Practical advice on commercial lighting from LED retrofits to lighting design.

Commercial lighting rebates are an easy way to qualify for extra savings on your next LED lighting project. But LED lighting technology is changing rapidly. Do fixtures containing some of the latest technology qualify for rebates?

If you've spent any time in construction, you've been in this scenario: you get plans for your next project and start the bid-gathering process. Most estimates come back within a typical range, but the bid for lighting is way out of budget. Other times, the lighting bid may look good, but there's a late-in-the-game surprise — a 12+ week lead time that's now throwing a wrench in your schedule.

Now what?

In situations like this, value engineering a lighting package tends to come up. We've value engineered countless projects, and we've also written about ways to avoid the value engineering crunch and still save money. There is value behind value engineering — when you do it the right way.

UV solutions can create a cleaner, safer environment for everyone who walks into your facility. UVC is a known disinfectant for air, water, and nonporous surfaces, and in studies has been shown to inactivate SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused many industries to rethink how to protect their employees, customers, and tenants.

One of the biggest takeaways: clean air should be a priority. UVC fixtures for HVAC systems are an effective tool to eliminate pathogens in facilities and improve indoor air quality (IAQ).

LEDs are now the primary lighting option for most commercial buildings. But when it comes to disinfectant lighting, traditional light sources like low pressure mercury tubes are still dominant.

When someone hands you a bottle of water, you probably don't think twice about the quality of it before you take a sip. If that same person handed you a glass of tap water from the sink, you may be a little more hesitant about drinking it.

When you walk in a building, you probably don't think twice about the quality of the air you're breathing. But maybe it's time that you should. 

When the pandemic started, everyone was looking for ways to protect employees, customers, tenants, and students. Bipolar ionization quickly became one of the top options to disinfect air. It was touted as a potential 'secret weapon' against COVID-19.

But now, there is a federal lawsuit filed against one of the makers of bipolar ionization technology. 

Here's what we know: SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can be transmitted through the air.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says while most cases of SARS-CoV-2 are spread through close contact, droplets and particles can spread through the air under certain circumstances.

It may seem impossible to keep high-traffic areas free of germs. Areas like waiting rooms, lobbies, or retail stores are typically crowded and hard to disinfect because so many people are around.

This is where one type of ultraviolet lighting product really shines. It's called upper-air (or upper-room) germicidal UV and it's so effective because it works constantly, even while people are in the room.

Scientists have known about the disinfection capabilities of ultraviolet (UV) light for decades. Now, it's considered an important tool in the fight against COVID-19.

A scientist at Columbia University found UV-C is effective against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in laboratory settings.