Is the NCQLP Dead and I Missed It?

I’m not posting this to vent, I’m asking the questions for the benefit of the industry.

Normally I’m the kind of guy that starts reading something with a pessimistic bent.  There are precious few people that could author anything (especially on lighting) where I would take it all as fact.

But, I start reading the Osram Sylvania Commercial Lighting Survey (press release here, full survey is linked there) with an open mind.  I started my career 16 years ago trying to understand the industry; 2 CU lighting degrees left me knowing more than I would ever need to know about how light bounced around a room.  I haven’t figured out this industry yet, nor do I frankly think anyone ever will.  I am 100% open to whatever Osvania can find out for us.  Nice job to even think about doing it!

In question #4 I saw that 32% of respondents are IES members.  Interesting.  Fine I suppose.  Disappointing, but I see how showroom folks (among others) don’t want to participate ... even though the IES should be the driver for their niche as well.  Whatever; too each his/her own; their loss.

By question #5 I find myself really scratching my head.   32% of respondents are IES members but only 16% are “LC” certified by the National Council on Qualifications for the Lighting Professionals (NCQLP)?  Oh brother.  10 years ago, I was sold on the LC having value.  I have maintained that at significant cost to my employers, and time out of my pocket.  I have yet to see where it matters (especially when I have in my possession two CU lighting degrees), and if half the IES members in this survey aren’t “LC”, then maybe it truly doesn’t have value.

What happened that we (based on this survey representing "specifiers") don't need to show that we know about lighting?  Why is it left to an electrical PE exam to certify that a specifier understands anything they are doing that would be written in the IES Handbook?  I haven’t heard from anyone that “the PE exam is really thorough on lighting”; I normally get laughs when I ask about lighting in the PE exam.

I’m still waiting for an upper level test to truly show we know something.  If states certify interior designers to keep somebody from putting a red couch into a purple room (and oh yes, I could explode on a rant of epic proportion but I am afraid of Ann Paden who might kill me), why can’t we as an industry even *start* to lobby for real lighting certification when us lighting dorks can cause serious health problems with the way we “do” lighting?

Time for a change in lighting industry attitude ... on both sides.