By most accounts, the light-emitting diode (LED) revolution is well underway, even though LEDs still remain a small fraction of today’s total lighting market. Government estimates predict that solid-state lighting (SSL) will rise from around 1 percent of the installed base today to the lion’s share of the market in just two decades. READ MORE
Rae Hamilton
Freelance Writer
Rae Hamilton, a former vice president of communications for the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, is a freelance writer and artist living in Parkton, Md., and can be reached at caddy41048@yahoo.com.
Articles by Rae Hamilton
December 2012
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Joel Spira, who founded Lutron Electronics Co. in 1961, invented the first solid-state dimmer in 1959. For decades after, dimmers were largely used to control the aesthetic environment. Only in recent years has dimming become an important part of the energy costs saving debate. As such, the rapidly evolving technology represents a significant market opportunity for electrical contractors. READ MORE
March 2010
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Even though home automation technology has been around for decades, the opportunity it represents for electrical contractors right now is phenomenal. READ MORE
January 2009
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Residential landscape lighting design is a rapidly growing business that is transforming the way people think about the space surrounding their homes. No longer is landscaping limited to one neatly trimmed hedge, one manicured lawn, and one glaring flood light on the garage. READ MORE
December 2008
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“All the world's a stage,” Shakespeare once wrote, “and all the men and women merely players.” But if there is no light on the stage, is the actor really there? In Shakespeare’s day, lighting was measured in candlepower. Now lighting is measured in watts, amps, volts, beam lumens, field lumens and yes, candlepower, and it is still key to telling a story on stage or in film. READ MORE
April 2008
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Electrical contractors increasingly perform scheduled or preventative maintenance of commercial, institutional and industrial buildings. While that might seem to be a logical extension of the contracting business, some laws on the books could make life a little more complicated for the unsuspecting maintenance contractor. READ MORE