At the end of January, Luminocity staff will travel to Scottsdale, Arizona to attend Illuminate ’19—the annual conference of the Association of Outdoor Lighting Professionals (AOLP). Luminocity staff have regularly attended the AOLP conference since 2015.

Iluminate ’19 includes two full days of workshops & trainings. It also provides an opportunity for Luminocity staff to network with like-minded industry professionals from across the US & Canada and stay informed on the latest trends in outdoor lighting design. According to Mark Miller, CLVLT, a participant in Illuminate ’18 and the owner of Southern Grace Landscape, Inc., the opportunity to learn from other lighting professionals was the most valuable aspect of the conference. He states, “For one week and from all over the country, leaders in landscape lighting freely share ideas and advice as colleagues, not competitors.” This peer-to-peer learning ensures that Luminocity staff return home re-energized and with fresh ideas on how to provide the highest quality outdoor lighting design for their Central Indiana customers. 

In addition to the workshops offered at Illuminate ‘19, the AOLP offers 2 high-quality certification programs: the Certified Outdoor Lighting Designer Course (COLD) and the Certified Low Voltage Lighting Technician (CLVLT) exam. Luminocity’s owner, Karl Lundberg, is COLD certified. This 3-year course provides an advanced level of specialized training in landscape lighting design. Other Luminocity staff is CLVLT certified. This rigorous test measures technical knowledge and ensures that all outdoor lighting work is completed with the utmost regard to both safety and quality.

While anyone can become an AOLP member, attend the annual conference and pursue advanced certifications, not all outdoor lighting companies choose to seek these qualifications. Luminocity is one of only 4 outdoor lighting companies in Indiana with an active AOLP membership and Luminocity’s owner Karl Lundberg is the only lighting professional in Indiana who is COLD-certified. Furthermore, only two people in Indiana are CLVLT certified, and one of them works for Luminocity.  Luminocity’s commitment to pursuing advanced trainings and certifications demonstrates a level of passion and professionalism that isn’t always found in other lighting companies. You could say that Luminocity’s commitment to providing unparalleled excellence in lighting design shines brightly.

Luminocity is an active member of the Association of Outdoor Lighting Professionals (AOLP). Luminocity’s staff is COLD & CLVLT certified and regularly attends AOLP trainings across the country to keep their skills sharp. Contact us today to have our lighting professionals visit your house and give you an estimate. 

Luminocity is a proud member of the Association of Outdoor Lighting Professionals (AOLP). Membership in this professional association lets us network with outdoor lighting experts from across the United States & Canada. It allows us to provide the highest quality product for our customers by keeping abreast of the latest fixtures, trends and practices.

Every year, the AOLP hosts an annual conference to provide its members with ongoing education on best practices in outdoor lighting. Attending this conference nearly every year helps us grow and maintain our outdoor lighting expertise. This February, we attended their conference in Tampa, Florida. Here we can view lighting designs by professionals from across the United States & Canada, complete trainings, and network with other industry experts.

Certifications

The AOLP also offers two high-quality certification programs. Luminocity’s owner, Karl Lundberg, recently completed a Certified Outdoor Lighting Designer Course (COLD). This 3-year course provides an advanced level of specialized training in landscape lighting design. It includes a great deal of peer-to-peer learning and equips Karl with design knowledge from lighting professionals across the nation. Other Luminocity staff recently completed the Certified Low Voltage Lighting Technician (CLVLT) exam. This rigorous test measures technical knowledge and ensures that all outdoor lighting work is done with the utmost regard to both safety and quality.

Though many different outdoor lighting certifications are available, the AOLP’s are widely regarded as being the most comprehensive and reputable. Various distributors of outdoor lighting equipment offer their own certifications, but these tend to focus primarily on their own product lines and are nowhere near as in-depth.

Membership

Membership in the AOLP is voluntary, and not all outdoor lighting companies choose to invest in a membership. Attending AOLP conferences, participating in AOLP trainings, and pursuing AOLP certifications require a significant commitment of time and resources. Of the many outdoor lighting companies in the state of Indiana, only four are AOLP-certified. Luminocity is one of just two AOLP-registered businesses in the greater Indianapolis area.

We believe that our membership in the AOLP is a worthwhile investment. It assures customers that we are committed to pursuing excellence in outdoor lighting design. Our participation in the AOLP allows us to polish our technical and design skills, network with other lighting professionals, and offer the highest-quality outdoor lighting design to our valued customers.

Luminocity is an active member of the Association of Outdoor Lighting Professionals (AOLP). Luminocity’s staff is COLD & CLVLT certified and regularly attends AOLP trainings across the country to keep their skills sharp. Contact us today to have our lighting professionals visit your house and give you an estimate.

In the midst of this rather tumultuous season for the NFL, I harken back to this summer’s induction of Andre Reed into the National Football League Hall of Fame. He had a phenomenal career with the Buffalo Bills. When he retired he had the third most receptions by a wide receiver. He holds numerous records and is regarded as one of the best ever to play his position.

He is naturally gifted, but becoming a top athlete in the NFL didn’t happen by accident. During his speech, he shared some insights into what contributed to his achievement. He worked hard and did sprints even when others were playing and having fun. He trained tirelessly even when the eyes of the fans were not watching him. He did the little things right to make sure that he would be dependable when Jim Kelly threw him the ball.

There are a lot of lessons to be gained Hall of Fame football players. The journey to their success gives clues to the rest of us so that we can be successful in our careers. This is true for an individual or a company.

Luminocity follows some of the same guidelines that have made Hall of Fame players great. When we install a landscape lighting system we work hard and don’t take shortcuts. We listen to our coach – the customer – to make sure everything happens right.

Many companies that install landscape lighting place the transformers wherever it is closest. Sometimes that isn’t the best option. Often we install a transformer in the garage. It might be more work but since most homeowners don’t like seeing the transformer, the “right” way is to find a way to hide the transformer.

We always do our best, paying attention to detail … and not just when the homeowner is watching. For instance, we use copper crimps and Blazing brand connectors for the best possible connection. It costs more, and homeowners don’t see them, but it makes a difference. There are easier ways and cheaper ways to make connections, but it wouldn’t be the best way.

When we are installing wire and approach the edge of a mulch area, we take particular pains to bury the wire even deeper to help avoid any chance of having the wire damaged by landscapers edging in this area. Doing these extra things is harder and takes extra work but it makes a difference.

I won’t ever be a member of the NFL Hall of Fame, but Luminocity is a top-flight company that operates like a champion.

One of the fundamental aspects of great outdoor lighting is focusing on architectural features of the home. This can include a chimney, cupola, dormer or pillars/post at the entry to the home. Typically there are several across the front of the home and usually they are white.

If the walls of the house are constructed of brick or stone the texture absorbs much of the light. The smooth surface of many posts magnify any lighting issues such as different lighting intensity, spacing variables, and differing beam angles. It is critical to make sure that the fixtures are installed at the same exact distance from each post. It is also important to make sure that the angle of the fixture body is straight up.

This photo illustrates the proper lighting effect for illuminating porch posts. For example, some of the hedges in front of the porch may need to be trimmed back to allow light to shine freely and not be blocked by vegetation. This is something that the homeowner will need to keep an eye on. If it grows back and blocks the light shadows will result and the dynamic effect will be diminished.