Get a Grip on Lighting
Listen to gripping discussions about hot topics in the lighting industry by tuning into the Get a Grip on Lighting podcast series. Produced by Michael Colligan of Atlas Lighting and Greg Ehrich of Premier Lighting, the podcasts provide a unique forum for industry thought leaders.
EPISODE LIST
Apr 22, 2024
What exactly is the National Lighting Bureau? Well, Tom can tell us because he is now the Executive Director. He gives us a sneak peak on what's ahead for the Bureau. Tom also explains three personal goals he has as Director: increasing member be…
Apr 15, 2024
From billionaires’ butler to very successful owner of 3 hair salons with 77 employees (which also meant 77 headaches) to lighting designer and decorative lighting store retailer. William has always had a knack for what looks good and that has ser…
Apr 9, 2024
Two interesting perspectives on the lighting distribution industry: Sean Valliere who knew nothing about the lighting industry when he became an owner of Lamp Sales Unlimited, and Miranda Shepherd, who worked at Lamp Sales Unlimited for 23 years …
Apr 1, 2024
Omar is so knowledgeable about the Internet of Things that he’s written a book about it. He talks to Michael and Greg about the future of smart sensors and cloud data. Imagine a smart sensor that can see where, when and why people gather in a par…
Mar 18, 2024
Michael and Greg continue their conversation in Frankfurt Germany. This time Michael is the “guest.” Greg asks Michael what he thinks about the organizers of Light + Building taking over LightFair. Is this a trojan horse? Is this a way for Europe…
Mar 11, 2024
Entschuldigung! Greg is Michael's "guest" on this one, reporting from Light + Building in Germany. But mostly they talk about LightFair in America. It seems Light + Building will be organizing the next LightFair. Greg is a little more ambivalent …
Feb 28, 2024
You might have caught Buddy on Restoring Darkness ep. 92. We had him on Restoring Darkness because he’s at the front lines of manufacturing responsible outdoor lighting. You might even say, he’s cornered the market. When Sedona Arizona put out a …
Feb 22, 2024
You can’t help getting swept up in Dirk’s enthusiasm and energy. And that’s over the internet. Dirk insists that distribution is a noble calling. It’s a 7 Trillion dollar economic engine and it supports over 6 million jobs. In the middle of the p…
Feb 7, 2024
Avi doesn’t give a damn who makes the lights or what kind of lights they are as long as the feeling and emotion is achieved in a space. And of course, that feeling has to be maintained. So if you’ve buried a light fixture in concrete, that “feeli…
Feb 2, 2024
Returning guest Melvin Newman tells us what’s been going on with Patabid since we last saw him. There’s a new partnership with City Electric Supply, improved estimating software and AI, and even more time savings for contractors. Melvin is the Pr…
Jan 22, 2024
Another short one with Michael and Greg. In this episode, our hosts discuss the phases of a career in lighting distribution. The first phase had Greg going everywhere looking for dead light bulbs or broken lenses just to get a supply business goi…
Jan 15, 2024
Watch for Brian and his team on the cover of the Spring 2024 edition of Today’s Lighting Distributor. Brian tells Michael and Greg about how he started in the business and about how he continues to be successful and what the future holds for his …
Jan 2, 2024
Al, Michael, and Greg look back at some of their predictions and try to guess who said what, and assess how accurate they were. But you can’t look back without looking ahead. The guys give their predictions on artificial intelligence, lighting co…
Dec 21, 2023
It’s always fun, informative, and educational to have such experienced people like Richard on the podcast. He also brings his incredible energy and positive attitude with him, not only to the podcast, but wherever he goes. With an incredible 60 y…
Dec 18, 2023
LEDucation will be here before you know it (March 19-20, 2024) so Jamie Eck, Co-Chair of the LEDucation Committee, gives us a preview of what to expect. As Jamie says, “LEDucation is geared towards the design community,” but there will be plenty …
Dec 15, 2023
Do you have an enthusiasm for old light bulbs? Then contact Chad and you can geek out about an 1880 Edison Bristol Board Filament prototype lamp, or an 1886 Luminoid Incandescent Lamp. In fact Chad probably has the greatest collection of antique …
Dec 4, 2023
The King of Lighting Ellis Yan is one our favorite guests on Get a Grip on Lighting. His company TCP has been a supporter of the show for years. Today we honor some of his greatest moments with our "Best of Ellis Yan".
Nov 27, 2023
Tony is back with an update on the progress of his Quantum LIFI. If you fully understand what he’s talking about in this episode, then you’re probably Tony Lawrence, or you should call him up and get a job at Light Rider. Seriously, this stuff is…
Nov 20, 2023
Billy talks to us from his car (don’t worry, he’s not driving) which is apropos as he is moving on in his career. Billy is winding down his agency, Digital Filaments. He considered driving a bus - nothing was off the table - but he is far too val…
Nov 13, 2023
Check out episode 246 from March of 2022. Forest and Zach were on the verge of launching Parspec. Well now they’ve been at it for a year-and-a-half and it sounds like it’s going pretty well. With AI, customer feedback and a host of talented emplo…
Nov 6, 2023
Mike Johnson and the International Living Future Institute (ILFI) is here to define what “good” looks like in the world, as far as the built environment goes. ILFI has a Living Product Certification which requires independent scientific validatio…
Oct 30, 2023
Something a little different on Get A Grip On Lighting. Frank brings us some fascinating episodes in history related to light, everything from the origins of the traffic light, to the invention of the Lite Brite toy. Did you know the first Presid…
Oct 16, 2023
Katherine and Carrie sat down with Michael and Greg at The Archlight Summit to dive into the history and future of color. You’ll learn some really fascinating facts about color. The word ‘blue” is not mentioned once in Homer’s “The Odyssey.” Did …
Oct 9, 2023
Rachel and Jessica from Stantec dropped by to chat with Michael and Greg at the Archlight/NAILD Convention, to talk about the challenges of lighting in the work environment. Rachel and Jessica have to take into account efficiency, safety, mental …
Sep 28, 2023
Special Episode! Another successful NAILD Convention has come and gone. Michael and Greg look back at the informative presentations from experts such as Bernie Erickson, Mark Jewell and Adam Lillien. If you weren’t there, you missed the Dallas Co…
Sep 27, 2023
LED’s do burn out. With presence in 16 cities, there’s a good chance Rob Jensen and Voss lighting will be able to help you out. Rob started at Voss in 1985 and in 2017, they made him President. Rob sees the first generation of LEDs burning out an…
Sep 21, 2023
Jill sat down with Michael and Greg at the Archlight Summit to talk about the IALD Education Trust. Jill and the IALD are sharing their lighting knowledge with educators and students for the purpose of promoting the study of architectural lightin…
Sep 11, 2023
Nathalie has questioned a lot! Everything from the term “Lighting Designer” (she prefers the title “Phototect”), to what color lights to use to light different skin tones. Nathalie started the not-for-profit, Light Reach, a solar lighting initiat…
Aug 28, 2023
Oh boy. Here comes another curve ball for the industry. LEDs came along in the early 2000’s. They emitted light. They were energy efficient. What could be bad? Ask Mark Baker who’s highly sensitive to certain LED lights. And there are people wors…
Aug 21, 2023
Idiotic. Stupid. Disastrous. A debacle. We’re talking about the recent light bulb ban of course. Hey DOE, take a walk with Michael or Greg and see how this negatively impacts countless businesses and institutions on the ground.
Aug 9, 2023
It was always looming, and now the day has finally arrived. You can’t sell any more incandescent lamps (with VERY few exceptions). Is it going to bring down energy consumption? Is it going to create a lot of waste? Is it going to be a problem in …
Aug 7, 2023
After 300 episodes, you think you’ve heard it all, then Dr. Moore-Ede comes along with some more fascinating facts about circadian lighting. Did you know that you can whiten-up light by substituting violet for blue light while avoiding triggering…
Jul 24, 2023
Katia joins us from Athens Greece, but it was in a London museum where she spotted some terrible lighting. You’d think that good lighting would be a top priority in a museum. That’s when she came up with “The Lighting Police.” There are “police” …
Jul 17, 2023
When Robert White started in the business, he had a mullet, earrings, and a jacket with a diagonal zipper that started at the shoulder. In other words, he’s been around a while. So he brings a lot of knowledge from the world of lighting design. H…
Jul 10, 2023
Neil Peterson is CEO of LED Lighting Supply where they sell - you guessed it - LED lighting. But they don’t sell to just anyone. LED Lighting Supply excel’s at commercial, industrial and sports lighting. And the market is booming. Neil prefers to…
Jun 26, 2023
Obtaining government contracts can be a challenging endeavor as the competition is fierce. However, a business partnership that includes a disabled veteran can provide your company with a valuable advantage. By doing so, this fulfills a requireme…
Jun 19, 2023
You run a city. You need to know where all your street lights are. You want to know where the car, bike and pedestrian collisions areas are, what time of night they happen. And you need it tomorrow. Call Nick and Evari GIS will take that data and…
Jun 14, 2023
Brad does not work for a designer or manufacturer, so he considers himself “off the leash,” so buckle up: He thinks we’re in a race to the bottom in cost and quality. With the move to manufacturing in China, all the R & D money is gone. Susta…
May 30, 2023
David, a lawyer, might know more about gallium nitride and LED light bulbs than you do. He survived - and thrived - through the LED “patent wars” of the early 2000’s. David tells Michael and Greg about patent suits involving the Nobel Prize Winne…
May 22, 2023
ALERT! ALERT! If you’re a middle class salaried or hourly wage earner, you’re going to keep earning less and less when you factor in cost of living inflation. But despair not! Michael and Greg have the answers. Maybe. You’ll have to listen to fi…
May 8, 2023
After studying Renaissance Design in Italy, Architecture in Buffalo, and Communication Design in New York, Adam landed a job in… wait for it… cancer research! Eventually, via a series of career changes, he ended up at UL and finally, on the Get A…
May 1, 2023
With the kinds of customers Tim serves, good lighting can be a matter of life and death. Mines, factories, steel mills - all require lighting that isn’t going to melt, start a fire or blow up! Tim and his company, Dialight, keep sustainability at…
Apr 24, 2023
“Leave the earth better than how we found it.” That’s Melissa’s definition of sustainable. Of course she agrees that it is more complicated than that when it comes to the lighting industry. Luckily Brian Huff the chairman of NAILD's Distributor C…
Apr 17, 2023
Michael has noticed, over the years, that vendor members who have quit NAILD, have experienced “the kiss of death.” In this short-form Get A Grip, Michael and Greg riff on private equity take-overs, change of ownership, ROI, education, and giving…
Apr 4, 2023
You must check out some videos of Michal’s LED Tron Dance Suits. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVt2OwMKiM8. You’ll be mesmerized. Michal explains to Michael and Greg how his company continues to address the challenges of controlling the lights,…
Mar 27, 2023
If you don’t know Sid Phillips, you should. His experience and longevity in the business makes him a go-to for information and advice. Lucky for us, he gives some here on the Get A Grip On Lighting podcast. As Sid likes to say, he “kick’s the can…
Mar 20, 2023
“The human centric workplace.” That subject will always spark debate, especially the lighting part of it. Simone explained to Michael and Greg how she goes about it in her profession. She avoids the fluff and the trendiness of the subject and… Ju…
Mar 15, 2023
In this special edition of Get A Grip On Lighting, super-fan Peter Ma drops in the studio to chat with Michael. Peter, a long time listener, came by to meet Michael and to see the studio. But Peter is in the business, so he and Michael talk about…
Mar 13, 2023
Who knew that chemists would be working on light bulbs. Well, Jakoah and Shruti explain their research into different phosphors to find the most efficient ways to create colors - other than blue. Fifteen years in the business and we learned somet…
Mar 6, 2023
Light is a spectrum and our eyes see a thin slice of it. But that doesn’t mean the light outside of our visual perception doesn’t affect us. Dr. Krames and Dr. Berends talk with Michael and Greg about the research they have conducted and the conc…
Feb 27, 2023
Come celebrate 300 with us! Okay, it didn’t quite fall on the actual 300th episode, but it doesn’t take away from the achievement. This group of misfits got together with Michael and Greg to talk about how the Get A Grip On Lighting Podcast got s…
Feb 20, 2023
Nothing can beat real sunlight for an indoor environment. But sometimes, getting daylight into an interior space is difficult or impossible. Benjamin says he’s got the next best thing. Michael and Greg do their best to be skeptical, but Benjamin …
Feb 14, 2023
Randy Reid is back and he’s here to clear up some confusion with his publication, The Edison Report. Accusations were leveled, mistakes were made and Randy gives his side of the story.Randy Reid is the editor of designing lighting (dl) magazine. …
Feb 13, 2023
Come on… you know you love it when Michael gets worked up! In this new short-form Get A Grip On Lighting podcast episode - he beefs to Greg about misguided incentive programs, purple lights, the state of rebate programs, and the leaderless lighti…
Feb 7, 2023
Winner of the L-Prize, Don Peifer lets us in on some of his designs and the principles that guide him in his design concepts. He’s adamant that some fixtures need to be made out of paper. We’re sure he’ll do it and probably win another L-Prize in…
Jan 26, 2023
Is skipping a tradeshow treason? Probably not, but large presences backing out of a LightFair is a capitulation to foreign players in the industry. The industry as a whole needs to admit that there’s more to learn every year by going to the bigge…
Jan 16, 2023
You’ll wish you thought of this first. Jean-Côme, discusses with Michael and Greg, how Guardtex has developed Kanvaslight technology. Simply put, they weave fibre optics into fabric to create textiles that light up. They can even make the entire …
Jan 11, 2023
Camilla has an interesting way of looking at lighting design. Rather than a lighting designer, she calls herself a “darkness designer.” Camilla explains to Michael and John her philosophy on darkness, and how it is revealed with the use of light.…
Jan 3, 2023
Al’s back! He’s got 11 predictions for 2023. First Michael and Greg review Al’s 2022 predictions, from such experts as Christopher Knowlton, Kraig Kasler, Bernadette Boudreau, and Tom Benton to name a few. Give this podcast a listen and see if yo…
Dec 28, 2022
In this special year-end episode, Michael and John discuss issues that have come up over the past year in the Darkness Restoration and Preservation movement. Have things improved? Are we getting there? 2023 is upon us, let’s get it done!
Dec 27, 2022
He’s back! Tony gives us an update on his quantum technology. It’ll blow your mind if you can even understand it. The “Quantum Demon” is the quantum computers that nefarious entities are working on. Those will be able to get into any system in a …
Dec 22, 2022
Matthew talks with Webster and Ron about “getting grandma to not click on bad things,” how to keep networks secure, and how to avoid a “spear-phishing” attack (as opposed to a just plain “phishing”). Matthew has been in the cybersecurity world fo…
Dec 19, 2022
This one’s a little different. Brooke is a recruiter for the electrical and lighting industry. Brooke lets us in on some of the trends like the growing demand for lighting designers (there’s your career path, kids!) and the traits and work histor…
Dec 15, 2022
We’ve had some brainiacs on this podcast before, but the products Pathway Connectivity has engineered around switching, PoE and networking… well, suffice to say, you’ve probably used something they have or his team has built. Robert discusses, wi…
Dec 14, 2022
Sabine is a full time Dark Sky Officer for the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sternenpark Rhön. Sabine explains to Michael how she has become an expert on laws regarding light and light pollution. While she can’t issue tickets (yet), she can use her…
Dec 12, 2022
Many researchers have focused on the effects of light on elderly people. Dr. James was drawn to the health effects of light on young people. She discusses with Michael and Greg, how light affects depression, sleep, eyesight and memory. Want your …
Dec 8, 2022
Sean lives in California, so he is immersed in the code requirements that the rest of the country will eventually see. As Sean says, dimming is a requirement in California code, and isn’t that a fundamental part of lighting controls? Webster and …
Dec 7, 2022
Michael Colligan was inspired to be a Dark Sky advocate by William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night's Dream.” The stars have inspired countless poets. Kerem considers the night to be a “realm” and he specializes in dark sky friendly lighting desi…
Dec 5, 2022
This episode starts with a long bio description - because Michael Siminovitch has accomplished ALOT! As usual, California leads in the push for energy efficiency and Michael was there with his involvement in California’s Strategic Lighting Plan. …
Dec 1, 2022
Patrick once worked in laser cutting sheet metal, then building recreational vehicles which eventually led to Syndesis, his company that creates solutions for integration. How? Well, you’ll have to listen to this podcast to find out. Webster and …
Nov 30, 2022
Mark originally wanted to be a painter and painting to him was like subtracting light as paint is added to a white canvas. Conversely, in lighting, one is adding light to darkness. And this led Mark to understand you can’t talk about light withou…
Nov 28, 2022
This one is so packed that we are already planning part 2. Pieter and Mike are taking Seaborough from a purely R & D company to more of a business partner with the lighting industry. If you’re a manufacturer, you might want to consider beco…
Nov 21, 2022
Tom joins Michael Colligan to talk about “the big lie,” mercury, arsenic, politicians, education, and rock and roll! And also, who’s going to win out - China or the aliens? Tom is the owner of BLC America Inc. and Green Energy Lighting Corp. He’s…
Nov 17, 2022
With a guy like Steve Mesh, it’s hard to keep the discussion to an hour. In this episode, Webster taps into Steve’s vast knowledge of lighting controls to find out how he became a lighting controls specialist and what can be done now to formalize…
Nov 16, 2022
Bernd is an astrophotographer based out of Cologne, Germany. Bernd tells Michael how hard it is to find dark skies for his astrophotography. Even driving 2 days from Cologne, he can’t find an ideal dark area to take pictures. Bernd has taken phot…
Nov 15, 2022
Chad Palmer from Energyficient Systems joins Michael and Greg to talk about selling, the heightened value of lighting distributors, and maintenance engineering. Chad specializes in electrical products made for those who work in and build barns. A…
Nov 10, 2022
IoT. What’s that? Internet Of Things. This is an emerging market. Yeah, it’s not exactly lighting controls, but it’s all becoming interconnected. Lights, HVAC, emergency, WiFi, elevators… even refrigerators are becoming connected. If you’re in co…
Nov 7, 2022
If you need a certain color from an RGB LED light, you just mix the right combination of red, green and blue, right? Not so fast! What about dimming? Solveig explains the challenges with dimming steps, variances in dimming rates in chips, the int…
Nov 3, 2022
Are building owners and engineers still not seeing the benefits of lighting controls? Gary explains the reluctance to embrace the technology when the long term benefits are hard to weigh against the upfront costs. As Gary says, how do you compete…
Oct 31, 2022
If you’re not a member of IMARK, maybe you should think about it. As Steve tells Michael and Greg, current members love it. They love the rebates, but IMARK is more than just rebates. IMARK provides training portals, product sourcing support, gro…
Oct 27, 2022
We’re really geeking out on this one. Steve Terry from ETC is all about codes and standards. Name a code in emergency lighting and Steve probably had a hand in shaping it. He chats with Webster and Ron about the history of lighting control and th…
Oct 26, 2022
Wind turbines are a zero emissions solution to energy needs. But with solutions, new problems always arise. We’ve all seen the giant wind turbines towering into the sky and with any tower, there is a risk for air traffic. And how do we solve that…
Oct 24, 2022
Ellis is back! If you’ve met him, you know about his contagious energy and enthusiasm. Well he is bringing that energy and enthusiasm to a new campaign to help you, the distributors. Ellis talks to Michael and Greg about the state of the market, …
Episode 362: Lighting Controls Podcast #3 - How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love MEP Coordinators
Oct 20, 2022
Title 24, 2011…DDC Revolution…LP 16…OPR…Commissioning…LP 8, formerly DG 29… It’s enough to make your head spin. Lyn makes it all clear. She even states the exact measurement of a “crap-ton.” But seriously, you want to listen to this and tap into …
Oct 17, 2022
Have you ever had to go through a giant facility and count fixtures and estimate the replacement cost? Well Melvin’s company Patabid can help you with that. Using Artificial Intelligence and machine learning, that task can now be automated. Now y…
Oct 13, 2022
Webster and Ron talk with Dan about how Toggled came to be, from TLED’s to dimming to entire building lighting controls. But with growth comes challenges. Dan and our hosts talk about retrofitting, ballasts/not-ballasts, bluetooth, data collectio…
Oct 12, 2022
Mark discusses with Michael, practicing mindfulness when under the night sky. He proposes that astronomy was the first science, out of necessity. The night sky is the only view that hasn’t changed and now a large portion of humans can’t even see …
Oct 11, 2022
We’ve all heard of the War of the Currents - the battle between George Westinghouse (AC) and Thomas Edison (DC) in which Westinghouse mostly won. Well Edison would have been happy to get behind Bolis Ibrahim and his quest to get back to DC power…
Oct 4, 2022
Henrik Clausen is leaving Get a Grip on Lighting. In this episode, he and Michael look back on his time as host. It was fun and emotional. They touch upon lighting for the office, teaching about lighting, selling darkness and our relationship to …
Sep 30, 2022
Welcome to The Lighting Controls Podcast, where we discuss all things lighting controls. Webster and Ron will be joined by various guests from the lighting industry. In this, our first episode of the new series, Webster and Ron look back at the C…
Sep 26, 2022
Jeff Nefouse, Vice President at A-M Electric, is a third generation President after his Grandfather Ed Saag (a founding member), and his father Greg Nefouse. Maybe in 20-25 years, we’ll see Jeff’s son as the fourth generation president!
Sep 22, 2022
Michael and John discuss with Etta how to engage people with Dark Skies so as to bring them back. Etta is taking steps to do just that with her company, Visit Dark Skies, where you can immerse yourself into a true nature experience with her audi…
Sep 19, 2022
Have you ever had a contractor ask, “Where’s my stuff?” As Matthew says, his product OrdrTrak will help you find “stuff.” In other words, it’ll help with - just like the name says - order tracking. In 2022, we want “instant gratification,” and mo…
Sep 12, 2022
The final episode in our Technical Update Series, previously streamed. The smarter our buildings become, the more data they generate. Lighting controls data could prove valuable for facilities managers, manufacturers, and lighting designers. For …
Sep 10, 2022
There’s air pollution, water pollution and noise pollution. Why hasn’t light pollution been recognised the same way? This is the question Michael Colligan and John Bullock tackle with Yana. Of course it takes awareness, but also commitment. And i…
Sep 9, 2022
Specifications! Integrations! Complications! Sean Wynne brings his unique perspective as a sales rep and discusses, with Webster and Ron, the challenges of navigating among the various entities on a project. Sean understands the benefits of havin…
Sep 6, 2022
Germicidal ultraviolet (GUV) lighting is a promising new technology with the potential to contribute to healthier buildings and cleaner air for occupants. New PNNL research finds that GUV is potentially more effective and energy efficient than tu…
Sep 2, 2022
As you’ve heard on this podcast before, existing satellites are incapable of detecting the blue light of LED’s and thus produce incomplete imagery of light pollution. Ken explains to Michael how he and his colleagues are sending balloons almost 3…
Aug 30, 2022
DOE will be launching the next phase of L-Prize, the Prototype Phase, this summer which will include some new enhancements and participation opportunities for industry with a $2 million Prize pool. This is an opportunity for lighting designers, m…
Aug 22, 2022
Craig gives Webster and Ron his 9000 foot view of the lighting industry. From education to evolution - Craig gives his take on network controls, sensors, bite-size training video clips, and writing, among other things. By the way, check out his f…
Aug 19, 2022
Episode 2 of our Technical Update Series previously streamed. Michael Myer and Axel Pearson discuss “Lighting System Integration.” DOE's Better Buildings' Integrated Lighting Campaign is a national effort to accelerate the adoption of advanced li…
Aug 17, 2022
Michael discusses with Catherine Pérez Vega the question: Is light a pollutant? Catherine is researching the effects of artificial light on organisms and there is little doubt that it is. And there’s little doubt that it affects the organisms cal…
Aug 17, 2022
Episode 1 of our Technical Update Series previously streamed. Kate Hickcox and Aaron Smith discuss “Sustainability in Lighting.” Historically, the lighting industry has focused on the impacts of carbon emissions produced from the use of lighting …
Aug 15, 2022
Michael and Greg discuss wireless and wired lighting controls with Greg Galluccio from Energy Focus. Wireless is hackable which is a problem in critical infrastructure. Wired controls require pulling wire through a building. The solution? Powerli…
Aug 10, 2022
Lighting showroom manager Michelle Cruz, ArchLIGHT Summit manager Laura van Zeyl, and designer Andrea Hartranft join us in this episode.They are working on Women in Lighting events and programs at this year’s ArchLIGHT Summit in Dallas. Beyond te…
Aug 8, 2022
Lighting is getting more complicated all the time. Our guests Tony Esposito, Founder of Lighting Research Solutions, and Jason Livingston, Principal at Studio T + L, are here to help us understand the IES’ bigger book of color rendering — TM-30. …
Aug 3, 2022
This special release of our series features Diane Knutson, a regional dark sky advocate / business owner turned Dark Sky International Board President. In this episode Greg Ehrich and Michael attempt to disentangle the need for jargon as a sales …
Jul 28, 2022
Christopher Cuttle has had a lifetime in lighting and he has a shelf full of awards and recognitions to reflect it. Listen to this episode and you’ll understand why. Henrik Clausen talks with Kit about his unique way of looking at light and how …
Jul 27, 2022
Michael and John are thrilled to have Professor Foster on the podcast. He brings his deep scientific knowledge and understanding of circadian photobiology. Russell tells us about his discovery of the third photoreceptor in the eye for which he go…
Jul 25, 2022
OPR. What are the Owner's Project Requirements? That's what Julia Gordon posits on every project. Julia, along with Webster and Ron, discuss where a lighting designer goes from there. What’s the best way to design and implement the controls? Who …
Jul 21, 2022
Efficiency. Isn’t that what everyone strives for? Well, the lighting industry is going digital with productivity improving applications. Ben and Paul discuss how they have come up with a way to curate lighting product content - kind of a mix of S…
Jul 18, 2022
This is David’s second time around on Get A Grip On Lighting. David talks, with Michael and Greg, about his dislike of recess cans (“why do you want to light the carpet?”). David's experience has led him to put down his light meter and use his ey…
Jul 11, 2022
Our old friend is back! John Arthur Wilson joins Michael and Greg to complain about the state of the controls manufacturing industry. Why isn’t there a standard yet on this critical infrastructure? Let's think about the end-user, the CUSTOMER! Jo…
Jul 6, 2022
In this episode you get three unique perspectives on urban lighting. Co-host Michael Colligan in Canada, co-host John Bullock in the U.K and guest Kate Hickcox from The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. They discuss the challenges of lightin…
Jul 5, 2022
Amardeep Dugar talks with host Henrik Clausen, about the poetry of lighting. As he explains it, language is compositional just as lighting is. And so Amardeep has been examining the connection between poetry and lighting. He is also looking at ar…
Jun 27, 2022
Javid discusses, with Webster and Ron, the technological evolution of controls, from the ancient Greeks using mirrors to control light for the stage, to “old telephone” style patching, to digital controls. If you haven’t guessed, Javid, like many…
Jun 20, 2022
Trinity Warranty started out offering extended warranties for HVAC, refrigeration and generators. About 10 years ago, with municipalities pushing for LED, they saw an opportunity to offer parts and labor warranties. With a little number crunching…
Jun 15, 2022
As Bastian Groiss says, people see light as an enabler for vision. But light - sunlight in particular - is so much more. It triggers hormonal reactions, allows your immune system to recharge and gives the mitochondria the energy to repair your ey…
Jun 13, 2022
Here’s a little peek into the state of the industry in Australia. Rob touches on Chinese products, bringing along the next generation of lighting professionals, and the misconceptions around human-centric lighting. Oh, and you’re going to want to…
Jun 8, 2022
John Bullock, guest co-host on this episode, asks the question, “How do we shift the argument so that we can start to talk about the reality of what we experience rather than the propaganda of what people tell us is a problem.” And from there, Mi…
Jun 6, 2022
Is Power over Ethernet the future for network controls? Wendell Strong tells Michael and Greg about the challenge of integrating PoE into the world of AC powered lighting. But PoE networking is perfect for lighting for health and wellbeing. Wende…
May 31, 2022
Are the good old days of rebates over? Is the move to LED efficiency reaching its conclusion? Peter Brown is back to discuss this and more with Michael and Greg. With over thirty years in the lighting industry, Mr. Brown has sales and marketing e…
May 23, 2022
Derek and Devin give us a unique inside look at the life of a small lighting manufacturer. They give us their perspectives on the DLC and accreditation agencies in general, and what a pain in the *ss it is to get products certified.Louvers Inter…
May 18, 2022
Michael and Michael - or “Marlin” as he likes to be referred to - delve into the practical and spiritual aspects of restoring darkness. Practical, as in not running someone over because you can’t see them from the glare of car and street lights, …
May 16, 2022
Not your typical Get A Grip On Lighting podcast, but you’re going to want to hear this one anyway. You can sell light bulbs over the counter, but if you want those big retrofit contracts, sometimes your customer needs financing. That’s where Ross…
May 9, 2022
Jennifer Amann is a senior fellow at the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy. How does the work of the ACEEE impact lighting distributors? It means a big push on LED. That leads to energy efficiency and, a big part of the ACEEE’s …
May 6, 2022
In this special episode of Get A Grip On Lighting Conversation Series, Webster and Ron discuss this article https://inside.lighting/news/22-04/lighting-controls-become-bricks-smart-home-company-disappearswhich describes an incident in which custo…
May 4, 2022
Here on Restoring Darkness, we’ve talked about the impact of light pollution, how to restore darkness, and now, in this episode, Michael discusses, with Dr. Stone, the ethical aspects of restoring darkness and maintaining lights at night.Dr. Tayl…
May 2, 2022
Webster and Ron talk to Norman Russell about finding the balance, in lighting design and integration, between the designer, the engineer and the owner. It’s a challenge getting everyone into the same room. And of course, education, education, edu…
Apr 25, 2022
How do you gain credentials as a lighting designer? You go and learn under Henrik or Glenn. Our host and his guest talk about the evolution of education in lighting design - from the days of being self-taught to a proposed law in Texas that woul…
Apr 20, 2022
Michael, Greg and Dan discuss the ins and outs of keeping a trade show and conference like LightFair on track. If you’re not sure whether or not to go, maybe this will help you decide. Oh - and the early bird rate has been extended, so get on it!…
Apr 20, 2022
In part 2 of this podcast (find part 1 here: https://restoringdarkness.com/episodes/41-from-prison-yards-to-national-parks), Michael and Tim continue their conversation. Tim gives his perspective on outdoor lighting and energy savings in Massach…
Apr 18, 2022
Dan talks about the early days of controls when all it took was simply changing the voltage on incandescent bulbs. With Webster Marsh and Ron Kuszmar, Dan talks about the present where LED’s, aesthetics, energy codes and human health have come i…
Apr 13, 2022
This one was so interesting, Michael let it go for an hour and 15 minutes. So we’ve broken it into 2 parts. In this, part 1, the conversation ranges from clean, affordable energy to controls to a popcorn analogy and the “windows effect.” Tim is t…
Apr 11, 2022
The Schneiders tell us about how Scott started Lighting Unlimited and how Cory took over the reins and grew the business. Scott still goes into the office, but his title has transitioned into the “Chief Golf Officer.” As in any family business, t…
Apr 7, 2022
Live shows are back and people are loving it! As Burt says, it’s the “touchy-feely” aspect of the live and in-person aspect of the LEDucation Trade Show and Conference that people want. What’s the Secret Sauce in LEDucation? Two of the main ingre…
Apr 4, 2022
On Steve’s second visit to Get A Grip On Lighting (see him in episode 129), he discusses everything from controls to UV to EV. With the scalability of LED, Steve believes we are on the cusp of a renaissance in lighting. He’s been around a while,…
Mar 30, 2022
Ron installs and commissions lighting controls. He is an integrator who knows his stuff. In this Restoring Darkness episode, he and Michael make the case for controls in exterior lighting systems and wonder why the lighting industry largely ignor…
Mar 28, 2022
Hey lighting folks who put together luminaire schedules and specification packages listen up: Zach and Forest tell us about their startup, Parpec, which is designed to “automate part number entry, datasheet lookup and annotation tasks to elimina…
Mar 21, 2022
Lighting controls need a standard protocol. That’s what Webster & Ron, along with guest Steve Mesh argue is needed. Steve is doing his best, serving on several associations and committees, and also being a leading educator and lighting desi…
Mar 16, 2022
Terry brings his vast amount of knowledge and experience to the question of industry alignment in the quest to reduce light pollution. Michael talks with Terry about the importance of educating everyone, from manufacturers and distributors right …
Mar 14, 2022
This one is truly for the lighting dorks! When it comes to value engineering, do we go with 0 - 10 volt analogue OR digital lighting controls? With Michael moderating, Webster and George have a spirited debate on the issue.C. Webster Marsh is th…
Mar 7, 2022
Terry is a member of just about every lighting association, foundation or society you can think of. And so he should be, having the vast amount of knowledge that he does. And Terry shares some of it with you! Terry, along with Michael and Greg…
Mar 3, 2022
Did you know that at 80 years of age, only one-fifth of the light reaches your eye as it did at 20? Eunice Noell-Waggoner has passionately studied the problem of inadequate lighting quality to maintain a healthy circadian rhythm, particularly in …
Mar 2, 2022
Where does the resistance to the adoption of darkness friendly lighting come from? Michael poses this question to Peter Brown. Michael and Peter discuss how and if it’s even possible to get the industry on board.With over thirty years in the lig…
Feb 28, 2022
If you want to learn about the scientific aspects of lighting, check out Leukos. Henrik Clausen chats with the editor-in-chief, Kevin Houser, about his stringent vetting of submitted papers. At a 70% rejection rate, you can be assured that you ar…
Feb 21, 2022
In this episode we delve into the love-hate relationship with lighting agents. Can distributors build relationships with agents when agent turnover is so high? Billy & Jay and our hosts do their best to solve the problem!Interested in the ma…
Feb 16, 2022
Scientific coordinator for the Mont-Megantic International Dark Sky Reserve, Rémi Boucher has been passionate about the starry sky and the night experience for many years. Do people believe that light pollution is actually pollution or a metaphor…
Feb 14, 2022
Chris Dobroth has built a swanky website, social media plan and business strategy for selling decorative light fixtures. He is an experienced eComm leader across multiple industries over the past 16-years, with a background in both start-up envi…
Feb 10, 2022
In a past life, Jake cut his teeth working long hours in finance before pivoting towards his passion by earning a master's degree in industrial design. That has led him to create Solar Echo, a company that is focusing on the circadian rhythm. Y…
Feb 7, 2022
David is the CEO and Founder of Countifi (formally Countalytics), an image analysis and data analytics company that focuses on helping hospitals, airlines, and universities manage inventory processes more efficiently. If you hate counting invento…
Feb 3, 2022
Mark is an award winning international lighting designer who leads the lighting profession across BDP. He has over 35 years’ experience and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA). Mark tells us about his fascinating journey from theatre…
Jan 31, 2022
Ms. Martinez-Nobles began her career as an intern at Fisher Marantz Stone in 2005 and is now a Principal in the firm. Her endless scribbling and sketching as a child led to a Bachelor of Architectural Engineering at Pennsylvania State University…
Jan 25, 2022
Abdul Dremali is an Palestinian/Egyptian artist with a passion for the night sky. Currently based in Reno, Nevada, he travels the world in search of dark skies for his astrophotography. Abdul advocates some sensible solutions for restoring darkne…
Jan 24, 2022
Henrik Clausen has been involved in lighting for over 30 years. He is the founder of the Fagerhult Lighting Academy and currently holds a position as professor in Lighting Design at AAU in Copenhagen.As an accomplished keynote presenter, CEU pro…
Jan 17, 2022
Christopher Lewis is a graduate of Colorado State University Tech Journalism Program with studies in TV/Web/Broadcast. After many successful years working for others, Mr. Lewis founded Evergreen Applied Technologies in 2014. Chris talks about his…
Jan 10, 2022
Art is the President/Owner of the National Institute of Crime Prevention (NICP, Inc.), a global training and consulting company specializing in Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design. Art contradicts Michael’s anecdotal assertion that ligh…
Jan 6, 2022
C. Webster Marsh brings 14 years of applied experience with lighting and controls and is the owner of Penumbra Controls, where he provides lighting controls design and specification for a wide range of project types. Ron oversees Port’s Architect…
Jan 3, 2022
Al Uszynski is an experienced executive with over 25 years of experience in the lighting industry. He is Principal of inside.lighting, an online media company that provides valuable insights and information to lighting industry professionals. Jus…
Dec 30, 2021
Founder of Equilume Ltd, Dr. Barbara Anne Murphy is Head of Equine Science and Programme Director of the BAgrSc Animal Science-Equine degree at University College Dublin. Her research has led to a revolution in the Thoroughbred industry. By adm…
Dec 27, 2021
Following teaching at the University of Florida, opening a roadside restaurant with a neon theme, apprenticing at a neon shop, opening his own custom neon sign business, and collecting old neon signs, he finally opened the Neon Museum of Philadel…
Dec 20, 2021
Ruth is a lighting consultant with a background in engineering, lighting design and academia. She’s passionate about the role of daylight and sunlight in bringing buildings to life, and the impact of daylight exposure on the health and wellbeing …
Dec 16, 2021
David Warfel is Midwestern farm boy turned lighting designer, author, and educator who passionately shares the gift of light. David has extensive experience in lighting design, from theater to Las Vegas to cruise ships to pizza joints. In his ow…
Dec 15, 2021
Hannah Moon is a PhD Candidate at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa in Dr. Megan Porter’s vision lab. Her work focuses on understanding the physiological and molecular aspects of light perception in birds and has won multiple awards at scientif…
Dec 9, 2021
Todd Straka currently serves as global industry director for UL’s Lighting and Electrical Products Retail business. Michael and Greg grill Todd on product safety, the verification processes, labeling, surveillance and enforcement, and counterfei…
Dec 8, 2021
Dr. Meredith Kernbach is a postdoctoral scholar at the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg in the lab of Dr. Mya Breitbart. For her doctoral dissertation, she studied how light pollution may affect zoonotic disease dynamics, specifically …
Dec 1, 2021
Dr. Andreas Jechow is an interdisciplinary physicist with a broad expertise in photonics, the science of light. Earlier in his career Andreas worked in laser physics and quantum optics, for example on imaging the "shadow of a single atom" with la…
Nov 30, 2021
Active in the lighting business since 1982, Clay is the Owner & Managing Member of Starbeam Lighting and he served on the NAILD Board from 1997 to 2005 and as President from 2002 to 2003. In this podcast, Clay gives a brief history of Starbea…
Nov 24, 2021
Dr. Sam Illingworth is an Associate Professor at Edinburgh Napier University, UK. He is a leading expert in using poetry to develop a dialogue between scientists and non-scientists. Sam write’s books, tweets, blogs, composes poetry, podcasts, cre…
Nov 24, 2021
Mary Beth was the Manager of the GE Lighting Institute in Cleveland, Ohio for 18 years. She was responsible for the overall operation and curriculum development for this training and education center that hosted over 4000 visitors a year. Mary B…
Nov 18, 2021
B.D. is a proven leader and team builder, successfully navigating an ever changing high-tech business climate. He is currently running SaticShield, the country’s leading clean power manufacturing facility and Montana’s most proficient solar compa…
Nov 17, 2021
Gail Walker is the founder of Nantucket Lights, an all-volunteer citizen advocacy group recently formed to combat the growing light pollution on Nantucket, the island off the coast of Massachusetts that is a popular summer destination for many. …
Nov 11, 2021
Brian Huff is President of Adventure Lighting in Des Moines, Iowa. Brian is your new NAILD Board Member, although this isn’t his first time serving. From the perspective of a family owned lighting distribution business, he gives us his point of …
Nov 10, 2021
Hilding Neilson is an interdisciplinary scientist currently working with the David A. Dunlap Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Toronto and is Mi’kmaw from the Qalipu First Nation band. Hilding is working at the interse…
Nov 5, 2021
Meet your new NAILD board member. Devin Wall is the President of Louvers International where they manufacture commercial and industrial light fixtures, light fixture components, and do complete plastic fabrication. In this episode, the guys discu…
Oct 28, 2021
Dr. Tyler Nordgren is an artist, author, astronomer, and night sky ambassador. He holds a Ph.D. in Astronomy from Cornell University where he did work on dark matter as well as a B.A. in Physics from Reed College. In this episode, we discuss the …
Oct 28, 2021
Nam has over 20+ years of experience in technology product development across various industries: Military, Automotive, Medical Devices, and now Lighting. Nam joined Cooper Lighting in 2013. Nam has been working on augmented reality. This is lik…
Oct 27, 2021
Megan Porter PhD is an Associate Professor in the School of Life Sciences at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Her research program is focused on understanding the evolution of animal eye diversity, particularly from a molecular perspective. I…
Oct 26, 2021
Enjoy this quick one with your hosts Michael and Greg. The boys talk about how to get back to dark night skies with everything from advocacy to guilt and shame. Could we eventually see enforcement through regulation? The Chinese manufacturers are…
Oct 21, 2021
Long-time friend of Get A Grip On Lighting, Spencer Miles ruminates on his time on the NAILD Board, what he’s going to do with all his free time now, and where he sees the future of lighting going. Oh - and he was convinced to sell smoke detector…
Oct 20, 2021
Douglas Arion, PhD is the founder and director of Mountains of Stars, a public science outreach and education program that engages the public with ‘environmental awareness from a cosmic perspective’. In this episode, Douglas logically explains w…
Oct 19, 2021
Alan is Senior Vice President at Satco. Alan is “graduating” from NAILD’s Board of Directors this year. He looks back on his time with the board, the relationships forged, and the opportunities presented. Alan talks about his post-board future wi…
Oct 13, 2021
Dr. Micah Brodsky is a wildlife veterinarian who focuses on marine animal medicine, research, and conservation and is the Director of Conservation Medicine at Hawaiʻi Marine Animal Response and a lecturer at the University of Hawaiʻi. Dr. Brodsky…
Oct 7, 2021
Dan Blitzer is Principal of The Practical Lighting Workshop, founded in 1993. The firm provides consulting services in marketing, strategy, communication, and education and serves both manufacturers and non-commercial clients.You’ll be hard press…
Oct 6, 2021
Kelly Beatty has been explaining the science and wonder of astronomy to the public since 1974. An award-winning writer and communicator, he specializes in planetary science and space exploration as Senior Editor for Sky & Telescope magazine.…
Oct 4, 2021
Over the last 17 years Jason has been a leader in providing turn-key lighting retrofits amounting to millions of dollars worth of energy savings that have also garnered millions in incentive money for clients across Ontario, Canada. Respecting t…
Sep 30, 2021
Sohana Arni, LC, MIES has had experience in many aspects of the lighting profession. At Cooper Lighting she has held roles in product management, marketing manager, Manager of Architectural Markets over a few architectural brands, and currently i…
Sep 29, 2021
Bettymaya Foott works for the International Dark-Sky Association as Director of Engagement. Preserving dark skies is her life goal and she finds that astrophotography is the most poignant way to express a love for the night, as well as educate ab…
Sep 27, 2021
Angelica Santana holds a Bachelor of Architectural Engineering with a focus in Lighting/Electrical systems from The Pennsylvania State University. Angelica is a lighting designer with CM Kling in Washington DC. Angelica describes her work as “pa…
Sep 23, 2021
Matt is the outgoing President of NAILD. He held down the fort through the pandemic crisis, keeping NAILD thriving over the past 18 months. You’ll hear about Matt’s own thriving business, plus NAILD’s leading position on Dark Sky education and …
Sep 22, 2021
Ashley is the Director of Conservation for the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) where she collaborates with advocates and volunteers around the world to help them promote effective uses of outdoor lighting and protect pristine dark skies.…
Sep 20, 2021
Sandra Vásconez is a senior instructor in the Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering at the University of Colorado, Boulder. She is co-creator and co-director of the Rocky Mountain Lighting Academy. Education at the Academy is design…
Sep 15, 2021
Dr. Fischer operates The Zoological Lighting Institute, a 501 c(3) dedicated to supporting the sciences of light and life through the arts for animal welfare and wildlife conservation. This one is broad ranging. What are the five domains of anim…
Sep 13, 2021
In 1994 Bob Crespo eloquently stated that his son Ray was “doing nothing” and asked if he wanted to start a business doing something environmental since Ray “loved the environment.” And so, Energy Conservation and Supply was born. Since then, R…
Sep 9, 2021
Samyukta is an advocate with the International Dark Sky Association, and a member of their International Committee. She currently works in Slovenia, designing experiences to help people connect with darkness and the night sky. Have you ever heard…
Sep 8, 2021
If you were fascinated with the previous episode with Peter, listen to this one. He’s an expert in the field of human perception, but when you’re talking about bringing back the night sky, you’re bound to go into weird and wonderful areas of con…
Sep 6, 2021
Justin is the President of Stouch Lighting, Inc, a LED and UVC distribution and implementation company. Stouch Lighting has had some pretty good success with UVC in the health field. There’s hygiene theater in a public school hallway, and there’s…
Aug 31, 2021
Kevin Houser [PhD, PE (NE), FIES, LC, LEED AP] is a Professor at Oregon State University with a joint appointment as Chief Engineer at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Dr. Houser is an expert in light and color. He has conducted research o…
Aug 30, 2021
Daniel has over 25 years of experience in the lighting industry as lighting designer, manufacturer, sales rep, teacher, and consultant. He currently serves as ICF Lead Lighting Consultant for ENERGY STAR. In this episode, the wide-ranging topics …
Aug 24, 2021
Welcome to the premiere episode of Contrast Ratios with hosts Edward Bartholomew and John Arthur Wilson. Edward is the Principal of Bartholomew Lighting (https://sites.google.com/view/bartholomew-lighting) and John is the founding director of Fe…
Aug 23, 2021
Oliver Moorhouse is the Head of Business Development for BrainLit North America Inc a subsidiary of BrainLit AB, the developer and IP holder for BioCentric Lighting™. We’ve talked about human centric lighting before, which Brainlit likes to call…
Aug 18, 2021
Dr. Rajaram Bhagavathula is a Senior Research Associate in the Division of Vehicle, Driver, & System Safety at Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. Dr. Bhagavathula has conducted some fascinating studies on the effects of light on drivers.…
Aug 16, 2021
Ali joined Heliospectra as CEO in 2017. With him he brought his passion for people and technology with 22 years of international business leadership experience to his position at the helm of Heliospectra. Ali and Heliospectra are on the cutting e…
Aug 11, 2021
Robert is the founder and CEO of the Canadian Scotobiology Group Inc. that raises awareness of the impact of artificial light at night (ALAN) on wildlife and human health. Robert talks about “Eco Lights,” how much light you actually need in order…
Aug 9, 2021
Angie Koch is the President and founder of Premier Lighting. Angie shares her entrepreneurial story, and what her role encompasses in the company. Greg, your Get a Grip On Lighting host is also an owner of the company, so they both share how he c…
Aug 2, 2021
James Tu is a visionary entrepreneur and the Chairman & CEO of Energy Focus. In this episode we discuss the challenges and opportunities of the Human Centric Lighting "umbrella" which includes circadian, cuing, tuning, wellness and injury pr…
Jul 28, 2021
Peter has a PhD in Psychology studying human perception, action, and the link between them, with over a decade of experience in conducting research in these topics. Blue light, glare bombs, perception, infrared medicine...these are just a few of …
Jul 26, 2021
Robert Soler is a co-founder of BIOS Lighting. Almost everyone has trouble sleeping - including your customers. The Bios Institute will train you to be a “Circadian Auditor” to assess lighted environments from a human health perspective. And gues…
Jul 22, 2021
Frank Agraz has worked in the energy efficient lighting community for 25+ years and serves as Director of the C&I Engineering department at Eco Engineering. Frank tells us about his stint as the Exam Committee Chair. He won’t give away any…
Jul 21, 2021
Andy has been involved in astronomy education and outreach for over 25 years, and in the planetarium field for over 20. Andy tells us about his successful techniques for teaching kids about the night sky. He’s also had some wins in cases involvi…
Jul 19, 2021
Mike Quijano currently serves as the Strategic Marketing Director for Cooper’s Ephesus Sports Lighting business. From community soccer fields to professional football stadiums, Ephesus Sports Lighting has learned to mitigate the problems with ove…
Jul 16, 2021
Jan Denneman is Founder and Chairman of the Board at Good Light Group as well as Honorary Ambassador Global Lighting Association. We’ve been arguing for a while that quality darkness is essential to good sleep. Jan contends that good light during…
Jul 15, 2021
Barry Johnson is the volunteer webmaster for the Pennsylvania Outdoor Lighting Council, as well as a lecturer and consultant on outdoor lighting issues. In his retirement, Barry is a crusader against light trespass and pollution. If you live in …
Jul 13, 2021
Simon is the Chief Technology Officer and founder of Silvair and Chair of the Mesh Working Group at Bluetooth SIG. Michael and Greg have been expounding the need for controls in lighting for some time now. Along comes Simon and Bluetooth mesh net…
Jul 7, 2021
Valerie Stimac Bailey is a travel, space, and astrotourism writer. She founded Space Tourism Guide in 2017, and her first book Dark Skies: A Practical Guide to Astrotourism was published by Lonely Planet in 2019. Valerie thinks that space travel …
Jul 5, 2021
You already know our old friend Tom Butters. He has years of training experience in the lighting industry, including a stint at the Philips Lighting Concept Centre. Now Tom has funneled all that knowledge into The Lighting Agora (lightingagora.c…
Jun 28, 2021
Our guests, Brian Walker Ph.D and Kelly Gordon are here to talk about the L-Prize. Brian is the manager of DOE’s Lighting Research and Development program and Kelly is the Program Manager at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. What is the L-Pr…
Jun 23, 2021
Deep Anand is an astronomy lover and dark sky enthusiast. Deep has been working to spread awareness about light pollution, from his home base in Delhi India. Deep is passionate about bringing the night sky back for the children. Maybe he’ll even…
Jun 21, 2021
Don’t let his young age fool you. Doug is the Vice President of Marketing at Light Efficient Design. Doug, who’s on the Board of NAILD, talks about the need for education in the industry to bring more awareness to the dark sky issue. From prison…
Jun 17, 2021
The three brains behind Lightserve, Kevin, Bill, and Jason have grown Lightserve into a 100 million dollar company in just 10 years. You can get some tips from how they treat their employees, contractors and customers. Maybe you can learn a thin…
Jun 16, 2021
Dr. George Schaaf is a veterinary pathologist working in the Comparative Medicine department at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Dr. Schaaf studies the effects of light on animals and transfers the learnings to human physiology. You’ll…
Jun 14, 2021
Ian Ashdown is a consultant with over forty years’ experience in lighting design, research and development, and software engineering (He built the original version of AGI32). He holds more than 160 patents and patents pending. Listening to Ian, …
Jun 11, 2021
Dajana is a teaching assistant and PhD student at the Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management at the Faculty of Sciences in Novi Sad, Serbia. She is passionate about preserving the night sky and “bringing back the stars to our kids!…
Jun 9, 2021
Tony Lawrence is an entrepreneur, technologist, and prophet of quantum possibilities through his current role as CEO of Light Rider. Yeah, you’ve heard physicists on TV talking about the quantum world and thought, “I have no idea what they’re ta…
Jun 6, 2021
Ruth Taylor currently serves as a program manager on the Advanced Lighting Team at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory where she currently manages the Next Generation Lighting Systems (NGLS) Program. Ruth is your first line of defense against c…
Jun 2, 2021
Ryan Andreasen is the founder of Night Sky Science (https://nightskyscience.com/). Astrophotography and Night Sky Preservation is Ryan’s main mission along with getting folks to look up at night. In this episode you’ll hear about the wonder of …
Jun 1, 2021
Taisha Bezzo is the National Sales Director for Evluma. She’s been with the company since 2014. Taisha has an MBA from Harvard, a pilot’s license, and she does Ironman Triathlons in her spare time. She’s going to tell you about LED’s, controls, …
May 27, 2021
Justin Wendt has served as Rohinni’s Chief Technology Officer for over five years where he leads and directs Rohinni’s global teams in Research and Development of next generation die placement equipment and the products the technology is used to …
May 26, 2021
Mark Clipsham - Architect, builder, consultant, master planner. While battling through his allergies, Mark has a thing or two to say about the growth economy, the constant drive for profit and what drives him nuts about the current state of ligh…
May 19, 2021
Deborah Burnett, ASID, AASM, is an internationally recognized registered design professional, Subject Matter Expert (SME) in the field of Light + Health, and member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Deborah is going to let you in on some…
May 17, 2021
This week we are joined by Kelly Roberts and Laura McDonald Stewart of the advisory board for the ARCHLight Summit at the Dallas Market Center this fall. We discussed the value of cross-professional networking events; there’s value in designers a…
May 13, 2021
Check out Frank’s Night Sky Resource Center (www.nightskyresourcecenter.org) for some awesome astrophotography. Frank advocates seeing the night sky as a resource just like water and air. He tells us about his personal sense of “awe” in seeing th…
May 12, 2021
Brian Amundson of Pacific Lamp Wholesale and president-elect of NAILD is with us to discuss his experience working in dark sky lighting projects.As distributors we sell what customers ask for; and even if we wanted to pursue dark sky instals we a…
May 7, 2021
Steve Perry is the product trainer for the current sales staff at 1000Bulbs and works as liaison officer for its legendary CEO Kim Pedersen which includes among other things, new product lines, marketing strategies and vendor relations. Steve ta…
May 5, 2021
Jim is one of the world’s top authorities on lighting design and applied illuminating engineering. He invented the BUG system that directly affects dark skies. Jim tells us how many birds are killed by the Twin Towers light columns and how verti…
Apr 28, 2021
If you have crappy sleep or like wearing sunglasses you should probably listen to this. Dr. Rosenthal talks about sleep apnea and electric blue light, hormones and electric blue light, melatonin, proteins, cancer and well, electric blue light...…
Apr 26, 2021
Where does it cost $1500 bucks to change a light bulb? Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are one of the most useful chemicals ever invented. Big surprise LED manufacturers make ridiculous claims about lamp life; what else is new. And we talk to …
Apr 22, 2021
Astrophysicist Alejandro Sánchez de Miguel has been involved in light pollution issues since the mid-1990s and has contributed to over 100 articles, many related to light pollution. He is the leader of “Cities at Night,” a citizen-supported proje…
Apr 19, 2021
From red tape to blue LED’s to Red China. We talk about entrepreneurship in the time of cheap China and Google Ventures. Chuck also touches on environmental problems and how to get the customer to care.
Apr 12, 2021
Is LEDucation going forward? It sure is! Craig and Wendy tell us how in this time of Covid. The March virtual show was a success. Now they’re going live in New York in August. Is it 100% a go? As Craig says, “100% unsure!” But you know Craig an…
Apr 8, 2021
Harun Mehmedinovic is an astrophotographer, speaker, documentary filmmaker and dark sky advocate. He finds his deepest connections to nature while looking up at night and is doing his best to spread the word and save it for everyone.In our conver…
Apr 5, 2021
Edward Bartholomew - lighting designer, educator, advocate - is the owner of Bartholomew Lighting in Massachusetts. In this episode we talk about improving student scores, better worker productivity, reducing crime, fixing public utilities and of…
Mar 28, 2021
What do GU24s and email marketing have in common?Not much, but this week we have the inventor of the GU24, David Shiller on the line to discuss his current career in marketing and product development.Beyond online engagement, we also delve into p…
Mar 24, 2021
Our dark sky series has spun off into Starving for Darkness, but that doesn't mean we won’t be checking in with Michael and Jane periodically to discuss what is going on with light pollution concerns.The movement for darker nights has been going …
Mar 22, 2021
Greg Galluccio is a 30 year veteran of the industry, with work experience at UL, Leviton, and MaxLite, and now he’s working as a consultant in product development and marketing at his own company, Lotevo.Lighting is now a commodity good and that …
Mar 17, 2021
Burt Grant is the owner of Metro Area Sales, lighting representatives in the New York Metro area, and a co-founder of LEDucation. Caroline Rinker is a Principal at O’Blaney Rinker Associates. Despite being competitors in the same market, Burt an…
Mar 10, 2021
Ruskin Hartley, Executive Director of the International Dark Sky Association joins us to discuss his work and experiences in the association.Right now the IDA is working to grow beyond their roots in amateur astronomers in several directors. The …
Mar 8, 2021
Thomas Sauvageau of Sauvageau CFO, LLC is more than a bean counter, more than an income tax accountant, he’s here to help businesses be their best. Right now that means letting everyone know about the benefits you may qualify for. There are new s…
Mar 1, 2021
Wattsaver’s Steve Robinson returns to the show after two years to discuss some of the predictions he made at the time as well as how his business has been going lately.Back in episode 90 (https://getagriponlighting.com/episode-90-steve-robinson-l…
Feb 23, 2021
In Episode 169 (https://getagriponlighting.com/episode-169-it-might-it-might-not-al-uszynski) we discussed a number of predictions for the industry this year, Michael’s thoughts on Edward Bartholomew’s prediction drew a reaction from a few of our…
Feb 16, 2021
Jennifer Jaques of lighting application sciences and new IES membership director joins us to discuss her career. Starting off with her work in software tools the discussion goes through her and Michael’s views on education in this field as well a…
Feb 12, 2021
After a successful run of special releases on Get a Grip on Lighting (https://getagriponlighting.com/) Jane Slade and Michael Colligan have launched a new podcast series about dark sky.Jane has been writing and speaking about the need for darknes…
Feb 8, 2021
David Nathaniel, CEO of Ascot Capital is here to talk about operating Stanpro, Lumentruss, Aimlite, Beghelli’s Canadian branch, and Gabriel Scott brands.He discusses what it means to keep up a diverse portfolio, his reputations for being hands-on…
Feb 5, 2021
Spencer Miles, President of Pacific Lamp and Supply in Seattle and immediate Past President of the National Association of Innovative Lighting Distributors checks into the studio to see where things are at. We talked about distribution, a lot ab…
Feb 1, 2021
Ellis Yan and Lesley Matt are here again to talk about business in 2021.Shipping costs are rising as shipping speeds are slowing for everyone, there’s really nothing to be done about it. Beyond the macro scale problems, we're noticing small-scale…
Jan 28, 2021
Optician and author, Doctor Jacob Liberman joins Jane and Michael to discuss his thoughts on darkness in his work.He shares how he keeps darkness in his regular routine, his thoughts on dreams and where he thinks they fit into inspiration and und…
Jan 25, 2021
The last time Lux Review’s editor, Ray Molony appeared we promised we’d have a beer with him when we met again. LuxLive might be cancelled, but we still did pour a round before starting to talk about business travel problems, the person-to-person…
Jan 17, 2021
Professor Mark Rea is getting ready to move from the Lighting Research Center to the Light and Health Research Center at Mt Sinai, but before that he joins us to discuss his latest report on UV disinfection products (read that here: https://www.l…
Jan 11, 2021
Al Uszynski returns to the podcast to discuss the 11.5 Predictions for 2021 article that ran on his site, Inside.Lighting. Spinning off from those predictions we discussed:● Dark skies● Dynamic lighting in the workplace● The speed of economic rec…
Jan 7, 2021
Ron Gibbons is the director for the Center for Infrastructure-based Safety Systems and an associate professor at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute and here is to discuss his work and experience in the dark.As a Canadian, he grew up with …
Jan 4, 2021
2020 was a hard one for all of us, but to help us to look at the future is The Edison Report’s Randy Reid is here to help us look into 2021.Beginning with his Director’s Notepad piece, we go discussed:● Changes in business travel, the lack of net…
Dec 28, 2020
We welcome our first ever electrician on to the show, George Filtsos was there at the beginning of Daintree and has been working to push controls into more projects through all of the booms and busts in that field.We discussed how dimming is an u…
Dec 21, 2020
Gabe Arnold joins us from the Pacific Northwest National Labs after his recent work in DC lighting and PoE systems. But before we can that get to that we had to bring up his past at the DesignLights Consortium in the early days of the qualified p…
Dec 17, 2020
It’s time to bring the question of design into this series. Nick Dunn has been trying to balance the question of people’s need for light and natural darkness as an ecological concern since he spent one sleepless night walking around Manchester.Di…
Dec 13, 2020
How do you keep a company running for 150 years?CN Robinson has been in distribution since before electric light bulbs existed, first in seeds and then ladders and other equipment. Executive VP and Director of Sales Peter Gray is here to explain …
Dec 10, 2020
Sibylle Schroer is an ecologist from IGB, and joined us to discuss the role the increasing amounts of light at night plays in the experience of human and non-human wildlife.We discussed citizen science and the need for multidisciplinary approache…
Dec 6, 2020
This episode features the return of the UL's Adam Lilien and the introduction of the GSA’s Bryan Steverson as they discuss creating better workspaces with light.The GSA has partnered with the Lighting Research Center and the UL over the past five…
Dec 3, 2020
The International Dark Sky Association’s Technical Director joined us to discuss the mechanics of dark sky-friendly projects. Start from tasks; most outdoor lighting is based on pathfinding, not offering reading lamps to the general public; while…
Nov 30, 2020
Aleddra’s VP of Sales and Marketing, Dr. Matthew Maa is here to talk about being different in the Disinfection technology business right now. He tells us what separates PECO tech from UV-based options. Aleddra uses PECO and UV-A and UV-C in diffe…
Nov 26, 2020
In the second part of our special dark sky series we are joined by Paul Bogard, author of The End of Night and What if Night. Our discussion opened with our sense of safety - it’s easy to think that more light makes us safer, but glare makes it h…
Nov 23, 2020
Christina Calaway of Spark Media is a real old school lighting dork, which means our conversation begins with pulsed-start metal halides and other semi-forgotten lamp and fixture features. Before this turns into another scrub session, we transiti…
Nov 19, 2020
The IDA and NAILD have not only signed a memorandum of joint understanding, but will be working together for the next five years on joint efforts for darker, better nights. LS Evolve will have a module on the technical aspects and best practices …
Nov 16, 2020
Alp Durmus is a Lighting scientist and assistant professor of architectural engineering at Penn State. He came on the show to discuss his research in optimization of lamp color; reducing light use by aiming for the most reflectivity of the object…
Nov 9, 2020
Dr Jacob Liberman is here to explain the nature of light and consciousness to Michael and Greg. He starts with the idea that seeing is more than just vision before explaining his background overcoming his astigmatism, his work as an optometrist, …
Nov 2, 2020
Nigel Harvey is the Chief Executive at Recolight, a lamp recycler in the UK. We wanted to know how effective extended producer responsibility programs really are and whether or not they’ve hit a limit on the number of compliant operators. We weig…
Oct 25, 2020
Adrià Huguet-Ferran is CTO of Kumux, a software company that allows you to optimize almost any LED lightsource for color-tuning. The goal is for more human-centric or circadian-friendly systems, but Michael and Greg think his company’s process ne…
Oct 18, 2020
Tom Boyle, of GE Current, a Daintree Company joins Michael and Greg for this week’s episode.After clarifying what a Chief Technical Officer is responsible for, he shares his perspective on twenty years of change in the lighting industry, and Dain…
Oct 11, 2020
Human-centric light is a selfish idea. Jane Slade is an expert in how anthropogenic light at night is harming all wildlife to some degree. In this rebroadcast of our live stream from last year’s IES Annual Conference she shares her work with Mich…
Oct 5, 2020
Bryan Colligan founded Atlas Lighting in his basement in 1977, it didn’t leave that basement until 1999 when host Michael joined the company.Greg takes the lead asking questions about forty years worth of changes to the lighting industry, foundin…
Sep 28, 2020
This week we have a crossover episode with Sam Koerbel of Lytei.Before he was an architectural engineer he was a mascot for his college football team, and that sense of building character and expressing enthusiasm is what drives his podcasts and …
Sep 20, 2020
Tom Ciurczak, industry veteran and president of BLC America has dropped an album. He’s been a singer and songwriter his whole life, and his daughter nudged him to actually releasing an album. Call me Ishmael is a mix of work from his whole life s…
Sep 14, 2020
Ellis Yan is back to finish telling the story of his career, starting back in 1979 as the Chinese government begins to emphasize quality of life for its citizens Ellis was in school to become an accountant and working in a computer lab (this was …
Sep 7, 2020
Last week Michael tested positive for COVID-19, Spencer Miles has had employees come up positive, and Greg’s been lucky so far. We’ve spoken about doing business during the lockdown, but now we can speak to more immediate damage control experienc…
Aug 31, 2020
This week, we reversed roles and let our guest ask us questions.New lighting and energy consultant, Ryan Krueger, has a list of questions for us. Listen in to find out: ● What makes distribution unique● How we learned all this before starting the…
Aug 24, 2020
“The current pandemic has created a tipping point for networked controls in lighting.”That’s what Peter Brown sent us in an email earlier this month, rather than reply we got him on the line to talk this out for the show. Our assumptions about li…
Aug 17, 2020
Ellis Yan returns to continue his life story for us. Picking back up on the farm in the mountains, he shares how the experience built up his resilience and made him more open to new experiences, but the plot takes a small turn when his family liv…
Aug 10, 2020
Bernie Erickson of Facilities Solutions Group is in the middle of expanding his company's offerings in UV disinfection options, so we had to ask him on the show to share what he’s been working on.He breaks down the differences between surface and…
Aug 3, 2020
Al Uszynski returns as a podcast guest to speak about his perspective on and his personal history in the lighting industry.Launching Inside.Lighting to keep track of rep agencies, but ended up writing news to keep the site relevant. Once agents a…
Jul 27, 2020
The LRC has put together a very cool web-based tool for designing a space for healthier living (https://www.lrc.rpi.edu/healthyliving/), after playing around with it ourselves, we asked the minds behind it for an interview.Allison Thayer and Dr. …
Jul 20, 2020
We’ve always known that Ellis Yan has a story to tell. We take a break from lighting technology and delve into history, as Ellis explains his life under The Cultural Revolution under Mao. It starts with the day he was sent to school without lesso…
Jul 13, 2020
Henrik Clausen has thirty years of experience as an electrical engineer, educator, and a consultant. And when he wrote for LED Professional calling for brighter, more personalized light at work (read it here: https://www.led-professional.com/reso…
Jul 6, 2020
Al Uszynski has trained salespeople at the university level and he joined us to share his insights on selling right now. He shares some adaptations to current restrictions as well as creative ideas for selling online that will be even more useful…
Jun 30, 2020
The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is moving past energy efficiency research and into researching better life indoors. One of their projects was looking into ‘realistic’ lighting in an Neonatal ICU. Andrea Wilkerson, senior lighting resear…
Jun 25, 2020
Kevin Poyck just had his legs under him as CEO and President of Signify’s Americas Market Group when the outbreak threw his business into chaos. He shares his thoughts on virtual offices, managing at a distance, and the shape of post-pandemic nor…
Jun 22, 2020
Ray Molony edits Lux Review, and in one month into lockdown he wrote what he considered to be the eight effects the lighting sector will see coming out of the current health crisis. Read that here: https://www.luxreview.com/2020/04/14/8-effects-o…
Jun 15, 2020
Signify’s Robert Lee returns to the show to elaborate on an article he wrote for LEDs Magazine on what SSL lighting will look like in 2030 - you can read it here:https://www.ledsmagazine.com/smart-lighting-iot/article/14168528/picture-the-future-…
Jun 8, 2020
Jim Colantoni starts our conversation with him explaining the background of his company and how they’re working to create lighting tools for health and wellness. We get into the background and particulars of UVC technologies. Michael and Greg del…
Jun 1, 2020
The King of Lighting, Ellis Yan, returns to the main series and he brought Lesley Matt, Senior VP of Sales at TCP Along with him. They share their current virtual lunch and learn series, and the company’s own rebate and incentive program before d…
May 25, 2020
We’re taking a short break from our usual lighting dork topics this week to chat with Tyler Gildin about his documentary The Starfish, which profiles his grandfather’s journey from Nazi Germany to Sweden, across the USSR, and over the pacific oce…
May 18, 2020
Tom Beckett and some colleagues in his side of lighting spent three years setting up an ANSI certification for flashlights, and once they were done they turned that team into the Portable Lights American Trade Organization to maintain standards a…