Specialty and Architectural Lighting

Over two years ago, when we wrote this original post, there was general angst from lighting designers, contractors and owners about the usefulness of LED MR16 bulbs as viable replacements for halogen MR16 in commercial display lighting applications. At the time, we cited a USDOE report from 2014 that showed "very few of the LED MR16 lamps listed in the LED Lighting Facts program are comparable replacements for the popular 12V 50W halogen MR16". Only...

Effective lighting for retail stores focuses on two concepts: entice shoppers to enter the store and, once they are in the store, direct their attention to the merchandise. This basic formula gets more complex, depending on the store, with the need to find a balance with other important issues such as energy use, maintenance costs, heat and UV generated by the lighting. A winning lighting strategy accomplishes the primary goal of getting shoppers in the...

Facility managers faced with a lamp replacement project may want to consider the LED option but worry about the reliability of the technology, higher initial costs and a predictable return on investment. Bosses may require convincing that now is the right time to adopt LED lighting for their facility. While we are well past the "early adopter" phase of the new technology adoption curve, familiarity with the LED light source and its benefits may still...

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?

Lighting, one of the key components of the overall customer experience when dining out, provides the restaurant owner with the benefits of aesthetic appeal along with the hassle of ongoing maintenance requirements and potentially high energy costs. The emergence of LED lighting offers restaurant owners an opportunity to maintain or enhance the lighting environment in their restaurant while reducing operating expenses. In some cases this means only deciding to purchase equivalent LED bulbs instead of...

Emergency lighting that provides occupants with a clear path of egress is a code requirement in most commercial and institutional buildings. Emergency lighting can consist of dedicated emergency fixtures including combo exit/emergency units mounted on walls or ceilings. Another option is fluorescent fixtures that include both standard ballasts for normal operation and a battery operated emergency ballast that converts the fixture to emergency mode during a power outage. Numerous codes can apply including International Building...

For several years we’ve heard the drum beat of the impending take-over of the traditional metal halide LCD / DLP projector lamp by either LED or laser based projection systems. At this point in time (early 2016) the verdict remains on the side of traditional metal halide replacement lamps. Using the projector database tool on Projector Central, we get the following number of projectors currently availabe by light source: Metal Halide: 5643 (1400 currently available)...

Warehouses using rack storage systems present unique lighting design challenges particularly for retrofits intended to improve the lighting scheme. The layout of most product storage warehouses comprises a shipping and receiving area (may be the same or separate areas), a low, open storage area for bulky items and a high rack storage area, usually occupying most of the warehouse space. Rack storage systems are often built to take advantage of high ceilings. Forklifts (or robotic...

Digital projector specifications always include values for brightness and contrast. While there are many factors that determine the best projector for an application, knowing the brightness and contrast may quickly qualify the projector, or not, for it’s intended use. Brightness is projector light output measured in lumens - the higher the lumens, the brighter the projector. Generally, projector prices go up as lumen output increases. Contrast is presented as a ratio between the brightest and...

With a glut of non-original lamp modules in the projector replacement lamp market, buyers of these lamps should be aware of potential diminished projector performance issues that may result. According to Philips Lighting, manufacturer of UHP projector lamps, “lamps that are originally installed in a projector are based on co-development activities between the lamp/driver manufacturer and the projector manufacturer”. This co-development helps ensure optimal lamp ignition and brightness performance as well as precisely designed cooling...