As a facility manager or building owner, it is nearly impossible to know everything about everything in your building. But it is vital to know something about everything, and that goes for your facilities lighting system too. Whether you manage a warehouse, factory, or other industrial sized building or space, the lighting is a huge factor of many things including safety, productivity, and consistency in the work in your facility.

So while you don’t need to know every facility managers and building owners should know about there lighting system and how lighting can make all the difference in various amounts of ways.

1. Not all lights are created equal. This is an obvious one, not all lighting technologies are created the same and all output at different levels. Firstly you have lighting technologies that are less efficient than others. Such as metal halide and HPS which are 2-3 times less efficient than LED technology is. Then you also have efficiency based on a “product to product” basis. For example; while LED is the clear winner in efficiency over metal halide (and really any other lighting technology), one LED product from one company isn’t going to be the same as the next company’s LED product. This is where you really need to dig deep and find the company that offers the most efficient lighting products over all other companies.

Key takeaway? First, understand that LED is the most efficient in a general sense, but also understand that each company and product varies on its own personal efficiency and you should always do your homework before going with one LED product over another!

2. New lighting system upgrade costs can be reduced with rebates. This is only a true statement when you are buying commercially qualified lighting products that are DesignLights Consortium qualified. return on investment overtime by decreased energy costs associated with running your lights. Obviously this ROI period will vary depending on how long you run your lights per day on average, but especially in big facilities they almost always are used often and thus, provide a good and even quick payback period.

4. Create safer environments with a proper lighting system. With low quality light output, you create an unsafe environment that can cause various issues. Lighting fixtures that aren’t outputting the proper amount of light after a few years into there life is all caused reasoning to retrofit over fully replace.

The following post is from our new blogger Annie Josey, who is joining Pegasus Lighting on May 21, 2012. Annie is a recent UNC-Chapel Hill graduate who majored in English with a minor in creative writing. Annie wrote this post during the interview process and we loved it so much, and learned a little bit about art in the process, we could not wait to post it to the blog. We hope you like Annie’s first post as much as we do, and can’t wait for her to “enlighten” us even more in the coming months.

In paintings, the depiction of light can create tangible shape, intricate texture and vibrant color. Great painters like Rembrandt, Caravaggio and Manet crafted careers out of working with light, while having very few lighting options for inspiration. Here are a few examples of their work, and how each painter might go about achieving the same schemes with modern lighting:

The employment of lighting in this Manet painting differs greatly from Rembrandt and Caravaggio. Instead of valuing shadow to illuminate dimension, Manet uses full frontal lighting to emphasize color – bright reds, whites and yellows.

Let’s face it, in today’s very technological world, nearly everything we own needs to be plugged in and charged so it is ready to go when we are. Cell phones, laptops, tablets and even out cars rely on our home’s power to get charged. When there are several people in the home all fighting to get their gadgets charged up before morning, things get tense. Extension cords come out and a dangerous situation is created.

Our world, which involves televisions in every room, computers, coffeemakers, food processors, toasters and you get the point, need electricity. Have you ever done the free outlet search? You wonder around with your device in one hand with the waiting plug in the other and are prepared to plop down wherever the free outlet is in order to get the juice you need. This could be in the hallway, doorway or even the bathroom. You probably unplug one device so you can “borrow” the outlet. This is a recipe for sibling rivalry or frustrated spouses.

Stop doing that! Call your electrician in Beverly Hills. The Electric Connection is ready to help you make your life easier. Additional outlets are an easy fix that can go a long way to making your life a little less stressful.

Whether you need an outlet for you electric car charger or additional outlets in the kitchen to run all of your appliances, you are covered with the help of an electrician. Beverly Hills homeowners do not have to rely on extension cords or resort to uncomfortable positions in the hope just so they can get powered up. If you are tired of the free outlet searching, give the friendly staff at The Electric Connection a call today. We would love to talk with you about your options and get your appointment scheduled.

Spring is one of the best times to spruce up your home and do a little remodeling. If you are like most homeowners, then you have allowed your to-do list to grow over the winter, and spring is your first opportunity to add your new room or expand your garage. To maximize your remodeling efforts, we recommend that your upgrade your electrical system in the process

Most of us will not be leaders with the ability to speak and the bravery to act as Martin Luther King, Jr., but we can change the world for the better in small ways.  Even one bulb at a time…

The world of illumination is changing quickly and advancing into a new frontier with light sources that are more durable, more energy-efficient and better for the natural environment.  While we still have a choice, future lighting installations with LED (light emitting diode) lamps will provide the best light for your home or office space.

To make the best choice, there are a few lighting facts you should know.  All LEDs are not created equal, so read on to educate yourself and make a change to LED with confidence.

Learn what light sources are available and the limitations and benefits of each light source, so that you may choose the best one for each application.

•The right lighting will always help you look better, feel better and perform to the best of your ability.

•The right lighting will always be energy-efficient.

•The right lighting will always work well with the natural environment, making the most of sunlight streaming in during the day and delivering illumination in the most eco-friendly manner.

•The right lighting will last.  Choose good quality bulbs and light fixtures that are guaranteed to provide excellent illumination, equipped with fine finishes and components that are durable.

1.  KNOW YOUR BRIGHTNESS LEVELS IN LUMENS

New bulb cartons are required to prominently display the brightness level (measured in lumens (lm)).  In the past we have determined bulb brightness in terms of energy consumption in watts (W), but now we must learn to think in lumens (lm).  Here is a quick conversion chart to help get you started:

Lumens            Old Incandescent                                             LED

2600 lm————→150W——————————–→25-28 W

1600 lm———— →100W——————————–→16-20 W

1100 lm————→75W———————————-→9-13 W

800 lm————-→60W———————————-→8-12 W

450 lm————-→40W———————————-→6-9 W

2.  CHECK OUT COLOR QUALITY:   Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) and Color Rendering Index (CRI))

•CCT is measured in Kelvin’s (K) and is an important factor determining the quality of light for your specific application: Warm White or Soft White is about  2700-3500 Kelvin’s (K) and Bright White light is about 4000 K+

•CRI is measured on a scale of 0-100 and is an important measure of the degree to which your light source will show the true colors of all that is being illuminated.  Color rendering for decorative indoor lighting applications should be between 85-100.

3.  FACTOR IN DIMMING CAPABILITY

Most dimmers work by reducing the amount of electricity sent to the bulb.  But with LED the correlation between brightness and energy consumption is much different than with incandescent illumination.

Because of this difference, LEDs are not always compatible with traditional dimmer switches.  You either have to replace your switch with one that is compatible with LED or look for replacement LED bulbs that are compatible with standard incandescent dimmers.

4.  FIND SUITABLE BULB-TO-LIGHT FIXTURE MATCH-UPS

The reflector and fixture type will play a significant role in determining the light output from the light source (bulb).  Look at colored lenses and fitters, as well as shades and shielding to determine how they will help steer and direct your desired level of illumination.

When looking to replace an incandescent bulb with an LED bulb in a lighting fixture where the bulb will be totally enclosed, be sure to check that your LED is specifically made for an enclosed or recessed light fixture.  LED bulbs run cooler than others, but they do produce heat. To protect the quality of the LED chip and the performance of your LED light source, LED fixtures are specifically engineered to provide adequate heat-sinking.

5.  BEWARE OF THE LOWEST “BINNER” and COMPARE PRICE VS. QUALITY

“Binning” is the process by which LED chips are sorted.

Prior to being marketed in fixtures or light bulbs, LED chips are sorted into bins according to their light output (lumen output) and color temperature.  There are clear standards set to measure the lumen output of each LED chip.  LEDs chosen from bins with higher lumen output are of better quality.

Color temperature is determined by matching up each LED according to a chromatic line grid for a specific color temperature.   LEDs chosen from larger bins contain more color variation and are not as bright.

Due to the process of “binning,” LED chips vary in their quality—especially in relation to their lumen output and color, so it is important to purchase LED light bulbs and LED light fixtures from a reputable dealer.

Philips medium base LED

Philips LED reflector, perfect for landscape and outdoor lighting applications

Dimmable LED from Philips

Kolour One LED bulb offers full 180 degree illumination

Look for all new LED bulbs from Philips, Kolour One, Satco and Bulbrite, now available at 1800lighting.com