Let There Be LED: The Future of Light-Based Technologies for Interiors

A look at the future of interior lighting, from LED lighting to connected lighting platforms where lights will no longer simply accessorize spaces, they’ll be fully integrated within them. Also discussed are "smart buibs," and comments from experts.

1 minute read

August 13, 2016, 9:00 AM PDT

By andrewarmstrong


Everyone loves a good lightbulb joke. Whether the punch line is nuns or New Yorkers, the question of how many people it takes to change one tickles funny bones the world over. But that question isn’t as jocular to optical scientists, who point out that the evolutions in lighting require many years—and many people—to execute.

Just ask illumination engineer Jeff Quinlan, technology evangelist at Atlanta-based lighting manufacturer Acuity Brands. Meaningful advancements in light-based technologies are rare, indeed.

“When the fluorescent lamp came into wide usage after World War II, it was about 10 times more efficient than the traditional incandescent lamp,” Quinlan says. “That was big, and we see that sort of change about every 25 to 30 years. We see a major shift every 100 years or so. Almost 200 years ago, for example, we had natural gas lamps. Then, at the end of the 19th century, Thomas Edison and the incandescent lamp again changed how we experience lighting. The next major change is LED.”

Wednesday, August 10, 2016 in Line//Shape//Space

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Ken Jennings stands in front of Snohomish County Community Transit bus.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series

The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

April 20 - Streetsblog USA

Close-up on BLM sign on Continental Divide Trail in Rawlins, Wyoming.

BLM To Rescind Public Lands Rule

The change will downgrade conservation, once again putting federal land at risk for mining and other extractive uses.

April 20 - Public Domain

Calvary Street bridge over freeway in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Indy Neighborhood Group Builds Temporary Multi-Use Path

Community members, aided in part by funding from the city, repurposed a vehicle lane to create a protected bike and pedestrian path for the summer season.

April 20 - Smart Cities Dive