In case you didn't hear the news, the old and ancient T12 fluorescent lamp is going away. Between the EISA regulations (and the rising technology), more and more efficient lamps are coming out (T8 and T5). Most manufactures now sell their fluorescent lamps with a ballast as a package to emphasize an optimized system (if it doesn't come with a ballast, I would strongly recommend getting one with your T8 or T5 because they go hand-in-hand). The T12 will become much more harder to find, therefore it will put a bigger hole in your wallet. If you are looking to get your hands on T12, you'll be extremely...


 QuickView | Read Full Article

As more people complain and concerned about the tightening LPA (Lighting Power Allowance) numbers from the design community, we have to remember that the technology is also keeping up. People tend to only focus only on upgrading the light bulb when they should also consider the equipment like the ballasts or luminares (lamp). Yes, you might end up spending more money and thats what everyone thinks about: the initial cost. Everyone wants to buy those pack of cheap incandescent light bulbs from Home Depot rather than LED light bulbs. Those cheap light bulbs only last a few months (if your lucky)...


 QuickView | Read Full Article

These days, a browse through Alcon Lighting's website (alconlighting.com) or even the lighting aisle at Home Depot is likely to leave you baffled. Here are the terms you need to know. LUMENS: The amount of light a bulb produces. Depending on which government agency you ask, this is “brightness” or “light output.” Your reference point: A standard 100-watt incandescent produces about 1,700 lumens. WATTS: Not a measure of brightness; instead, it’s a measure of how much energy a bulb consumes to reach its claimed brightness. WATT EQUIVALENT: Since we’ve conflated watts and brightness,...


 QuickView | Read Full Article

In recent years, falling home values and skyrocketing energy costs have inspired homeowners to find ways to reduce energy use and maximize their investments. Using eco-friendly building materials in your home improvement project is one option that can help conserve resources, improve indoor air quality, and increase the value of your home. Although some environmental building practices may be more expensive, many building professionals believe that the lower utility bills and increased home value offset those higher up-front costs. Energy Upgrade California offers energy efficiency upgrade packages...


 QuickView | Read Full Article

Some research projects in California, Oregon and Washington offer hints that energy efficiency and sustainability certifications for homes may result in easier sales and higher prices. Home energy efficiency and sustainability have been major policy priorities for the Obama administration, but lurking in the background are two consistent questions: Beyond the documentable savings on utility bills, do such steps add to the resale value of a home? And do they make it easier or faster to sell your property? Housing groups and housing officials say that definitive statistical data covering multiple...


 QuickView | Read Full Article

Say goodbye to watts and hello to lumens. Compact fluorescent and LED bulbs use fewer watts, or less energy, to produce the same amount of light, or lumens, as incandescent bulbs. But the color of the light varies by the type of bulb, so you need more information than just a bulb's watts to get the light you'd like. The Lighting Facts label, patterned on nutrition labels on foods, will give you much of that information. It lists the bulb's lumens, or brightness; its estimated yearly energy cost; how long the bulb is expected to last; its appearance, from warm to cool; how much energy, or watts,...


 QuickView | Read Full Article

If you're buying CFLs or considering LEDs, look for rebates from retailers and utilities and  at www.energystar.gov and www.dsireusa.org/incentives. And save your receipts in case there's a problem. Also keep in mind: Think about the fixture CFLs last longer and perform better if they're on for 15 minutes or more. That longevity makes them good for hard-to-reach fixtures. But they take time to reach full brightness, from about 30 seconds for spirals to roughly 2 minutes for recessed bulbs and 3 minutes for outdoor bulbs, so don't use them in staircases or other areas where you need instant...


 QuickView | Read Full Article

Culture keeps on changing; sometimes west influences the east and some times east influences the West. Current shortage of energy has opened many people's eyes; people have started thinking strongly about this shortage and they are figuring out ways of solving issues created by this shortage. Some people say that LED lighting is the best way to solve this issue others try to solve this issue with the aid of forced shutdowns. Forced power shutdowns are not the way out; instead it is the way for getting into deeper troubles. Although LED lighting is the best way of solving these issues; this...


 QuickView | Read Full Article

Lighting is a significant expense for many of us, and it also affects how we work, play and feel. The good news is that new advances in technology are providing more comfort, flexibility and efficiency. (1) $1 Invested in Efficient Lighting Pays Back $6 in Energy Savings The standard incandescent bulb -- what we typically think of as a "basic light bulb" -- is a pretty inefficient piece of technology, wasting 90 to 98% of its electrical use as heat rather than useful light. Much better are fluorescents, including the now-ubiquitous compact fluorescent lights (CFLs), which are roughly 75% more...


 QuickView | Read Full Article