In lighting news…
Toshiba has signed a contract to provide LED lighting for the Louvre (free of charge). The Pyramids, the Napoléon Court, and the Cour carrée will all be outfitted with LED lights by 2012.
Three women in southwestern Kenya have engineered solar lighting for two remote villages in rural Kenya. The story is really incredible.
The Green Savings Network blog wrote about a current trend in the green construction industry: certified general electricians are transitioning into energy contractors because of the booming market for retrofitting.
Houston’s Toyta Center, home of the Houston Rockets (NBA), has just been awarded with LEED EB Certification. Joining the ranks of Portland’s Rose Garden, Miami’s American Airlines Arena, Atlanta’s Philip’s Arena, and Minnesota’s Target Field, the news points to a surge in popularity of major sports arenas seeking LEED certification. Continue reading 'The Pegasus Lighting Roundup for July 5 to July 16'»
If you’re only going to choose just one lighting feature to add your kitchen, make it under cabinet lighting. It provides task lighting for your countertops to make them ideal for food preparation and cooking, it illuminates the backsplash on your wall to create beautiful accent lighting, and it can also be used as night lighting for your kitchen. Once you install under cabinet lighting, you’ll never want to go back.
Many lighting designers talk about creating “layers of light” for your kitchen. Under cabinet lighting serves as a crucial “layer” for great design.
That being said, there are a ton of options to choose from. How do you know what style of under cabinet lighting is right for your kitchen? Hopefully, this guide will make it a little easier to make your selection.
It’s a good idea to choose your light source first.
1. Fluorescent, Xenon, or LED?
Fluorescent Under Cabinet Lights
Fluorescent under cabinet lights are the most energy efficient in providing a given amount of light. Moreover, fluorescent light sources give off very little heat. This is a great feature depending on what is stored in the cabinet immediately above the under cabinet fixture or, perhaps, what is lying 12 to 18 inches below the light. While most fluorescent fixtures cannot be dimmed, they can be a wonderful, inexpensive option. In addition, our Microfluorescent Fixtures or Fluorescent Swivel Sticks are probably the easiest products to install – a definite plus. Continue reading 'How to Choose Under Cabinet Lighting'»
Buyer's Guides
| 
dimmers, energy efficiency, fluorescent lighting, halogen lighting, interior design, kitchen lighting, led lighting, low voltage, puck lights, recessed lighting, residential lighting, task lighting, under cabinet lighting, xenon lighting
Check out the Dimmer Energy Savings Calculator on Lutron’s new website.
It’s an interactive tool to show how much money and energy you can save by using Lutron dimmers. The calculator allows you to select a specific product, the room you’re planning on using it in, hours per day of use, dimmer level, etc. It’s pretty cool!
If you’re looking to go green, installing a dimmer is one of the easiest ways to do it. Dim an incandescent or halogen bulb by 25 percent and you’ll save 20 percent on the cost of electricity, extend the life of the bulb, reduce landfill waste, and cut back on CO2 emissions from power plants. And the aesthetic effects of dimmers pay off as well – you’ll be creating beautiful mood lighting for any room.
Think about this: if every household in the United States installed one Lutron dimmer this year, we would reduce CO2 emissions equivalent to that of 370,000 cars – and we’d save $230 million collectively in electricity. Incredible.
Check out those fabulous under cabinet lights! One of our customers recently remodeled his kitchen – copper & walnut countertops, cream cabinets, a new refrigerator, oven, sink, etc. and our xenon under cabinet lights. He posted pictures on the Garden Web forum of the results, but we wanted to share them on the blog as well! The xenon lights seem to bring out the warmth of the countertops, and the effect is truly fantastic.
Xenon is always a great option for under cabinet lighting because it’s dimmable and doesn’t give off as much heat as halogen. The particular model in these pictures is the Xenon Line Voltage Thin Under Cabinet Light – it’s extremely low-profile and gives off a bright white light.
1. Set a budget. Think about what you can afford and don’t forget to account for costs of labor if you end up having to hire an electrician.
2. Find out what your current circuit in the kitchen can handle. In order to do this, multiply the amps by the volts. Most circuits have 120 volts. So if your circuit was 15 amps, you’d multiply 15×120. That amounts to 1800 – the total number of watts your kitchen circuit can handle. It’s a good rule of thumb to use your circuit up to 80 percent of its capacity.
3. Consider the condition of your current wiring. If you’re in an older home, you might consider rewiring the room (this is where you should contact an electrician if you don’t have experience).
Continue reading 'Planning Your Kitchen Lighting – 8 Easy Steps'»
Lighting Tips
| ceiling lights, dimmers, fluorescent lighting, halogen lighting, interior design, kitchen lighting, led lighting, pendant lights, recessed lighting, residential lighting, task lighting, under cabinet lighting, wall sconces, xenon lighting
Inadequate light above the sinks: If you’re feeling like the light above your mirror is not enough to illuminate your face, add a wall sconce to each side that will complement the ceiling lights. Recommended wattage: 150 watts of incandescent light, or 40 watts of fluorescent light per sink. For more information, check out our blog post on bathroom vanity lighting: “How Not To Look Like Dracula”
Harsh light during midnight trips to the bathroom: If the bright glare is bothersome, install a dimmer. It is easier on the eyes and provides a pleasant, low glow for the bathroom. Dimmers are affordable and easy to install, and can also serve as mood lighting during a relaxing bath.
Continue reading 'Quick Fixes for Bathroom Annoyances'»
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'»
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
| dimmers, doe, energy efficiency, fluorescent lighting, interior design, kitchen lighting, mixed lighting, pendant lights, track lighting, under cabinet lighting, wall sconces
If your goal for 2010 is to spend more time working out in your home gym, why not make the space more welcoming? Set yourself up for success with these suggestions and see how lighting can make all the difference.
- Energize with bright lighting: The typical home gym is a poorly-lit corner of the basement where the treadmill sits. Sound familiar? Transform that corner into an inspiring exercise zone by improving the light. After all, bright lights increase energy levels.
- Think natural: If you can, open the blinds to any windows or skylights in the room. Again, it’s all about energy: natural light is proven to boost levels more so than yellow light. If the area lacks sufficient windows, make sure to use products that will closely emulate sunlight. Consider LED recessed downlights.
- Create an oasis: With the touch of a button, set the mood for a yoga session or cool down period with light dimmers. This will give your home gym much more versatility for workouts.
- Make yourself look good: Especially if you have a mirror in your home gym, you’ll want to use an even distribution of light for a more flattering effect. Avoid creating sharply directed sources of light. The direct glare can also be irritating any time you’re looking up at the ceiling, which won’t help for ab workouts.
Frequently we bookmark interesting articles we come across on the internet that describe current products, trends, or news in the lighting industry to our Delicious account. You can view all the articles we have bookmarked and saved to our account since last August, when we started using Delicious.
Starting today, we are now going to post a regular Pegasus Lighting Roundup of interesting lighting information we came across during the week. It will provide a short recap of articles to help keep you informed. Hopefully, it’ll be an easy way for you to scan through any topics you might want to learn more about. So, without further ado:
In lighting news…
The remodeling business is expected to grow this year, ending the economic slump caused by the housing downturn. Industry experts at the International Builders’ Show remarked that the increase in existing-home sales due to low prices will help the remodeling market. Other contributors to the boost: aging baby boomers are beginning to adapt homes to their needs. Also, there’s a clearly rising trend to incorporate green initiatives in homes.
OLEDs are expected to be the next big thing on the market for display lighting of any kind (computer monitors, TVs, cell phone displays, etc). Why are they so great? They’re extremely energy efficient, can be made unbelievably thin, and provide superior color quality. This article explains why they’re not on the market yet: their efficiency technology is still developing, the cost of creating them is sky-high, and their lifespan is lacking. However, five years from now, we may see OLEDs making things like glowing wallpaper possible.
Continue reading 'The Pegasus Lighting Roundup for Jan 30 to Feb 5 2010'»
Pegasus Lighting Roundup
| commercial lighting, dimmers, energy efficiency, interior design, kitchen lighting, led lighting, light bulbs, puck lights, recessed lighting, residential lighting, task lighting, under cabinet lighting, wall sconces
Comments (0) 
Themocracy