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The 5 Rules of Outdoor Universal Lighting Design

Jun 172013

stock photo outdoor space vertical The 5 Rules of Outdoor Universal Lighting Design
Every space you inhabit should be safe and welcoming.

If you’re a designer, or if you live with a person who has special needs due to age, you’re probably familiar with universal design. It’s all about making a living space accessible to everyone. Universal lighting design specifically uses light to make these improvements and accommodations possible.

Most often, you hear about universal lighting design for task areas in kitchens and bathrooms, but it’s also a very important concept for the exteriors of homes and buildings.

When night falls, universally designed exterior lighting ensures a smooth transition between inside and out. It keeps porches, patios, steps, and walkways always inviting.

Use these rules to create an outdoor environment that is safer for everyone.

1. Create a visual destination.

Aging eyes need more light to distinguish detail. So, when an elderly person navigates in the dark, he needs the light to clearly indicate where he should go. All the lights should converge on, or point to a single destination, usually the front door or entrance. This spot is the brightest spot on the property.

bigstock Contemporary grand entrance 6548309 The 5 Rules of Outdoor Universal Lighting Design

2. Clearly define outdoor “zones.” Continue reading »

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The Difference Between LEDs and CFLs: Dimmability

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Apr 122013

PinExt The Difference Between LEDs and CFLs: Dimmability

LEDs and CFLs. To the untrained eye, they might just seem like comparable alternatives to the incandescent light bulb. But when you dive a little deeper, you’ll find that they’re very different. That’s just what we’re doing in this blog series – you can view the whole series here.

Dimming. In a world where customization is king and energy-saving is of ever-increasing importance, dimming lets you have both. Putting your lights on dimmers saves electricity, using 10% less power when you dim the lights just 10%. (And more if you dim them lower.) Dimmers also let you tailor the lighting scheme to whatever you’re doing.

But, are LEDs and CFLs any good at dimming? Turns out there’s a bit of a discrepancy… 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

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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How To Make Your Bathroom Lighting More Energy-Efficient

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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 »

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How To Have Great Lighting In A Rental

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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 »

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How To Make Your Bedroom Lighting More Energy-Efficient

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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

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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

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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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Your Guide to Perfect Valentine’s Lighting

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Feb 012013

PinExt Your Guide to Perfect Valentines Lighting

iStock 000018935400Medium 1024x682 Your Guide to Perfect Valentines Lighting
It’s February already, which means Valentine’s Day isn’t far away. If you’re planning something special for your special someone you should remember that nothing says “Love Me Tender” like some sultry mood lighting.

For an amorous evening in, it’s up to you to to create the perfect atmosphere for the night. And let me tell you, lighting will be essential. What else could completely transform a regular room into a romantic retreat in seconds? If you’re strapped for time, or lacking ideas for lighting this Valentine’s, we’ve got your back. We’ve put together a list of our best (and easiest) romantic lighting ideas to make sure your night goes right.

1. Dimmers

iStock 000017131515XSmall Your Guide to Perfect Valentines Lighting

If you only make one lighting change for Valentine’s Day, make it this: put your overhead lights on a dimmer. It’s a simple, affordable switch to make, but it will make all the difference when you’re turning your den, dining room, or boudoir into an enchanting paradise. And let’s face it – everyone looks better in softly dimmed ambient light, which can’t hurt on a day like February 14th. Plus, once you install the dimmer, you’ll be able to enjoy it all year round.

2. String Lights

christmas lights bedroom Your Guide to Perfect Valentines Lighting

Image via thesoho.blogspot.com

After you establish romantic ambient lighting it’s all about adding a little magic with accent lights. If you have some white string lights left over from the holidays, they can add a bit of sparkle to your evening. Try draping them behind sheer curtains or around the dinner table or bed’s headboard. They’ll have you and your sweetie starry-eyed in no time. Continue reading »

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Pegasus Lighting Roundup: Lighting in January

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Jan 282013

PinExt Pegasus Lighting Roundup: Lighting in January

incandescent 300x199 Pegasus Lighting Roundup: Lighting in January

Image via Cleveland.com

It’s a new year, and we’re back to keep you up-to-date on what’s happening in the lighting world. So far, 2013 has brought us tons of lighting innovations, brilliant tips on improving your life with light, and some just plain cool stuff…

In Lighting News…

Starting January 1, import and manufacture of the 75-watt incandescent light bulb were banned in the U.S. as part of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. The goal here is to move the country to a higher efficiency standard to save energy, money, and natural resources. To learn more about the act, how it affects consumers, and how to adapt, check out this article from Cleveland.com or our own recent blog post on the matter.

Philips has come out with a new way to try on clothing in retail shops called the AmbiScene Fitting Room System. The system’s LEDs let customers adjust the lighting in their dressing rooms. To see how your clothes look in different places, you can choose settings that mimic the seasons, different times of day, and even different locations like the office or a nightclub. The system is also perfect for retail displays. Check out this video to see how it works:

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