The Future of Lighting Is Closer Than You Think

 Lighting News  1 Response »
Jan 182012
 
PinExt The Future of Lighting Is Closer Than You Think

Future The Future of Lighting Is Closer Than You ThinkImagine your lighting wall switch becoming obsolete.

Imagine controlling every single feature of your lighting from your Smartphone: dimming an individual light or a set of lights, turning them on/off, setting up a timer, and even tracking energy usage in real-time.

In Japan, that’s becoming a reality. Tokyo-based lighting tech startup Net LED Technology Corp has developed the first cloud-based LED lighting system.

It will go on sale in Japan February 20. The lights are 40W LED tubes with a 40,000 hour lifespan, and they come with built-in Wi-Fi. It’s possible to control the lights from a smartphone, tablet, or computer.

For more information, see the feature in TechCrunch or view Net LED Technology Corp’s English site.

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5 Lighting Renovations That Will Help Sell Your Home

 Lighting Tips  No Responses »
Jan 122012
 
PinExt 5 Lighting Renovations That Will Help Sell Your Home

home buying 5 Lighting Renovations That Will Help Sell Your HomeIf you’re in the market to sell, you probably feel like you could use all the help you can get. You’ve heard realtors talk about remodeling projects to make your home stand out, but which are worth it?

If you’re asking yourself that question, your most helpful tool will be Remodeling Magazine’s Cost versus Value report. Published once a year, it’s an analysis of  remodeling projects with the highest (and lowest) value. You can select your region (New England, Middle Atlantic, etc.) and view the average cost of particular projects as well as the estimated resale value.

Obviously, those numbers are incredibly difficult to pin down, but Remodeling Magazine does their research, using figures from the National Association of Realtors, several market research companies, and thousands of web-based surveys.

If you decide to remodel a particular room after using the report, use these additional tips to amp up the lighting – and make your home more attractive to buyers: Continue reading »

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New Home Project: Remodel Recessed Lights

 Lighting Projects  1 Response »
Jan 052012
 
PinExt New Home Project: Remodel Recessed Lights

electrical project New Home Project: Remodel Recessed LightsWelcome to this fifth blog post of my New Home Project series. This series of posts reviews the lighting projects that I have undertaken in my new home since moving in to it in September 2009. To be honest, most of these projects have been completed some time ago. It was my goal to write a post after each project, but time just gets away from you sometimes. I cannot believe that it has been over 2 years since moving into my home.

This project involved adding seven 4-inch recessed cans throughout the first floor of my house.

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Losing Sleep? (Some) Indoor Lighting May Be To Blame

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Dec 052011
 
PinExt Losing Sleep? (Some) Indoor Lighting May Be To Blame

insomnia Losing Sleep? (Some) Indoor Lighting May Be To BlameArtificial indoor lighting has been around for quite some time, but it seems that our biological clocks haven’t quite caught up yet. A new study at the Surrey Sleep Research Centre revealed tactics for minimizing the sleep deprivation caused by exposure to artificial indoor light in evening hours.

You didn’t read that incorrectly: Multiple studies have shown keeping the lights on after the sun goes down has a significant effect on sleep patterns. The hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle is called melatonin, and it is suppressed when we are exposed to artificial indoor light before bedtime.

The study at the University of Surrey attempted to determine if a particular type of lighting might allow melatonin to work naturally. It seems that a blue-sensitive photoreceptor targets the biological clock, so lighting on the yellow end of the color spectrum (with minimal blue content) minimizes the effect on biological rhythms. In addition, dimming the lights helps to increase melatonin production.

If you want to take this research to heart, invest in a dimmer or two to lower the light levels a couple of hours before you head for bed. As far as the blue-sensitive photoreceptor, look for lighting with a color temperature around 2800-3200K  for a “warm” look that won’t interfere with your zzz’s.

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Real Lighting Projects: Residential Community in Nassau, Bahamas

 Customer Profiles  No Responses »
Nov 302011
 
PinExt Real Lighting Projects: Residential Community in Nassau, Bahamas

Caves Heights development Real Lighting Projects: Residential Community in Nassau, Bahamas

Doesn’t this look like a lovely place to vacation – or live? Caves Heights is a private ocean and beach view community in Nassau, Bahamas. Every one of its condominium residences features an expansive balcony with gorgeous ocean views. The living room and master bedroom open up to that balcony to take advantage of the vista.

Besides gracing the blog with dreamy photos, I wanted to write about Caves Heights because they are one of our wonderful customers!*

When Caves Heights began furnishing their interiors with custom built cabinetry, granite countertops, designer bathtubs, and marble vanities, they decided to order recessed lighting and Lutron Skylark dimmers from us.

In the photo below,

Bedroom 5 RC2 Real Lighting Projects: Residential Community in Nassau, Bahamasyou can see our 3-inch low voltage recessed lighting trims with stepped baffles on the ceiling. Continue reading »

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Challenge: See the World in A Greener Light

 Thoughts on Light  No Responses »
Nov 222011
 
PinExt Challenge: See the World in A Greener Light

ccfl main 300x198 Challenge: See the World in A Greener LightHave you ever purchased a CFL? Recycled an aluminum can? Turned off the water while you brush your teeth?

We’re all familiar with basic sustainability guidelines, but when it comes to just how much of a difference one person can make, things get murky.

We’d like to start a dialogue about seeing the world in a greener light. We want to hear your ideas – even if they’re not related to lighting at all. Do you set your thermostat a few degrees lower in the winter? Are you a designer that recommends eco-friendly products to clients? Tweet your answers and ideas to #agreenerlight. Here’s one of ours:

We launched a new section of our website dedicated to the A Greener Light cause. If you’re not on Twitter, you can leave a comment there!

Here’s our #agreenerlight thought for the day:

In the lighting industry, adoption of fluorescent and LED technologies is rapidly growing in the United States. That’s good news, considering that the U.S. is responsible for 20% of electricity used for lighting in the world – even though we only make up about 4.5% of the global population. Fluorescent and LED light sources are both great solutions for lowering energy consumption and CO2 emissions.

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Why Movie Theaters & Restaurants Should Choose CCFLs for Lighting

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Jun 102011
 
PinExt Why Movie Theaters & Restaurants Should Choose CCFLs for Lighting

movie theater lighting Why Movie Theaters & Restaurants Should Choose CCFLs for LightingEarlier this week, I wrote a couple of posts describing the features of cold cathode fluorescent light bulbs.  CCFLs are not new to the lighting world, but their technology has improved significantly over the past few years, and they are an excellent option for energy-efficient lighting.  We have been adding over 20 different models of CCFLs to pegasuslighting.com, so this week has been a “CCFL debut” on the blog.

To read about the basic technology that differentiates CCFLs from standard CFLs and other light bulbs, catch up with this post.

In short, CCFLs are extremely durable in design, which gives them very unique dimming capabilities.  Fluorescent lighting typically does not perform well with dimming.  However, CCFLs can be dimmed down to 5% of their light output without diminishing lifetime. Continue reading »

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CCFL vs. CFL: What’s the Difference?

 Buyer's Guides  8 Responses »
Jun 062011
 
PinExt CCFL vs. CFL: Whats the Difference?

comparing bulbs CCFL vs. CFL: Whats the Difference?“CFL” is a household name at this point.  Developed in 1985, the compact fluorescent light bulb is now a 25-year-old product present in 70 percent of homes in the United States.  Just last year, more than 273 million CFLs were sold in the U.S.

Cold cathode fluorescent light bulbs are a little less familiar, at least to the general public.  Here’s a quick overview of the core differences.

Technological Differences:

All fluorescent light bulbs have two cathodes (one at each end).  In a standard CFL, the cathodes are made of coiled tungsten filaments that are heated to approximately 900 degrees Fahrenheit each time the light bulb is turned on.  That heat releases electrons.  The electrons shoot back and forth between the cathodes and react with the mercury to create ultraviolet radiation, which in turn reacts with the phosphor coating on the inside of the glass envelope to create light.  Standard CFLs are hot cathode light bulbs.

In a cold cathode fluorescent light bulb, the cathodes are made of a solid metal thimble, which is more durable than the thin coils in standard CFLs.  The cathodes only heat up to about 200 degrees Fahrenheit (certainly not “cold”, but relatively cooler than the hot cathode filament, hence the name).  The voltage potential within the tube excites the mercury to cause current flow. Continue reading »

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Lighting Retrofits Are More Affordable Than You Think

 Lighting Tips  3 Responses »
May 182011
 
PinExt Lighting Retrofits Are More Affordable Than You Think

lighting retrofits Lighting Retrofits Are More Affordable Than You ThinkDo you know about all of the tax deductions and utility rebates available for businesses undergoing lighting retrofits?

“Retrofit” is not a new concept in the world of energy-efficient lighting but it sure seems to be the hottest buzz word in energy efficiency, and for good reason.  Businesses across the world are revamping their lighting systems and saving millions of dollars as a result.  Just in the restaurant industry; McDonald’s, Burger King, Red Robin, IHOP, Chili’s, Starbucks, and Applebee’s have all initiated or completed LED retrofit projects.

The opportunity to improve efficiency, reduce energy consumption, save on power bills, and cut replacement & maintenance costs is up for grabs for anyone that can afford to front the initial investment.

However, that initial investment is not such a staggering figure, thanks to government incentives.  Read on for an overview of some of the available options. Continue reading »

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Thank You Lutron – A Great Customer Service Experience

 Lighting Projects  No Responses »
Mar 252011
 
PinExt Thank You Lutron A Great Customer Service Experience

Excellent Customer Service XSmall Thank You Lutron A Great Customer Service ExperienceWhen I moved into my new home in September 2009 I undertook a number of lighting projects.  The dimmers are probably my favorite addition.  In fact, I wrote a blog post about my dimmer project in my New Home Project series of posts.

One of the coolest Maestro dimmers, in my humble opinion, is a combination light and fan dimmer for ceiling fans.  Lutron calls it a Dual Digital Fade Dimmer / Fan Control and according to the Lutron website…

At the touch of a button, dimmer can go immediately to a favorite preset light level, fade-to-off, or adjust manually. Dual controls also consolidate light switches and save space. For fan controls, users can similarly cycle between favorite speeds or adjust manually.

I have nine of these light/fan dimmers in my house to go with my nine ceiling fans (oh yea, we love ceiling fans too – perfect for those NC summers).  Unfortunately, the one in my home office started to have problems last week.  It was really strange.  When I tried to turn on the light the light on the ceiling fan would flash.  It was like my home office was a disco dance floor…not the greatest thing to see bright and early in the morning.  It is kind of fun with the kids later on in the day, but definitely not what I want to see before my first cup of coffee. Continue reading »

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