How To Make Your Museum Lighting More Energy-Efficient

 Energy-Efficient Lighting  No Responses »
Apr 092013
 
PinExt How To Make Your Museum Lighting More Energy Efficient

Bookshelf lighting 220x300 How To Make Your Museum Lighting More Energy Efficient
We’re teaching how to go green and save energy with the lights in every space we can think of! Click here to browse the entire energy-efficient lighting series.

The right lighting is essential for any museum. Each exhibit needs a lighting scheme that will preserve the artistic, historical, or scientific integrity of the articles on display. And it just has to look good too.

If you’ve already landed on a lighting scheme that works for your museum, you’re probably apprehensive to change it, even if you could save money.

Good news: Upgrading your museum lighting is easier than you might think. There are a ton of small, barely noticeable changes you can make to your museum lighting that will save you energy. Also, newer energy-efficient lighting options may actually provide more versatile, higher quality light for your displays.

Let’s get started, shall we?

Small Changes:  

1. Guide Lights

If you have dark areas in your museum – night simulations or moody displays – you’ll always need small guide lights to keep your visitors safe and comfortable. These are things like step lights along staircases and rope lights along pathways or handrails. These lights will never add to or take away from the integrity of your display. They’re just there. So why not save a little energy with them?

The most energy-efficient step lights and guide lights you can find on the market are probably LEDs. They’ll last much longer than older incandescent lights and most fluorescent lights, and they’ll produce the same brightness while only using a fraction of the energy.

2. Exit Signs

Exit signs are necessary features in any museum, but it’s not necessary that you use a lot of energy to operate them. A good LED exit sign only costs $2 to operate every year. Compare that to the $39 it costs to run a single incandescent exit sign. The LED will pay for itself within a year!

If you’re even more ambitious about saving energy, you can opt for photoluminescent exit signs. They’re made with a special material that absorbs ambient light and emits it when the lights go dark. No maintenance or electricity required. Continue reading »

PinExt How To Make Your Museum Lighting More Energy Efficient
Share|

How To Make Your Hotel Lighting More Energy-Efficient

 Energy-Efficient Lighting  No Responses »
Apr 022013
 
PinExt How To Make Your Hotel Lighting More Energy Efficient

stock photo foyer How To Make Your Hotel Lighting More Energy Efficient
This post is part of a series on energy-efficient lighting. Click here to learn how you can save energy with your lights in all kinds of different places. 

So you’re looking for ways to cut down on energy use in your hotel, inn, or resort. A few efficient changes to your lighting can make a big difference in the number that turns up on your monthly bill. Here are 4 simple ideas to get the ball rolling…

1. Go LED when you can.

A well lit hotel puts guests at ease. Bright inviting lights make a space seem clean, cared for, and trustworthy. You don’t have anything to hide. So, when trying to save energy with your lights, you don’t want to sacrifice any ambiance. That’s why LEDs are perfect for you.

LED light bulbs produce more light for the amount of energy they use – about twice as much as a CFL, one of the most popular light sources on today’s market. So, you’ll never have to lose light for the sake of saving energy.

White Accent Ceiling Lighting in a Lobby 680x1024 How To Make Your Hotel Lighting More Energy Efficient

When it comes to light quality, you can also count on LEDs. LED light bulbs and light fixtures come in an array of color temperatures – cool to warm, with excellent color rendering capabilities. If you haven’t tried an LED in recent years, you might be surprised at how pleasant the light appears.

Take some time to audit the lights you use throughout your hotel. Here’s a list of some lights you can easily switch to LED: Continue reading »

PinExt How To Make Your Hotel Lighting More Energy Efficient
Share|

How To Find A Light’s Beam Width – Infographic

 Light Bulbs  No Responses »
Mar 222013
 
PinExt How To Find A Lights Beam Width Infographic

Whether you’re planning for a retail display, or remodeling the recessed lights in your kitchen, you need to know how to determine your light bulb’s beam width.

When it comes to reflector lamps (Rs, MRs, ERs, BRs, and PARs), you can choose between spotlights and floodlights. Spot beams are less than 45 degrees wide, and flood beams can be up to 120 degrees wide. This infographic will tell you how to use each kind of light bulb. You’ll also learn how to find the width of a light beam from any given distance away.

infographic beam spread How To Find A Lights Beam Width Infographic
Continue reading »

PinExt How To Find A Lights Beam Width Infographic
Share|

Product Spotlight: Lighted Bathroom Exhaust Fans

 Product Spotlight  No Responses »
Mar 212013
 
PinExt Product Spotlight: Lighted Bathroom Exhaust Fans

bathroom lighting Product Spotlight: Lighted Bathroom Exhaust Fans
Your bathroom should not be annoying. It should be a rejuvenating space within your house. It should be a sanctuary of sorts, really. The problem is, there are just so many ways the place can get annoying…

…Like when it gets excessively moist and you’re constantly fighting back the mold.

…Like when you’re in there in the middle of the night under the glare of bright lights.

…Like when your lights are cheap, ugly, or just don’t match your style.

…Like when your loud exhaust fan makes it impossible to relax.

If your bathroom annoys you in one or more of those ways, it might do you good to look at our selection of quality bathroom exhaust fans with lights. We hand select each fixture, so I can assure you now that they’re not going to bother you. In fact, they’ll do quite the opposite. Here’s how our exhaust fans can solve each of those terrible annoyances:

For The Moldy Bathroom

If your bathroom gets too moist when you shower and you’d rather not cultivate a garden of mold where you clean yourself every day, get an exhaust fan. To pick one that’s right for you, you just need to determine the recommended fan capacity for your bathroom. This is measured in CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute), which is the volume of air the fan can remove from a room within a certain period of time. You can find your bathroom’s recommended CFM by multiplying the room’s square footage by 1.1 if you have an 8-foot ceiling, or by 1.5 if you have a 9-foot ceiling. For example, a bathroom of 60 square feet with an 8-foot ceiling would need a fan with a CFM of about 66.

Bathroom Exhaust Fan 2 Product Spotlight: Lighted Bathroom Exhaust Fans

Continue reading »

PinExt Product Spotlight: Lighted Bathroom Exhaust Fans
Share|

How To Make Your Bathroom Lighting More Energy-Efficient

 Energy-Efficient Lighting  No Responses »
Mar 042013
 
PinExt How To Make Your Bathroom Lighting More Energy Efficient

This post is the fifth in a series on how to optimize the lighting in your home or business for the utmost energy savings. Click here to view the entire series. 

The bathroom offers a unique combination of utility and luxury. It’s an essential in every home and every office, and an integral part of everyone’s daily routine. Not to mention that the restroom is also a place for rest and rejuvenation. For some of us, it’s the only place where we can find a little peace and quiet.

Vanity Lighting 667x1024 How To Make Your Bathroom Lighting More Energy Efficient

When a room is as important as this one, you make sure the lighting is of the highest quality. Because what is a functional room without functional lighting? And what is a luxurious room when the lighting is harsh and abrasive?

Having quality bathroom lights that also save energy might seem like too tall an order, but making your bathroom lighting energy-efficient is actually easier than you might think. Just follow my lead…

1. Change out those light bulbs!

By now, you probably know that upgrading your light bulbs to more energy-efficient varieties is the easiest way to save a little energy. But, some of these newer lamps won’t thrive in the variable atmosphere of the bathroom. Continue reading »

PinExt How To Make Your Bathroom Lighting More Energy Efficient
Share|

How To Have Great Lighting In A Rental

 Lighting Tips  No Responses »
Mar 012013
 
PinExt How To Have Great Lighting In A Rental

Having adequate, quality, and – heaven forbid – stylish lighting when you live in a rented space can seem like a far-away dream. Your landlord or property manager has certain limits and regulations on what changes you can make, so creating a lighting design you like feels next to impossible.

What’s a renter to do? It’s time to get creative with your lighting.

For The Kitchen

Let me guess. When you moved into your current place, your kitchen had a single ceiling light fixture – a linear fluorescent, a track light – on a basic on/off light switch. The brightness of that single ceiling light is too jarring in the morning, and when you’re chopping, dicing, and frying in the evening, it’s not enough.

Fluorescent Under Cabinet Lights How To Have Great Lighting In A Rental

The best thing you can do in here is add one or two light layers for extra task light. Start with under cabinet lights, because they’ll make it easier for you to see while cooking, and add a nice ambiance to the room. You can opt to leave the ceiling lights off when you want a lower light level, or use them with your ceiling lights when you’ve got your chef’s hat on. Continue reading »

PinExt How To Have Great Lighting In A Rental
Share|

How To Make Your Bedroom Lighting More Energy-Efficient

 Energy-Efficient Lighting  2 Responses »
Feb 222013
 
PinExt How To Make Your Bedroom Lighting More Energy Efficient

In this series, we’re helping you save energy at your homes and businesses, room by room. Click here to view the entire series. 

Your bedroom can be many things. A space to kick back after a long day. A place to romance your sweetie. Maybe it doubles as an office, or maybe it’s just the only personal space you have in this whole wide world.

Whatever your bedroom, boudoir, or inner sanctum may function as, there’s one thing it should never be: a needless energy-sucker.

Lighting is an important part of any bedroom. It adds style, ambiance, and functionality, but having great lighting in the bedroom doesn’t have to use up a ton of power.

iStock 000012262295Small How To Make Your Bedroom Lighting More Energy Efficient

We’re pulling out all the stops to give you the best tips to use in the bedroom – for energy-efficient lighting, that is!

1. Take a survey of all your light fixtures – table lamps, floor lamps, track lights, and any ceiling fans, chandeliers, or pendant lights. How many of these use incandescent light bulbs? If the answer is greater than zero, we’ve identified the first way you can cut down your energy consumption in the bedroom: Swap out all your incandescent household, chandelier, and reflector light bulbs for LEDs or CFLs. Continue reading »

PinExt How To Make Your Bedroom Lighting More Energy Efficient
Share|

How To Make Your Restaurant Lighting More Energy-Efficient

 Energy-Efficient Lighting  No Responses »
Feb 182013
 
PinExt How To Make Your Restaurant Lighting More Energy Efficient

This post is the second in a series on energy-efficient lighting. We’re reviewing all kinds of spaces in homes and businesses to help you save energy. Click here to for advice on making even more places energy-efficient with lighting. 

According to Pacific Gas & Electric’s Food Service Technology Center, restaurants are the biggest energy users in the retail world. Did you know that lighting accounts for about 13% of all energy used in the average restaurant? This sounds like an industry ready for some energy savings.

If you’re still using traditional filament lamps to illuminate your eatery, cafe, or diner, 75% of the energy your lights consume – of the energy you pay for to power those lights – is wasted, given off as heat.

By making easy upgrades to energy-efficient lights in your restaurant, you can save upwards of 75% of the energy used to operate your lights. Plus, newer, innovative light sources can give your customers an elegant and memorable dining experience.

Restaurant Lighting How To Make Your Restaurant Lighting More Energy Efficient

Here are a few simple suggestions to save energy and hard-earned cash with your restaurant lights:  Continue reading »

PinExt How To Make Your Restaurant Lighting More Energy Efficient
Share|

Toning Up The Lighting In Your Home Gym

 Lighting Tips  No Responses »
Jan 212013
 
PinExt Toning Up The Lighting In Your Home Gym

contemporary home gym Toning Up The Lighting In Your Home Gym

Image via Chicago Architect COOK ARCHITECTURAL Design Studio


With the New Year upon us, many have decided to upgrade their fitness routines by installing home gyms, or dusting off the treadmills they already own. But, if you have dingy or inadequate home gym lighting, it can be even more difficult to actually make use of the space 3-5 times a week.

Am I saying lighting can help you achieve your fitness goals? Not exactly, but I’m not saying that it can’t.

When deciding on the lights for your home gym, here are some things to consider:

1. Brightness

So you sweat it out for half an hour and then move on with your life. What’s the point of putting effort into comfortably lighting your home gym if you don’t spend a lot of time being comfortable in there anyway? Well, good lighting might actually help motivate you to spend longer, more quality time exercising. Nothing is quite as depressing as a home gym with a single ceiling light fixture and gloomy shadows cast on every surface. Studies show that cool, bright light naturally increases your energy levels, which means you could have an easier time putting in those 30 minutes on the elliptical.

LED Track Lighting Toning Up The Lighting In Your Home Gym Continue reading »

PinExt Toning Up The Lighting In Your Home Gym
Share|

Top 10 Lighting Pins of 2012

 Thoughts on Light  No Responses »
Dec 272012
 
PinExt Top 10 Lighting Pins of 2012

Pinterest Badge 150x150 Top 10 Lighting Pins of 2012
Here at Pegasus, we love using Pinterest to discover and share things we love.  But we also love using Pinterest to see the the sorts of things you find inspiring, intriguing, or just plain fabulous. We pinned, you repinned. So, without further ado, here are our top 10 most popular pins from 2012…

10. Breathtaking Bathroom

I believe I must have *longingly* pinned this on some tired, too early Monday morning, but I see now you all were yearning for some weekend serenity too. The lighting itself is pretty top-notch – I mean, accent lights in the bathroom? Shazam! But when you pair that with a huge bathtub and a shower that looks like THAT…well, enough said.

BedandBreakfast com Top 10 Lighting Pins of 2012

Image via BedandBreakfast.com

Continue reading »

PinExt Top 10 Lighting Pins of 2012
Share|
 Older Entries