COMMeMOratiVe ISSue - Illuminating Engineering Society

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E N E R GY A D V I S O R Powers: As long as the significant wage discrepancy exists between North America and Asia, imports will continue to sharply increase. Those product categories that have high labor contents will continue to be sourced in Asia. Some of those categories, such as manufacturing of decorative products, have now completely ceased to exist in North America. At the same time, factors other than direct manufacturing labor costs will remain an obstacle to offshore manufacturing. Freight costs will continue to increase as a result of energy cost increases. Additionally, non-stocking projects and jobs with tight and fluctuating schedules will also remain unattractive to offshore imports. More recently, initiatives such as LEED, where emphasis is on broader environmental and sustainability issues, will also be a factor. Through LEED, emphasis on shipping from locations within a narrow geographical distance will persuade end-users to look upon other issues than just the initial low acquisition cost. Our company continues to produce a significant percentage of our products in our North American factories. We have been able to remain competitive, despite the significantly higher wage structure, through automation and substantial process improvements. Feldman: Where a product is produced will always be dictated around total competitiveness: quality, service and cost. Currently many products and components are produced outside the country into which they are sold based upon the expertise required for that specific product. ‘We are investing enough in R&D. If you look worldwide at the luminaire, ballast, lamp and controls manufacturers as a whole, the R&D investment is in the hundreds of millions of dollars’-Morgan Conversely, many products will continue to be produced close to the point of sale because of shipping, handling and service issues. New technologies or processes will be based where the best center of expertise resides. Producing and selling product in countries other than U.S. has a benefit in that it exposes opportunities in technology and process that may not exist or be embraced in our current facilities or markets. Petras: Successful companies will continue to look for global sources of products and services that provide the most cost-effective solutions, assuming that quality, timeliness and other service- and performance-related attributes are not compromised. However, as we look at “game-changing” lighting innovations, it is also entirely possible that the tuning of products for customer needs may require integrated domestic efforts for the particular market being served. Morgan: Outsourcing will continue to increase. Products manufactured outside the U.S. have found favor with customers for a variety of reasons. Until that is no longer true, there will be offshore outsourcing. Do the energy codes offer opportunities for luminaire manufacturers to provide products and services of higher value that will gain a greater share of the total cost of construction Morgan: Not in and of themselves. The only thing that will allow lighting to obtain a larger share of the construction dollars is for the total lighting community to do a better job of educating building owners and occupants about the value and the benefits of effective lighting. Feldman: The energy codes, if enforced, open up opportunities for manufacturers to provide higher value products that have a lower overall cost of ownership. Lighting cost will continue to be a growing concern as we have more issues around overall energy usage. Many efforts have been made to educate people about the inherent savings in energy-efficient products but, until there is enforcement, the industry structure allows too much emphasis on initial purchase price as opposed to total cost of ownership. ASHRAE 90.1-2004, LEED version 2.2, Title 24 and the International Dark-Sky Associations Model Lighting Ordinance all include further reductions in energy allowances January 2006 23
E N E R GY A D V I S O R that will continue to move our industry to more efficient products. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 will also help give tangible incentives to move towards higher value, more efficient offerings. However the speed of change towards these products will be dependent on the structure and enforceability of the various codes adopted by the various state and regulatory bodies. Powers: The passage of the energy bill will support the industry from a number of perspectives, one of which is creating a higher national awareness of energy efficiency and its relationship to productivity. We believe higher standards combined with end user awareness will be of significant support in expanding the total lighting industry. Our best opportunity for a growing and healthier industry is reaching the end-user and educating them to the importance and impact of good lighting on their activities and businesses. Petras: As watts-per-sq ft levels are reduced, it will be the new lighting system solutions that will provide high-quality lighting. This means the integration of not only the most efficient light sources and ballasts, but also advanced materials, optical delivery techniques and integrated control systems. Today’s products will have a tough time meeting tomorrow’s needs. Willard L. Warren, PE, LC, Fellow IESNA, is the principal of Willard L. Warren Associates, a consulting firm serving industry, government and utility clients in lighting and energy conservation. 24 www.iesna.org
Page 1 and 2: January 2006 L i g h t i n g D e s
Page 3 and 4: E D I T O R I A L While doing resea
Page 5 and 6: L E T T E R S A Second Look at the
Page 7 and 8: P R E S I D E N T ’ S P E R S P E
Page 9 and 10: U P D AT E S Color Kinetics Covers
Page 11 and 12: U P D AT E S tems, condition monito
Page 13 and 14: e n e r g y By Willard L. Warren a
Page 15: E N E R GY A D V I S O R Morgan: As
Page 19 and 20: Legacy Sponsors Cooper Lighting C o
Page 21 and 22: R E S E A R C H M AT T E R S loweri
Page 23 and 24: R E S E A R C H M AT T E R S change
Page 25 and 26: CA R E E R S & H I R I N G Portrait
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Page 51 and 52: SUSTAINING MEMBERS The following co
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COMMeMOratiVe ISSue - Illuminating Engineering Society

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