Light Bites: What’s happening in associations and programs — March 13, 2024

The LED and lighting community continues to pursue improvements in the built environment through integrated buildings and greater consideration of the varying needs of occupants. Meanwhile, a consortium of U.K. industry trade groups adds a lighting association executive to its 2024 “Powerlist.”

Integrated Lighting Campaign deadline approaches

The U.S. Department of Energy has launched its annual Integrated Lighting Campaign to recognize organizations and projects that have advanced the built environment through energy savings, energy justice, and improved comfort. The deadline for submissions is March 31. Both indoor and outdoor commercial projects that demonstrate excellence in lighting controls or lighting and building systems integration are eligible.

The 2024 Campaign features new categories “focused on integrated controls for plug loads and lighting systems, integrated controls for HVAC and lighting systems, integrated lighting and horticultural controls, and an even greater focus on equity and energy justice,” according to a DOE press release.

Visit the Integrated Lighting Campaign website for more details and to submit projects.

Light + Justice: Interior Spaces

Nonprofit lighting and equity advocacy group Light Justice will collaborate with the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) DEIR (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Respect) Committee to host a hybrid live and virtual symposium in New York City on April 5. At Parsons School of Design, “Light + Justice: Interior Spaces” will feature multidisciplinary panels and a keynote by lighting designer Lisa Heschong. The event is tailored to engage the lighting community in discussion about how to address inequities in indoor lighting design to accommodate vulnerable occupants, such as people of color, the elderly, the impaired, and the incarcerated.

Event registration is open now, with virtual attendee, and student and organization member pricing available.

LIA celebrates recognition of Ayça Donaghy

The Lighting Industry Association recently announced the selection of CEO Ayça Donaghy for the 2024 Women in Trade Associations Powerlist. Organized by the Trade Association Forum, the Confederation of British Industry, and the Federation of Small Businesses, the Powerlist was developed to celebrate the contributions of women and encourage new participation in the association sector. Donaghy’s nomination by LIA policy and sustainability head Bob Bohannon was based on her “passion, resilience, and dedication to delivering key initiatives that positively support lighting, safety, design, diversity, and sustainability across the lighting industry,” according to an LIA release.

Under Donaghy’s leadership, the association has launched new sustainability and circularity verification schemes and educational initiatives; developed a Young Industry Group to help cover skills gaps in the sector; built alliances with trade and professional institutions; and continued its work to direct lighting policy and regulatory standards.

Visit the TAF website to view the full Women in Trade Associations Powerlist.

CARRIE MEADOWS is editor-in-chief of LEDs Magazine, with 20-plus years’ experience in business-to-business publishing across technology markets including solid-state technology manufacturing, fiberoptic communications, machine vision, lasers and photonics, and LEDs and lighting.

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