The Difference Between LEDs and CFLs: Mercury

 Thoughts on Light  No Responses »
Mar 182013
 
PinExt The Difference Between LEDs and CFLs: Mercury

Mercury The Difference Between LEDs and CFLs: Mercury

Image via PeriodicTable.com


This post is the second in a series on important differences between LEDs and CFLs, two of the most popular energy-saving light sources on the market today. You can read the first post about efficiency here.

Mercury is a toxic substance that can attack the brains and nervous systems of humans. CFLs (and all fluorescent lights) contain small amounts of mercury, LEDs do not. In the long run, this makes the LED a much safer, low maintenance light source.

Why do CFLs contain mercury? 

The mercury, when excited by an electric current, helps the CFL generate light. This small amount of mercury, barely enough to cover the tip of a ballpoint pen, poses no threat to your health as long as it remains contained within the light bulb’s glass envelope. You only need to worry about it if the light bulb should break.

To safely deal with your CFLs, take them to an EPA approved recycling center. You can learn more about the importance of recycling CFLs in this blog post: Don’t Toss That CFL In The Trash.

What to do if your CFL breaks…

If you wind up with a broken CFL in your home, follow these steps for safe cleanup and disposal: Continue reading »

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How To Make Your Office Lighting More Energy-Efficient

 Energy-Efficient Lighting  1 Response »
Mar 152013
 
PinExt How To Make Your Office Lighting More Energy Efficient

White Cove Lighting in a Conference Room 200x300 How To Make Your Office Lighting More Energy Efficient
This article is part of a series here on the blog about how to save the most energy with lighting in your home or business. Browse the entire series here.

Lighting accounts for at least 28% of the energy used in the average office building. That translates to a pretty hefty chunk of the monthly budget. But, by making big and small energy-efficient updates, you can spend less and enjoy a more comfortable office environment.

Big Changes…

If you still use incandescent or outdated fluorescent overhead lights, it’s time for an upgrade.

LEDs use about 80% less energy to generate the same amount of light as incandescent light bulbs. They also last about 25 times longer. So, if you use incandescent light bulbs in your recessed cans, you should replace them with LED lamps or retrofits. LEDs excel at downlighting, because they’re naturally a directional light source. Today’s models have light output and color quality very similar to incandescent lights, so you might not notice the change until you look at your energy bill.

If you have older fluorescent lighting in your office (like T12s), you’re also not saving as much energy as you could. T12 technology is over 70 years old, and incidentally was taken out of production last year. If you exchange your T12s for T8s, you’ll use 45% less energy. Not to mention, the color temperature and light quality of fluorescent lights have improved dramatically over the past few decades, so new lights could be a huge morale boost for all the office workers.

iStock 000005663021Medium 1024x670 How To Make Your Office Lighting More Energy Efficient

Smaller Changes…

Office lighting isn’t just about what’s on the ceiling. To make sure you’re saving the most energy possible, you also need to take a critical look at the smaller light fixtures in the office. Continue reading »

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The Difference Between LEDs and CFLs: Efficiency

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Mar 112013
 
PinExt The Difference Between LEDs and CFLs: Efficiency

LED Better 300x199 The Difference Between LEDs and CFLs: Efficiency
This is the first post in a brand new series about the key differences between compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), the light source of the present, and light emitting diodes (LEDs), the light source of the future. We’ll touch on things like structure, function, and quality, so you can keep up with all the innovations currently happening in the lighting world…

One of the most obvious differences between LED light bulbs and CFLs is energy-efficiency. Yes, we consider both sources to be energy-saving, and both fall well within new government efficiency standards, but it’s a simple fact that LEDs use less power to generate more light.

We measure the efficiency of a light source (sometimes called efficacy) in lumens per watt (lm/W). If you’re unfamiliar with this measurement, we’re just talking about the amount of light produced by one unit of electrical power – similar to miles per gallon for a car.

In general, a good LED on the market today can produce 60-100+ lm/W, which is about twice as many as a CFL, which only produces about 30-50 lm/W. Continue reading »

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Product Spotlight: Fluorescent Light Bulbs On Sale!

 Product Spotlight  No Responses »
Feb 282013
 
PinExt Product Spotlight: Fluorescent Light Bulbs On Sale!

For this week’s product spotlight, we’re featuring several fluorescent light bulbs currently on sale here at Pegasus Lighting. We’ve decided to start our spring cleaning early, which means you’ll be cleaning up nice with slashed prices on some of our favorite lighting products.

Fluorescent light bulbs are one of the most popular, energy-efficient light sources around, so you’ll most certainly be able to put them to good use in a ton of different ways.

Household CFLs

The 19W Screw-In CFL: $2.90 $1.90 (You Save 34%)

19w CFL Product Spotlight: Fluorescent Light Bulbs On Sale!

This handy light bulb generates enough lumens to replace a 75W incandescent light bulb, using only a fraction of the power. With its warm color-temperature and good CRI, you can use it almost anywhere – from desk lamps to ambient lighting. Continue reading »

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How To Make Your Garage Lighting More Energy-Efficient

 Energy-Efficient Lighting  No Responses »
Feb 262013
 
PinExt How To Make Your Garage Lighting More Energy Efficient

This is the fourth post in a series on saving energy with your lights. We’re tackling every space in your home and business to make sure you’re saving the most power possible. Click here to browse through all the posts. 

For many of us,  the garage is one of the most utilitarian rooms in the house, so there shouldn’t be any excuse for having lights that consume unnecessary energy. Whether you use your garage as a full-on workshop, or just as a place to stash your holiday decorations, you might be surprised at how much you can save with just a few simple lighting upgrades.

iStock 000019156158Small How To Make Your Garage Lighting More Energy Efficient

Let’s start by dividing the garage into different regions with unique functions: the storage area, the task area, and the entrances and exits.  Continue reading »

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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 »

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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 »

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How To Make Your Kitchen Lighting More Energy-Efficient

 Energy-Efficient Lighting  No Responses »
Feb 152013
 
PinExt How To Make Your Kitchen Lighting More Energy Efficient

It’s 2013, and if you’re still spending a ton on your energy bill, you should know that it doesn’t have to be that way. Right now, about 20% of the energy we consume goes to lighting. But, with a few energy-efficient changes, we can see that number (and the numbers on our monthly bills) dwindle. This post is the first in a series on how to make the lighting in your home or business more energy-efficient. 

Everyone’s got to eat, and for many of us, the kitchen is the very heart of the home. The kitchen also requires excellent lighting for cooking and cleaning up. So, I figure it will be a good place to start an energy-efficient lighting makeover.

LED Under Cabinet Lights Kitchen How To Make Your Kitchen Lighting More Energy Efficient

There are many different ways to upgrade the lights in your kitchen, some are quick and easy, and others are more extensive.

Easy Upgrades

  • Eliminate the incandescents. Nothing sucks energy quite like and incandescent light bulb. It wastes about 90% of the energy it uses, giving it off as heat (incidentally making your kitchen feel more like a sweat lodge than it should). If you replace every light bulb with a CFL (compact fluorescent), whether it’s a household lamp, a reflector lamp, or even a chandelier light bulb, you’ll start seeing energy savings right away!
  • Add a dimmer.  Putting your overhead lights, pendant lights, and even your under cabinet lights on dimmers will help you save even more energy. A light bulb doesn’t need to use as much energy when dimmed to a lower level. Also, dimming will increase the life of your light bulb, which means you won’t have to pay for (or use up) so many. Just make sure that if you’re using your dimmers on CFLs, the dimmer and the light bulb are compatible. Continue reading »
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Infographic: A Guide To The Form, Function, and Care of the CFL

 Light Bulbs  No Responses »
Feb 082013
 
PinExt Infographic: A Guide To The Form, Function, and Care of the CFL

These days, the CFL (compact fluorescent light bulb) is a pretty standard fixture in most homes and businesses. It’s an affordable, energy-saving alternative to older, less efficient incandescent light bulbs. But, whether you’ve been using them for a long time, or just invested in your first CFL today, there are certain things about the form, function, and proper use of the CFL you need to know. The following infographic spells it out in bold simplicity:

CFL GUIDE Revised 2 Infographic: A Guide To The Form, Function, and Care of the CFL

Continue reading »

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5 Ways Light Can Help With Your New Year’s Resolutions

 Lighting Tips  No Responses »
Jan 022013
 
PinExt 5 Ways Light Can Help With Your New Years Resolutions

Fireworks 300x203 5 Ways Light Can Help With Your New Years Resolutions
Is it 2013 already? It’s hard to believe – it feels like just yesterday was January ’12 and we all were resolving to make our lives healthier, smarter, and easier. But, if last year’s resolutions didn’t work out as planned, and you’re feeling cynical about making any positive changes for 2013, maybe you just need to lighten up (literally).

Lighting is such an integral part of our everyday lives, affecting the way we see and navigate through the entire world, why couldn’t it help you achieve your New Year’s Resolution?

Below are 5 of the most popular New Year’s Resolutions, and lighting just might be the key to help you stay on track with each of them…

1. Save Money.

Dreading monthly bills, clipping coupons, and cutting back on every non-essential can get overwhelming. No wonder we feel like giving up mid-February. An easy way to passively save money each month is to switch out your old incandescent lights for energy-saving LED and fluorescent lights.

Did you know, roughly 20% of the world’s electricity consumption goes to lighting? If you swap all the light bulbs in your home for more efficient varieties, you’ll save an average of $400 a year! You can save even more money by installing motion sensors, timers, photocell, and other controls on your indoor and outdoor lights, to only use them when you need them. The best part: once installed, you hardly have to think about them at all.  Continue reading »

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