LED foyer fixture from Artcraft

Saving on energy costs and outfitting your home or office environment with new lamps and light fixtures should be at the top of your home improvement project list.  Not only do new light sources deliver a superb quality of light, they are the key components in decorative and energy-efficient lighting design.

It is an exciting time in the lighting industry.  New products are being developed every day, and LED (light emitting diode) and SSL (solid-state lighting)*  lamps and light fixtures are at the core of future illumination.

What’s more, the integration of LEDs into building and electronic communication systems is bringing everything together and enabling total control with the ease of a smart phone!

Here are some guidelines to help you answer those questions and invest wisely toward one of the greatest home improvement projects of the decade:

WHAT YOUR LIGHTING DESIGN CAN AND SHOULD DO FOR YOU…

In addition to providing optimum levels of brightness, good lighting design must also…

•Eliminate glare

•Increase comfort

•Provide continuity

•Deliver good color rendering

•Allow for adjustability

•Instantaneously make you ”feel good” with an inviting luminous appeal

Because LED lamps require so little energy to provide a great deal of illumination, the energy consumed by the bulb will not be your main concern; your main concern will be getting the desired level of brightness and light appearance.

*NOTE:  LEDs, also referred to as SSL, provide the most energy-efficient and durable illumination because they are composed of “solid state” semiconductor light emitting diodes.

1.    Familiarize yourself with labels on new bulb cartons.

Brightness (in lumens)

Estimated Yearly Cost (depends on rates and use, $)

Lamp Life (based on 3 hrs/day use, rated in years)

Light Appearance (CCT)  (warm-cool, rated in degrees Kelvin (K))

Energy Used (in watts)

Color Rendering (CRI) (measured on a scale of 0-100)

BRIGHTNESS

Brightness levels are measured in lumens to give the amount of total light created by the light source.  Beyond the lumen count, “useable” light and brightness levels are also affected by fixture housings, lenses, filters and shades.  There are clear standards set to measure the lumen output of each LED chip.  ↓

LIGHT APPEARANCE  

Light appearance or correlated color temperature (CCT) helps determine the quality of illumination.  Designated on the Kelvin (K) scale, CCT for decorative interior spaces should be in the warm white (2700-3000K) range.  Sometimes lighting in the neutral white (3500-4000K) is preferred for certain areas, such as bathrooms and kitchens.

LAMP LIFE AND THE LED

Lamp life refers to how long a light source will last once it is installed and used on a daily basis in a typical application. Lamp life ratings, based on estimates from testing,  convey the time that half the bulbs in a sampling have burnt out or dimmed below fifty percent.

COLOR RENDERING AND THE LED

The color rendering index (CRI) measures the ability of a light source to bring out the true colors in décor, objects and surfaces.  Based on a scale of zero (no color rendering) to 100 (perfect color rendering),  a minimum of 80 CRI is acceptable for interior lighting applications.  A CRI of 90+ is even better.

However, because the standard CRI measurement does not always yield true results for some LED light sources, a new standard measure of color quality is in the works:  The Color Quality Scale (CQS) may soon replace CRI for a truer account of color rendering provided by the LED light source.-www.ledlightingexplained.com, Philips Solid-State Lighting, 2010

2.    Match light fixture to light source to ensure peak performance.

LEDs small size, low-temperature emissions, and focused uni-directional beam patterns make them perfect light sources for undercabinet lighting, track lighting and pendant fixtures.

LED general and flood lighting replacement bulbs are composed of clusters of diodes to provide broader beams of light.  General service LED bulbs that are multi-directional with 360-degree angle capacity are doing an excellent job of replicating the desired illumination of old incandescent bulbs. These LED  lamps include A19, PAR, BR and candelabra light sources that are providing more light with the added benefit of tremendous energy-saving, maintenance-free illumination.

Due to their long life and durability, LEDs are excellent in hard to reach places like foyer, attic and cathedral ceiling fixtures.

*Check for compatibility with all new light sources to make sure lamps, light fixtures, dimmers and automated controls are a suitable match.

3.    Compare “apples to apples”; diodes to diodes to ensure top quality.

 Many factors contribute to the quality of the LED light bulb.   Advancements in diode technology and mass production of LED light sources are bringing costs down to make these bulbs more affordable.  However, be wary of “cheaper” LED light sources.

•COB (chip on board), the diode itself is composed of a chip that largely determines  the quality of the bulb.

Prior to being marketed in appliances, fixtures or light bulbs, LEDs are sorted into bins according to their light output (lumen output) and color temperature.  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.

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 , so they deliver an inferior quality of light.

•LPW (lumen per watt), this measurement helps to determine energy-efficiency and efficacy

•IC (integrated circuit) drivers, the quality of the LED lamp is also dependent on the type of driver installed.  LED bulbs contain “drivers” that can fail just like the ballast of a CFL (compact fluorescent). Better driver components make for a higher quality LED light source.

ENERGY STAR-ratings ensure that the LED has met stringent testing procedures.  ENERGY STAR-rated lamps clearly identify characteristics on LED light sources to guarantee that they consistently and reliably meet the desired brightness (lumens), energy-efficiency (lumens per watt), color temperature (CCT), color rendering (CRI), and dimmability requirements.

New ENERGY STAR Regulations include:

•Consistency Control:  More standardized testing methods to improve consistency.

•Dimmability Ratings:  A lamp is either dimmable or not dimmable.  If a lamp claims to be dimmable, testing is required and it must dim down to at least 20 percent.  If it is not dimmable, it must say so on the package.

•Greater Energy Conservation:  Efficiency requirements have increased for specific lamp wattages and types.

NOTE:  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), along with ENERGY STAR offers rebate programs as an added incentive to help you spring into action and upgrade with LED.  Check out rebate programs in your area or contact an American Lighting Association (ALA)-affiliated showroom for more details.

LED chandelier “Niagara” from Lladro

1800lighting’s Top LED Bulb Pics:

Bulbrite’s  LED  MR16 lamp

Philips medium base LED

Philips dimmable LED

Satco’s PAR38 indoor-outdoor LED lamp

Satco’s Kolour One A19 omni-directional LED lamp delivers 820 lumens and excellent color consistency.

Satco’s Ditto PAR LED lamps are available in 25- and 40-degree beam angles and either 3000K or 4000K.

Nothing says summer like a backyard barbecue or bash with friends and family. For those times when your get-together goes on past dusk, you’ll need some outdoor lighting to keep the party lit — both literally and figuratively. Outdoor lighting can amp up the ambiance of your patio, yard or deck, but also help improve your home’s security, safety and curb appeal.

A set of string lights, hurricane lanterns or tiki torches can add some illumination to your exterior hangout spot in a pinch, but professionals offer more permanent options to take your outdoor lighting to the next level. Backyard lighting doesn’t have to be a simple bulb besides your door.

Strategically installed outdoor lighting is a great way to highlight your landscaping as well as the architectural features of your home. Consider illuminating garden areas or underlighting attractive trees or bushes on your property. Cast a light on garden structures or hardscapes.

You can also mount exterior lights on your home to highlight arches, dormers, columns or other interesting or unique design features. Some options for exterior and landscape accent lighting:

Home improvement stores sell products for DIYers, but professionals who offerOutdoor lighting improves home security

Flood lights, which are a good option for home security, can cast a beam of up to 40 degrees — just use these sparingly so as not to annoy your neighbors or contribute unnecessarily to light pollution.

Consider these options:

Continuous lighting: Keeps the lights on all night.

Motion-detected lighting: Flashes on when something or someone moves in proximity to your home — be it friendly visitors or potential thieves.

You can also install a combination of the two types of lighting. A

Have a professional install pathway lighting along your front and backyard walks to provide safe passage around your property at night. You can set your lights on a timer that corresponds to sundown and sunrise depending on the time of year so that no one even has to be home to turn on the lights.

Some ideas: Garden lights that cast a canopy of light can make great pathway markers. Downlights can be mounted on trees or structures to illuminate the ground.

Several debates continue to surround the idea of how video games affect childhood development. On one side, they have a reputation for causing violence and obesity in children, and on another, they prove to be very educational and encourage exercise. Because video games are so prominent in children’s lives, it is difficult to prevent them from playing video games entirely. However, when you truly analyze them, is it really necessary to rid children of video games completely? Research proves that while video games have their disadvantages, they also have advantages that can stimulate brain activity and help power tomorrow by assisting kids in setting and achieving their goals to reach their full potential.

Video games can be a powerful tool to help children develop certain life skills. They can help children’s brain development in several ways, including enhancing problem solving skills and creativity. They also induce quick thinking by having players solve problems to continue to a higher level, and create strategies to potentially win the game.

The most popular child development video games vary with a child’s age. For younger children, popular video games include: Wii Barbie Dreamhouse Party, Nintendo Super Mario 3D World, XBOX 360 The Lego Movie and Lego Marvel Super Heroes. For teenagers, popular video games include: XBOX 360 Transformers Fall of Cybertron, XBOX 360 Grand Theft Auto, XBOX 360 Guitar Hero II, Rock Band 2, Just Dance 2014 and FIFA 14.

Like so many other things in life, moderation is key, so monitoring a child’s video game intake is definitely important. Video games are a great form of entertainment that provide bonding time with friends and relaxation time during any afternoon. Although the negative effects of video games are very real, by allowing children to partake in developmental video games, the door is also opened for children to have a fun learning experience.

The kitchen island is one of the most functional and versatile areas in your home. Centrally located and serving as a morning breakfast stop, dinner prep and work station, as well as a gathering spot for entertaining and showcasing decorative kitchen accessories.

From classic and traditional to rustic and futuristic, an island light is a major design feature vital to the look and usefulness of your kitchen.  Choose wisely and install with precision to create balance and deliver the perfect blend of ambient, task and accent illumination.

5 Steps to Finding the Perfect Island Light(s) for your Kitchen

1.  Provide for plentiful, energy-efficient task light with  LED (light emitting diode) light fixtures.  New LED lamps are dimmable and available with improved color-rendering and color temperature.  Look for bulbs with a CRI (color rendering index) of at least 80 and CCT (correlated color temperature) between 2700K and 3500K.

2. For ambient or general illumination, recessed lighting may be added to blend with a decorative island fixture.  New OLED (organic light emitting diode) island lights are ideal for general illumination.  OLED light fixtures are outstanding and the illumination is glare-free, crisp and clean.  You may choose to use a variety of pendant lamps, track or rail light fixtures, or a single ceiling fixture for general illumination, but be sure that all fixtures are shielded and installed at the right height.

3.  Browse lighting stores and designer lighting websites to get an idea of what type of kitchen island light fixtures would work best in your space.  Keep the lighting traditional, if you have a country kitchen; go with a more high-tech modern design, in a contemporary kitchen.  The trend toward urban, rustic and organic minimalism offers the ideal venue for many of the new kitchen island fixtures for 2014.

4.  If you have a large kitchen island, accessorizing with a mini table lamp provides a subtle elegance. Mini table lamps also serve to bring the scale of a large kitchen in balance.   Chosen wisely, the right mini table lamp makes a true fashion statement and provides a prized finish.  NOTE:   Be sure portable lamps are sturdy and located in a secure spot, safely away from the kitchen sink or stove top.

5.  Top quality lighting controls and switches are crucial to the lighting design and usefulness of your kitchen island fixtures.  Don’t skimp when it comes to finding and installing control panels and switches.  The right system will greatly enhance the enjoyment and energy saving benefits you receive from your kitchen, the true heart of your home.

GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR INSTALLATION:

•Pendant island lights should hang about 66 inches above the floor.  If the shades are not very deep and there is seating at the island, pendants may hang lower at about 60 inches above the floor.  In rooms with 8-foot ceilings, aim for a 30-inch span between the top of the island to the bottom of the island light; In rooms with higher ceilings, raise the light fixture about 3 inches for each additional foot of ceiling height.  NOTE: Make adjustments according to your personal preference, overall lighting effects, and the size and shape of island light fixtures.  Some island lights look and function best when suspended lower and closer to the island; others look best when installed closer to the ceiling.

•Usually, an odd number of mini pendant lights centered over the island creates better balance. Install one pendant lamp per every two feet of island space.  For example, a six-foot island requires three pendants – one in the center and the others 20 inches away on either side. Take into consideration unusual sizes and shapes of chosen island light fixtures to adjust the spacing and amount of light fixtures required. Thin, tapered mini pendant lamps may look better with an additional fixture; oversized pendant lamps may look better installed as a pair centered over the kitchen island.

• Whether attached to a track system or installed singly into the ceiling, the overall ensemble—which may be composed of a few mini-pendant ceiling fixtures, one large island light or two oversized pendant lamps—should measure from one-half to two-thirds the total length of the island and be at least 12 inches narrower than the width of the island to allow for freedom of movement around this versatile space.

Visit an American Lighting Association (ALA)-affiliated showroom for more advice on how to get the best kitchen island illumination.  Certified lighting professionals at Capitol Lighting will help you find the right island lighting, and they will be able to provide the answers to your specific installation questions.

Check out these excellent and affordable island lights from Access Lighting….

“Adele”  23733 ceiling pendants in Brushed Steel with blown glass available in a variety of colorful glass options.

“Iron”  20738 ceiling pendants, contemporary with a fresh new look in brushed steel with opal glass.

“Tungsten” , LED, energy-efficient, cool, beautifying light.

“Kalista” in classic black and white with crystal adds a sophisticated and tailored elegance.

“Phoebe” offers 3 halogen lamps that are adjustable and provide luxurious light over the kitchen island.

Designer kitchen island lighting should not only be beautifying; it should be  durable, energy-efficient and eco-friendly, too.  Check out the latest kitchen island light fixtures at 1800lighitng.com.  Enjoy the guaranteed best prices on all new designs, including pendants, mini-pendants and large island light fixtures from Access Lighting.

Whole-home surge protectors are designed to protect your home from dangerous lightning strikes that could knock out power or fry your electronics, potentially resulting in thousands of dollars in damages.  Recently, however, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding whole-home surge protectors, claiming they’re a waste of money and don’t do what they claim to be able to do. So what’s the real story here? Are whole home surge protectors worth it?

We’ll start by talking about what surge protectors are not designed for: protecting your home from all sources of increased voltage. Power surges most commonly originate inside your home as a result of different appliances turning on and off. Depending on your home’s electrical service (100amp vs 200amp or whatever you may have), you’ve probably seen this in the form of flickering lights when your air conditioner cycles on.

Whole-home surge protectors do protect your home from power surges that originate outside, commonly caused by lightning strikes but also resulting from any interruptions to the power: downed wires or utility poles, wind damage, utility repairs, etc.

There are a few different ways power surges can occur. Lightning strikes, which people tend to be most worried about, are actually pretty uncommon—conditions need to be perfect, and the strike needs to occur less than one mile away from your home. Despite their rarity, lightning strikes can send a 200,000-amp jolt through your home and are definitely not to be taken lightly.

The majority of external power surges occur when the magnetic field created by wires conducting electricity collapses, which sends large voltages down the wires and eventually, into homes and buildings.

Effectively defending your home from power surges requires a two-step approach: first, outfitting it with a whole-home surge protector, then using surge-protected outlets and power strips indoors. Both types of surge protectors act essentially like pressure relief valves, diverting excess energy away and restoring normal operation once levels regulate.

Whole-home surge protectors are usually wired to a service panel and are designed to stop surges of at least 40,000 amps, though larger ones can be installed. Pairing them with individual plug-in surge protectors should do a good job of catching any potentially damaging energy that may get into your home.

Like many safety-related things, whole-home surge protectors are appliances you buy and hope to never actually use. But all it takes is a single downed line or big lightning strike to cause thousands of dollars’ worth of damage to your home—not worth the risk!

If you want to protect your home from dangerous jolts of electricity by installing a whole-home surge protector, call Kolb Electric today!