Brighten His Day (Father’s Day Wish List For 2013)

 Buyer's Guides  No Responses »
May 222013
 
PinExt Brighten His Day (Fathers Day Wish List For 2013)

Fathers Day Brighten His Day (Fathers Day Wish List For 2013)
Father’s Day falls on 2013 this year. So, it’s about time I share my Father’s Day gift picks!

I’ve put together a list of some of our coolest, handiest lights that will literally brighten Dad’s day (in an unexpected way).

We have a big selection, so I’ve broken down the list into categories based on some of the things Dads like to do:

For the Dad who can grill a mean steak…

You can’t go wrong with a barbecue light. It’ll make it easy for Dad to grill, even after the sun sets! Here are some options:

1. The Clamp-On MR16 Halogen Barbecue Light

Halogen Barbecue Brighten His Day (Fathers Day Wish List For 2013) Continue reading »

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How To Use Step Lights In Indoor Spaces

 Lighting Tips  No Responses »
May 132013
 
PinExt How To Use Step Lights In Indoor Spaces

step lights 300x199 How To Use Step Lights In Indoor Spaces
For a little more impact in a home’s foyer, or a little more safety in a dark basement, step lighting can help.

This blog post will help you learn how to light an indoor staircase, what lights you should choose for your project and how to install them.

Let’s get started!

First, decide where you want your lights to go…

On the step.

For a subtle accent on each step, you can install recessed lights within the riser (vertical) or the tread (horizontal) portion of the step. Your stairs will get a little more impact, but the lights won’t alter the overall brightness of the room very much. Tread lighting will give steps a runway-like appeal, while riser lighting will typically illuminate the center region of the stairs. If you choose to install your lights here, you’ll need to cut portions of the steps to set and hardwire the lights. We recommend you consult with a professional electrician before setting off to work.

Beside the step.

Another popular step lighting option that adds a little more brightness to the room’s overall light level is wall lighting. Here, you would install your step lights on the wall right next to your staircase, so the lights would cast beams directly down onto the step. Since you don’t have to worry about mounting these lights on the surface of the step, you have a little more artistic freedom – the lights don’t have to be flush with the wall, and they can be a little flashier if you choose. We recommend installing 1 light every 3 steps or so, but you can play with this number depending on how bright you want your staircase to be. Continue reading »

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Prepare Your Emergency Plans! Check Those Exit Sign Batteries

 Lighting Tips  No Responses »
May 102013
 
PinExt Prepare Your Emergency Plans! Check Those Exit Sign Batteries

Edge LitLEDEXITSign1 Prepare Your Emergency Plans! Check Those Exit Sign Batteries

My lights have already gone out once this spring, thanks to a lovely, unexpected North Carolina thunderstorm. Lucky for me, I live in an apartment with small rooms and large windows. During the day, electric lights don’t make that much of a difference.

However, if you’re charged managing a large shopping mall, school, theater, or office, your power outage protocol isn’t nearly as simple.

When the lights go out, it’s up to you to ensure the people’s safety.

Are you prepared?

Most importantly, you’ve got to maintain functional exit signs, because they might be the only thing during an outage that stands between order and panic. When the power goes out, your lighted exit signs will too, unless they have functional backup batteries.

We suggest you make it a goal to inspect the exit sign batteries around your establishment at least once every three months. Most exit signs have convenient “push to test buttons” that let you do this in a matter of seconds.

What if the battery isn’t working? Continue reading »

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Bike Lights For Night Riding

 Product Spotlight  No Responses »
Apr 112013
 
PinExt Bike Lights For Night Riding

Bike Lights Oval 300x300 Bike Lights For Night Riding
My town is about as bike friendly as you can get. Most roads have designated bike lanes, or friendly “Share The Road” signs. All in all, bikers and motorists get along well here, but we’re not immune to accidents. Last week, I was driving in the evening and I saw a car accidentally force a cyclist off the road near a stoplight. He wasn’t hurt, but I could tell he was shaken. As an enthusiastic cyclist myself, that worried me. Did the car just not see him?

Whether you’re hopping on your bike to enjoy the spring weather, or to be a little more environmentally friendly, safety should be a priority.

The most important thing to consider when riding at night is how to see and be seen.

Here are a few of our favorite LED bike lights for night riding:

1. Clip On Bike Lights  

Clip On Light 300x300 Bike Lights For Night Riding

These LED lights attach easily to the front and rear of your bike. The white light clips to the front break cables to help you see where you’re going, and signal to others that you’re heading their way. The red light clips to your seat rails, brightly marking your bike’s rear. They both operate in steady beam and continuous flash modes, visible from up to a mile away. They’re weather resistant and have a long battery life. 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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Product Spotlight: The FreeLite Photoluminescent Exit Sign

 Product Spotlight  No Responses »
Mar 142013
 
PinExt Product Spotlight: The FreeLite Photoluminescent Exit Sign

Photoluminescent Exit Sign 300x208 Product Spotlight: The FreeLite Photoluminescent Exit Sign
I’m very excited to share one of our most innovative products here at Pegasus Lighting – the FreeLite Photoluminescent Exit Sign.

This special exit sign uses absolutely no electricity and generates light that can be seen up to 100 feet away!

How is that possible? Well, the sign’s innovative photoluminescent technology absorbs the ambient light around it and stores it to use when the lights go dark. It does this completely on its own; it doesn’t require any extra maintenance or upkeep. No attention at all, really.

You may have experience with other self-illuminating signs, but unlike those our photoluminescent sign isn’t radioactive (it contains no tritium). You don’t have to test it periodically, and it’s completely recyclable, so you don’t have to worry about extra disposal costs. Continue reading »

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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 »

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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 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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Product Spotlight: Occupancy/Vacancy Sensors

 Product Spotlight  No Responses »
Feb 072013
 
PinExt Product Spotlight: Occupancy/Vacancy Sensors

It’s week 2 of our new Product Spotlight series. Every Thursday right here on the blog, we’re going to feature a new, popular, or just plain nifty light fixture. We’ll help you learn things like how it works, how to install it, and the benefits of using it. So, without further ado…

Occupancy Sensors1 Product Spotlight: Occupancy/Vacancy Sensors

Sure, this occupancy sensor’s nondescript form might not look like much, but once you install it in your home or business, it’s sure to occupy an essential spot in your daily routine.

Whether you need a more convenient way to turn on the lights while carting baskets of clothes into your laundry room, or a simple way to save energy in the hallways of your hotel, occupancy/vacancy sensors can help you out.

How They Work

Each of our occupancy/vacancy sensors comes equipped with a passive infrared (PIR) sensor, which detects body heat to turn lights on and keep them on until you’re no longer around.

This sensor can control incandescent, halogen, xenon, and fluorescent lights, and offers a variety of different settings… Continue reading »

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