The 'Color Rendering Index' (CRI) is proving to be inadequate when applied to LED's and here's why. For those of do not know what the CRI is or why it is applied to lighting, here is the definition when it is applied to LED; the Color Rendering Index (CRI) is the relative ability of a light source to replicate colors generated by a reference light source of the same color temperature when tested against 14 represented pigment color samples. It is measured as a number between 0 and 100. The first 8 (R1-R8) are pastels that are used to establish a 'general' CRI number. The other 6 consist...


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Do you know the correct mounting height for a fixture over a dining room table? Heres a rule of thumb that I like to follow; measure the dimensions of the room and whatever the sum is should be the diameter or width (in inches) of your fixture. Since every situation is different, you must put every factor into consideration. Lighting options should be considered whether if it's LED Lighting, Architectural Lighting or standard residential chandelier pendants. There's other factors to consider; size of the table, diameter and height of the fixture, volume of the room, etc. All of these come...


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Although many, including most of us at Alcon Lighting, believe that an outright light bulb ban, as the approach to reaching the desired outcome of lowering wattage consumption, is wrong, the logic behind the lighting provisions in the Energy Independence and Security Act is pretty forthright.  A system with incentives rewarding those using or purchasing LED or CFL bulbs would have probably been more successful than the current, heavily criticized ban but we shouldn't allow the politics to blur the facts.  Incandescent light bulbs convert less than 10 percent of the energy sent into them to light,...


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Benefits of Induction Lighting Long Life - 100,000 hours Color rendering - 85 CRI Color Temperature - 2,700K-6,500K Energy Efficient - 85+ Lumens per Watt Lumen maintenance - 70% of its light output at 100,000 hours Maintenance costs - go 10 years with out a change out Instant on Capability - Can be used with photocell or motion sensor High Output - 70W to 400W No flickering, No Strobing, No Noise Minimal Color shifting Starting temperatures as low as -40 degrees fahrenheit Operating Principles Induction lighting is founded on technology that is essentially different...


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The grand prizewinner of the 2010 Home Lighting Makeover Sweepstakes, sponsored by the American Lighting Assn. (ALA), recently finished her $5,000 makeover. Elisa Marra’s name was randomly selected from nearly 28,000 entries at the end of last year after she arrived at Bright Light Design Center in Cape May Court House, NJ. Jennifer Roemhild, the showroom’s Branch Coordinator and Lighting Designer, facilitated Marra choose new lighting for her beach house in Wildwood Crest, NJ. Roemhild says she and Marra started working together at the beginning of the year to compose a lighting design...


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Step 1: Check the national LED list to see if your product is already listed. If it is, STOP! You do NOT need to continue. Step 2: Check the LDL LED list to see if your product is already listed. If it is, STOP! You do NOT need to continue. Step 3: If your product is not listed on either of the above lists, complete the LDL LED Manufacturers checklist. Step 4: Submit the completed checklist and all required documentation listed (LM79 report, warranty, product spec sheet and NRTL certification) to ledlist@lightingdesignlab.com. Step 5: For an integral LED lamp, submit product sample...


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With a growing senior population hoping to stay in their home as they age, designers are tasked with making a residential space and its lighting layout more senior-friendly. “It’s about what we can do to make it easier for people who are growing older, as far as making a home low maintenance and comfortable while maintaing a designers aesthetic appeal” says Alesha E. Churba, Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS). “The Baby Booomer generation has now gone through trying to help their parents and moving them into assisted living or nursing homes, and what they know is that they do not want...


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Photometrics 101 Photometric information is generally provided by a manufacturer with each fixture to assist in the lighting layout. Efficiency: Compares how much light is emitted from a luminaire given its wattage consumption; however, efficiency does not indicate the quality of light or visual comfort of a luminaire. Efficiency % =  Lamp Lumens / Total Wattage Used Unit LPW: Indicates total system efficacy; however, unit LPW provides no indication of the light’s direction or quality. Some luminaires with a lower LPW may produce a more desirable lighting effect than a luminaire with a higher...


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A Bentbrook Advisors growth strategy expert shows how to approach taking your business to the next level. Residential Lighting: Where do you start when you’re consulting? Charlie Alter: I always ask, “What is it about you business that wakes you up in the middle of the night?” Almost inevitably, the answer is how to sustain the business and grow it, particularly with the headwinds we face. I then follow up the discussion with the first step to take a hard, dispassionate and objective look at the current state of the company. Since it’s the end of summer, do a mid-year progress review...


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Philips Soft White 57 Watt This is part of a new wave of Incandescents that com in at slightly lower wattages than their claimed equivalents (to comply with California law requiring grater but not great efficacy). Light quality was best in test, with the classic softness that has made it so hard for us to quit Incandescents. But it did seem dimmer than a full 60. And it’s rated for only 11 moths at three hours per day.   PROS: Price is right. Natural light color. CONS: Inefficient. A bit dim. Feit Electric Vintage Style Carbon Filament Bulb The replica of an early Edison product...


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