Ann Kale Making Her Mark on Historic Santa Barbara

When Ann Kale moved her lighting design business to her hometown of Santa Barbara, CA, in 2003, she knew she'd have to carve out a market where none existed. Her broad experience across residential and commercial applications - particularly historic renovations - would serve her well in a city that is determined to keep its identity. "Santa Barbara has some of the strictest building design codes anywhere in the United States," Kale said. "We said, We're from New York; we know difficult. Well, New York is a piece of cake compared to Santa Barbara - in terms of what you have to go through to get approved."

Lighting Maintenance Companies Find Their Way in the Digital Age

As the LED market peaks over the next few years, lighting maintenance companies could be retrofitted right out of the market. But as with the rest of the digital revolution, advantages beget complexity. We may be able to change the oil in a late-model car, but you need to know the secret handshake to get the warning light to go out. Similarly, facilities staff can retrofit a lamp or fixture to LED, but do they know if it's compatible with the current lighting control system? An LED lamp may have more lumens, but can it deliver them out of the fixture? Is the housing too warm for sensitive electronics? And if the driver does fail, can it be replaced? Will the contractor (or even the manufacturer) be around to replace it?