Smart Lighting: What You Should Know

Everything in our lives is getting smarter. Our phones, cars, homes, TVs, and more have all been labeled as “smart” products, invariably making the products of old appear “dumb.” The lighting world is in its own Smart Lighting revolution, as many products are jumping into the new age. More...

LightFair, the annual architectural and commercial lighting trade show and conference, enraptured the Pennsylvania Convention Center in the beautiful city of Philadelphia from May 9th through the 11th. The event featured two of Bulbs.com’s best-selling brands, Philips and MaxLite, who showcased some of their new products and innovative technology. More...

Selecting the right lighting for your kids’ bedroom might seem like a straightforward task. However, different kinds of lighting can affect our moods and behaviors in different ways. If you’re struggling to find the perfect lighting combination for your children, consider the environment you want to create and start from there. Here’s a list of several types of lighting, from practical and functional to whimsical and fun, that will leave both you and your kids satisfied. More...

EnergyStar – the US Department of Energy’s green-product certification program – is undergoing some major guideline updates in the next six months, and it could have a big impact on any pending or ongoing lighting projects.

Beginning January 2^nd, 2017, Energy Star Lamps V2.0 will replace V1.1 as the qualifying directive for all light bulbs sold in the United States. The aim of the new certification standards is multi-pronged: To increase overall efficacy levels (light output per watt consumed), to include some increasingly popular new product types, and to improve harmonization between EnergyStar lighting specifications. Essentially, the new certifications aim to encompass more bulbs and drive even greater energy savings in the lighting world.

In fact, according to EnergyStar, if all light bulbs sold in the US next year meet the V2.0 requirements, electricity savings will amount to over $4 billion per year and reduce more than 54 billion pounds of annual greenhouse gas emissions – The equivalent output of more than 5 million vehicles. More...

It is an unchallenged belief that humans have certain basic needs for survival—food, water, and sleep, for example. However, while these things may account for an individual’s biological and physiological needs, there are many other things we humans need to thrive as opposed to purely survive. One of those things is a gift that millions of people take for granted each and every day: light. For many of us, light is simply a way of life; and, as a result, we are becoming exceedingly reliant on its steadfast presence.

Every night, millions of people around the world struggle to overcome darkness. While some sleep, others attempt to work and study deep into the night. According to the International Energy Agency, 1.2 billion people—17% of the world’s population—–did not have access to electricity in 2013. These individuals, therefore, are forced to turn to non-renewable light fuel oils such as kerosene for light. This dependence on kerosene lamps then leaves behind a large ecological and economical concern to be addressed. More...

The Gigafactory is Tesla Motor’s massive lithium ion battery manufacturing plant. The name derives from the term Gigawatt-hours (GWh’s), a measure of electricity storage or usage, which represents one billion kilowatt-hours. The facility is designed to produce 35 GWh’s of energy storage every year in the form of 60 to 90 kWh batteries. Advanced assembly techniques and economies of scale will lower the cost of the batteries and increase their availability. Tesla hopes to generate 500,000 electric vehicles (EV’s) using the Gigafactory every year by 2020. EV's have a stop and start history due to lack of demand, technology, and pressures from the fossil fuel industry, but Tesla has brought them to the forefront in an effort to make them a more permanent fixture in society. Batteries, the most important and expensive component of an electric vehicle, will no longer limit the fabrication of sustainable vehicles.More...

Ballasts are a rarely seen component of some lighting systems, however they play an integral role in making certain bulbs function well. A ballast is a device with two basic functions: 1) starting a bulb, and 2) controlling the electricity flow through the bulb. All gas-discharge bulbs, such as fluorescent tubes and high-intensity discharge (HID) bulbs, require an accompanying ballast to operate. Some fixtures have built in ballasts while others have it as a separate unit. When a bulb that uses a ballast is switched on, the ballast provides a quick burst of high voltage to establish an arc between two electrodes in the bulb. Once the arc is established, the ballast regulates the energy going into the bulb to help increase the bulbs efficiency, longevity and light output.

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Lighting rebates are offered by most utilities nationwide to lower the upfront costs of converting to energy efficient lighting. Lighting generally represents 30% of energy costs for a business and transitioning to energy efficient lighting is a win-win for both businesses and electric utilities. Lowering your energy usage allows you to save money and allows the utility to reduce costs associated with grid infrastructure and building new power plants. Rebates offered by most utilities are for a variety of LED technologies including light bulbs, interior ceiling fixtures, exterior fixtures, and daylight sensors. Today LED lighting is the most efficient technology available and reduces energy use by up to 70% when compared to incandescent lighting. As a result, the LED market has significantly proliferated and LED lighting replacements are available for most types of legacy lighting technologies. Bulbs.com continues to offer a large variety of LED lighting products and works with utilities across the country to offer the best lighting rebates available to our customers. Here we will share with you the most important trends in the lighting rebate industry during 2015 and what to look for in 2016.

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Wanting to make the switch to controlled lighting can be complicated and confusing. There is so much to be considered when replacing your fixtures. Knowing if you need separate occupancy or daylight sensors and possible compatibility issues with dimmers or ballasts can take time and effort.

Spacewise technology eliminates these problems by combining an occupancy sensor, daylight sensor, wireless dimming capabilities and personalized area settings into the Philips Day-Brite DuaLED Recessed Troffers with Spacewise technology- ready to go right out of the box.

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The long-awaited, award-winning Sengled Snap LED is now in stock! It is an innovative LED light bulb that also functions as a wireless HD camera for outdoor monitoring.  

Sengled Snap won Best of Innovation at CES 2015 in the Smart Home product category. Home or business owners can place Snap over entryways and garages to keep an eye on surroundings any time of day or night. The ultra-wide angle HD camera captures high-quality video that can be viewed instantly via your iOS or Android device.  There is also an option to store data in the cloud for an additional fee.  Users can customize motion zones and receive alerts when activity is detected.

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