faces of the future - Illuminating Engineering Society

FUTURE LEADERS
tainable building design practices
indicates that what may have traditionally
been handled by existing
staff at these companies will
now need to be overseen by trained
lighting professionals. The Lighting
and Controls Specialist may
also coordinate efforts to ensure
that the systems are installed as designed
in order to maximize energy
savings and return on investment.
2
The Lighting Systems Commissioning
Agent. As the
design and implementation
of lighting and control systems becomes
more sophisticated, owners
will need to employ commissioning
agents specifically for these systems.
The Lighting Systems Commissioning
Agent may also coordinate
the measurement and verification
(M&V) process to make sure that the
owner receives anticipated energyefficiency
incentives for the project
from utilities or other organizations.
3The Municipality Energy
Manager. It’s not uncommon
for a city or town to
have an Energy Manager. What is
uncommon is for that individual to
be educated in good lighting design
and practice. And today, this is exactly
what is needed because now
more than ever, their challenges
are lighting-related. Traditionally,
Energy Managers have been responsible
for identifying opportunities
for energy-efficiency upgrades,
training personnel on energy conservation,
conducting outreach and
creating an energy management
plan for the municipality.
Today, municipalities have a lot of
lighting work. Many have received
stimulus funding or other grants to
upgrade lighting to improve energy
efficiency in schools, on streets and
at other sites throughout their areas.
There is growing need for lighting
professionals to direct these planned
upgrades. Within an Energy Manager
role, a lighting professional can
So what does the future hold for the
lighting professional Well, to borrow a
phrase from an old ’80s song, ‘The Future’s
So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades’
also be of crucial importance when
it comes to writing specifications
and requests for proposals as well as
managing the installation process.
4The Independent Lighting
Product Designer. In recent
years, manufacturers
have increasingly sought product
development assistance from outside
engineering firms. In response
to this need, lighting professionals
who have mechanical engineering
or industrial design backgrounds
will begin taking on this role. The
ability to marry industrial design
with an understanding of optics
and lighting sets the Lighting
Product Designer apart from the
typical mechanical engineer or industrial
designer.
5The Consultant (who specializes
in lighting). Traditionally,
when the term
lighting consultant is mentioned,
one typically thinks of a lighting
designer. In the coming years, I
think these two terms will cease
to be synonymous. Wikipedia and
dictionary.com define a consultant
as “a professional who provides
expert advice in a particular area
of expertise and has a wide knowledge
of the subject matter.”
Continued national, regional
and local emphasis on energy efficiency
and lighting will facilitate
the need for more consultants who
specialize in lighting. Lighting
Consultants will be called upon to
provide advice and technical assistance
to a wide range of clients
from federal and state agencies to
utilities, municipalities and others.
They will provide valuable support
to our industry as proponents and
educators of good lighting principles
and practices.
All in all, it’s an exciting time to
be a lighting professional.
About the Author: Kelly Seeger,
MSc, LC, Member IES (2005), LEED
AP ID+C, is an associate with ICF
International, where works for the
Energy Efficiency line of business.
She works on several projects including the NYSERDA
Commercial Lighting Program where she is an account
manager. Ms. Seeger holds a Master of Science in
Lighting from the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer
Polytechnic Institute and is the president of the
IES New York City Section (IESNYC).
70 www.ies.org