www.ies.org. He has a point. The story of lighting, at least from the perspective of the indus- try, is the story of tec
FORWARD thinking Don Peifer
Doling Out the Alphabet Soup CTO is just one title that symbolizes how much the landscape has changed for manufacturers
I
was talking to a veteran of the industry recently, and he was bemoaning the
ments that follow the paper illustrate an
fact that today’s lighting companies have chief technology officers. During
industry agonizing over the decision to
the early days in his career, the CTO job title was unheard of. These days, he
change sockets.
argued—given how much the space has changed—it is not only commonplace,
it seems necessary.
We’re in much the same boat now. A decade into the commercialization of solid-state lighting and we are still
He has a point. The story of lighting, at
straddling the lamp/fixture gulf. Obvious
least from the perspective of the indus-
benefits would come from embracing
try, is the story of technology change.
a system-level approach, but with LED
There’s an established way. Then some-
adoption rates still in the single digits, the
thing comes along creating efficiencies,
dangers of high-road thinking are real.
and there’s a transition. How those tech-
Much of it boils down to an issue of
nologies are proliferated—the venues,
common denominators. Science dictated
the vessels and the pace of expansion—
certain tube/length parameters for fluo-
all create the demand for specialists.
rescent, and the result was a limited num-
Solid-state lighting, due to its esoteric
Most likely it is the delivery system.
ber of options: 15-, 20- and 30-W in 18-, 25-
nature and the pace of change, begets
One of the biggest issues with new tech-
and 36-in. lengths. The 4-ft, 40-W T12 was
CTOs. But what’s that say about what
nology is rolling it out to the public. In
introduced in the 1940s, just after that IES
came before it?
reviewing the technical aspects of the
conference, and became the workhorse
Let’s take the fluorescent lamp as an
fluorescent lamp, I happened upon the
for general lighting in commercial appli-
example. From a technical standpoint,
proceedings from the 1939 IES confer-
cations. There weren’t a lot of options,
it could be argued that fluorescent tech-
ence, where the above quote was taken.
which, in turn, allowed the technology to
nology is easily as arcane, with its mer-
The author of the paper was one of a
become familiar and proliferate.
cury vapor pressure, emissive coatings,
group of scientists assembled at GE,
discharge regions, non-elastic collisions
whose mandate was to extrapolate the
of electrons, cathode and anode fall
research done up to that point on fluo-
With LEDs, things are different. Our
voltages. Truly understanding what is
rescent and to create something com-
lowest common denominator—typical-
happening “under the hood” requires
mercially viable, which they did in sur-
ly a 1-W package—is cobbled together
advanced degrees. So, if it’s not the tech-
prisingly short order.
into an application-specific solution. Or,
nology, per se, what else could it be? “These new lamps are creating new sockets.”
22
LD+A November 2015
1
A MOVING TARGET
The paper serves as a fascinating chro-
it is set to match the specifications of
nology of all the issues that needed to
an already existing technology. All the
be wrestled to the ground enroute to
mechanical, electrical, optical and ther-
commercialization. In addition, the com-
mal engineering is ad hoc. It varies. There
www.ies.org
FORWARD THINKING are no hard standards. We can shape this
example—we’ll start to see new roles
into millions of different permutations.
emerge in lighting companies. We can
It’s a moving target against a background
imagine a time when the “About Us” sec-
that is moving rapidly as well.
tion of a company’s web site might have
Enter the CTO.
the position: Chief Information Officer,
Today’s CTOs are compilers. They are
Director of Networking, Senior Controls
hunters—scanning the landscape for and
Officer or VP of Privacy. Each, in turn, will
managing the rapid evolution of sympa-
manage their specific area of expertise
thetic technologies (LEDs, drivers, ther-
and try to aggregate that into a general
mal solutions, phosphors, optics). Where
business plan. The question becomes
the scientists at GE were fixated on a
whether or not they do that success-
single problem, the CTO is managing the
fully—whether or not they manage the
miasma of multiple configurations in their
technological transition from the per-
product lines. They are dealing with a
spective of a lighting person.
supply chain that is both rapidly evolving and highly fragmented. They are attempt-
What’s in a Name?
ing to look ahead technologically while
What seems to get overlooked dur-
churning out products that, on a six- to
ing these technological transitions is the
12-month cycle, are in constant danger of
quality of the user experience. LEDs have
obsolescence. Today, a CTO at a relevant,
been around for a decade. Performance
competitive fixture player, it could be
is amazing; price is good. Yet consum-
argued, has more of an operational role
ers are still distant. The recent demand
than pure R&D. That is a huge disconnect
for warm-dimming, a somewhat ran-
with the device scientists of yesteryear.
dom artifact of incandescent technol-
From the perspective of an educa-
ogy, should serve as the most recent
tional and engineering background, the
reminder that there is something miss-
differences between today’s front office
ing—we’ve lost the thread to quality of
CTOs and the early device scientists
light somewhere along the line. Instead
behind the curtain of a major manufac-
of bemoaning the fact, the best strategy
turer are imperceptible. With the former,
may be addressing it head on. Along with
however, there is a new set of compulso-
the alphabet soup of titles being added
ry skills needed. The CTOs exist in order
to the masthead of lighting companies,
to manage details and keep a 30,000-
maybe we should consider adding titles
ft perspective on all the technological
that address quality. When we start
changes happening in real time. As the
seeing listings for Director of Lighting
marketplace and regulatory agencies rev
Quality, VP of Customer Experience and
up the demand for cheaper, faster, bet-
Chief Lighting Officer, we’ll know we’re
ter—trying to facilitate new flight speed
moving in the right direction.
records—the CTO is working to keep the
1. https://www.ies.org/PDF/100Papers/045.pdf
plane aloft. As such, it is a necessary role. And, as we continue down paths of increasing specificity—smart lighting, for
24
LD+A November 2015
Don Peifer is director of product development at Architectural Lighting Works.
www.ies.org
