I want to thank the membership again for the amazing support following ALA's decision to cancel the conference due to concerns related to the Zika virus in Puerto Rico. We appreciate the ALA conference sponsors who are continuing their support this year to help mitigate the financial losses faced by the association. To view the list of companies who have generously continued their sponsorships, please
click here.
In August and September, ALA will host five live webinars to meet the educational needs of our membership. For our regular, live, monthly webinars, which cost $39 for ALA members, we will cover the following topics:
In early, September, we will host a free question/answer webinar on Titles 20 and 24. During our original conference dates (Sept. 27-28), we will host two webinars, which will not have a registration fee, and all members are encouraged to participate.
Lighting for Tomorrow - Awards Presentation Webinar
The
Lighting for Tomorrow awards, normally presented at the ALA Conference, will be announced via a live webinar on Sept. 12, 2016. Please register for the event
here.
Lighting for Tomorrow is organized by ALA, the Consortium for Energy Efficiency and UL. The annual
Lighting for Tomorrow competition was created in 2002 to recognize the best decorative, energy-efficient lighting fixtures in the market. Since its inception,
Lighting for Tomorrow has encouraged manufacturers to develop well-designed, energy-efficient lighting products with a specific goal of increasing the availability and market adoption of ENERGY STAR® certified residential lighting products.
CEU Credit Courses Approved
Interested in hosting a CEU course at your showroom location to attract your local design community? If you have earned your CLMR, LS or CLC, you could be eligible to teach sessions at a local ALA-member showroom. All classes are worth 0.1 credit, approved through the Interior Design Continuing Education Council (IDCEC).
Courses approved:
- LED - How to Better Use this Technology
- Light, Lighting and Health
- Light Layering: Three Steps to Great Lighting
If you would like to teach or host a course, please contact Nici Juneau at
[email protected] or 800-605-4448, ext. 226, to find out how to start the approval process.
ALA Engineering Meeting
ALA will hold its 2016 Engineering Meeting Aug. 23-24 at the CSA Group headquarters in Toronto, Canada. In addition to our regular reports covering UL and CSA standards work and updates to ENERGY STAR® and other lighting regulations and energy standards, ALA will have special presentations on:
- ANSI/NEMA C-137 Lighting Systems Committee
- EMI interference from SSL lighting systems - U.S. and Canadian regulations
- Results of new research on flicker from LED lighting
- Lighting for Zero Energy Homes
- Update on new color metrics
Additionally, a special reception on Aug. 22 has been organized to introduce Magali Depras, president of CSA's Standards Organization, to our Canadian members and other members attending the engineering meeting.
IES and ALA Joint Agreement
ALA has signed a formal agreement with the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) to form a joint committee to work on a Recommended Practice on Interior Living Spaces (RP-11). Although the agreement was just recently signed, the joint committee has been working together and should complete their work early next year. Upon completion, the standard will be published as an ANSI/IES/ALA Standard, and will further ALA's work to be an authority on residential lighting.
DOE Completes Ceiling Fan Test Procedures
The Department of Energy (DOE) has promulgated the final rule on ceiling fan test procedures, which requires manufacturers to test ceiling fans by Jan. 23, 2017. DOE has allotted 180 days for the adoption of the new test procedures prescribed in the rulemaking. Some of the major changes include:
Ceiling fans defined
DOE created a definition for hugger ceiling fans and clarified the definitions for numerous other product classes.
Established new test procedures
DOE has specified new testing requirements for large-diameter ceiling fans, multi-mount ceiling fans, and ceiling fans with multiple fan heads. The final rule also amends DOE's current test procedures for ceiling fans.
To view the complete Ceiling Fan Test Procedure rulemaking,
click here. Or for a summary of the changes,
click here.
On the Road
Recently, I have had the pleasure of visiting with many of our members at various events around the country. I always enjoy the opportunity to meet with members in person to discuss what is going on in their businesses and learn more about what ALA can do to help.
In late July, I attended the LPGA UL International Crown golf tournament in Gurnee, Ill., where I met with UL CEO Keith Williams.
Earlier in July, I attended the grand opening of the Lightstyles LED Experience Center in Costa Mesa, Calif., where I met with many members, including Colin Becker and Melvyn Kahn of Light Bulbs, Etc.
I, and the rest of the ALA staff, enjoy hearing about all the ways our members are expanding and promoting their companies. It is an exciting time to be in the lighting and ceiling fan industry.
