Lighting Design & Daylighting
Energy-efficient lighting is seriously misunderstood by many in the green building industry. Long associated with CFLs and poorly lit spaces, today’s energy-efficient lighting uses state-of-the-art LEDs, controllers, and optics to direct light just where you need it.
Outdoors, LED streetlamps use advanced sensors and are optimized for maximum efficiency, yet they produce little light pollution that could disrupt local wildlife.
Indoors, LEDs can be integrated into DC power systems via power-over-ethernet cables. The color can be changed to help increase worker productivity, improve patient moods, or mimic natural outdoor light to help maintain our natural circadian rhythms.
New forms of LED and OLED lighting are revolutionizing how we light our buildings.
Lighting Design & Daylighting
Deep Dives
Get up to speed on complex topics. You can also earn CEUs and download PDF Spotlight Reports.
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LEDs: The Future Is Here
Feature Article
LEDs have finally become an economically viable lighting option, but choosing the best LED products still takes knowledge and skill.
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Rethinking the All-Glass Building
Feature Article
Is it time to end our love affair with the all-glass building? A lot of proponents of high-performance, green design certainly think so-while other respected architects, including some leading green designers and energy experts, argue that all-glass can work well if done right.
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Controls Go Wireless
Feature Article
Particularly for lighting and ventilation controls in retrofit situations wireless systems offer potential energy, money, and resource savings. The technology is still new, however, and potential drawbacks like health risks, interference, and even the potential for increased energy consumption need to be examined.
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Historic Preservation and Green Building: A Lasting Relationship
Feature Article
Rehabilitation of existing buildings is important to sustainability in buildings, but with historic buildings, green building and preservationism can diverge. With attention to preservation standards and suitable application of green strategies, however, those agendas can be aligned.
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
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How Electric Lighting Works
Primer
How do incandescent, fluorescent, high-intensity discharge, and light-emitting diode lighting technologies work, and what are their relative efficiencies?
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Shedding Light on Light Quality
Primer
Two terms commonly used to refer to light sources-color temperature and color rendering index-tell us about the quality of light, but can at times be counter-intuitive. Lights with a low color temperature, for example, actually feel "warmer" on the color spectrum.
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Light-Emitting Diodes: Chasing White Light
Primer
LED lighting is becoming more energy-efficient and cost-effective, but it has not yet realized its potential for efficacy, and for wider applicability.
Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
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DC Power Supply Integrates AC and Renewables
Product Review
Nextek PhD provides AC-to-DC power at the building scale, integrates renewable energy, and can even save on first costs.
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The Best Indoor LED Luminaires of 2016
Product Review
Winners of an annual DOE competition represent some of the best LED lighting for decorative pendants, downlights, and healthcare.
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Greenest Greenbuild Products for the Indoor Environment and More
Product Review
We look at products that improve indoor environmental quality and check in on advances from previous Top 10 winners.
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LEDs Finally Hitting Stride in Supporting Health, Productivity
Product Review
By allowing tunability of color and intensity, USAI’s Color Select LED technology can match the natural daylight cycle and needs of end users.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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Tenants Drawing the Blinds in Their Glass Buildings
News Brief
New Yorkers may choose a glass condo or corner office for the views, but a new study shows that once they get there, they’re drawing the blinds.
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Got Light Scoops? New Design Guide for the Latest in Daylighting
News Brief
Light scoops can outperform conventional skylights, but more factors go into their design. A new guide is here to help.
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Daylighting Correlates with More Sleep in New Study
News Brief
Employees with windows in their offices had healthier lifestyles and got more rest at night, researchers say.
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Endangered Sea Turtles Flee Light Pollution
News Brief
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
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Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
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