Recently we had the pleasure of a visit to Seattle by Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, and a top environment advisor to President Obama. We took the opportunity to show off some of the innovative work Seattle is doing with energy efficiency technologies and infrastructure.

Together we visited Seattle City Light’s Lighting Design Lab. Lighting represents a significant share of potential energy conservation in commercial buildings, and capturing those savings effectively requires expertise in both lighting technology and lighting design.  That’s why Seattle City Light operates the Lighting Design Lab, which works to transform the Northwest lighting market by promoting quality design and energy efficient technologies.

Services of the Lab are available to anyone within the Pacific Northwest working on commercial or industrial lighting projects, including specifiers, architects, interior designers, engineers, contractors, facility managers and building owners.  Lighting Design Lab staff work one-on-one or with groups to discuss and demonstrate possible lighting strategies suited to specific projects.  They are able to assist clients in developing effective lighting schemes, comparing different lighting technologies, and choosing the most appropriate, energy-efficient lighting solutions.

The lab also has a 1200 square foot mockup facility with a movable ceiling so that customers can preview a full scale lighting system before constructing a building or installing a streetlight.

It was an informative visit to the facility, one of those hidden gems of Seattle that has made us a world leader in energy efficiency technologies, and a great opportunity to talk with Chair Sutley about national trends and the President’s priorities for energy efficiency.

Photos by: Jen Nance

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Posted by: Aaron Fishbone