First impressions are important, and safety is everything! Many building owners focus on creating an inviting environment once inside the building, however the parking lot is often neglected. If the light fixtures in your parking lot are buzzing, flickering or dimly lit, visitors to your establishment may feel less welcome and even unsafe. It’s time to give your parking lot a facelift from outdated and inefficient exterior lighting. The most effective way to accomplish this is by upgrading to LED. There is a long list of benefits in choosing LED parking lot lighting including minimal maintenance, lower energy costs, and higher light quality.
Minimal Maintenance: Many parking lots use High Intensity Discharge (HID) bulbs in their fixtures, including Metal Halide and High Pressure Sodium (HPS) bulbs. These bulbs have an average life of 15,000 hours. Their LED counterparts have an average life of 50,000 hours, with some LED fixtures lasting upwards of 100,000 hours! By the time you replace your LED light, you’ll have changed your HID bulbs at least 3-6 times, not including the pricey ballast replacements. You are not only going to save in labor costs, but also in product costs and overlooked fees such as renting a lift to reach the fixtures. Lower Energy Costs: Parking lots consume a huge amount of energy; especially if older technology is being utilized. Typically, these bulbs will consume between 250-400 watts per bulb. LED equivalents use a fraction of this energy – about 60-150 watts per bulb or fixture. As the upfront costs of converting to LED have continued to decrease, most will see a return on investment within two years. Higher Light Quality: Most Metal Halide and HPS bulbs give off an orange glow and tend to have a lower CRI, or color rendering index. The higher the CRI, the more accurate the color and clarity is perceived. LED lights provide a higher CRI rating than HIDs and have a brighter color temperature (typically 5000K or daylight). Not only will this lighting improvement make your building look more appealing, but it will also help your visitors see more clearly, making them feel safer and more welcome. Lighting Supply offers many different solutions to upgrading your existing parking lot lighting to LED. Options range from converting to LED wall packs, shoeboxes and floodlight fixtures, or simply changing just the bulb to LED and eliminating the ballast. We are happy to help find the perfect solution for your upgrade! Give us a call at 877.231.2852 or leave us a comment below.
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America’s schools spend more than $8 billion each year on energy – more than the amount spent on textbooks and computers combined! According to Home Room, the official blog of the U.S. Department of Education, about twenty-six percent of electricity consumed by a typical school is for lighting alone. Lighting is a simple way to improve your school in many aspects. By upgrading your lighting to LED technologies, your school could save on energy, maintenance and material costs. While saving on energy costs, you could be improving student performance and well-being at the same time. Most people believe that the older technology with “warm” yellow light will simulate the sun the best. However, LED bulbs on the other end of the spectrum with a bluer light have proven to help children stay more alert and productive throughout the day. As reported by Make Great Light, research has shown that students who are not exposed to full spectrum lighting early in the morning test poorer than students who have been exposed. Check out this flyer full of popular items used in schools and other commercial spaces! For more information on which LED technology is right for you, give us a call at 877.231.2852 or leave a comment below. It’s that time of year again – time to restore your outdoor space to its summertime beauty! You work hard to revive your yard and want your guests to enjoy themselves but once it starts to get dark, everyone makes their way inside. Don’t let the setting sun determine when your backyard bash must end by overlooking the importance of lighting! Keep the party outside by adding some creative lighting to your patio and yard with landscape, stringer and rope lighting. Deck & Patio
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In the market for for a landscape lighting system that’s simple and economical? Check out our Lite the Nite collection here! As always, Lighting Supply is here to help with any questions you may have. Give us a call at 877.231.2852 or leave a comment below. Circline bulbs can be especially challenging for consumers looking to replace one that has burnt out. When it’s time to switch out that old, circular bulb with a new one, there are three important details to keep in mind:
Let us explain a bit further… WATTAGE First, determine the wattage of the bulb you are trying to replace. This information should be marked on your existing bulb. If by chance it is rubbed off or not shown, always check your fixture for the maximum wattage it can handle. This information is usually located within the fixture, often near the socket. If you’re looking to convert from older fluorescent technology to newer LED technology, we can help you determine the new lower wattage which will generate similar light output. BULB SIZE Next, figure out the bulb size. In the case of circlines, you will need the diameter of the bulb. Diameter is a unit of measurement found by measuring from side to side through the center of the object. The most common sizes include T5, T9, and T6 – where the T stands for “tubular” and the number is a measurement in eighths of an inch. For example, a T5 is a tubular bulb that is 5/8” in diameter. A T6 will typically be a double circline bulb which will make this step much easier. PIN CONFIGURATION Lastly, it is especially important to take note of the pin configuration. The pins must be the same as the replacement bulb in order to fit back into the existing fixture. Not only will you need to know how many pins the bulb has, but where exactly on the lamp they are positioned. Let’s take a look at a few different examples: GOING IN FULL CIRCLE Next time you’re in the market to replace your circline bulb, remember these three, easy pieces of information. And while you’re at it, consider replacing your entire fixture with a new, energy efficient LED fixture. Whatever your lighting needs, reach out to the pros at Lighting Supply. As one of the most widely known and respected lighting distributors, we have all the products and answers you need – and we’re always happy to help! Contact us here or leave a comment below. |