“Why do we need light here?” That’s the question that should be asked before modifying an existing lighting system or installing a new one, says the National Lighting Bureau (NLB), in one of the initial posts to the blog of the United Nations’ International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies 2015 (IYL 2015).
 
According to the NLB post, almost all answers to “Why do we need light here?” reinforce the observation that “light is for people.” Authored by the Bureau’s executive director, John Bachner, the post goes on to note, “In the home, for example, lighting is needed to help people prepare food, read, play games, and move about safely, among countless other activities. In offices, factories, and other places of work, lighting helps people perform their visual tasks faster and with fewer errors. In retail environments – from grocery stores to department stores – lighting helps highlight items on sale, enhance their appearance, and give more visual discrimination to consumers…. If I’m installing light to help people, it only stands to reason that I’d want to install that lighting that helps people the most. While this applies at home, it has even more application where lighting is used to support people at work, given the cost of labor vs. the cost of lighting.”
 
According to National Lighting Bureau Chair Howard P. Lewis (Viscor, Inc.), the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America’s (IES’) representative on the Bureau’s board of directors, “Everyone involved in lighting should be involved somehow with IYL 2015. At the very least, individuals and organizations that want to educate the public about the importance and application of light should contact the IYL Global Secretariat about posting to the blog, because IYL 2015 really is a ‘big deal.’ The UN General Assembly is very selective when it comes to declaring International Years. It does so to raise general awareness about issues that are critically important. IYL 2015 gives us what could be a once-in-a-lifetime chance to engage with new audiences to explain why lighting is so important. We’re pleased to have the National Lighting Bureau front and center. Everyone in lighting has a stake in making IYL 2015 a resounding success.”
 
Established in 1976, the National Lighting Bureau is an independent, not-for-profit, lighting-information source sponsored by professional societies, trade associations, manufacturers, and agencies of the U.S. government. 
 
For more information about the Bureau, visit its website (www.nlb.org) or contact Bureau staff at [email protected] or 301/587-9572.