Unlike fluorescents, some linear LEDs do not need a ballast to power up and produce light. So, a lot of our customers have been asking us about the safety of just bypassing the ballast and direct-wiring their LED tubes.
Practical advice on commercial lighting from LED retrofits to lighting design.
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Does bypassing the ballast with an LED tube void the UL rating on a fixture?
Topics: Ballast, LED retrofit, Commercial office lighting
Common light bulbs and LED upgrades for parking garages
Proper lighting is key in providing a positive tenant, guest, or shopper experience in any parking garage. In many respects, it's a first impression for the people visiting your facility and shouldn't be overlooked.
This lighting typically remains on 24/7, so it’s important to have long-life bulbs to avoid burnouts at the wrong time. Additionally, these 24/7 burn-time light fixtures present a quick payback on energy-efficient LED upgrades.
Topics: Parking Garage Lighting, HID, Hospital lighting, Fluorescent light, LED retrofit, Commercial office lighting
Common light bulbs and LED upgrades for commercial offices
Whether your commercial office building is new, dated, large, or small, proper lighting is a vital component of a functional and efficient workplace. It’s no secret that dim lighting puts strain on the eyes and lowers productivity, and harsh lighting can trigger serious migraines. Aside from employee benefit, some light fixtures also serve as decoration or accent lighting to make your facility more attractive to tenants.
Finding the perfect replacement products for these fixtures can be a hassle – and determining how to retrofit these fixtures can be confusing.
Topics: Energy efficiency, Parking Garage Lighting, Commercial office lighting
Answering your questions on energy savings [Ask the expert series]
Bo Klune is our Regional Lighting Specialist Manager who oversees the Dallas and Atlanta regions. Bo has many years of experience in the lighting industry – finding the most efficient energy savings for his customers. Every day we answer countless questions surrounding the topic of energy savings so he's here to help answer some of the most common. Here's Bo with more:
Topics: Savings, Payback, & ROI, Restaurant Lighting, Energy efficiency, Retail Lighting, Parking Garage Lighting, Hospital lighting, Hotel lighting, Warehouse lighting, Education facility, Multifamily lighting, Commercial office lighting
There are a lot of big numbers that get thrown around in lighting retrofit discussions. The savings – from the cost of energy to the lessened maintenance workload – can be eye-popping.
Yet, oftentimes, the only number that is really eye-popping to your boss is that of upfront cost.
The reality is, no matter how common sense a retrofit may seem, big expenditures rarely get passed swiftly. (And sometimes, the sheer size of the number on the price tag can delay a quick-ROI, "common sense" project for years.)
If you're like so many of our lighting-savvy customers who have had trouble getting budgetary approval for an energy-saving lighting conversion, maybe one of the ideas below can help you to get something pushed through and start saving your company money with a refreshed look.
Topics: LED, Savings, Payback, & ROI, Restaurant Lighting, Movie theater lighting, Retail Lighting, Parking Garage Lighting, Hospital lighting, Hotel lighting, Warehouse lighting, Education facility, Multifamily lighting, Commercial office lighting
Here are some lumen per watt (LPW) targets for common LEDs
Let's be honest. Usually, choosing between LED products is no straightforward undertaking. Which product specs matter for you and which are nonessential?
Topics: LED, Savings, Payback, & ROI, Restaurant Lighting, Energy efficiency, Parking Garage Lighting, Hotel lighting, Multifamily lighting, Commercial office lighting
Where are the best places for LED tubes in commercial offices?
Replacement LED tubes for T12/T8/T5 bulbs have come a long way over the last couple of years. Between questions on plug-and-play versus bypass ballast to figuring out when it’s the right time to retrofit, it’s clear that linear LEDs are here to stay.
Topics: LED, Fluorescent light, LED retrofit, Commercial office lighting
What is the average lead time for a lighting order?
When making the decision to purchase a certain lighting product, are there any questions that matter more than price, availability, and timeline?
Perhaps that's the case with anything you order – how much does it cost, is it in stock, and when am I going to get it?
But the stakes can be pretty high when you're ordering lighting to get your building or store into shape before an executive visits or ahead of the holidays or when you're knee-deep in a national rollout schedule.
So, if you call Regency right now and purchase lighting, how long will it take to get your order?
Topics: Restaurant Lighting, Movie theater lighting, Parking Garage Lighting, Project Management, Hotel lighting, Multifamily lighting, Commercial office lighting
Deciding between fluorescent and LED tubes? Check out our Linear Lighting Playbook for insider advice
Linear fluorescent lighting has for decades been the workhorse light source for so many applications, thanks to its long life ratings and relatively efficient use of energy. But the emergence of linear LED technology over the last decade or so has really changed the landscape, making buying decisions for linear applications more complex.
We get questions all the time about linear lighting. Is it risky to invest in LED lighting products? Are more fluorescent phaseouts ahead? What linear lighting products does Regency suggest?
Topics: LED, Restaurant Lighting, Retail Lighting, Parking Garage Lighting, Hospital lighting, Lighting technology, Fluorescent light, Commercial office lighting
How to calculate HVAC energy savings from lighting: A step-by-step guide
This is the second in our series of articles meant to take the mystery out of savings and payback calculations for lighting. From designers to engineers to executives, lighting projects are more commonly cross-functional decisions.
This article focuses on one of the least-covered questions on savings calculations for lighting projects: How can a lighting retrofit save you money on HVAC costs?
Topics: Savings, Payback, & ROI, Lighting maintenance, Energy efficiency, Hotel lighting, Education facility, Energy savings, Multifamily lighting, Commercial office lighting