Specialty and Architectural Lighting — Energy Efficiency

Since the early 1990s, governments around the world have been increasingly concerned about the types of lighting citizens use in their homes and businesses. Large regulatory bodies, from the US government to the European Union, have been eliminating common inefficient forms of lighting in an effort to reduce energy usage. Incandescent The incandescent bulb has been the most common target of phase-out legislation, as it has been the most common light bulb used by consumers....

When it comes to saving energy, OFF always wins. Lighting is no exception. At work, when you head to a meeting in a conference room that is used maybe three hours a day, are the lights already on even if you are the first to arrive, or, do they automatically switch on when you enter? And then switch off when the meeting is over and the room is empty? When you go down the hall...

When making any decent-sized purchase as a consumer, it is smart to do some basic product research and to stretch your dollars and resources to get the most "bang for your buck." There is no exception when it comes to buying lighting products, especially if you are taking on a big project such as entirely revamping your old lighting system. However, the following top nine tips will save you money no matter how small or...

The effects of power quality on LED lighting performance generally receive little attention prior to installation for most commercial building applications. Power quality issues such as dips, harmonics, interruptions, transients and surges can result in expensive, early replacement of damaged or failed LED lighting equipment. While facility managers involved with smaller commercial projects may be able to ignore power quality without much consequence, larger industrial LED lighting projects, such as the replacement of existing HID...

When comparing LED troffers and retrofits to fluorescent troffers, the most LED fixtures will either exceed or match the specifications of the fluorescent fixtures. LED lumen output often matches that of various fluorescent configurations but it, along with control compatibility, requires careful consideration to ensure the LED installation will meet the needs specific to the application.

Photocontrol devices use photocells to determine ON/OFF status of outdoor lighting based on the ambient light level. While generally understood as responding to visible light, some photosensors also respond to infrared (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Normally used for roadway, area, parking, flood and security lighting, photocontrols automatically control the ON/OFF cycle to optimize the effectiveness of the lighting and maximize energy savings. In daylight harvesting applications, the photocontrol is mounted inside the occupied space...

The number of recessed downlights in small commercial and residential environments often exceeds all other types of light fixtures in the building. Tucked neatly inside the ceiling, these fixtures manage to be both an unobtrusive and an effective source of illumination for many types of spaces. The traditional light source for these downlights has been the incandescent BR30 (3.75" diameter) or BR40 (5" diameter) reflector floods. Unlike architectural grade downlights, the typical small commercial and...

One look at the LED T8 retrofit lamp and installation options can quickly make you want to run for cover - or give up and live with fluorescent. The later approach, while not as forward-looking as LED, makes some sense especially if you are comparing the 30,000 to 40,000 hour T8 fluorescent lamps now available with 35,000 to 50,000 hour LEDs. From a low risk perspective, not to mention low up front costs, current generation...

Municipalities, utility companies, and other establishments offer a variety of rebate and savings programs to encourage individuals and businesses to replace old, inefficient lighting with new, energy saving products. Principally, these incentives are offered to support energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy sources to lessen pollution, overall energy usage, and waste. Such initiatives are offered at the national, regional, state, and local level. As a consumer, you are potentially missing out on "hidden...

Learn about the benefits and considerations of switching from metal halide and HID lighting systems to LED. While the energy savings and maintenance costs are better with LED HID replacements, does the technology live up to the promises of LED lighting manufacturers?

Time switches, or timers, for lighting control allow for time of day ON and OFF scheduling for individual lights or lighting systems. Generally, time switches work best with outdoor lighting where the time of day, along with sunset and sunrise, determine when lighting is on or off. Indoor applications for timers might include basic residential control of a single fixture to provide the "lived-in" look when the occupants are away from home. There are three...

A study by Rutgers University indicates that cheaper, more efficient lighting may lead to more lighting being used by consumers and institutions. One likely result -- people will use more lights if they are cheaper to operate, which won't reduce the overall energy usage. According to an article from InsideClimateNews summarizing the findings, the cost of LEDs will keep coming down due to a switch from rare earth elements (REEs) to earth-abundant materials that are...

When it comes to lighting retrofits, we often get focused on utility rebates and energy savings to the exclusion of all other issues. If the energy company is offering $10 per bulb and $20 per fixture, it seems like a no-brainer to go ahead with a complete retrofit, right? Rebates and energy savings don't tell the entire story, however. They are an important selling point to replacing older, inefficient lighting technology with newer LEDs, but...

This is the latest in our short series on benefits of lighting retrofits. In the first article, we examined reducing load on regional utility companies and explored why it makes economic sense for utilities to offer rebates for lower energy usage, rather than simply upgrading equipment to meet higher energy demands. The second article looked at reducing maintenance costs for commercial and industrial spaces. When a building has hundreds or thousands of light bulbs on...

Last week, we started a series on the benefits of LED retrofits for consumers and businesses, mostly focused on the commercial sector. As LED bulb prices have come crashing down from a couple years ago, retrofits are becoming more economically feasible by the day. Our first article took a look at how public utility companies can reduce load and maintenance costs on their own equipment by reducing demand from end users. The most visible way...