Superior Lighting

Retrofit your EXIT Signs with LED Bulbs – they use less electricity and last longer November 19, 2009

90% Energy Savings!

Illuminated exit signs are an important and legally required safety feature in your facility. In the case of an emergency such as a fire, their operation is critical in protecting the well being of those in your facility. The problem is that all exit signs operate 24 hrs. a day, every day resulting in 8,760 hours of use per year. Most people that contact us looking to save energy have not considered the cost associated with running these small light fixtures.

Many exit signs in today’s buildings use older, incandescent lighting technology. These signs typically contain two or more small, incandescent bulbs which use a total of 15 to 25 watts each! A single sign may use from 175 to 438 kwh of electricity per year and cost $28 annually to operate. You can imagine the snowball effect when considering a building with 10 floors and anywhere from 50 to 100 exit signs all running 24 hours a day. You are essentially leaving an extra 100 or so light bulbs burning all day.

To make matters worse, many older exit signs require frequent maintenance due to the short life span of the lamps that light them. These little incandescent bulbs typically have a life span of 2500 hours and hence these signs require bulb replacement two to four times per year at a cost of approximately $1 per bulb. We calculate that many customers are spending upwards of $50 a year maintaining their exits sign when you total the energy consumption, bulb cost and maintenance time. Most of this cost is hidden and therefore usually goes unnoticed until we point it out.

The good news is that exit signs or exit bulbs are the easiest and most cost effective lighting retrofit out there. The retrofit itself can usually be done by anyone that can change a light bulb and the ROI is conservatively 9 months. The new bulbs will pay for themselves within the year from the energy savings. (Many of our sharper hotel managers use operating funds at the beginning of year that they know will be offset by the lower monthly energy bill.) To see the math savings of $30 per year by changing from 30 watts to 3 watts click our led exit energy saving calculator here.

There is nothing new in this information – it just bears repeating. Energy Star has been touting the benefits of changing exit signs as an excellent, low-cost, low-labor opportunity to increase the energy efficiency and safety of your facility for years. They report that replacing incandescent exit signs with ENERGY STAR qualified exit signs can increase the energy efficiency of your exit signs by 3 to 8 times! As a matter of fact in EPAct 2005, Congress passed a new minimum federal efficiency standard for electrically-powered, single-faced exit signs that states that all exit signs manufactured on or after January 1, 2006 must have an input power demand of 5 watts or less per face.
So there you have it. New exit signs are generally all LED based with a strip of LED nodes inside. These LED exit signs feature energy consumption of just 3-4 watts, an LED lamp life of 25+ years and led exit bulb cost under $25. Most contractors will probably tell you changing the entire exit sign is the surest way to go. However there is an even better way that costs less and saves your old exit sign from the landfill.

We recommend an LED exit sign replacement bulb (light emitting diode) that has been successfully used in the market for the last couple of the years. It also boasts an average estimated bulb life of 25 years and consumes only 3 watts per sign installation. The LED exit bulb retofit kit comes with 2 LED bulbs and universal fit adaptors for candelabra, intermediate and double contact base sockets. You will enjoy energy savings of close to 90% and not have to change an exit bulb for years. Cost $12.99 per kit.
Zev Herman is the CEO of SuperiorLighting.com and regularily consults for commercial clients looking to reduce energy and lighting costs.

Let There Be Light! November 14, 2009

Light bulbs on film and in pop culture

Rita Hayworth played the ultimate femme fatale in Charles Vidor’s Gilda. Central to the plot is a nefarious tungsten cartel, which seeks to corner the global market of the element. Tungsten, among other uses, is commonly used as a filament for halogen lamps.

Nighttime visitors to Hollywood, California used to be treated to a back-lit Hollywood sign, proclaiming to all that this is where stars are made. During the most recent renovation it was decided that the light bulbs would not be replaced, but the iconic image of the Hollywood sign at night remains.

Who can forget the idea bulb in cartoons? From Wile E. Coyote having that next great idea to snare the roadrunner to the original concept from 1920’s Felix the Cat cartoons, the idea-bulb has become a mainstay within animated pictures. I wonder if those bulbs are energy efficient LEDs or compact fluorescents?

And of course who could forget the proclamation “Let There Be Light!” that started it all.

Superior Lighting is a leader in the distribution of energy efficient lighting and light bulbs for commercial applications. Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, FL. the company markets a variety of energy efficient lighting products through their warehouse location, mail order catalog and online storefront. Superior Lighting carries bulbs from several brands including TCP, Sylvania, Polybrite, Lighting Sciences and Satco. Superior Lighting’s extensive product line includes compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), LED lamps and fixtures, cold cathode lamps, exit and emergency lighting, HID bulbs, decorative and outdoor fixtures as well as the first T5 retrofit kit offering. Superior Lighting is a privately held company. For more information, visit us at www.superiorlighting.com

Superior Lighting: Now carrying all new CFL and LED lamps by TCP November 11, 2009

Superior Lighting is excited to announce the launch of several innovative new Compact Fluorescent Bulbs and LED lamps from TCP. These exciting new products further enhance Superior Lighting’s already comprehensive online line-up of energy efficient bulbs. The new additions include a range of dimmable compact fluorescent spring bulbs and dimmable reflectors flood bulbs. The new dimmable products will be offered initially in a 14-watt and 23-watt SpringLamp®, and in 14-watt R20, 14-watt R30 and 19-watt R40 covered reflectors replacing wattages incandescent wattages between 50-75 watts.

“We are very excited to offer our customers more ways to reduce energy” said Zev Herman, President of SuperiorLighting.com. “In the past there were valid complaints from customer’s that compact fluorescent bulbs did perform well in locations that require dimming – this new line of dimmable CFL reflectors will work in recessed fixtures and spot lights and are suitable for both home and business.”

These lamps feature advanced ballast design, which allows these CFL lamps to dim from 100% to 20% without the annoying “flicker” typical of other products. First generation dimmable compact fluorescent bulbs were prone to sputtering and end blackening which caused early failure and frustrated many users. This second generation of dimmable CFLs is designed to run at cooler operating temperature, which maximizes lamp life. These new dimmable CFLs are manufactured with a proprietary internal glass pre-coat to improve lumen output/depreciation through the life of the bulb as well.

Superior Lighting recommends these bulbs for commercial, hospitality and residential spaces. They are perfect for conference rooms, lobbies, auditoriums, and home theaters – just about any dimming application. They are designed for 600 watt slides or rotary dimmer switches. Please call with other dimming system compatibility questions

Superior Lighting is a leader in the distribution of energy efficient lighting and light bulbs for commercial applications. Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, FL. the company markets a variety of energy efficient lighting products through their warehouse location, mail order catalog and online storefront. Superior Lighting carries bulbs from several brands including TCP, Sylvania, Polybrite, Lighting Sciences and Satco. Superior Lighting’s extensive product line includes compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), LED lamps and fixtures, cold cathode lamps, exit and emergency lighting, HID bulbs, decorative and outdoor fixtures as well as the first T5 retrofit kit offering. Superior Lighting is a privately held company. For more information, visit us at www.superiorlighting.com.

CFL Sales Decline: Why? October 2, 2009

In a September 18th letter to the lighting industry Richard Karney, product manager for Energy Star, wrote that U.S. sales of compact fluorescent light bulbs have declined 25% from their high in late 2007. Some states, such as Vermont and Massachusetts are seeing declines nearing 50%. This trend in the wrong direction is somewhat startling on the face of it (who wouldn’t want bulbs that last longer?), but once analyzed, does have some clear contributing factors. Regardless of the decline, energy efficient light bulbs simply provide too many benefits to stakeholders to be ignored.

First, why is this decline occurring? There are three contributing factors, one of which is highly positive, and quite apparent. Compact fluorescent light bulbs last a long time, a real long time. This is well-known, and the primary reason for their existence. Based on normal household use, CFLs will last approximately 9 years. The sales decline could very well be because, quite simply, the bulbs are doing their job.

Another factor is the economy. Government funding for energy-efficient bulbs is being shifted into other issues such as housing and the credit markets. In his letter Karney goes on to write, “I am concerned, should these programs experience cuts in funding or outright cancellation, many of the gains we have achieved with this market in the last couple of years could be reversed.” Not all is dim however, as California recently approved a $78 million incentive budget to be used between 2010 and 2012.

Beyond government funding, personal accounts have of course taken a hit as well. Some consumers are not opting to buy energy-efficient bulbs because of the higher initial cost. This is easily countered by informing the public that CFLs will actual save them money. According to the boxes on California’s promotional bulbs they use 75% less energy and replace ten standard bulbs. In total (bulbs and energy costs) each four-pack will save consumers up to $368. Clearly going the energy efficient route makes economic sense.

When incandescent bulbs begin being phased out in 2012 consumers will still have a range of options. Energy efficient light bulbs come in a lot of flavors, from CFLs to L.E.D.s and advanced incandescent bulbs. Each provide some strong benefits, although the advanced incandescent still use two to three times the energy of CFLs. There is a strong case to be made for L.E.D. bulbs and lamps. They give users similar energy savings, provide instant-on light, and are cool to the touch. As the price continues to fall on LEDs expect them to make up a larger piece of the pie.

Overall the declining trend in compact fluorescent bulb sales is worth noting and should be addressed, but is much more complex than it seems on the surface, and is not worth panicking over. Incentives, mandates, and education will continue to give consumers and business alike plenty of reasons to replace their traditional incandescent with newer energy efficient light bulbs.

Incandescent Light Bulb Ban Across the EU September 4, 2009

The European Union is taking a (very) proactive approach to speed up the adoption of energy efficient light bulbs.
Our friends across the pond made a big step towards energy-efficient living today, with the announcement that the European Union is banning frosted incandescent bulbs as well as 100-watt clear bulbs. The move was made with the stated goal of boosting efficiency by a fifth before 2020. This will make businesses and consumers adopt much more eco-friendly bulbs such as halogens, compact florescent (CFL) bulbs, and LED lights. Some consumers are angered by the need to give up a familiar product, but the benefits to all stakeholders are beyond reproach.
Some Europeans, German citizens in particular, have actually begun hording the incandescent bulbs. This is more about old habits dying hard rather than any sort of actual benefit. Although incandescent bulbs retail cheaper, the average European household could initially save about $70 a year by making the switch. Going green pays for itself, and quickly. If anything the hording is a plus, as it clears off the remaining supply of old fashioned, giving more shelf space to their energy efficient counterparts.
Details of the plan present it as a gradual phasing out, not an immediate retail ban. Factories must immediately stop production of frosted and 100-watt incandescent bulbs. These two types were selected because they consumer energy particularly poorly. Both generate far more heat than light, which of course does not make for an effective light bulb. Incandescent bulbs, which were first produced commercially in 1879, stopped making efficiency gains approximately 50 years ago. By 2012 the goal is to have no more new incandescent light bulbs being manufactured. Of course, retailers and wholesalers will be able to sell their existing inventory despite the production ban.
Equally important as what is being banned are the energy efficient alternatives. These include compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs, LED light bulbs, and Xenon. All provide much more efficient energy use (measured both by input and output calculations), and will save money in the long run. All last much longer: Energy efficient CFLs  (http://www.superiorlighting.com/) last between 8 and 15 times longer than incandescent. This equals a lifespan of 6,000 to 15,000 hours. This longer life also means less waste entering our landfills.
Although many EU citizens are put-off by receiving an eco-friendly mandate rather than suggestion, it is generally thought that they will quickly adapt and all will see, and experience, the advantages of shifting to eco friendly lighting. Less landfill waste, more efficient energy usage, and saving in the long run. What is not to love? It is clear that CFLs make economic and environmental sense. They provide a cheaper, longer lasting, energy efficient alternative to traditional incandescent lamps. Everyone should make the switch today.
Superior Lighting, your Fort Lauderdale energy efficient light bulb supplier, is dedicated to helping our customers choose the most energy efficient lighting. We will lead the lighting industry by providing the best value in products and services to all of our customers and we will differentiate ourselves on the basis of our honesty and expertise. Contact us by our website, http://www.supeiorlighting.com or by calling 800-432-7995.