Illuminating Excellence: Advancing the Art and Science of Lighting in Nashville
About Our Section
We are the Nashville based section of the Illuminating Engineering Society, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to all aspects of the ART and SCIENCE of ILLUMINATION.
The IES is the recognized technical authority on illumination. For over a century its objective has been to communicate information on all aspects of good lighting practice to its members, to the lighting community, and to consumers through a variety of programs, publications and services. The strength of the IES is its diversified membership consisting of: engineers, architects, designers, educators, students, contractors, distributors, utility personnel, manufacturers, and scientists, all contributing to the mission of the society: to advance knowledge and disseminate information of the improvement of the lighted environment to the benefit of society.
The IES is a forum for the exchange of ideas and information and a vehicle for its members professional development and recognition. Through its committees, with hundreds of qualified members from the lighting and user communities, the IES correlates research, investigations, and discussions to guide lighting experts and laypersons via consensus-based lighting recommendations.
Section Leadership
Contact Our Section
Contact Us
Contact Us
Illuminate Your Path:
Get Involved and Stay Informed
Events
Awards
Emerging Professionals
Education
Membership
Events
Illumination Awards
Announcing that the 2023 IES Illumination Awards season opening is only about two months away! As IA Chair for Nashville IES, I invite and encourage all in the Middle Tennessee Lighting Design community to consider contributing a 2023 submission.
A well-executed presentation of even a simple project can easily earn Design Team, Owners, Agents, and Suppliers an IES Section Award certificate.
More complex or challenging projects often attain higher recognition for Award of Merit, Award of Excellence, or Special Citation during Onlin International Judging. These awards are unveiled at Light Fair and published in the IES Magazine, LD+A.
Consider the fact that whatever the level of recognition your project receives, all project participants are henceforth able to promote “Award Winning Lighting Design” among their services repertoire.
For the small entry fee of $250 ($200 early bird), an IES Illumination Award represents the least expensive highly impactful Lighting Services marketing dollar one can spend. After all, your award certificate is presented by the only entity known worldwide as The Lighting Authority.
The IES Illumination Awards is NOT a competition! Each project submission is judged solely against the criteria set forth in the Score Sheet for the project’s submission category. Projects do NOT “compete” against one another, and there is no set number of projects that can be recognized. You can’t be “beaten out” by any other submission.
Submission Categories
- Award for Interior Lighting Design sponsored by Edwin F. Guth
- Award for Outdoor Lighting Design sponsored by Cooper Lighting Solutions
- Control Innovation Award sponsored by the Lighting Controls Association (LCA)
- Energy and Environmental Design Award
Submission guidelines, rules, and other information needed by Submitters can be found at the IES website, ia.ies.org. As opening day nears, the information here becomes more complete and detailed.
As IA Chair of your local IES Section, I am a resource. I encourage (strongly suggest) that anyone considering their first submission contact me before preparing your presentation. Two decades of serving in this capacity have demonstrated the importance of doing this.
I always make the following four recommendations, and when you contact me I will elaborate upon why and the difference following them will make in your chance of receiving a certificate.
- Use all 10 available images and all allowable text associated with each image.
- Have the Score Sheet for the Submission Category in front of you when putting together your submission, and make your Project Description and Image Narrative Text illustrate how the project meets the criteria and objectives outlined in the Score Sheet.
- Include Good Quality Photography taken at the appropriate time of day in terms of ambient light. With today’s high quality phone cameras, this does not require expensive professional photography.
- Include the allowable video of the project.
Feel free to contact me for information and insight about submitting a project to the 2023 IES Illumination Awards.
And feel free to spread the word and encourage others to participate in the Illumination Awards.
We look forward to evaluating this season’s submissions and to handing out certificates!
Keith A. Patterson, LC, MIES
Nashville IES Section IA Chair & Vice President
kapatterson@fastmail.com
Emerging Professionals
Who is an Emerging Professional?
An Emerging Professional (EP) is an individual who is still a student, or has less than 5 years of post-graduation experience in the lighting industry.
Why do I want to become an EP?
Joining the IES as an EP has numerous advantages. It will add structure to your career development and guide you away from the career freefall that many people experience. There are many avenues you can explore to get involved, it all depends on what your goals are, and how much of your time and energy you’re willing to invest.
Social
You will be introduced to the lighting industry. From other Emerging Professionals all the way up to Industry leaders and many others in between, the opportunities for meaningful networking and the resulting possibilities are endless.
Knowledge
If you’re looking to become more knowledgeable in the lighting industry we offer courses of different levels from fundamentals up to advanced. We also offer study groups for those who want to pass their test to become Lighting Certified (LC).
Leadership
If you want to learn how to become a leader of tomorrow, becoming an EP will expose you to opportunities that you won’t typically find in your job and will accelerate your career development and make you into a stand-out employee… did we mention you will have a ton of fun along the way, and you get to keep all your newly learned skills?
Are you ready to become an EP?
For those who are ready to enter the lighting industry, becoming an EP is a rewarding way to jumpstart your career while having a lot of fun in the process. More information on the Emerging Professional Program can be found by going to: https://ies.org/membership/emerging-professionals/
Education
INTRODUCTION TO LIGHTING
Introduction to Lighting was developed by Dan Blitzer, Principal of The Practical Lighting Workshop, and the Illuminating Engineering Society education team to provide a fast-paced and practical understanding of lighting vocabulary, equipment, regulations, and practices. No prior lighting experience is required.
Learning Objectives
The overall objective of the course is a broad introduction to the technology and practice of lighting with emphasis on recognizing and applying lighting principles and technical terminology.
- Explore the physics and interaction of light and human vision.
- Explain the key terminology and attributes of light source families and types.
- Describe the attributes and applications of luminaires.
- Describe the attributes and applications of lighting controls.
- Identify the codes, regulations, and standards that govern and guide lighting practice.
- Survey lighting economics and maintenance strategies.
WHO? Open to all: non-members, members. No previous lighting experience required.
WHAT? Course is 7 modules: 8 videos, 7 quizzes, and a certificate of completion. It takes 3 hours and 15 minutes to watch all videos. Plus the time to take quizzes.
PRICE: $150 for members, $200 for non-members (save $50 with a discount code from your local IES Section, use at checkout)
Education seminars provide up-to-date information on the latest in lighting design, technique, and technologies. Furthermore, you can earn valuable CEU and LEU credits by taking part. Check back soon for a comprehensive list of upcoming educational seminars and events!
New IES eLearning Portal – Now Available
The IES is launching a new, on-demand education opportunity: IES eLearning! Check out eLearning.ies.org to peruse educational content from the IES in a way you haven’t seen before. Each webinar or video features a one-hour course, a brief quiz and survey, and a downloadable CEU certificate. LEARN MORE
The Lighting Library® – Now Available
The IES is proud to introduce the Lighting Library® which updates, expands, and replaces the 2010 Lighting Handbook and previous versions of our standards. The Lighting Library is a new digital platform to access IES standards, offering you an easier, more functional lighting knowledge tool in the office or on the go.
WHAT IS THE LIGHTING LIBRARY®?
The Lighting Library is a newly formulated 5-collection series of IES standards that updates, expands, and replaces the 2010 Lighting Handbook and previous versions of our standards. All content within the Library has been vetted and approved by our ANSI-approved IES consensus process, with most of the nearly 100 standards having attained American National Standard status. Subscribing to the Lighting Library through our web-enabled platform allows you to take your knowledge with you (without breaking your back); you can bookmark, annotate, and keep track of updates, all personalized to your interests. Click here for more information
Membership
The IES is the oldest and largest educational and scientific society in North America devoted to lighting. Since 1906, the IES has sought to improve the lighted environment by bringing together those with lighting knowledge and by translating that knowledge into actions that benefit the public. A broad variety of programs, including publications, conferences and seminars, have been established to accomplish this mission. The IES publishes and distributes the finest lighting literature authored by committees with the most experienced minds in industry and academia today.