Specialty and Architectural Lighting

One small positive of the coronavirus outbreak and response is the increasing awareness of people of the effects of ultraviolet UVC germicidal light on viruses, bacteria, mold, and fungi. This article examines the harmful microorganisms commonly found in homes, as well as UVC solutions for sanitizing air and surfaces.

Everyday, it seems like the news coming out of China gets worse and worse. Far from the coronavirus being a small outbreak, there are indications that it won't be over soon and is worse than reported. But the ramifications of coronavirus reach far beyond just the illness and deaths the outbreak is causing, which are tragic and heartbreaking enough. Parts of China are simply shut down with quarantines or people staying home, meaning manufacturing is...

Since its outbreak in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, coronavirus has become increasingly concerning. The spread of the virus has had a number of effects on the lighting industry. Much of the lighting industry is located in China. A great amount traditional lighting is now manufactured there, and many LED companies manufacture their products in Chinese plants. Longer Lead Times for Light Fixtures & Bulbs For lighting designers and installers around the globe, the fact...

Lighting for aquariums is an incredibly complicated task. Too little light can endanger plant and fish life and growth, while too much light can lead to a high rate of algae growth. There is also a heat factor, in too much heat can kill fish and plants. Aquarium owners will often combine several types of light sources to achieve the spectrum and intensity of light they are trying to achieve. Traditionally, fluorescent and metal halide...

Whether your are on 23 ft cabin cruiser or a 100 ft yacht, chances are you store fresh water. Marine fresh water tanks are designed for storing potable water. The larger tanks with capacity to accommodate several days away from port are found in yachts, large sailboats and deep sea fishing boats. The water that ends up in these tanks can come from many different sources - when options are limited sometimes the water can...

One of the most common light fixtures found in both commercial and residential applications is the ceiling recessed downlight. The clean, smooth ceiling look of recessed downlights makes them popular in office entryways, lobbies, hallways and conference rooms. In homes, recessed downlights are common in kitchens and are often found in rooms throughout the house. Realizing the significant potential for both energy and maintenance cost savings, manufacturers have developed a large range of LED retrofit...

High bay fixtures that use metal halide lamps are common in warehouses, shops, sports facilities and big box retail stores. Wattages for metal halide lamps in these applications typically range from 175 watts to 400 watts. Manufacturers are, in 2020, many generations into their lines of LED lamps designed to replace high wattage metal halide. The wattage for equivalent illumination from LED lamps designed for high bay is generally in the range of 50 watts...

Many manufacturers offer both glass and plastic tube construction for LED replacement lamps. So which is best, glass or plastic? The answer depends on the application. Here’s a brief guide. Application LED Tube Material Damage Protection Comments Office & General Lighting Glass Minimal Protection Least expensive for large scale retrofits Grocery & General Retail Glass PET Coated Shatter Protection NSF Rated Mid-range expense Food Processing & Industrial Plastic Best Protection NSF Rated Most expensive Lamp...

When new LED lamps are used to replace traditional light sources or LED fixtures are part of a retrofit project, an important but often overlooked issue that must to addressed is the compatibility of existing controls. Lighting is a system. The light source is one component. Ballasts, transformers, dimmers, occupancy and photo sensors must be compatible or the new LED light source upgrade will not function properly. It’s not uncommon, after LED lighting has been...

For some people dark winter days, particularly in northern latitudes, can cause lack of motivation, lethargy, slow response and in some cases depression. The common term for this condition is SAD, seasonal affective disorder. For owners of commercial operations with employees, this phenomenon should be taken seriously because it can not only affect the employee but also degrade work performance and productivity. Similarly, employees of institutional and medical facilities that operate 24 hours a day...