Survey Shows Lighting Products Merging with Controls

By Consulting Specifying Engineer Staff March 14, 2005

More than 86% of respondents said that their lighting work now involves products and controls, according to a recent survey by Electrical Contractor Magazine. The implication is that they are now seen as

“Manufacturers and their advertising agencies tend to think that lighting products and controls are two separate and very different markets,” says John Maisel, publisher of Electrical Contractor. “Our survey shows that this has changed, including the significant role [respondents] play in brand choice for both,” he said.

Conducted online from a random, totally opt-in database, 420 participants completed the survey. Respondents were assigned to the category in which they did the greater percentage of their work. In cases where the percent of revenue from lighting products was equal to the percent from lighting controls, the respondent was randomly assigned.

Moreover, those surveyed reported that lighting controls are now integrated with other building controls about two-thirds of the time. Survey respondents also said they expect lighting to play a greater role in their business over the next three to five years, with lighting controls and safety and security lighting serving as entry into other types of electrical work about three-quarters of the time.

About 45% of the sample expects each of the following four project types surveyed to increase in importance either a little or a lot: lighting products in general, lighting controls in general, security lighting products and controls and safety/emergency lighting products and controls.

On average, respondents reported that lighting products account for more revenue than lighting controls projects (30% vs. 15% of total revenue). Lighting for new construction plays a bigger role in firms with an annual revenue of $1 million or more. Conversely, lighting for modernization/retrofit and maintenance/service/repair plays a proportionately larger role in lower revenue firms.

For more information go to www.ecmag.com .