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We combined two weeks of information into the Roundup this time so it’s a bit longer, but don’t miss it! We have found tons of great articles and sites the past couple of weeks we want to share with you.
In lighting news…
The television industry will soon experience “an acute undersupply” of LEDs. Don’t expect a rapid decline in retail prices for LED-backlit LCD TVs anytime in the near future.
This post argues that hospital lighting changes must be included in health care reform legislation. Consider this: every hospital that switches to LED lighting would save half a million dollars a year, with zero up front costs.
Continue reading 'The Pegasus Lighting Roundup for Feb 22 to Mar 5'»
A couple of months ago I wrote my first blog post for my New Home Project post series. This post series is about the lighting projects I have undertaken in my new home. That first post was about the installation of our kitchen under cabinet lighting. I had hoped to make these posts a little more frequent, but you know how that goes…time gets away from you. Either way, I am finally writing my second post for this series and it is about using Microfluorescent T4 fixtures as pantry and closet lighting.
As a I stated in my previous post, some of my lighting projects I did myself, and others I had professional electricians perform. Adding my pantry and closet lighting was a mix of both. During the construction of my new home I had the electricians install electrical outlets that were controlled by a light switch in our two kitchen pantries. One of these pantries was in the kitchen, and the other was actually a coat closet beneath our stairs close to our kitchen that we had the builder convert into a pantry (we call this our “big pantry”). I had these electrical outlets included so that once we moved into the house I could easily install Microfluorescent T4 fixtures around and above the interior door frames of each pantry. The Microfluorescent T4 fixtures come with a cord and plug and you can also purchase flexible linking cables to link two or more fixtures together, which is what I did. Why did I choose these fixtures? I think this customer comment says it all…
The T4 is sleek, compact, easy to install and provides a generous amount of light in a very small footprint.
It’s a small room with a big impact. For homes, the main-floor half-bath, or powder room, is often one of the highest-traffic spaces in the house. For businesses (especially restaurants), the bathroom can determine customer satisfaction, serving as the tipping point between a customer who won’t return and a customer who will recommend to others. Businesses that consider bathroom design to be an expendable overhead cost may be making an expensive mistake. A recent study by Cintas Corp. found that 95% of customers would not return to a restaurant if they had a bad experience with the restroom. The study found that customers use these types of small details as indicators of how the business handles other back-end operations.
That being said, the guest bathroom for homes or businesses is a valuable space to remodel. Because it’s so small, it’s also a less expensive project to take on.
Continue reading 'The Importance of Bathroom Lighting'»
Spring cleaning season is on its way, and it’s easy to start eliminating organization nightmares in your closets, pantries, and cabinets if you shed some light on the problem. Think about it. All of the trouble spots in your home where items are stashed with no rhyme or reason – are they in the dark? Lower cabinets in the kitchen that extend deep under the counters, the dim corners of the closet, underneath the bed, garage shelves, even the floor under the backseat of the car: they’ve all got it in common.
Adding a tap light to any of these areas is probably the simplest and least expensive thing you can do to improve on organization. Our LED Battery Operated Puck Lights are only $5.85; they are super bright with three white LEDs and the only thing you need to do to install is apply the self-adhesive tape. Plus, the batteries will have a long life because they’re LED.
Continue reading 'Light Your Way to Organization'»
We are hosting a new contest at Pegasus Lighting. In order to enter, all you have to do is give us your opinion on our new website!
In case you haven’t heard, our new site will debut in Summer 2010. It features a sleeker design that is easier to navigate and read, additional features to help you find the right lighting product for your project, and a smoother product purchasing process. We are still finalizing the design details and we want your feedback.
To enter the contest:
1. Visit the templates of the new pages and compare them to our current site. You will find four static images of the design templates for different pages of the site.
2. Please provide your detailed opinion on at least two of the pages by posting a comment on our blog (below the New Website post). Make sure to describe what you like and/or don’t like about the pages and explain why.
3. You must post your comment by March 31st to enter.
Note that our new pages are static representations of what the new website will look like. They are not fully functional web pages yet.
Prizes:
Two grand prize winners will each receive a $150 gift certificate to use on their next lighting purchase. Ten other winners will each receive an LED battery-operated puck light. Winners will be chosen at random from contestants and will be notified on April 2nd.
Good luck and thank you for your valuable feedback!
Last week, we provided an overview of LEED Certification and described the process of certifying a home as an example. We wanted to provide an example of performance standards in a commercial building as well.
LEED for Commercial Interiors can be used to certify the design and construction of tenant spaces for office, restaurant, healthcare, hotel/resort, and education buildings of all sizes, both public and private.
This system was designed for those who want to create sustainable spaces but don’t have control over the entire building’s operations. Certification requires a minimum of 40 points from a specific checklist. 50 points and above earn an additional LEED Silver accreditation; 60 points and above, Gold; 80 points and above, Platinum.
Continue reading 'LEED Certification for Commercial Interiors'»
A McDonald’s in Cary, NC has more in mind than making great hamburgers. In early 2009, the franchise in the Saltbox Village shopping center demolished its building in hopes of starting from the ground up to become LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified.
The store now saves on energy by using 78 percent less electricity for lighting. It is 97 percent lit with LED lights, covering the kitchen, hallways, restrooms, dining areas, entryways, and even the drive-thru. It also conserves water with low-flow toilets and planned landscaping with native plants.
The U.S. Green Building Council granted LEED certification in January, making the Cary franchise the first McDonald’s in North Carolina that has “gone green.” In fact, there are only two other LEED-certified McDonald’s in the country, located in Savannah, GA and Chicago, IL.
In a recent Lighting Roundup, we mentioned a few articles predicting 2010 will be the year for LEDs to explode on the commercial and residential market. Perhaps restaurants seeking LEED certification with more energy-efficient lighting will become a trend as well.
In lighting news…
Vancouver is setting the stage for more eco-friendly Olympics in the future by using LEED-certified buildings, energy-saving light bulbs, and hydrogen-fueled buses during the events.
In lighting tips…
These seven design decorating tips reveal how to make your home look expensive without a huge budget. Lighting is one of the essential factors: “your furnishings will look brighter and bolder in appropriate lighting, giving you a richer look home-wide.”
If you’re curious about current home design trends, check out this article on the top 50 features that home buyers love. Under cabinet lighting, wall sconces, and dimmers all made the list.
Continue reading 'The Pegasus Lighting Roundup for Feb 15 to Feb 19'»
Pegasus Lighting Roundup
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dimmers, doe, energy efficiency, fluorescent lighting, interior design, kitchen lighting, mixed lighting, pendant lights, track lighting, under cabinet lighting, wall sconces
LEED is an international green building certification system, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC): a non-profit organization with a mission to transform the building environment. It’s one of the few standardized measures of energy efficiency. Both commercial and residential buildings can obtain LEED Certification. The process takes into account strategies used throughout the building process: from the first designs to maintenance and repair.
Essentially, it’s a points system. Depending on the type of building, i.e., school, retail, home, healthcare, etc., a project must earn a certain number of minimum points for certification. To give you an example, I’ll go through the process of gaining LEED certification for a home.
Continue reading 'What is LEED Certification?'»
In lighting news…
75 percent of Americans are unaware of the impending federal phaseout of incandescent light bulbs that will start in two years, according to a study by GE Lighting. Check out our blog post explaining the energy efficiency standard changes if you missed it.
A company that develops organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology put a date on the expected market availability of light-emitting wallpaper: 2012. LED-powered wallpaper uses a chemical coating to produce a glow that mimics natural sunlight on the walls. It may be considered an alternative to light bulbs in the future.
Evans Wadongo, named a 2010 CNN Hero, distributes solar-powered LED lanterns to rural homes in Kenya with the help of a nonprofit organization. The money the Kenyan villagers save on kerosene and firewood will reduce poverty and hunger. This is an amazing story.
Continue reading 'The Pegasus Lighting Roundup for Feb 8 to Feb 12'»
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