LRC News

Curtis Lumber's lighting showroom and lab feature energy-efficient lighting options.

A lighting laboratory designed by the Lighting Research Center has received honors from a residential construction supply trade magazine. The annual Excellence Awards program of ProSales magazine has named Curtis Lumber Co., Inc., of Ballston Spa, N.Y., a winner of the 2006 Excellence Award Honorable Mention for Showroom Design. The lighting lab is an integral feature of Curtis Lumber’s new lighting showroom for builders and contractors.

In 2005, the LRC teamed with Curtis Lumber, a full-service home improvement retail chain, to develop an interactive lighting lab housed in the company’s flagship store. Funded by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), the lab was designed to promote the use of ENERGY STAR® lighting products among builders and consumers in New York state.

The lighting lab provides a first-of-its-kind lighting tool at the point of purchase. Customers can compare first-hand the lighting options and products available for their energy use, aesthetics, and lighting quality. (See the October 2005 newsletter for more news on this project.)

Displays in the lighting lab demonstrate how to best use energy-efficient light sources and controls, techniques for designing task lighting, ambient lighting, and lighting for older adults, and how much energy can be saved in a typical home using ENERGY STAR lighting products.

Since the completion of the lighting lab, the LRC has continued to offer free seminars at Curtis Lumber, with funding from NYSERDA, on how to make a difference by using energy-efficient lighting. These seminars are conducted by LRC staff and geared toward builders, contractors, and electricians.