cooper Lighting Solutions and Genlyte Solutions continue to operate independently with their respective portfolios.
3. Streetlights Serve Dual Purpose with EV Charging Integration
Cities like Los Angeles are expanding electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure by integrating Level 2 EV charging stations into streetlight poles, offering a space-saving solution. AmpUp and EVSE are working with the Los Angeles Bureau of Street Lighting (LABSL) to install 150 streetlight-mounted EV chargers. This approach eliminates the need for ground-level charging stations, reducing installation costs and preserving curbside space while addressing safety concerns with elevated retractable cables.
The integration takes advantage of the 240-volt electrical service already in place, eliminating costly electrical upgrades. This synergy also supports LA’s sustainability goals, with streetlight LED upgrades lowering energy use, freeing capacity for additional EV charging without burdening the grid.
Looking ahead, we wonder if lighting manufacturers will offer “Level 2 EV charging” as a standard option on streetlight poles and lighting systems, alongside enhanced surge protection and pole base covers.
Photo credit: AmpUp
4. Premier League Manager’s Unusual Lightbulb Speech
Mikel Arteta, the Spanish manager of English Premier League club Arsenal, used an LED lightbulb as a metaphor to help inspire his team ahead of a league match. Arsenal, one of the top football clubs in England, competes in the Premier League, the country's top professional soccer division.
Arteta began his speech by holding the bare bulb, later connecting it to a medium base pendant light socket to symbolize connected teamwork and unity. He ended with, "And today, I want you to play with that attitude, go out there, f****** turn the light on, and play football. Let's go!" — a line now used to conclude every Inside Lighting staff meeting.
This was a recent Instagram post, but the speech occurred during the 2022 season. Arsenal went on to lose that match to Brigton 2-1.
5. Scientist Highlights Infrared Deficiency in LED Lighting
A recent interview with Dr. Bob Fosbury, Emeritus Astronomer at the European Southern Observatory (ESO), on the Regenerative Health Podcast, has generated over 21,000 YouTube views, where Fosbury explores the profound interaction between infrared light and biological systems, drawing from his career in astronomy to apply these principles to health and biology.
Fosbury explains how infrared light, particularly at 670 nanometers, plays a critical role in mitochondrial function and energy production within the human body. He highlights the importance of sunlight exposure for biological health, noting how modern artificial lighting systems, such as LEDs, strip out crucial infrared wavelengths, potentially leading to widespread health issues.
Fosbury also emphasizes the evolutionary relationship between life on Earth and sunlight, pointing out that plants and animals alike have evolved to harness the full spectrum of solar energy. He suggests that the widespread use of energy-efficient lighting that lacks infrared light, particularly in urban environments, is contributing to chronic health issues such as mitochondrial dysfunction, which may be underlying diseases of aging, diabetes, and other metabolic disorders.
