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

As we start a new year full of new retrofit, design, and maintenance projects, we've updated our Lighting Terms Glossary to include some important terms that you'll want to be aware of this year. 

You can find a good deal on light bulbs at Home Depot and Walmart. Sometimes, customers bring that to our attention. 

How do these stores sell at such low prices? Are they selling the same light bulbs as us? They are targeting a more residential customer, so are they selling residential grade lighting products?

Is there something different about a residential lamp when compared with a commercial one?

Usually, no – there's no difference or distinction, at least according to one of our top manufacturers. Though the products are packaged differently, their guts are almost always the same.

You've heard the buzz about lighting as a service but you're not sure if it's actually worthwhile or if you'll end up paying more in the end. You're not alone.

Whether you're a Chief Engineer, Director of Maintenance, or Energy Manager, you're probably responsible for finding the most energy efficient and cost saving solutions for your company. But oftentimes with LaaS, there seems to be a lack of clarity around what actually goes into pricing. We're here to shed some light on the topic to help you make the best decision for your business. 

If you've been wondering how your business can afford the initial investment in a LED lighting retrofit or how you can convince upper management that it's worth the money, lighting as a service may be an option worth considering.

The lighting industry has started moving in this direction as long-life LED products continue to get more efficient and it is getting harder and harder to compete for internal capital requests and building operations often lose out to more glamorous requests.