tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64365308520645166542024-03-13T07:17:43.414-07:00Boise LightingBoise lighting maintenance and energy efficient lighting upgrades.
www.BrightIdeasLightingCo.comTim Dunlophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00407320673286611866noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6436530852064516654.post-54453032108586771752012-02-09T16:11:00.000-08:002012-02-09T16:37:51.103-08:00Benefits of Induction lighting<div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGH3o6Sa-ZHvfP-2pk33peGxiP9cdJvEdgGL8bQXIruS3qSz4gngsGFT7evPAYp377EqoBdWfvQNJlCep-IdCTAuStW7zljWb27_tmtrfE7oSlE5xuzrl0Gj-IIi8KnD9HPRR0KolvFGg/s1600/Shoebox-Induction-Lighting-ZG4-Series-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGH3o6Sa-ZHvfP-2pk33peGxiP9cdJvEdgGL8bQXIruS3qSz4gngsGFT7evPAYp377EqoBdWfvQNJlCep-IdCTAuStW7zljWb27_tmtrfE7oSlE5xuzrl0Gj-IIi8KnD9HPRR0KolvFGg/s200/Shoebox-Induction-Lighting-ZG4-Series-.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>The last few years have seen a definite move in the direction of energy efficient types of lighting, and while there are now many options on the market, there is one that is still little known, yet incredibly effective. While induction lighting may not be as well known as LED lighting, it is far from being considered new technology as it was first introduced by Nikola Tesla back in the 1890’s. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.brightideaslightingco.com/boiseinductionlighting">Induction lighting</a> does have a higher upfront cost than traditional metal halide or high pressure sodium lights. However the extra cost is made up over the lifetime of the fixture with lower wattage and longer life of the induction fixture. Induction lights are typically rated 60,000-100,000 hours. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="ListParagraph" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 0in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>Induction lighting can basically run maintenance free during its lifespan, with most big name manufacturers offering a 10 year warranty bulb and induction driver. Retrofit products generally have 5 year warranty.</div><div class="ListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br />
</div><div class="ListParagraph" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 0in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>Induction lighting is instant on, which is unlike HID lighting like metal halide and high pressure sodium. Because the induction lights are instant on they can be used with occupancy sensors, and operate only when needed. </div><div class="ListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br />
</div><div class="ListParagraph" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 0in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>Many places have made the switch to LED lights because they too have a longer life than their alternatives, but induction lighting will last as long or longer than LED and usually comes in at less than half the price.</div><div class="ListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br />
</div><div class="ListParagraph" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 0in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>As mentioned earlier, induction lighting has been around for over a century, and while many commercial outlets are just now learning about its benefits, it has been gradually gaining prominence as an effective lighting alternative for the last 15-20 years.</div><div class="ListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br />
</div><div class="ListParagraph" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 0in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>In commercial areas the quality of light is equally as important as efficiency, and that is also an area where induction lighting comes out on top. It will produce a crisp, clear CRI (color rendering index) of around 80, as opposed to the 60 for metal halide, and the 20 for HPS lighting.</div><div class="ListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br />
</div><div class="ListParagraph" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 0in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>The higher the kelvin temperature of a lamp, the cooler the light will be. Induction light come in various temperatures, but the most common fall in the 4100 to 5000 range, which produces a crisp white light.</div><div class="ListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br />
</div><div class="ListParagraph" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 0in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>For all lighting types lumen output drops as the light ages, but just how much depends on the type of lighting used. The output of HID’s can drop by over up to 30% of the initial lumens after just 6,000 hours of use, which falls well short of the lumen performance of induction lighting which can maintain up to 70%, even after 60,000 hours of use.</div><div class="ListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br />
</div><div class="ListParagraph" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 0in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>Induction lighting is eligible for Idaho Power incentive money when replacing traditional HID lighting. These incentives for induction lighting can cover up to 50% of the total cost of a lighting upgrade.</div><div class="ListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br />
</div>Induction lighting can be used in many different areas for both interior and exterior lighting. It is important to have induction lighting installed by a <a href="http://www.brightideaslightingco.com/Boise-Electrician.html">qualified licensed electrician</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE6XItouYaH4H71ohNupPdN1hQDRn1qMQdHNxlAb4BGsEytKiqM4kHGenOo9GFlvcODXfsIVytLysznoOpqzH8ynzsW6RgR2pIHdC1g8sv6Npb1RPOGMVU5i2i0E9X1OU9oLq8DyMIU58/s1600/inductionlight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE6XItouYaH4H71ohNupPdN1hQDRn1qMQdHNxlAb4BGsEytKiqM4kHGenOo9GFlvcODXfsIVytLysznoOpqzH8ynzsW6RgR2pIHdC1g8sv6Npb1RPOGMVU5i2i0E9X1OU9oLq8DyMIU58/s200/inductionlight.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>If you are in the <b>Boise Idaho</b> area and considering an upgrade for your current metal halide or high pressure sodium lighting give <a href="http://www.brightideaslightingco.com/">Bright Ideas Lighting</a> a call at 208-378-1889 or schedule a <b><a href="http://www.brightideaslightingco.com/schedule-service">free lighting review</a></b>Tim Dunlophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00407320673286611866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6436530852064516654.post-21510672506385636502012-01-01T11:29:00.000-08:002012-01-01T11:32:01.678-08:00Boise ceiling fan installation<div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boise</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> ceiling fan installation</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">It is not difficult to see why people would be interested in ceiling fan installation in </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boise</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">, </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Idaho</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">. Ceiling fans add style and comfort to your home. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The Benefits You Get From Having Your Own Ceiling Fan</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">It makes sense to have a ceiling fan installed in your </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Boise</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">, Idaho area home, as it is a sensible and cost effective solution to an energy efficient home. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">It helps in stirring up a breeze to cool off your home in summer, circulating the air and resulting in less run time on your air conditioner. The circulating air can make the room feel between 5-10 degrees cooler. In the winter months ceiling fans push the hot air down resulting in less time running the heater. Ceiling fans add to resale value of your home and add comfort and style to any household. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;">What is involved in Doing it Yourself Ceiling Fans Installations </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Ceiling fan installation can be challenging for the average homeowner. You need a lot of tools and materials to start with. The ceiling fan, mounting kit, swag kit, lock washers, support unit, 4 x 1 1/2 octagon electrical box, cable, outlet box, switch, box connectors, wire nuts, switch cover, bonding screw, neon test light, no 2 Phillips screwdriver, claw hammer, speed controller, pliers, compass saw, and so the list goes on. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt;">That is not even mentioning what is all involved in the steps you have to follow to get it all installed. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Instructions can be long and difficult to understand, and some fans can weigh over 40 pounds</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">. Thinking of the safety aspects involved, it is it is better to get a </span><a href="http://www.brightideaslightingco.com/" style="font-family: inherit;">licensed Idaho electrician</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> called in to come and do what they do best.</span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Tim Dunlophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00407320673286611866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6436530852064516654.post-88525866360217332132011-06-23T18:15:00.000-07:002011-06-23T18:15:10.745-07:00Cold Cathode lighting<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="NoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt;">Have you taken a look at implementing cold cathode lighting into your home and/or business life? </span></div><div class="NoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="NoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt;">While Thomas Edison’s invention of the incandescent light bulb revolutionized the world and served humans for centuries, the time has come to tip our hats to Edison and leap forward into the 21<sup>st</sup> century while embracing technologies advancements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="NoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="NoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt;">Perhaps it is time to evaluate your lighting services, how well they are serving your needs and how they are affecting our planet.</span></div><div class="NoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="NoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt;">There are too many benefits of using cold cathode to not consider giving the technology a try at the very least - as it is extraordinarily dependable and cost efficient. The cold cathode lighting provides high reliability, very low maintenance and uses minimal energy, making it ideal for residential and commercial uses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="NoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="NoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt;">Of late, cold cathode engineering has been conformed and implemented into compact lighting products and are appreciating a median lifespan rating of 25,000 hours as well as boasting dimming capabilities. These long-life and energy saving lamps are ideal for particular applications, such as signage, where abbreviated maintenance and energy costs are coveted. The soft starting of the cathodes assures foresighted lamp life and unparalleled execution under difficult ambient circumstances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In many cases the cold cathode lights make much more economic sense than LEDs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are generally less than half the price than LEDs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="NoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="NoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt;">Cold Cathode lighting is the illumination of the present and the future. Some of you may have had the luck and pleasure of experiencing Cold Cathode in action. Some photo copy machines, mobile phones, liquid crystal display television screens and computer monitors are boasting the Cold Cathode technology.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="NoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="NoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt;">Take a look at some of the benefits you can reap when using Cold Cathode lighting: </span></div><div class="NoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="NoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt;">Filament free resulting in no failures from vibration</span></div><div class="NoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt;">Free from fire and explosion dangers as they operate “coldly”</span></div><div class="NoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt;">Use 1/3 of the energy of Incandescent lighting</span></div><div class="NoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt;">Boasts operating lifes up to 25,000 hours burning-over 10 times that of an Incandescent lamp</span></div><div class="NoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt;">Full dimming capabilities – even down to 2 percent</span></div>Tim Dunlophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00407320673286611866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6436530852064516654.post-62944843881548715962011-03-28T16:07:00.000-07:002011-03-28T16:08:27.474-07:00pulse-start metal halide lighting<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">There are two types of metal halide light bulbs - probe start and pulse start</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">Metal halide light bulbs are used in exterior lighting (<a href="http://www.brightideaslightingco.com/Boise-Idaho-parking-lot-light-repair.html">parking lot lights, street lights</a>, wallpacks, many exterior lights). They fall under a type of lighting called HID or high intensity discharge lighting, which includes metal halide, high pressure sodium, and mercury vapor. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://www.brightideaslightingco.com/VENTURE2666MH100W">Lower wattage metal halide light bulbs</a> have always been pulse-start. Only recently have higher wattage bulbs (150 watt and above) become available in pulse-start.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">The higher wattage probe-start metal halide fixtures are slowly being phased out. Per the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 new fixtures between 150-500 watt can no longer contain probe-start metal halide ballasts</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">Pulse start metal halide is superior in quality and performance compared to traditional metal halide lamps which use probe start technology. It optimizes the start up process and evenly distributes heat throughout the lamp. The noticeable benefits are faster start-up time, more energy efficiency, better lumen maintenance and longer life. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">Probe start metal halide lamps use three electrodes in the arc tube to start the lamp: one starter electrode and two operating electrodes. The starter electrode creates a discharge across from an operating electrode. The electrons discharged jumps through the small gap between these two electrodes to start the lamp. A bi-metal switch disconnects the starter electrode from the circuit after the lamp is started. Every start-up of the lamp causes tungsten from the electrodes to sputter and stain the arc tube wall. This cause lumen depreciation which means the light output of the lamp decreases as it is operated. Over time the arc tube wall darkens and reduces the performance of the lamp.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">This weakness in probe start metal halide lamps is resolved in the redesign of the lamp into using pulse start technology. Pulse start metal halide lamps use a high voltage ignitor and the ballast to create a series of high voltage pulses which start the lamp. The ignitor reduces the sputtering of tungsten as it heats up electrodes faster in the start-up process. It also allows the reduction of the pinch or seal area at the end of the arc tube thereby reducing heat loss and warm-up time. The immediate benefit of this redesign is higher lumen maintenance which means lamps can provide sufficient illumination and operate for a longer period of time before needing replacement. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">The development of the pulse start technology increased lamp life and energy efficiency comparable to high pressure sodium lamps. In addition, it also produces desirable color characteristics. The extended life of the pulse-start metal halide bulbs will reduce long term <a href="http://www.brightideaslightingco.com/Boise-Lighting-Maintenance-Repair.html">lighting maintenance</a> costs</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"> Pulse-start metal halide lamps are now available in a 5000 kelvin color, with a color rendering index of over 90. This makes pulse-start metal halide an attractive lighting retrofit to both high pressure sodium lighting and traditional probe-start metal halide lamps.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">Traditional probe start metal halide ballasts run using electromagnetic ballasts. While many pulse-start lights also run off electromagnetic ballasts, they are more efficient, and there are some electronic ballasts available for pulse-start metal halide lights. The electronic ballasts available today are typically only available for the wattage 150 and lower, but higher wattage electronic ballasts are expected to come on the market soon.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">In </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">Idaho</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"> there are currently <a href="http://www.idahopower.com/EnergyEfficiency/Business/Programs/EasyUpgrades/default.cfm">incentives from Idaho Powe</a>r for retrofitting old probe-start metal halide fixtures to pulse-start. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">Pulse-start technology is superior to probe-start lamps in almost every measurable way – longer life, better lumen maintenance, faster start up time, greater lumens per watt. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">At <a href="http://www.brightideaslightingco.com/">Bright Ideas Lighting Co</a> in Boise Idaho we are your experts in lighting retrofits of all types including pulse-start metal halide. Call us at 208-378-1889</span></div>Tim Dunlophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00407320673286611866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6436530852064516654.post-66535644848790252042011-03-08T18:02:00.000-08:002011-03-08T18:02:21.990-08:008 foot light fixture upgradeRecently we had a commercial lighting upgrade project in Boise, Idaho where the customer had 8' T12 fixtures that each had 4 light bulbs in them. They were big fixtures that looked very dated and they were not very energy efficient. Each fixture was consuming 276 watts and not producing adequate light.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKuTeVf77-ztBAE6nLsnYplLQ0PymnT6Irj9A06fAee4_N9UAK3PzFdDBWe21qN62b0hPwm339TfrN9mpiX-WpMAQ9pFkS0pdwxkSdquT9Tvb8GMWUGap0lCzWQB4piv2QHCRuVeWfVJc/s1600/before.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKuTeVf77-ztBAE6nLsnYplLQ0PymnT6Irj9A06fAee4_N9UAK3PzFdDBWe21qN62b0hPwm339TfrN9mpiX-WpMAQ9pFkS0pdwxkSdquT9Tvb8GMWUGap0lCzWQB4piv2QHCRuVeWfVJc/s320/before.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
We looked at a couple of different options and decided that it was not worth it to attempt to retrofit the old fixture to something more energy efficient like T8 8' lamps. <br />
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The better approach was to scrap the old fixture entirely and use a new 8' fixture with tandem 4' T8 light bulbs. The 4' T8 bulbs last longer than the 8' lamps and are much more energy efficient. <br />
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We used high performance ballasts and high lumen T8 light bulbs. The new fixtures use 110 watts and produce more light than the old fixtures. <br />
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Also the light quality is better. The old 8' T12 bulbs had a color rendering index of only 60, while the new T8 4' bulbs have a CRI of 83. <br />
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The old T12 8' light bulbs only had a rated life time of 12,000 hours, while the new high performance T8 light bulbs have a rated life of 24,000 hours. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Ze_znIXHYRL3IPulbNVS-Bbd9SkvPPTOE1nucxkse9hJcGUjuW5s7skX0kdLeBGMUOY-Go9h_IaUuZCGAJIcboZ-O_TY-IEyRadeX1TgBSaoiuzJz8wK5atCqmgnFQ7b8hTWPfPBvjg/s1600/after.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Ze_znIXHYRL3IPulbNVS-Bbd9SkvPPTOE1nucxkse9hJcGUjuW5s7skX0kdLeBGMUOY-Go9h_IaUuZCGAJIcboZ-O_TY-IEyRadeX1TgBSaoiuzJz8wK5atCqmgnFQ7b8hTWPfPBvjg/s320/after.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>By using the energy saving fixtures and high performance bulbs and ballasts we were able to get the customer <a href="http://www.brightideaslightingco.com/Idaho-Power-Lighting-Rebates.html">Idaho Power rebates</a> that paid for approximately 70 percent of total project costs. <br />
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The energy savings on each fixture is estimated at approximately $37 per year. The energy savings in the first year is more than the after rebate cost of each fixture. <br />
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<a href="http://www.brightideaslightingco.com/">Bright Ideas Lighting Co</a> also warrantied all the bulbs and ballasts on this job for 2 years, thus eliminating <a href="http://www.brightideaslightingco.com/Boise-Lighting-Maintenance-Repair.html">lighting maintenance</a> costs!<br />
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It is important when doing commercial lighting projects like this to make use you use a licensed electrical contractor who has experience in lighting upgrades. Tim Dunlophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00407320673286611866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6436530852064516654.post-42969718078729997562011-01-30T17:39:00.000-08:002011-01-30T17:39:31.990-08:00LED T8 light tubesWe at <a href="http://www.brightideaslightingco.com/">Bright Ideas Lighting Co</a> recently did a commercial lighting upgrade at a building in downtown Boise, Idaho. The job qualified for rebates from Idaho Power and was run through the custom efficiency program at Idaho Power, which pays rebates of 12 cents per kilowatt hour saved.<br />
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This project was the first time that we have used the new T8 LED lighting tubes. We have been skeptical of these in the past, based on their price and relatively minor improvements over high efficiency T8 fluorescent lights. However, in this situation the lights in question were over 45 feet in the air and the only way to get to the lights was by building an expensive scaffolding. The T8 light tubes that we purchased were rated at 60,000 hours, which is significantly longer than even the T8 extra long life bulbs. <br />
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Below is the picture of the lights before any retrofit was done. The height of the lights made maintenance very difficult. Maintenance on the bulbs had not been done in several years due to the cost of the scaffolding build. <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEKZ8WI02Uu2rnlmcfq5m5wG8YBRwCIizNEr2oZ4XoJQH6xvf1yyG20zVWMsTg3ovjvfeCwQ0Xt838Dqpeecj2AzXcSYrwtce5BWkM8ZwhQ8FRYtm_5oENMPNBKALJvuIYYFmrCUDCqTI/s1600/before.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEKZ8WI02Uu2rnlmcfq5m5wG8YBRwCIizNEr2oZ4XoJQH6xvf1yyG20zVWMsTg3ovjvfeCwQ0Xt838Dqpeecj2AzXcSYrwtce5BWkM8ZwhQ8FRYtm_5oENMPNBKALJvuIYYFmrCUDCqTI/s320/before.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">T12 fluorescent </td></tr>
</tbody></table>The bulbs before the lighting retrofit were T12 "cool white" color. The owner of the building wanted to brighten up the look and decided to go with a higher kelvin 5500K lights. <br />
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Even though the LED tubes were significantly more expensive than just a simple T12 to T8 lighting retrofit, we felt that in this case the extra cost of the LED tubes was justified. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig6Fj-b4L5X975J-MWimawn6jp5Pu1CYrDrONcOGzQNO9QCcY7zMXZbIuKOpOeOnwY2sAoSH9ReC6cj_RenwvU6Q12kYfwKJq7XRtS5JW2CgHYliCLKCB46OB_e3-cBpcCG5XODqqiMTc/s1600/after.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig6Fj-b4L5X975J-MWimawn6jp5Pu1CYrDrONcOGzQNO9QCcY7zMXZbIuKOpOeOnwY2sAoSH9ReC6cj_RenwvU6Q12kYfwKJq7XRtS5JW2CgHYliCLKCB46OB_e3-cBpcCG5XODqqiMTc/s320/after.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LED tube lights</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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These lights were at a location that was simply not accessable by use of a scissor lift. The only way to get to the lights was through scaffolding build, at a cost of thousands of dollars, and a large disruption to clients.<br />
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Before the lighting retrofit there were no lighting controls on these lights and they ran 24/7. We have now added a lighting control that turns off the lights in evenings and weekends. This will significantly cutdown the overall run time of the lights. <br />
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With the LED tube lights and the addition of the time clock controlling the lighting hours we believe it will be several years before the scaffolding build needs to be done again. <br />
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Stay tuned for more information on this project as it will be featured on Idaho Power's "success stories" page, where Idaho Power recognizes outstanding lighting retrofit projects.Tim Dunlophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00407320673286611866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6436530852064516654.post-45242474606708522902010-11-17T16:55:00.000-08:002010-11-17T16:58:34.805-08:00Free lighting retrofitsWe at <a href="http://www.brightideaslightingco.com/">Bright Ideas Lighting Co</a> have recently heard of companies in Idaho doing <a href="http://www.brightideaslightingco.com/Idaho-Power-Lighting-Rebates.html">lighting retrofits</a> at no net cost to the customer- the "free" lighting retrofit. <br />
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How are these companies able to do a lighting retrofit completely free to the customer? Generally under normal circumstances the <a href="http://www.idahopower.com/pdfs/EnergyEfficiency/EasyUpgrades/worksheet_lighting_Idaho.pdf">Idaho Power lighting rebates</a> will pay for about 50% of a job, with customer paying for the remainder.<br />
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How do these companies get the rebates to pay for 100% of the lighting retrofit job? The biggest thing that we have seen is excessive delamping. Idaho Power pays $12 per delamp. So if the fixture goes from 4 lamp t12 to 2 lamp T8 the delamping portion of the rebate is $24 (2x12). The 4-2 lighting retrofit is very common and generally looks good. What we have seen is the retrofit going from 4 lamp T12 to 1 lamp T8. This looks terrible, where there is only one light bulb in a fixture designed to have four. The light levels are actually far lower after the retrofit. However, with the 3 delamps, plus the retrofit incentives the Idaho Power rebates literally cover all of the costs. Other similar types of work are delamping 2 lamp fixtures to 1 lamp fixtures.<br />
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We are not going to do lighting retrofits where the end result is that the lighting looks worse than before the lighting retrofit! The point of a lighting upgrade is to get more energy efficient lighting and have the lighting look better than before the lighting retrofit. No point in doing a lighting upgrade if the end results is big energy savings, but lighting that looks bad.<br />
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Other things that we see done by the companies offering "free" lighting retrofits include using non licensed electricians, and using poor quality lamps and ballasts. Do you really want your lighting and electrical work done by non-licensed, non-insured workers? Do you want the light bulbs and ballasts to have a brand name that you have never even heard of?<br />
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At <a href="http://www.brightideaslightingco.com/">Bright Ideas Lighting Co</a> we are always going to use 800 series high performance light bulbs and <a href="http://www.nema.org/gov/energy/efficiency/upload/nema_premium_electronic_ballast_program.pdf">NEMA premium</a> ballasts in all of our lighting retrofits. <br />
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One thing that from what we have seen is almost always a part of the "free" lighting retrofit is improper disposal of the old T12 fluorescent light bulbs. The old fluorescent light bulbs contain mercury and need to be recycled. Recycling cost money and from what we have seen is that many of the "free" retrofitters just throw all of their old mercury containing tubes in the trash. At <a href="http://www.brightideaslightingco.com/">Bright Ideas Lighting Co</a> we recycle all old fluorescent tubes and can provide written certificate of recycling from our recycling company.<br />
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So with lighting retrofits, just as in most things in life, there is no free lunch. Our retrofits are not going to be free, but we will offer free estimates and consultation on lighting retrofits.Tim Dunlophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00407320673286611866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6436530852064516654.post-45768795467691274992010-09-06T11:01:00.000-07:002010-09-06T11:10:32.695-07:00Retrofit kits<a href="http://www.brightideaslightingco.com/">Bright Ideas Lighting Co</a> recently did a project using <a href="http://www.lithonia.com/commercial/RT8.html?pt=Commercial%20%26%20Industrial%20Fluorescent">Lithonia RT8</a> retrofit kits. The RT8 kits completely changed the look of the office space and reduced energy costs by over 50%. The great thing about these kits is that they cost less than an entire new fixture (both in labor and product costs), however the end result looks like a new fixture!!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz8yYTbRspa3T53k4oF5IuZZWEKqZryk532fBrdEXCj9iLYGnHraXrGmre5iM_cEfuqKj6A2zbGllzpRu947gIemfPigS_lyDo3OcaSnBJeywuCREZ0R7oBZXCl4BoSZcvA1PxTLBglK0/s1600/IMG_0432.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz8yYTbRspa3T53k4oF5IuZZWEKqZryk532fBrdEXCj9iLYGnHraXrGmre5iM_cEfuqKj6A2zbGllzpRu947gIemfPigS_lyDo3OcaSnBJeywuCREZ0R7oBZXCl4BoSZcvA1PxTLBglK0/s320/IMG_0432.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The previous lighting were old 4 lamp T12 acrylic troffers. Many of the bulbs were not even matching colors. Also many of the fixture covers were very dirty. The old electromagnetic T12 ballasts were also very noise, besides being very energy inefficient. Each fixture is using approximately 155 watts.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU9DFanAotg8wEnE5GnJYlR7lnM_E443x7lFUlkRLL0dEfBT97FO0kNtpnBa8lCLRz1fj_cxra6MOOdVEA9sdPX8GbydLTEc_9FnaTNouuqmp64xsIJQ3ujAPl4Hg63-j452uoaL3eaDU/s1600/IMG_0441.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU9DFanAotg8wEnE5GnJYlR7lnM_E443x7lFUlkRLL0dEfBT97FO0kNtpnBa8lCLRz1fj_cxra6MOOdVEA9sdPX8GbydLTEc_9FnaTNouuqmp64xsIJQ3ujAPl4Hg63-j452uoaL3eaDU/s320/IMG_0441.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> The picture to the right after we had installed the Lithonia RT8 lighting retrofit kits.<br />
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Notice the cleaner more modern look. The new kits with the 2 lamp T8 electronic high performance ballast are only using 54 watts per fixture. Note -The before and after pictures are not of the same room, but are of the same job. Just could not get into same room for the "after" shot.<br />
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Because we were retrofitting from T12 to T8 and delamping from 4 lamps to 2 lamps the customer was able to get a $38 per fixture rebate from <a href="http://www.idahopower.com/EnergyEfficiency/Business/Programs/EasyUpgrades/default.cfm">Idaho Power</a>. <a href="http://www.brightideaslightingco.com/Idaho-Power-Lighting-Rebates.html">Bright Ideas Lighting Co</a> filled out all of the Idaho Power paper work for the customer and made the process very easy. The customer was able to get what looks like brand new fixtures at a fraction of the cost by using the Lithonia RT8 retrofit kits.Tim Dunlophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00407320673286611866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6436530852064516654.post-16736135004900738732010-08-25T20:31:00.000-07:002010-08-25T20:31:38.855-07:00HID lighting upgradesDoes your building have light fixtures that look like the one below?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHPruO2DWasmvI1cWJAvMjgU2qmX0ThDxgznu6dDXwRab0c24Rzsbkfh6P0Cg0S9A1GesIEP1NPO85M24KwzHDAC7Y1W0gWlCqG5CBdOSA9_pOXwHyrrwFOjX757haSEHcGB8wOaWs9aY/s1600/IMG_0543.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHPruO2DWasmvI1cWJAvMjgU2qmX0ThDxgznu6dDXwRab0c24Rzsbkfh6P0Cg0S9A1GesIEP1NPO85M24KwzHDAC7Y1W0gWlCqG5CBdOSA9_pOXwHyrrwFOjX757haSEHcGB8wOaWs9aY/s320/IMG_0543.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Metal halide fixture</td></tr>
</tbody></table>If your building has light fixtures that look like the above fixture you are paying twice as much in energy cost as you should be paying. The light fixtures like in the picture above are high intensity discharge - metal halide, high pressure sodium, or mercury vapor. <br />
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<a href="http://www.brightideaslightingco.com/">Bright Ideas Lighting Co</a>. recommends removing these old fixtures and installing new highbay fluorescent fixtures. Typically the energy savings is 50%. The most common type of fixture like the one pictured above is a 400 watt metal halide. These typically take about 5 minutes to come to full brightness. The ballasts on these fixtures typically have an audible humming noise. <br />
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The 400 watt fixtures can easily be replaced by either 4 lamp T5 HO fixtures or 6 lamp T8s. If your business is in Idaho, the <a href="http://www.idahopower.com/EnergyEfficiency/Business/Programs/EasyUpgrades/default.cfm">Idaho Power rebates</a> are $90 for the T5 HO fixture and $120 for the 6 lamp T8. Since the cost of the two fixtures is approximately the same most projects are going with the 6 lamp T8 high bay fixtures. <br />
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The fluorescent fixtures come up to full brightness quickly, almost instantaneously, so you can turn them off and on without having to put up with the 5 minute warmup time for HID fixtures. Also the fluorescent fixtures can have occupancy sensors attached so that the fixture will partially turn off when there is no one nearby.<br />
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At <a href="http://www.brightideaslightingco.com/Idaho-Power-Lighting-Rebates.html">Bright Ideas Lighting Co</a> we just completed a project where we replaced almost 100 of the 400 watt metal halide lights with 6 lamp T8 and getting a tremendous energy savings and Idaho Power rebate for the customer.Tim Dunlophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00407320673286611866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6436530852064516654.post-61144001636448092192010-07-27T13:34:00.000-07:002010-08-25T20:33:21.973-07:00Boise lighting repairCall <a href="http://www.brightideaslightingco.com/">Bright Ideas Lighting Co</a> for lighting repair in Boise, Nampa, Caldwell, Meridian, Eagle and Kuna Idaho. We handle all interior and exterior lighting repair. Ballast changeouts, lighting retrofits, hard to reach lights. We have a bucket truck and are able to <a href="http://www.brightideaslightingco.com/Boise-Idaho-parking-lot-light-repair.html">change pole lights</a> up to 50' high.Tim Dunlophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00407320673286611866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6436530852064516654.post-57803128906401588962010-06-28T14:25:00.000-07:002010-06-28T14:25:22.230-07:00T12 electromagnetic ballast phaseoutPer the Energy Policy Act of 2005 as of July 1, 2010 electromagnetic T12 ballasts will no longer be allowed to be imported to or manufactured in the United States. <br />
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Suppliers are allowed to sell their remaining inventory of the electromagnetic T12 ballasts. However, in practical terms most suppliers have stopped selling the electromagnetic ballasts months ago. <br />
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This is the first phase of the T12 fluorescent phaseout. In July of 2012 the T12 bulbs will also phased out similar to the ballast. This is part government regulations to force energy efficiency. T8 fluorescent lights are approximately 30% more energy efficient than T12 lights, plus the T8 lights provide much higher color rendering (better light quality). <br />
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A significant portion of businesses have already did the lighting conversion, but even today T12 light bulb sales make up over 20% of all fluorescent tube sales. If you don't know what your business has, please give Bright Ideas Lighting Co a call at 208-378-1889 to schedule a free lighting consultation. We service lighting in Boise, <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Nampa</span>, Meridian, Eagle, <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">Kuna</span>, Caldwell, and Mountain Home, Idaho. We service the entire Treasure Valley.<br />
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Ultimately if your home or business still has the T12 fluorescent light bulbs you need to consider retrofitting to T8 <span class="goog-spellcheck-word">fluorescents</span>. This be done by changing bulbs and the ballast in your current fixture, so there is no need to change the entire fixture. There are currently <a href="http://www.idahopower.com/EnergyEfficiency/Business/default.cfm?tab=Business">Idaho Power rebates</a> available for businesses who convert their lights from T12 to T8. At <a href="http://www.brightideaslightingco.com/">Bright Ideas Lighting Co.</a> we are experts in all types of lighting retrofits whether T12 to T8, HID to fluorescent, or induction or LED retrofits.Tim Dunlophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00407320673286611866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6436530852064516654.post-44430875228061384042010-04-23T17:00:00.000-07:002010-04-23T17:00:25.057-07:00LED T8 tubes<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Ps-rkV81i5h1-D0rXdanH0RQ64GHcygxMzhUUKR_jUdNuhz7oJtS7B4VHngZ1jemjn9LSth_Sl7g7Rd7AD5YfGTV7MkOOw8MSrJcn7BCfQCncHWKvFRDXIk7NVVg18eBbwfGRSDErgo/s1600/LEDtubes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Ps-rkV81i5h1-D0rXdanH0RQ64GHcygxMzhUUKR_jUdNuhz7oJtS7B4VHngZ1jemjn9LSth_Sl7g7Rd7AD5YfGTV7MkOOw8MSrJcn7BCfQCncHWKvFRDXIk7NVVg18eBbwfGRSDErgo/s320/LEDtubes.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="http://www.brightideaslightingco.com/">Bright Ideas Lighting Co</a> installed some LED T8 tubes for the first time this week. We put them in for a customer who had requested them as a sample. <br />
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In the picture the tubes closest are the T8 fluorescents 4100K. The middle pair of tubes are the LEDs (rated at 4100K) and the far pair is the LED tubes rated at 5500K. <br />
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My impressions were that the LED tubes rated at 4100 kelvin did not look good. They seemed to have poor color and looked yellowish green. They were very bright and at only 18 watts a piece they produced a lot of light.<br />
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I did like the look of the 5500 kelvin LED tubes a little more. From the picture it is difficult to tell, but one of the tubes has a clear coating and one of the tubes has a frosted coating. I liked the clear coating, it produced much less of a glare. <br />
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The LED tubes were relatively easy to install. I would say they take approximately the same amount of time to install as it is to change a ballast. I think with some practice we could improve our time and cut our labor costs on these.<br />
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Overall it is still difficult to justify LED tubes over T8s given their relative price and performance. There is clearly HUGE potential in the LED tube market. There are places where LED tubes seem to make sense, those areas where access is difficult. The places we are looking installing the LED tubes requires scaffolding be build that will cost over $3000. So if we get extra life from the LED tubes over the fluorescents then the LED tubes may be worth the additional cost.Tim Dunlophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00407320673286611866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6436530852064516654.post-50384266262827644732010-03-13T10:40:00.000-08:002010-03-13T10:45:38.707-08:00Boise subdivision lighting repair<a href="http://www.brightideaslightingco.com/">Bright Ideas Lighting Co</a> services the lighting for many subdivisions in Boise, Idaho and the surrounding areas in the Treasure Valley. We proactively go out and drive through the subdivisions noting outages. Most times this is before the property manager hears complaints from residents. We help make property managers jobs easier! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNGwyIDRPDGs9m-Ibmx1Lgfz0bjEfZbZ8Rj_UisLtQgnfPoISUzB0_WPUT9f5ZyAE5mkE5jXkmYMFTFlsMX8HLF0XJXRbDQDguwYjMayg5HPQ2uhkFT57LJ6ls6AYnXHU6coZn_ivxs5s/s1600/IMG_3790.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNGwyIDRPDGs9m-Ibmx1Lgfz0bjEfZbZ8Rj_UisLtQgnfPoISUzB0_WPUT9f5ZyAE5mkE5jXkmYMFTFlsMX8HLF0XJXRbDQDguwYjMayg5HPQ2uhkFT57LJ6ls6AYnXHU6coZn_ivxs5s/s200/IMG_3790.jpg" width="150" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh_9Cy_sCgvsI5aZEZ2JObNnfss87LaEwHIiWceGFNcJDgCrPXnosAIvMoHdP7v2kUgtvT5fzL_jY2WxqcRSzkAwKP8WMv7IXh__oNfZXL1S0RdD0hOeNNSiGdYC8A97tYYJFfoFNb7Zg/s1600-h/IMG_3789.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh_9Cy_sCgvsI5aZEZ2JObNnfss87LaEwHIiWceGFNcJDgCrPXnosAIvMoHdP7v2kUgtvT5fzL_jY2WxqcRSzkAwKP8WMv7IXh__oNfZXL1S0RdD0hOeNNSiGdYC8A97tYYJFfoFNb7Zg/s200/IMG_3789.jpg" width="150" /></a>Now with the economy the way it is we see a lot of electricians who have always focused on new construction calling themselves lighting maintenance companies. They are only lighting maintenance companies until the next new construction project comes along. At <a href="http://www.brightideaslightingco.com/">Bright Ideas Lighting Co</a>. we have always focused on <a href="http://www.brightideaslightingco.com/Boise-Lighting-Maintenance-Repair.html">lighting maintenance</a> and <a href="http://www.brightideaslightingco.com/Idaho-Power-Lighting-Rebates.html">energy efficient lighting upgrades</a>. We don't try to be all things to all people. We are a lighting company, not a new construction company. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Are there <a href="http://www.brightideaslightingco.com/Boise-Idaho-parking-lot-light-repair.html">street lights</a> out at your subdivision which never seem to get fixed? If so give us a call at 208-378-1889 to get your subdivision signed up for our lighting maintenance program. We serve Boise, Nampa, Caldwell, Eagle, Meridian, Star, and Kuna. </div>Tim Dunlophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00407320673286611866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6436530852064516654.post-18384353973822713282010-03-11T20:18:00.000-08:002010-04-09T16:21:23.853-07:00LED MR 16 light bulbsAt <a href="http://www.brightideaslightingco.com/">Bright Ideas Lighting Co </a> we have been cautious in our approach to selling LED lighting. There is quite frankly a lot of junk on the market today. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjQy4ca4tqMeLXOrvnuDb1H8ZygKaD9RcHgY1VqivwwzJhjNsr0mJL6oe0oyty9j2EvlVWz236ddivuyz3wAJIL9yl5jyB6O4wKFK-JuSM36dJILrzglc27ZPDZ08cuDSCiMfBsJUAAEQ/s1600/IMG_0030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjQy4ca4tqMeLXOrvnuDb1H8ZygKaD9RcHgY1VqivwwzJhjNsr0mJL6oe0oyty9j2EvlVWz236ddivuyz3wAJIL9yl5jyB6O4wKFK-JuSM36dJILrzglc27ZPDZ08cuDSCiMfBsJUAAEQ/s320/IMG_0030.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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We have found some LED MR 16 products that we feel are a good value to our customers. They use 5 watts and have a rated hour life of 30,000 hours. The LED MR16s are not quite as bright as the typical 50 watt halogen light bulb, but easily the equivalent of a 35wt MR16 halogen.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9skPQhCZa1a_-nbmX9xCU2QPVADOHhTR_xp7ufScgpRpoB_Q74ahV0Z_6ZGrGs5CL-L7TnqV0prezdtItSJsMMJgD1O5uRoFznCIMQdFfTXdFh9nSE6hwk1DYD16mKS7LQzomTD8f4kY/s1600/IMG_0031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9skPQhCZa1a_-nbmX9xCU2QPVADOHhTR_xp7ufScgpRpoB_Q74ahV0Z_6ZGrGs5CL-L7TnqV0prezdtItSJsMMJgD1O5uRoFznCIMQdFfTXdFh9nSE6hwk1DYD16mKS7LQzomTD8f4kY/s320/IMG_0031.jpg" /></a></div><br />
We have been offering customers a demo of the LED lights. Give us a call to try the new LEDs out- 208-378-1889.Tim Dunlophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00407320673286611866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6436530852064516654.post-84923449450335499152010-02-22T11:14:00.000-08:002010-02-22T11:17:13.628-08:00T12 to T8 lighting retrofits - The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly<b>T12 to T8 lighting retrofits - The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly.</b><br />
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<b>The Good</b><br />
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Using top quality name brand products - Typically <a href="http://www.brightideaslightingco.com/" id="nbha" title="Bright Ideas Lighting Co">Bright Ideas Lighting Co</a> uses Philips, GE, Advance or Sylvania bulbs and ballasts. <br />
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High kelvin lights - Unless the customer specifically requests different we use either 4100 kelvin or 5000 kelvin lamps in all of our retrofits. Sometimes we even use the 6500 kelvin lamps for a daylight look.<br />
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Documented <a href="http://www.brightideaslightingco.com/Boise_Idaho_Light_Bulb_Recycling" id="kbqk" title="recycling">recycling</a> of all old fluorescent light bulbs. Your lighting retrofit provider should be able to provide a written certificate of recycling to you showing that they are in fact recycling the old fluorescent light bulbs.<br />
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<b>The Bad </b><br />
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Using 700 series T8 lamps. These area cheaper than the 800 series, but also provide less lumens and shorter life span. We still see some electrical contractors using these lamps in order to cut costs. Yes, using these cheaper lamps will allow the contractor to bid lower, but product quality is also less. The color rendering index on the 700 series lamps is mid 70s, while the 800s series is mid 80s. Much better color in the 800 series lamps. The 700 series lamps typically only have a rated life of 20,000 hours versus the 30,000 hours for the 800 series. Also much more lumen depreciation on the 700 series lamps. <br />
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Using cheap ballasts - We also see this done frequently in an attempt to save money on the overall cost. However, just like the 700 series lamps lower quality means lower prices, but also lower overall performance. We always use ballasts that are <a href="http://www.nema.org/gov/energy/efficiency/upload/nema_premium_electronic_ballast_program.pdf" id="gyji" title="NEMA Premium">NEMA Premium</a>. Ballasts earning this designation represent the most efficient ballasts available. The NEMA Premium ballasts are typically about 5-7% more energy efficient than the standard ballasts. The reason that a company does a lighting retrofit is to cut energy costs. Why leave an additional 5-7% savings on the table if you don't have to?<br />
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<b>The Ugly</b><br />
Delamping when you shouldn't - We have recently seen a several lighting retrofit jobs where the contractor delamped a 2 lamp fixture. The reason for the delamping is to gain extra <a href="http://www.idahopower.com/pdfs/EnergyEfficiency/EasyUpgrades/worksheet_lighting_Idaho.pdf" id="yq47" title="Idaho Power rebates">Idaho Power rebates</a>. However, when you delamp a 2 lamp fixture it looks really ugly. If there are rows of 2 lamp fixtures we sometimes have seen the contractor alternate (left or right side of fixture) to run the single lamp in. It does not look good at all. Best practice on 2 lamp fixtures is to use reduced wattage lamps or low ballast factor ballast for extra energy savings.<br />
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Yes, delamping a 2 lamp fixture does save the customer money, but it also looks terrible and give the company a less professional appearance. It is poor business to sacrifice quality lighting in the name of energy savings. <br />
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Another thing we have seen is contractors who when delamping a 4 lamp fixture actually use the middle 2 spaces to put the new T8s. When retrofitting a 4 lamp T12 fixture to a 2 lamp T8 fixture, the T8 lamps used should always be the outside 2 lamp space in the fixture. This allows much more light out of the fixture than running the middle 2 lamps as T8s. Besides less light output it just looks very poor. <br />
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This is somewhat personal preference, but we also still see contractors using the cheapest kelvin temperature light bulbs - 3500k. This kelvin temperature looks yellow-orange. Do you really want to sit under that color of light all day every day when you could be sitting under a lamp closer to a daylight color? <br />
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Throwing away of old fluorescent light bulbs. This one is very ugly for the environment. All fluorescent light bulbs contain mercury and should not be thrown in to the trash. We have seen the <a href="http://www.deq.state.id.us/waste/index.cfm" id="dbik" title="Idaho Department of Environmental Quality">Idaho Department of Environmental Quality</a> begin to get tough on companies throwing bulbs away. <a href="http://www.brightideaslightingco.com/" id="r4y0" title="Bright Ideas Lighting Co">Bright Ideas Lighting Co</a> is happy to see the stepped up enforcement of the recycling. It levels the playing field. Credible responsible companies such as <a href="http://www.brightideaslightingco.com/">Bright Ideas Lighting</a> are at a cost disadvantage versus fly by night companies that simply throw the old fluorescent light bulbs away. We urge all companies to make sure they are dealing with a lighting retrofitter that is recycling the bulbs. After all you aren't a "green" company if your service provider is polluting the environment with mercury.Tim Dunlophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00407320673286611866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6436530852064516654.post-86321775780586953382010-02-10T16:57:00.000-08:002010-02-10T16:57:55.919-08:00Occupancy SensorsOccupancy sensors are a great way to save energy in your business. Did you know that <a href="http://www.idahopower.com/EnergyEfficiency/Business/Programs/EasyUpgrades/default.cfm">Idaho Power</a> has a $40 rebate for each occupancy sensor a business installs? <br />
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For small areas we find that the PIR (passive infrared) works fine. We use them in individual bathrooms, and small breakrooms. For larger bathrooms with stalls, we recommend using the dual technology - (PIR and ultracontic) sensors. These sensors do not need a direct line of site to sense motion like the PIR sensors do.<br />
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Call <a href="http://www.brightideaslightingco.com/">Bright Ideas Lighting</a> at 378-1889 to have us install occupancy sensors in your businessTim Dunlophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00407320673286611866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6436530852064516654.post-3770758427311543392010-02-07T14:29:00.000-08:002010-02-07T14:29:41.238-08:00LED exit lightsMany businesses still have the old incandescent exit sign lights. These are high maintenance and energy inefficient fixtures. The fixtures typically use 2 20 watt incandescent screwin light bulbs (rated life is only 2000 hours). These fixtures can be replaced with a new LED exit sign which uses only abou 2-4 watts depending on brand. The LED lights typically are going to last at least 20,000 hours. <br />
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The energy savings per year with the new LED light fixture is approximately $20 per year.<br />
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Idaho Power is currently offering a $15 rebate to businesses who make the switch from the old incandescent exit light fixtures to the new LED exit sign fixtures. The rebate is easy to get and Bright Ideas Lighting Co will fill out the Idaho Power paper work for you. <br />
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Bright Ideas Lighting serves the Boise metro area and the entire Treasure Valley. Call us for all your lighting needs.Tim Dunlophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00407320673286611866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6436530852064516654.post-81991867306346705812010-01-21T19:26:00.001-08:002010-01-21T19:26:59.738-08:00Idaho Power Lighting RebatesSlideshare presentation on Idaho Power rebates<div style="width:425px;text-align:left" id="__ss_2943732"><a style="font:14px Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;display:block;margin:12px 0 3px 0;text-decoration:underline;" href="http://www.slideshare.net/BrightIdeasLightingCo/idaho-power-lighting-rebates" title="Idaho Power Lighting Rebates">Idaho Power Lighting Rebates</a><object style="margin:0px" width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=idahopowerlightingrebates-100118174631-phpapp01&stripped_title=idaho-power-lighting-rebates" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"/><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"/><embed src="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=idahopowerlightingrebates-100118174631-phpapp01&stripped_title=idaho-power-lighting-rebates" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><div style="font-size:11px;font-family:tahoma,arial;height:26px;padding-top:2px;">View more <a style="text-decoration:underline;" href="http://www.slideshare.net/">presentations</a> from <a style="text-decoration:underline;" href="http://www.slideshare.net/BrightIdeasLightingCo">Bright Ideas Lighting Co.</a>.</div></div>Tim Dunlophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00407320673286611866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6436530852064516654.post-47021836249108248602009-09-14T20:11:00.001-07:002009-09-14T20:11:30.357-07:00Not all lighting retrofits are created equalNot all lighting retrofits are created equal.<br /><br />With the great Idaho Power rebates out right now many businesses are doing lighting retrofits. The most common retrofit is from T12 to T8. One thing to remember is that not all retrofits are the same. There are a lot of businesses that just get multiple bids from different electrical contractors and go with the cheapest, assuming that a retrofit is a retrofit. The cheapest bid is not always the best. <br /><br /> Below are some things to consider when looking at a retrofit.<br /><br />1. What type of ballasts is the contractor using? The difference between a cheap generic ballast and a high efficiency (NEMA qualified) ballast can be approximately 7% in energy difference. The reason for are doing the retrofit is to save energy. The type of ballast that you use does matter how much energy is saved. <br /><br />2. What type of light bulbs is the person using? Are they using a cheap off brand import? Are they using 700 or 800 series lamps? Are they using low wattage T8 lamps, or extra long life T8 lamps? If an extra long life bulb is being used? Any of these higher quality light bulbs can add a few dollars per fixture to the lighting retrofit. However, in the long run the cost may well be worth it. These are things that the business should find out before deciding which bid to select. It is very important to make an “apples to apples” comparison. <br /><br />3. Is the person doing the lighting retrofit a licensed electrical contractor? In this economy there are a lot of people trying to make money where ever they can. Make sure that the person doing the lighting retrofits is licensed by your state.<br /><br />4. What is the contractor doing with the old T12 fluorescent bulbs? Are they recycling the light bulbs or just throwing them away? We highly recommend businesses request a written certificate of recycling. If a contractor is actually recycling, they should have this on file from their recycler. If they cannot provide a written certificate then they are likely not actually recycling.Tim Dunlophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00407320673286611866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6436530852064516654.post-81575866345505830192009-09-13T18:21:00.000-07:002009-09-13T18:28:09.880-07:00Bright Ideas Lighting Co.Short introduction slide show video about Bright Ideas Lighting Co.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxf3u1yDZpXF6rr5f2WARWF5pCVF3HUPBICHnQsMcO1g6yqvDTKzb2SwEJqW4GSVKzOJLBDTlZeTsrRMztltw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Tim Dunlophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00407320673286611866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6436530852064516654.post-73763603207325932782009-09-13T13:50:00.001-07:002009-09-13T13:50:22.372-07:00Boise BBB & Bright Ideas Lighting Co.Filmed a short video clip with the Boise Better Business Bureau.<br /><br /><a href="http://ping.fm/qVRO8">http://ping.fm/qVRO8</a>Tim Dunlophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00407320673286611866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6436530852064516654.post-64269879176672439202009-08-30T16:21:00.001-07:002009-08-30T16:21:12.383-07:00Enjoying the weather. Still warm, but getting more fall like.Tim Dunlophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00407320673286611866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6436530852064516654.post-9717708668849197302009-08-23T14:40:00.001-07:002009-08-23T14:40:44.874-07:00We will be working on a job down in Twin Falls this week. First time we have went down there for a job.Tim Dunlophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00407320673286611866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6436530852064516654.post-23901926684545809552009-08-10T21:24:00.001-07:002009-08-10T21:24:09.806-07:00CFL par style light bulbsIt seems like the pricing on the compact fluorescent PAR style light bulbs has come down and the quality of the product seems to have gone up. <br /><br />In on retail store in downtown Boise we have replaced all of the 75 watt PAR30 lamps with a 15 watt PAR 30 compact fluorescent light bulb. The CFL actually looks a little bit brighter than the halogen lamps. The business owner really likes the CFLs. <br /><br />The compact fluorescent light bulbs use 60 watts less than the halogens were using, produce much less heat, and last longer. The CFLs can generally be ordered in several different color temperatures from 2700 to 5000 kelvin. To approximate the halogen color choose 2700-3000 kelvin.<br /><br />The CFL par lights are not for every application. I don't believe they would work in a restaurant application. Most restaurants that we service use halogen light bulbs with dimmers to control light levels. Also halogens produce a different look than the CFLs some places this works some it does not. We recommend trying the compact fluorescents. <br /><br />We have these light bulbs work in several Boise locations - retail stores, auto dealers, and hair salons.<br /><br />We recommend using Energy Star light bulbs. Also, we recommend using the aluminum base lamps if possible. They seem to last longer.Tim Dunlophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00407320673286611866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6436530852064516654.post-64187416323424886382009-08-07T15:41:00.001-07:002009-08-07T15:42:00.012-07:00Went to a local tradeshow yesterday. Learned about some new lighting products coming out. Exciting stuff. New LED street lighting.Tim Dunlophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00407320673286611866noreply@blogger.com0