We combined two weeks of information into the Roundup this time so it’s a bit longer, but don’t miss it! We have found tons of great articles and sites the past couple of weeks we want to share with you.
In lighting news…
The television industry will soon experience “an acute undersupply” of LEDs. Don’t expect a rapid decline in retail prices for LED-backlit LCD TVs anytime in the near future.
This post argues that hospital lighting changes must be included in health care reform legislation. Consider this: every hospital that switches to LED lighting would save half a million dollars a year, with zero up front costs.
The Girl Scouts are pledging to replace 63,000 incandescent light bulbs with CFLs across the country. Collectively, this will result in $300,000 of energy savings. It’s not as impossible as it sounds: the challenge calls for each member to replace at least one bulb in their own home. With a 63,000 member organization, they are likely to make a huge impact.
What are the 10 must-have features in today’s new homes? An annual survey of home-buyer preferences found that the kitchen is still king. Also on the list were energy-efficient appliances, a home office, a main-floor master suite, an outdoor living room, ceiling fans, and two-car garages.
The less-than-stellar market means people are being conservative in their remodeling budgets this year and sticking to the more necessary and doable projects. Trends show people are investing in lighting because it’s a quick update. Under Cabinet lighting and pendant lighting is very popular in remodeling projects. Check out the article for other small remodeling trends.
The Green Business Bureau has a new certification programs for small businesses looking to go green. Business owners can sign up online and share their current eco-practices. The GBB will then make green initiative recommendations. The program will help businesses save money with more energy-efficient practices.
In an initiative to gain LEED certification for more of its restaurants, Darden Restaurants will replace light bulbs with LEDs. The group includes Olive Garden, Red Lobster, and Longhorn Steakhouse.
Fifteen students from California have helped raise $10,0o0 and are installing solar LED lighting systems in poor & remote areas of Costa Rica.
The Feb. 21 night landing of the NASA Endeavour space shuttle was illuminated by xenon lights on the runway, creating a spectacular image.
A Pittsburgh couple finds a unique way to market their home for sale. Since they remodeled the home in 2006 to make it completely eco-friendly, they are holding green renovation workshops to showcase their efforts.
CFL light bulb savings by the numbers: For every incandescent bulb switched to a CFL, homeowners are estimated to save $68 on electric bills. Upfront costs quickly pay for themselves.
In lighting tips…
Thinking about renovating your kitchen? This article provides great tips on how to get started and also describes how to “green” the process to save you money in the long run.
We love this “Undercabinet Lighting Roundup”, posted on the Reliable Remodeler blog. It gives relative costs for the project and features our Xenon Low Voltage Ultra-slim Lights.
This article gives six ideas for kitchen makeovers that each take six hours or less. It’s perfect to consult for weekend projects. They include: swapping out lighting, updating your sink, managing your storage space, adding a splash of color, replacing cabinet hardware, and upgrading appliances.
Two DIY articles explained how to install cabinet lighting and how to install kitchen pendant lighting in no more than seven steps.
Follow this guide from the Washington Post on eight steps to a more eco-friendly kitchen if you want to go green. The article reviews green cleaning products, nontoxic paints, recycling strategies, energy-efficient appliances, and LED lighting.
Other cool sites…
This online tutorial shows how to make disco shoes with LED-light up floor tiles (a.k.a. how to look like Michael Jackson in the Billie Jean video).
Automatically make your home extremely high-tech with this project on iPhone House Controlling. It’s just what it sounds like: it allows you to control household electronics (including lighting & dimmer levels) with your iPhone.
These new outdoor floor lamp designs create the strange effect of bringing the living room furniture into the yard.
I must say, I really enjoy this blog. Could let me know how I can keeping up to date with it? By the way I stumbled upon this blog through Lycos.
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I have to admit i always would be a little leary of all the so-called hype taking place around solar. After checking out various programs and buy options my spouse and i decided to take the plunge. We wound up getting solar without money down and we all immediatly started putting money aside the very first month is was installed. I must say the features of solar look like they’re real and I am very happy we made a decision to proceed with it.