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Ottawa

Section

Illuminating Excellence: Advancing the Art and Science of Lighting in Ottawa

We are the Ottawa 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.

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Illuminate Your Path:

Get Involved and Stay Informed

Illumination Awards

The Illumination Awards program recognizes individuals for professionalism, ingenuity and originality in lighting design based on the individual merit of each entry. If you are interested in having your project  considered, please check back here later this year for information on the submission process for the 2025 Illumination Awards.

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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/

Apply for an EP Membership


Education

Your IES section offers its members and the local community a number of opportunities for lighting education. These include:

Lighting Basics

Typically offered in September or October each year, Lighting Basics is a half day course on basic lighting concepts with an emphasis on a not overly technical coverage of the terminology used in lighting. This is a locally developed course and has been designed to meet the needs of those who need to understand lighting as part of their jobs but who are not necessarily employed full-time in a lighting role. It is a good choice for support and administrative staff who can benefit from an understanding of lighting terminology, lighting distributor inside sales and counter staff, those new to the industry, and others who would like to may want to ease their way into more advanced topics.

Fundamentals of Lighting

Usually offered in October – November, Fundamentals of Lighting (FOL) is a 10 module course developed by the Society and used across North America. It serves as a more in-depth, introductory course and serves those looking for more than the basics.

The newly revamped course materials include:

  • New technologies – types, compatibility, and sustainability
  • Additional examples and vocabulary for human perception, vision, and wellness
  • New focus on retention and vocabulary building through visual cues
  • New resource slides
  • Emphasis on comprehension, application, and critical thinking

FOL consists of:

  1. Introduction to Light & Lighting
  2. Electric Light Sources
  3. Daylighting
  4. Luminaires
  5. Lighting Controls
  6. Metrics, Photometry, Calculations, & Rendering
  7. Codes, Standards, and Practice
  8. Lighting for Interior Environments
  9. Lighting for Exterior Environments
  10. Review

Understanding Light Emitting Diodes

This course deals with the how, why, what and when to use LEDs in General Lighting Applications. Developed locally in response to requests from some of our members, this one day offering takes the students on a journey of discovery, moving from how LEDs are made, how white light is produced, and deals with topics such as colour, life, depreciation, drivers, lighting controls, design and lighting calculation challenges (with special consideration on how to choose light loss factors), and more. Each of the relevant IES standards documents are discussed with a particular emphasis on those that are commonly referenced and those that should be.

Understanding Light Emitting Diodes had been developed to address the needs of lighting practitioners, specifiers, building managers, sales professionals and anyone who feels they need a stronger understanding of this rapidly evolving technology.

Other seminars and courses

The IES has developed over a dozen individual seminars and on-demand eLearning on a variety of topics and the Ottawa section can offer these if there is an interest. The list includes:

  • Lighting Economics
  • Planned Indoor Lighting Maintenance
  • Lighting Calculation Terms and Methods
  • Light and Health
  • Electricity for Lighting Practitioners
  • Daylighting
  • Vision + Color
  • Luminaires + Optics
  • The Lighting Design Process
  • Codes & Standards for Products & Application Safety, Energy Efficiency & Sustainability
  • Lighting Controls for Nonresidential Buildings
  • Light Sources and Auxiliary Devices
  • Office Lighting
  • Lighting Upgrades
  • Library Lighting
  • Sustainable Lighting: An Introduction to the Environmental Impacts of Lighting
  • The Commissioning Process for Lighting
  • Roadway Lighting

View IES offered educational opportunities here

If you are interested in any of these topics and would like the Section to consider offering them, please let the education chair know by sending your request to info@iesottawa.ca.


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.

BECOME A MEMBER TODAY


Membership Benefits

  • Discounts on all IES publications
  • Discounts on IES Conferences, Meetings and Seminars
  • Discounts on Section Courses and Events
  • Networking through IES Section activities
  • Subscription to LD+A and LEUKOS

Section News

Recapping the IES Ottawa 2023-2024 Lighting & Design Awards

It was a night of celebration for the Ottawa-Gatineau lighting community as the industry came…

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Welcome the 2024-2025 Board of Managers

Please join us in welcoming the incoming Board of Managers for the 2024-2025 Program Year. …

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The 2024-2025 Dinner & Awards Gala

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 2024-2025 Dinner & Awards Gala.Our second…

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