Following consistently increasing demand for design services throughout most of 2013, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) has posted its first consecutive months of contraction since May and June of 2012. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine to twelve month lead time between architecture billings and construction spending. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the December ABI score was 48.5, down from a mark of 49.8 in November. This score reflects a decrease in design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings). The new projects inquiry index was 59.2, up from the reading of 57.8 the previous month.

Philips Lumec blogger Jean-François Duquette highlights how industry insiders can learn and get new ideas from trade shows and conferences. Below is the blog entry:

Digital Lumens announced today that it has brought the Internet of Lights to more than 100 million square feet (10 million square meters) of space across more than 1,000 large-scale commercial and industrial facilities worldwide. In the Internet of Lights, a lighting-based category within the Internet of Things, every intelligent LED fixture is wirelessly networked and gathers sensor and meter data that is used for ongoing operational optimization.

The Graphene Research Centre (GRC) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Faculty of Science and the world’s leading chemical company BASF have partnered to develop the use of graphene in organic electronic devices, such as organic light emitting diodes (OLED). The goal of this collaboration is to interface graphene films with organic electronic materials for the creation of more efficient and more flexible lighting devices

TCP International Holdings LTD, the parent company of Ohio-based Technical Consumer Products, Inc. (“TCP”), announced it entered into a patent license agreement with Philips. This agreement provides TCP with access to Philips’ LED-related patents for certain LED luminaire and bulb technologies. As part of this agreement, the two companies have agreed to settle and dismiss the patent infringement lawsuit that was pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.

Everlight Electronics Co. proudly announces that its laboratory in Tucheng, Taipei received the highest standard recognition by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that works to protect human health and the environment. Simultaneously, EVERLIGHT’s laboratory was also qualified to use the ILAC-MRA mark on its laboratory reports, the signet for Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) of the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC).

Soraa launched today the first line of high color and white rendering, high light output LED GU10 230V dimmable lamps. Uniquely, the company has released a 10 degree spot version, not available in halogen or from other LED manufacturers, as well as a 25 degree version that has a peak intensity higher than halogen and all other LED GU10 products. Now customers can buy transformer-free, full visible spectrum Soraa LED GU10 lamps that spectacularly render colors and whites; without beam striations, artifacts or multiple shadows visible in other manufacturer's LED products

OSRAM SYLVANIA continues to deliver technology innovation in the LED power supply market with the introduction of the linear constant current OPTOTRONIC™ programmable 0-10V power supplies and OPTOTRONIC Step-DIM  power supplies. Designed for the OEM market, these LED power supplies offer tremendous design flexibility for a variety of general lighting applications.

Nearly 1,000 American Electric Lighting®Autobahn LED luminaires from Acuity Brands, Inc. were installed by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to address safety and maintenance challenges on a 19-mile stretch of Highway 98. The previously unlit roadway in Santa Rosa County is now illuminated with new LED luminaires to help increase visibility and safety for pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers. 

Spanish Architect and Designer Roque Pena Pidal is the 3rd prize winner of the 2013 CLU Foundation Contest for his project 10577 Rays in Helsinki. The jury selected his project because it uses light as an event and it would bring people together. His proposal to have an assembly of reflectors to make the winter solstice as bright as the summer solstice would help the population by increasing their serotonin levels. It is created for a specific location and resembles a big public event.

At nearly 8 million pixels and 8,500 square feet, the recently installed LED spectacular at 1552 Broadway Avenue, supplied by S|N|A, LLC, is the highest-resolution video display in the history of Times Square.

The start of 2014 means the end of an era; Thomas Edison’s incandescent light bulb will no longer be manufactured. RAISE Energy Solutions (RES) is primarily focused on commercial LED lighting, but with the end of the incandescent bulb, RES has expanded its lighting line to include home lighting.

LEDtronics announced that their LED Cobraheads Streetlight Fixtures helped NRG reduce energy consumption by over 72% and decrease light pollution in the local area.

Access Fixtures is proud to announce the addition of two new square bollard lights each powered with 30 watt Xicato light modules. The new styles expand Access Fixtures' latest square bollard series. One style features type 5 glass and top-mounted Xicato LED light modules that emits light out and down via wide optics. The other features a traditional style reflector. The Xicato LED light module is directed up while the light bounces down off the reflector. The new luminaire designs are based on top-selling round bollard lights. Bollard lights are ideal for safely illuminating paths, walkways and landscaping.

Larson Electronics has announced the release of a new Bar Clamp Mounted LED Spotlight. The BCML-LEDP-2X10WRE Bar Clamp Mount Spotlight offers high output in a durable, low profile housing. The bar clamp mount on this light makes it the perfect mounting solution for any ATV, UTV, golf cart and boat that has a rail or bar.

RIDI Lighting is pleased to announce its latest LED downlighter – the first to include its own high output chip set module, which lowers costs by around 30%. The long life rating L80 means that it will still be outputting 80% of its total light after 50,000 hours of use.

GIBSS has launched its LED lamp series for residential consumers. The residential LED lighting product line is set to replace traditional technologies such as CFLs, incandescent bulbs and will offer energy savings of up to 80%.

Cree will announce the company's 2Q14 earnings during a webcast on January 21st.

GE Lighting’s Evolve LED Scalable Area Light has earned a 2013 LightTrades™ Award presented by EdisonReport, which recognizes the top ten lighting products introduced in 2013.

Xicato announced that its 4000 lumen XSM LED module achieves new levels of light output and light density without increasing the form factor or light emitting surface. This enables more light in applications and, it allows for better, tighter beam control from luminaires that incorporate the XSM light source.

The TITAN is the first stainless steel addition to the LIFEFORM LED underwater series. Combining intense light output with power saving efficiency, the TITAN has captured the attention of boaters around the world.

Hubbell Lighting announced the perfect energy efficient luminaire for messy industrial environments—Columbia Lighting’s LXEM LED Enclosed and Gasketed Fiberglass Industrial Luminaire. Built with design flexibility in mind, the LXEM is available in a wide range of lumen packages and offered in three different lengths—all in the same family.

Cree, Inc. introduces the CXB High-Bay LED luminaire, the first LED fixture designed to compete directly with the 67 million traditional high-bay luminaires currently installed in North America. Cree® CXB High-Bay LED luminaire delivers 23,000 lumens and provides an unmatched combination of high performance and affordability, eliminating the need for energy-wasting fluorescent and HID high-bay luminaires.

GE engineers are helping with plans to build the world’s largest crystal chandelier for Cleveland’s Playhouse Square. The 20-foot chandelier will use 4,200 crystal pieces and tens of thousands of GE LED lights and lighting modules. The light piece will be permanently suspended 40 feet above the street from a special steel support system.

Since the launch of its Impact series of LED video display panels—featuring Cree® high-brightness SMD (Surface-mount diode) LEDs—Lighthouse has dominated the outdoor SMD LED display market with more than 107,639 square feet (10,000 square meters) of active outdoor SMD LED area. Powered by LEDs from Durham, N.C.-based Cree, Lighthouse and its partners have wowed people around the world with record breaking installations such as the 2013 display at Safeco Field, home of Major League Baseball’s Seattle Mariners (Impact 16).

Acclaim Lighting offers DynaGraze Interior SO, a linear, low profile, single-color, high-output fixture for indoor wall grazing applications.

Aeon Lighting Technology expands its Orion Series of LED retrofit recessed lights with the introduction of a new 4-inch downlight (20W). The new model is for existing sites, new construction and remodel installations.

NTL Lemnis, the LED lighting solutions company, showcased a wide range of products of its brand, “Pharox” at  ACETECH 2014, Ahmedabad.  ACETECH is one of the most important exhibitions for the construction industry.

Cree is providing LED technology to power the apron and exterior lighting systems of Munich Airport (FMG), the seventh largest international hub in Europe, serving 38 million passengers per year. Cree collaborated with ewo, a manufacturer of high-quality lighting systems for public areas, whose F32 flood lights are replacing high-pressure sodium lamps in the airport’s high mast systems. The F32 was specifically designed to seamlessly integrate into the existing apron lighting at Munich Airport, and each one is illuminated by as many as 288 Cree® XLamp® XT-E LEDs.

OSRAM SYLVANIA has expanded its portfolio with the ProPoint® Small Floodlight and PermaLED™ Area Light. Designed to replace traditional lighting technologies, these highly efficient outdoor luminaires deliver significant energy and maintenance savings for a variety of exterior illumination applications.