Unique Retail Lighting Can Give Your Store Character

retail lightingHow many times have you been in a highly lit, impersonal retail store and wanted to get out as soon as you walked in?  What about a poorly lit clothing store where you can barely even see the product? This can be a dilemna your business faces that you do not even know about.  Creating the right atmosphere for your customers is almost as important as the products you sell.  Once you know this, you can start getting to work on making your store the business it should be.

What Do You Want To Put Out Into The World?

The first thing you need to do when considering the lighting for your establishment is to figure out the tone you want in the store.  Whether it is a cozy, home like feel or a big, spectacular one, you are going to need the right lighting to compliment it.  Doing the due diligence is key to making your store come to life.

Execution

Here is where you really need to shine.  Finding the right people to make your idea come to life is key.  You need to give them all of the information on what you had in mind and then get out of the way and let them do their thing. If you have found the right people, you will see that they have you covered.  In no time flat, you will be looking at a retail store fit for a king or queen.

Ultimately, making your retail store as approachable as possible is the key to success.  To do this, you need to figure out the tone of your store then hire the right people to make your lights compliment that tone.

If you would like to take a look at what we’ve done, or just get some pricing information, please contact us.

Bar Lighting Influences a Facility’s Atmosphere and Profits

How’s your bar’s bottom line? If it’s looking a little thin, take a good look around. It could be due to your bar’s lighting.Bar lighting falls under the consumer research category known as atmospherics. It can influence everything from your bar patrons’ moods to their purchasing habits. Here’s more:

As previously mentioned, atmospherics research has shown that indoor lighting may be used to influence consumer behavior in a variety of ways. For example, bar lighting may help steer patrons’ eyes towards a row of top-shelf liquors. It could also be used to attract patrons to certain areas of the bar and cause them to linger there. There has even been works written by the University of Gavle and the Center for Problem-Oriented Policy that seem to indicate certain types of lighting may reduce episodes of aggression among patrons.

bar_lightingWith that said, LEDs are one form of bar lighting that you should consider investing in. To begin with, the bulbs have a long life, feel cool to the touch are compact and energy efficient. Therefore, the bar lights will save you money and you can use them in a variety of places. For example, you could build them into tables, seating arrangements, walls, liquor display areas and bar backs. The bar lights are also easily controllable with the aid of companion items (i.e. hardware and software). As such, you could adjust them throughout the evening to redirect your bar patrons’ attention as needed.

Not sure where to start when it comes to purchasing energy efficient bar lighting? We here at Relumination can help. We have been in the lighting solutions business for years. As a matter of fact, case studies detailing how we’ve helped food and beverage businesses with their lighting needs are available on our website. They’ll give you additional insight on what great lighting can do for a bar’s bottom line. Once you’ve had a chance to read them, contact us. Afterward, we’ll conduct an in-depth examination of your bar’s lighting issues and help you come up with a viable solution.

Outdated Hotel Lighting May Be Costing You More Than You Realize

hotel lightingAre you currently managing a full-service hotel that was designed during the 1970s or 1980s? If so, there is a good chance that the property’s lighting is costing you far more than you realize. Here’s why:
According to Center for Responsible Travel figures, foreign and domestic travelers alike are actively seeking out hotels that pay more than just lip service to environmental issues. Thus, having energy inefficient lighting running all throughout your establishment could be killing your chances of attracting those consumers. Considering that they are believed to collectively spend over $400 billion annually on travel, that’s a big deal.

In addition, outdated hotel lighting has a tendency to drive up operating costs in several ways. For starters, traditional lighting uses 4-5x more electricity than its modern counterparts. Many of the older model bulbs also tend to have a short life span and require special disposal methods. Therefore, your hotel’s utility, labor and inventory costs are likely to be much higher than facilities with modern lighting. Calculating your monthly lighting expense is easy and should include materials (lamps), labor, disposal costs and downtime. If you have never done this, it can be a real eye-opener.

Once you know how much your outdated hotel lighting is costing you, you may start to wonder what to do about it. We here at Relumination can help answer that question as well. All you need to do is contact us online or call 1-480-478-0703. To learn more about hospitality lighting, click here.

Relumination to Upgrade LED Lighting in Tucson Poly Print Facility

poly_printRelumination has been selected by Poly Print for a project that will upgrade their indoor and outdoor lighting in their state-of-the-art 24/7 Tucson, Arizona printing facility. These changes will result in an estimated savings of 335,000 kWh of electricity with a project payback of 2.4 years.

This project will  transition the entire site to energy-efficient lighting. This will include new LED exterior lights, upgraded office lighting and intelligent LED lighting in warehouse and production areas. These changes will not only enhance the workplace but will also save the company money while reducing wasted energy.

In addition, our energy efficient lighting requires much less maintenance and replacement than the existing lighting which results in even greater savings. By implementing intelligent lighting, Poly Print will use energy only when necessary. This is also valuable for employee safety as well.

Parking Lot Lighting for Increased Security & Safety

ledparkinglotChances are you’ve taken extraordinary efforts in providing more than adequate lighting for your office areas where most of your business in conducted. If it’s a retail space, then you’ve taken proper actions to create ample lighting for your customers so that they can see and evaluate your product in an effective and desirable light. If your business is more of a cubicle environment, then your workers need adequate lighting to be able to performs as efficiently as possible. One area, however, that may even require more attention for your place of business though is parking lot lighting.

Having your parking lot properly illuminated is key to providing an increased level of security and safety in the areas surrounding your business. Not only will proper lighting give your customers or clients a safer access to your business, but it is also more likely to protect you, as a business owner, from any sort of legal action in the event that something unfortunate in the form of crime or personal injury may happen.

“A review of case law shows that environments that have a specified flaw in design or negligence of conditions have some traction in litigation. However, no cases show any succcessful legal actions when spaces incorporate reasonable lighting design practice, including light levels based on appropriate design references.” (E.E. Richman, U.S. Department of Energy)

Utilizing good business sense and based on the above quotation, it stands to reason that properly illuminating your parking areas will provide your business with several advantages:

  1. Crime detterrant.
  2. Injury prevention by providing better visibility for your customers or clients.
  3. Customer’s peace of mind, knowing that they are safer from potential crime or personal injury.
  4. Your peace of mind as a business owner, knowing that you will have the most possible protection against any form of litigation.

Choosing the right lighting design for your parking area is important. Let the energy-efficient lighting solutions specialists at Relumination help you. We specialize in helping companies of all sizes reduce energy costs, lower maintenance expenses, decrease their environmental footprint and improve their quality of light through energy-efficient lighting solutions. Our valued customers are in various industries from manufacturing to retail.

Contact us today, we would love the opportunity to speak with you!

Energy-Efficiency May Improve Further with Prototype LED

philips ledR&D at Dutch lighting conglomerate Philips has launched an all-out assault — on one of its very own leading products. Philips is the world’s largest manufacturer of the fluorescent light fixture, that ubiquitous device that is famous, or infamous, for casting that not-so-flattering greenish tinge upon the unsuspecting.

Prototype May Double Energy-Efficiency

LED lighting has long been touted as the “next great thing” in lighting, thanks to the more natural light that consumes less energy to produce. Now, Philips has shown off a new LED prototype that is claimed to be twice as energy efficient as existing LEDs.

The tube-shaped prototype from Philips is capable of 200 lumens per watt, double the 100 lumens per watt common for conventional strip lighting. Compared to conventional incandescent light bulbs, the energy efficiency of this new innovation is even better. Those traditional bulbs typically produce only 15 lumens per watt. The new Philips LED improves upon that by over 1200 percent.

Global Impact In Several Years

Given that estimates of global electric ity production devoted to lighting typically range between 15 and 20 percent, this is no small announcement. In the United States alone, if all the existing lighting could suddenly be magically swapped out for these new Philips LEDs, the savings in both dollars and carbon dioxide emissions would be monumental.

Philips suggests such a “swap” would save $12 billion/year and prevent 50-100 million tons of carbon dioxide from being released into the air on an annual basis.

Savings are already being realized as the demise of incandescent lighting has been accelerating. However, fluorescents have been efficient enough that their replacement has been slow to arrive, even given their propensity for that greenish glow that many dislike.

2015 Availability Projected

Now, Philips’ new prototype LED, expected to be in full production by 2015, promises to change that. Philips new LEDs should be twice as efficient as typical fluorescents.

In the lighting industry, when Philips talks, analysts listen. Of the current total estimated global lighting demand of about $85 billion, Philips has over $11 billion of the market, according to consultant McKinsey.

Philips admits that these new LEDs will cost more than the bulbs that they replace. The estimated 20 year life-span also exceeds the still-impressive lifespans of current LED lighting. Those commercial enterprises that use lighting on a 24/7 basis will find the maintenance cost savings over time to be persuasive as well.

At Relumination, we are always alert to developing trends in lighting. For ideas as to how we can reduce your carbon footprint and improve your bottom line, please contact us.

Qualifying for T8 Lighting Tax Credits

officelightingInstalling T8 fluorescent lighting is a great way to save on energy costs and taxes at the same time. The IRS allows businesses that upgrade lighting to T8 fluorescent fixtures and lamps to claim lighting tax credits and offset the cost of upgrading against owed taxes.

T8 credits are part of the Commercial Building Incentives of 2009 and fall into two categories.

Lighting Rebates – Rebates are not typically associated with tax credits but the T8 credit incentive legislation began with a rebate. Rebate amounts are $1.00 per qualified 28W lamp and $1.50 per qualified 25W lamp. These rebates are paid to the customer at the time of purchase.

Tax Deduction – Businesses can also deduct up to $1.80 per square foot ($0.60 for lighting) of new and existing commercial buildings. Prorated deductions of $0.30 to $0.60 per square foot are also available.

The company that pays for the lighting upgrades to the commercial building is eligible for the T8 incentives. Tax law recognizes both the owner and tenant of the commercial building and authorizes either party to benefit from T8 tax credits. However, only one business can claim the credits per building. If the owner pays for the upgrades, then the owner claims the tax credits. If the tenant pays for the upgrades, then then tenant claims the tax credits.

Tax credits can only be claimed for the year the commercial property was placed in service. Most lighting tax deductions will be applied to and adjusted against a previous year’s tax filing. Upgraded lighting systems must be inspected and certified according to Energy Department energy savings guidelines. Certified systems then qualify for the tax credit. Guidelines require that inspections be done by a licensed third-party engineer. Savings must also be calculated using approved software.

While T8 tax credits may be somewhat complex to claim, they can create a nice size deduction. Please contact us for more information about lighting tax credits and how to determine if your business is eligible.

Future Lighting Revolution Discussed By Leading Lighting Designer

Mark Major, acknowledged as one of the world’s leading lighting designers, was recently interviewed by the BBC regarding future lighting concepts involving LEDs. He spoke enthusiastically of a transformative revolution made possible by these lights. Major suggests that the revolution made possible by LEDs may very well exceed the impact of the transition from gaslights to electrical lighting.

Mr. Major was entrusted with no less a project than the relumination of world-famous St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. Of the project he said, “Probably one of the toughest assignments we’ve ever had. It took about five years in its execution to design and have the lighting fully delivered.”

St. Paul’s is now an architectural masterpiece bathed in soft light; a visual oasis ‘midst the tumult of the city of London. Major was careful consider that this historic structure was originally lit by candlelight. He wanted to honor that heritage by using LEDs in ways that respected the original lighting both indoors and out. LED lights gave him the creative tools to achieve his goals.

Major speaks specifically of advantages that LEDs bring to both functional and creative lighting applications. Major cites the numerous advantages of LEDs; they are both cooler and smaller. He appreciates this broad- spectrum light that results in enhanced skin tones and the improved representation of color.

As the technology of the light-emitting diode continues to evolve, evermore complex arrays of such lights will be possible. The merging of the practical and the artistic will become more and more pronounced. This expert light designer concludes, “LEDs are going to fundamentally revolutionize the way we work with light. We’ve moved a long way from candles and gaslights.”

The fact that we are in the early stages of this lighting revolution is evidenced by how many organizations have yet to make the changeover to LED lighting. LEDs can do more than save on energy costs. They can enrich the customer experience and enhance an enterprise’s brand. For more insight into how you can enjoy the both the savings and the light quality offered by LEDs, please contact us.

Lighting Efficiency: A Key Trait of Sustainable Energy

energy efficiencyTechnological advances in the 21st century can be summarized by several key words; innovative, avant-garde and prolific to highlight a few. However, in a world where energy resources, the growing population and the increasing demand for available energy are all in direct competition, perhaps no technological goal should be more pressing than the creation of efficient energy.

Efficient energy use strives to reduce the amount of energy required to accomplish such tasks as interior and exterior lighting, home insulation and transportation through the creation of products that simultaneously use less energy and last longer. The goal is to create energy that is as self-sustaining and re-usable as possible without compromising the quality of the product.

Our modern world runs on batteries, electric lights and staff willing to work late nights in front of glowing computer screens. In a corporate, technologically-advanced society like the one we live in, efficient lighting surfaces as one of the key ways that everyone from the head CEO to the stay-at-home mom can participate in energy conservation. The benefits of simple modifications that increase lighting efficiency in homes and offices are reflected on both the electric bill and in the long-term health of the planet and longevity of its resources.

Use of LED lighting has long been recognized as a front-runner in energy efficiency. LEDs are simple to install. They’re affordable, long-lasting and provide energy-efficient technology that makes an immediate (and significant difference) in the production of sustainable technology.

The future of LED lighting is even brighter thanks to a ground-breaking new study out of Europe called the NEWLED Project. The study is based out of Scotland and will run through 2016. It aims to “develop a new generation of 50-60% energy efficient white light-emitting LED lights, which would be more than twice as efficient as existing LED-based bulbs”. Those involved with this European-wide project believe that “the higher efficiency white-light LEDs, if widely implemented, could have a significant effect on reducing global energy consumption and CO2 emissions”.

The study holds that these light bulbs “will enable effective heat dissipation and light management and the devices are expected to have applications in automotive, industrial lighting and displays. Widespread use would cut global energy consumption by about 10%”.

Advances in LED lighting, like the ones heralded by the NEWLED project, will continue to increase the availability of green, energy-efficient technology. As consumers it is both our responsibility and privilege to use the resources that both meet our energy needs and conserve the earth’s resources.

For more information please contact us.

The Effect of Heat Generated by Inefficient Lighting in Cold-Storage Facilities Can Be Costly

cold storageIf your business operates with cold-storage facilities, you know the importance of maintaining an absolute temperature; however, did you know lighting can be a source of generated heat? This extra energy can cost you more money than you may realize.

There are many types of lighting: incandescent; fluorescent; neon; and more. These lighting sources all use energy and release some amount of heat. Relumination can design a lighting system for you that does not generate this largely excessive heat.

Incandescent lighting is an old technology. It works by passing an electrical current through a resistive wire. As the electricity moves through this wire energy is released in the form of light and heat. These kinds of lighting systems generate the most heat and require the most energy.

Fluorescent lights utilize a special tube that contains a partial vacuum. There is no air in these tubes, but there is mercury in them. A ballast provides a high voltage through these tubes that excites the mercury. A fluorescent powder coats the inside of the tube and converts the UV radiation into visible light. The tubes themselves do not release much excessive heat energy, but the ballasts can be a problem with these systems. Depending on their efficiency, a ballast can release as much as 10% of input power as heat.

If your ballast is releasing 10 watts of heat, in an hour this could mean a potential increase of 39 degrees Fahrenheit for a 45 cubic foot volume. This much heat being released continuously requires your refrigeration system to cycle on and off meaning more costs in cooling.

Neon systems are like fluorescent systems but require much higher voltages and can be even less efficient.

LED lighting systems are different. They still produce heat, but they don’t produce the infrared energy like incadescent bulbs; furthermore, an LED system uses less energy than fluorescent lighting by using lower voltages and currents thereby reducing excessive heat output. LEDs also last longer than fluorescent lights. This saves you on costs for replacement of ballasts or the tubes.

Lighting is important for any business. It allows customers to see products clearly, gives employees a safe working environment, and let’s business move smoothly.

If your business can benefit from the lighting services of Relumination, please contact us for more information on how we can serve your needs.