fluorescent lighting | Pegasus Lighting Blog

LED T8 Replacement Lamps: Are They Worth It?

Dec 172012

Fluorescent Lamp T8 LED T8 Replacement Lamps: Are They Worth It?
Looking back at 2012, LED lights have made huge leaps. They’ve leaped from small-scale applications to adorn the tops of our most iconic skyscrapers. They’ve hopped into the light sockets of our homes and buildings, and LED lighting control apps have sprung up on our smartphones. Even the prices of LEDs have started “jumping” down.

But, not every LED application is perfect, or even advisable. Many of us still have questions.

For instance – what’s the deal with LED replacements for T8 lamps?

That’s a topic even we haven’t heard much about, so we leaped at the chance to ask Dr. Jack Curran of LED Transformations about it, after a few of us attended a webinar he hosted about LEDs:

Q: Have you found any LED T8 lamps that are good replacements for fluorescent T8 lamps? If not, do you see them ever becoming a viable substitute for the fluorescent version?

A: According to Dr. Curran, the quality of LED T8 replacements isn’t the problem. There are good quality lamps out there, and there’s also junk (like just about every other light and light fixture around). The issue of LED T8s is more complicated. Dr. Curran explained it in 3 parts: Continue reading »

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18 Pictures Of Vintage Christmas Lights

Thoughts on Light No Responses »

Dec 142012

PinExt 18 Pictures Of Vintage Christmas Lights

GE Lights Advert Old Christmas Lights 235x300 18 Pictures Of Vintage Christmas Lights

Image via OldChristmasTreeLights.com

The holiday season is always a nostalgic time. Here at Pegasus Lighting, we sometimes like to get nostalgic about what we love – light!

Let’s take a magical journey back in time, to revisit some of the quirkiest, silliest, loveliest, and least-functional lights of years past. (If you think today’s cheap-o incandescent string lights are frustrating, just you wait…)

Back in the day (and by “the day” I mean a day in 1903) General Electric first offered pre-wired lighting outfits, making it possible to have a fancy, lighted Christmas tree at home. These first lights were very expensive, and department stores would rent them out to patrons for the holidays.

1905

Here’s one of those early sets. The color on the glass envelopes comes from water soluble paint. They may have looked cheerful, but they burned at shockingly high temperatures that could cause serious injury. Earliest Edison Set 18 Pictures Of Vintage Christmas Lights

1918

These Ever Ready string lights from Japan are one of the first to use miniature-base flame lamps - voluptuous compared to the glass envelopes of later lights. The capricious carbon filaments of these lights made lumen outputs difficult to control.

Continue reading »

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An Enticing New Alternative To Fluorescents, CFLs, and LEDs

Lighting News No Responses »

Dec 072012

PinExt An Enticing New Alternative To Fluorescents, CFLs, and LEDs

No light source is perfect. With every different light source come consumers and critics who dislike it. We complain incandescent lights don’t last long enough. They use too much energy, give off too much heat, and then that heat jacks up our A/C bills.

Fluorescents and CFLs last longer, but some people are bothered by the small amount of UV rays they emit. Sometimes they might flicker or take a while to reach full brightness. If they break, they release harmful mercury into the environment.

Even the LED, the lighting industry’s golden boy, isn’t perfect. It lacks the incandescent’s beautiful, soothing light quality. LEDs are still expensive, and it can be hard as heck to make them with dimming capabilities.

Clearly, we still have work to do. But now, there’s a new light source that might just give these other guys a run for their money.

It’s called FIPEL. Doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, does it? Well, whatever the name, this new light source could be the answer to the comfortable, efficient light we crave.

An Enticing New Alternative To Fluorescents, CFLs, and LEDs

Image via Ken Bennett, Wake Forest University Photographer

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CFLs and UV Rays: Is There Really A Problem?

Light Bulbs No Responses »

Sep 202012

PinExt CFLs and UV Rays: Is There Really A Problem?

CFL CFLs and UV Rays: Is There Really A Problem?
In August’s Lighting Roundup, we mentioned a study on the UV rays emitted from CFLs (compact fluorescent light bulbs) possibly causing skin damage. But, with this popular spiral-shaped energy-saving light bulb now in over 70% of U.S. homes, we think it’s important to investigate further into this issue.

According to this article from Lighting.com, NEMA (The National Electrical Manufacturers Association) has clarified the confusion surrounding CFLs and possibly dangerous UV radiation.

Like all fluorescent lights, CFLs do give off trace amounts of UV and infrared radiation, but those levels are well within the acceptable range predetermined by the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA).

Unless the person exposed to UV rays has a predetermined sensitivity to them, or if that person uses a CFL at an unnaturally close distance (less than 1 foot), there shouldn’t be a problem.

Plus, the plastic, glass, and fabrics of many household light fixtures also serve to reduce the already low levels of UV radiation. Some CFLs even have covers that reduce emissions even further than standard exposed-spiral lamps alone.

So, unless your CFL is severely malfunctioning (which is rare indeed) you needn’t worry.

For more information about how to properly care for and use CFLs, check out this blog post, or visit the US Food and Drug Administration’s website.

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How To Cope When Your Favorite Light Bulb Gets The Shaft: Fluorescent Light Bulbs

Light Bulbs No Responses »

Sep 072012

PinExt How To Cope When Your Favorite Light Bulb Gets The Shaft: Fluorescent Light Bulbs

This is the third installment of a three-part series on replacing EISA phased-out light bulbs – what’s leaving and why. You can read the first post on household A lamps here, and the second on reflector lamps here.

Discontinued Fluorescents

T12 fluorescent light bulbs have been around since the ’30s, and in light bulb years, that’s just too plain old. Technology’s potential for efficiency, for saving you time and money, has moved light-years since then. That’s why the T12 phase-out began in July this year. This phase-out affected nearly all T12s, with the exception of the cold temperature lamps and a few others. Most T12s now have gone the way of typewriters and VCRs, cassette tapes and rotary phones – delightful relics, but come on people, we’re better than this.

We’ve also listed one T8 lamp with the group. While T8s are much newer, and most are much more efficient than T12s, the lamps listed are the oldest and most basic of their kind. They have the least lumens and the shortest lives of all the T8s, so while they’re cheap, they’re simply not a good value.

Here’s how to update:

Lamp	Date Discontinued	Good Replacements	Great Replacements
Slimline F96T12 60W	July 14, 2012	800 Series Slimline F96T8 59W	Coming Soon
High Output F96T12	July 14, 2012	800 Series High Output F96T8 86W	Coming Soon
Rapid Start F34T12	July 14, 2012	800 Series T8 32W	800 Series Energy Saving T8 25W and 28W
U-Bend FB34T12	July 14, 2012	800 Series U-Bend T8	800 Series Energy Savings U-Bend T8 25W
700 Series T8 32W	2014	800 Series T8 32W	800 Series Energy Saving T8 25W and 28W

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Pegasus Lighting Roundup: Moving Forward

Pegasus Lighting Roundup No Responses »

Jul 162012

PinExt Pegasus Lighting Roundup: Moving Forward

iStock 000011990336XSmall 300x199 Pegasus Lighting Roundup: Moving Forward
In lighting news…

As of July 1 this year, T12 fluorescent bulbs have begun to disappear, no longer being manufactured or imported into the US. This phase-out has been a long time coming, as T12s have been around for over 70 years now. By switching to newer technology like T5s or T8s, building owners will save nearly 50% of the energy they normally use each year! These new lamps are smaller in diameter, but can still provide the same light output as a T12. For those building owners who still have T12 fixtures, it will become increasingly difficult to find replacement parts. Check out this article from LampRecycling.com on strategizing for the phase-out.

Meanwhile, everyone is going nutso for LEDs. But with the impressive energy-saving stats and new innovations, we don’t blame them. According to IMS Research, the widespread implementation of retrofit LED lights will save us $100 billion globally over the next 5 years. To learn more, read this article from ECMWeb.com.

In June, at the Rio+20 U.N. development conference in Brazil, the Clean Revolution campaign began a trial in 12 major cities across the globe, testing the benefits and drawbacks of LED street lights. Each city has reduced energy use up to 85%! Continue reading »

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New Home Project: Annie’s Desk Light Decision

Lighting Projects No Responses »

Jul 102012

PinExt New Home Project: Annies Desk Light Decision

As the newest employee at Pegasus Lighting, I figured it was high time for me to post about one of my own personal lighting projects! I recently moved into a new apartment, and got this gorgeous wooden desk for my home office:

100 0018 768x1024 New Home Project: Annies Desk Light Decision

I love it for all the storage, especially the nooks and shelving up top, but unfortunately they cast most of my workspace in shadow. NOT acceptable, especially for a devoted employee of Pegasus Lighting!

So, I weighed my options. I love the utility of standard base and clamp-on desk lamps to position and focus light, but I was dealing with so much shadow that I needed something more large-scale. Using an under cabinet light for widespread overhead lighting was the perfect choice for me. Continue reading »

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Hope is Here for the Rare Earth Elements Crisis

Lighting News No Responses »

Jun 142012

PinExt Hope is Here for the Rare Earth Elements Crisis

Active Mining Operatons Shot Molycorp 300x192 Hope is Here for the Rare Earth Elements Crisis

Molycorp's Mountain Pass Mine, Producing Rare Earth Materials in California. Photo Courtesy of Molycorp.com.

If you’ve read any of our previous posts on the rare earth elements situation, you know that China’s stranglehold on the market has caused the prices of fluorescent light bulbs to increase dramatically.

Today, China controls more than 95% of rare earth elements—some of which are crucial in the making of fluorescent light bulbs. China’s production cap on the mining of rare earth elements is meant to crack down on illegal manufacturing, but by doing so it’s also limiting the output of the green tech industry, among others. See: Why are CFLs Becoming More Expensive? and Will the Future of Fluorescent Lighting be Shaky?

But now there’s light (no pun intended) at the end of the tunnel. According to this article on Forbes.com, an end to China’s monopoly might finally happen. It seems China’s latest increased export restrictions have caused the U.S., E.U., and Japan to spring into action.

As I write, 35 new rare earth projects are taking shape beyond Chinese borders, including mines in California and Canada. The possibilities are exciting—up to 20% of rare earth materials may be produced outside of China in less than 10 years. Additionally, domestic production of these elements has the potential to increase product innovation in the U.S., reinvigorate our manufacturing industry, and lower prices for consumers.

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The Colorful History of Fluorescent Lights

Thoughts on Light No Responses »

Jun 112012

PinExt The Colorful History of Fluorescent Lights

Fluorescent Light Bulb 226x300 The Colorful History of Fluorescent Lights When you think of fluorescent light, what first comes to mind? Some might think of hideous, headache-provoking office lights. Others might conjure up images of neon signs à la Vegas. For Galileo in 1612, upon witnessing fluorescence in nature, it was motherhood. He wrote:

“It must be explained how it happens that the light is conceived into the stone, and is given back after some time, as in childbirth.”

Whatever impressions you might have about fluorescent lighting, we think it’s time to set the record straight. Fluorescents have had a colorful, quirky, and sometimes uncomfortable past, but they certainly have a bright future.

Conception: 1850s

Heinrich Geissler, a German glassblower and physicist, created his famous Geissler Tubes during this time. Geissler filled the tubes with different gases to be excited by metal electrodes at each end. They came in many intricate shapes and bright colors and were used as art for their very brief lives. Today they are considered the early ancestors of both fluorescent and neon lights. Continue reading »

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Featured Lighting Project from Fort Mill, SC

Lighting Projects No Responses »

Jun 082012

PinExt Featured Lighting Project from Fort Mill, SC

An email from a customer on Wednesday made our week: “I’m really late in sending you a picture of my kitchen that Pegasus helped create. Every time I turn on the under cabinet lights, I still get that great feeling from the first time. ” And what a beautiful kitchen it is:

CustomerPhoto Under Cabinet Lighting Featured Lighting Project from Fort Mill, SC

Lea used our Fluorescent T5 Thin-Inch Light Fixtures in her kitchen remodel. We were just as thrilled with the email she sent us in the midst of the remodel: Continue reading »

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