While it might seem surprising, lighting for commercial buildings commonly accounts for as much as 35 percent of business overhead. The good news for business owners trying to cut costs is that commercial lighting technology is moving forward every day and modern lighting can provide the same or better quality lighting for less while improving energy efficiency. Upgrading your building’s lighting can take some of the strain off your building’s electrical system, but in order to get the most benefit from your new lights, you have to plan carefully!

It’s one thing to say “we want new lights for our building.” But it’s another thing entirely to say “we want new lights because we believe they will improve employee morale and productivity!” Before you implement a new lighting plan, consider the specific goals you have in mind for your new lights. These could range from the aforementioned productivity and morale improvements to reducing your carbon footprint and reducing your overhead costs.

If possible, try to find lighting schemes you like in other buildings that you think would work well for your building—this can give you a better idea of the lighting design you’re after. And of course, feel free to talk to the lighting design experts at Kolb Electric—we can help create the perfect lighting design for your building!

There are three specific categories of lighting, each of which serves a different purpose in your building:

A good lighting design will layer these three types of lighting, starting with ambient lighting, then task and accent lighting. Each type will require a different fixture.

The type of light fixture you use for a certain type of lighting can make a big difference when it comes to the efficiency and effectiveness of your lighting. Light fixtures are generally broken down into three categories:

Make sure that the voltage of your LED light is compatible with the truck’s operating voltage. For example, you wouldn’t want to use a 6-volt light with a 12-volt system. That bulb will burn out very quickly. Or say you use a 24-volt light on a 12-volt truck—if you get any light output at all, it wouldn’t be near what is possible from that light.

When you’re installing new LED truck lighting, lubricate sockets, terminals, or any associated electrical connections with dialectic grease to seal out moisture and prevent corrosion. Because the grease can dry up, you should check connections periodically. It’s important to keep connections lubricated to maintain the functionality of your light. However, too much grease can interfere with the terminal/socket connection and prevent a light from functioning.

Be sure to know and understand the rules set in place in the light’s warranty. Doing unauthorized repairs or disassembling the light will most likely void its warranty. A driver should also know the correct person to contact about their LED truck lighting in case of light malfunctioning. The point of contact could be the fleet’s parts department, the purchaser, or the company from which the light was purchased.

For technical questions, don’t hesitate to call us toll free at 866-590-3533. Our customer service and technical support teams are available from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. CDT Monday-Thursday and 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. CDT on Friday.

Even though our weather has been unseasonably warm as of lately, that doesn’t mean that fall tasks should be ignored. Fall is the perfect time to review whether your heating system needs replacement, prep your home for the cooler weather eventually to come, and install systems that can help make winter a bit more bearable when it does hit. One of these systems is a driveway heating system.

Basically, a heated driveway keeps your pavement warm enough to melt snow as it falls onto the surface, rather than letting the snow pile up. There are two basic types of snow melting systems used for your heated driveway. The first is an electric system that uses electric cables installed into your driveway. With this method, electrical resistance is used to generate heat and an activation device is used to tell your system when to kick into gear.

Another option we offer is the hydronic snow melting system. This utilizes a closed-loop tubing system which is installed in the concrete or asphalt of the area that the system will treat. A water/antifreeze solution is heated and circulated throughout this tubing, thus melting the snow.

Some of the benefits of heated driveways may seem pretty apparent, such as the elimination of the need to shovel snow from your driveway! There are more benefits than just that though. Driveways that are heated prevents ice accumulation during freezing rain, making the act of walking to your car safer. There’s also no need for the use of salt or other snow-removal chemicals, which means your driveway won’t be exposed to the amount of damage these things can do.