Welcome to the LEDs Magazine News & Insights newsletter for Aug. 26, 2020. It feels so strange to be facing up to the Labor Day holiday in just over a week here in the US. The summer of the new normal will be over.
In the spring, we all hoped the old normal would return by Memorial Day. And in retrospect we’d be so much better off if we would have just cancelled summer holidays this year. Memorial Day and then Independence Day simply revealed irresponsible behavior and large gatherings in part endorsed by present leadership in the US. Believe it or not, we still have governors that won’t take the pandemic seriously and mandate masks. So about Labor Day... Can we cancel it this year?
With the end of summer approaching, new product and business activity in the LED and solid-state lighting (SSL) sectors remain slow. But the supply chain is seemingly back fully engaged. I truly believe we could have a very good fall if we in the US as well as Europe and Asia can avoid another COVID-19 surge.
We have a very interesting project for you today. Some architects with a penchant for old structures discovered an old railroad freight depot in Leadville, CO — once a bustling mining town surrounded by Rocky Mountain peaks. Artifacts in the abandoned structure date the building to the 1880s. Nan and Dave Anderson of Anderson Hallas Architects discovered the depot on a walk with their grandkids and decided on the spot that they should restore it for some use.
Meet Freight. The depot has been reimagined as an events center. Still, what drew my interest was the innovative LED lighting concept in the space. A customized element, that’s referred to by the Andersons as a chandelier, uses two GE Current Albeo high-bay luminaires in a back-to-back configuration with one lighting the cavernous ceiling. It looks like no chandelier I have ever seen. But it also looks decidedly cool!
We also have a horticultural lighting story for you focused on rulemaking in California by the California Energy Commission (CEC). The CEC Title 24 2022 code cycle for new energy policy is well underway. That policy will go into effect in January 2023.
It appears likely that California will mandate LED sources for horticultural lighting beginning in 2023. Such a decision does impact areas beyond California’s borders. Other states and countries have regularly followed California’s lead in energy policy. I support the policy, and not just because I edit LEDs Magazine. I think LEDs are the best choice today based on lifecycle analysis and certainly should be by the start of 2023.
Speaking of horticultural lighting, make sure to register for our HortiCann Light + Tech event coming in October.
You will find many more stories of interest in the body of today’s newsletter. And always feel free to contact me to discuss content we post or to pitch a contributed article.
- Maury Wright, (858) 748-6785, [email protected]