LED parking lot light fixture with an architectural design.

It's always nice when a product comes along that not only delivers the light you need, but keeps a sense of architectural style. This new LED parking lot light fixture does just that with a design that resembles a higher end light for office buildings and retail outdoor lighting. The good news is that it doesn't have the price tag associated with what people would consider as an architectural grade product. At only 78 watts, it will replace up to a 250 watt metal halide light, saving energy as well. This effectively reduces energy consumption by 70% and may even qualify for some utility rebates. It comes with a powder coat bronze finish and is UL listed for wet location. The heat sink not only helps to maintain long life (50,000 hours), but adds that special design element that will be useful in many types of lighting applications. It's a great choice for replacing higher wattage HID light fixtures the next type you need to do an upgrade of your parking, garage and street lighting.

EISA compliant light bulbs give you real choices.

We get quite a number of calls regarding new energy legislation that's going to take effect in the year 2012. Although there are some changes, there are also some good alternatives which will maintain your lighted environment while saving energy. No one wants to think about giving up something they like, and for a lot of people that's a regular incandescent light bulb. But even with these changes, there are several sources of light including halogen, LED and compact fluorescent that should give you the light you need for home or business. If you're curious as to which light bulbs are going to be eliminated, you can see them here with the alternate energy-saving versions. Not all incandescent light bulbs are being eliminated. There are many that are exempted from this legislation for special applications of all types. For example, if you have something like heat lamps, you don't have to worry that those are being eliminated. It includes many types of incandescent light bulbs that people use for any variety of needs. So as the old incandescent light bulb is being phased out, you don't have to worry that you won't be able to get the light you want. It simply means that you'll have to use something that's more energy-efficient and these days that means that there will be no sacrifice in light. Remember that as lighting technology expands there are going to be more alternate choices for good lighting. Along with all that, the energy savings will be great and will create our energy independence long into the future.

Lumiline replacement light bulb options revisited.

It's been a problem that many people who have old lumiline light bulbs are facing, no replacement light bulb possibility. Although there is no direct replacement that fits into existing lumiline light fixtures, there is now a new product that could be a solution for some of you. If you have these old light bulbs buried in some form of furniture, or if there is a significant remodel to install a new light, then the portable LED utility light fixture might be an economical solution or stop-gap measure to replace them now. This unit is a rechargeable battery powered LED light that can be placed almost anywhere and only requires a periodic recharge depending on use. I won't say that it will replace all lumiline light bulbs, but it might be a way to get the job done without an expensive remodel. The only downside to this is that it needs to be recharged, meaning you would have to plug it in to the provided charger. The positives are that it's very light and could be installed in a temporary fashion, able to easily take it out for charging or other uses. The applications are nearly endless, a camp light, trouble light, emergency light, closet lighting and much more. Of course, if you need a more permanent lighting solution for lumiline replacement, you should consider Linestra light fixtures, LED strip lighting or low profile fluorescent light fixtures which will do an excellent job giving you the light you need.

The USA-made trend in LED light fixtures.

I think a lot of people look at new technologies such as LED light fixtures as something that comes from overseas all the time. And it is true that some of the early developments did come from China and Europe, but that's not always the case. There's been a lot of development of LED lighting technology right here in the United States and that trend seems to be increasing. There are more and more choices coming out with products that are developed and manufactured here in the US. That's good for many of us living here because we can support those companies that are making an energy-efficient future more reliable. It's not that you can't get good products from other countries, far from it. It's just that it's nice to have products that are developed here and technology that is advancing on our own soil. Although it's been slow to get started, every day seems to have a US-made components coming onto the market at a faster pace. In some cases with LED light fixtures, it's often the LED array itself, which is the most important aspect of any light fixture that's made. In a day when many people think that USA made products are a thing of the past, they should think again. The marketplace for energy-efficient lighting is so lucrative that there is no way US companies are going to let that go by without a fight. They're going to grab for their market share and create what I believe are some of the best products out on the market today. So expect more and more USA-made LED light fixtures in the future, just one of the small ways that we're all going to achieve energy independence.

Your incandescent light bulb getting phased out? Here's some good alternatives and exceptions.

I get a lot of people are asking me about incandescent light bulbs being phased out next year or being outright banned. They're not being completely banned, but efficiency standards are affecting certain types of incandescent light bulbs, in fact, some will no longer be available. But this doesn't mean you won't be able to get the proper lighting you need. Here's a guide for light bulbs that are being phased out with the alternative that will give you the same light, only for less watts. It's easy to see that you will be able to buy light bulbs that meet the new energy standards set into law by Congress. All this being said, I've talked to some people who think ALL incandescent light bulbs are being phased out, that is NOT true. There are many special types of lights that are exceptions to the efficiency laws. The exceptions include the following listed light bulbs:

• appliance 
• black light
• bug
• colored
• infrared
• left-hand thread 
• marine
• marine signal service
• mine service
• plant light
• reflector
• rough service
• shatter-resistant
• sign service
• silver bowl
• showcase
• 3-way incandescent
• traffic signal
• vibration service
• G-shape with a diameter of 5 inches or more
• T-shape of 40 watts or less and a length of more than 10 inches
• B, BA, CA, F, G16-1/2, G25, G30, S or M14 lamp of 40 watts or less. 
• BR30, BR40 and ER40 rated at 65 watts (the popular 65BR30 and 65BR40 are exempt) 
• ER30, BR30, BR40 and ER40 rated at 50 watts or less. 
• R20 rated at 45 watts or less.

So you can be sure to get the lighting you need far into the future with plenty of choices. It's good for our country to phase out some incandescent sources because they are so very inefficient. If we all used more energy efficient light bulbs like the alternates mentioned here, we would once again reduce our need for foreign sources of energy. Drop me an e-mail if you have any other questions about the coming new laws and what you can use in your lighting situation.

LED Linestra / Philinea type replacements are now a complete offering for energy savings.

It's been a long time developing LED products that truly meeting needs with lower energy consumption and longer life. Many manufacturers are getting the right idea when trying to replace certain applications. A great example of this transition from old incandescent sources straight to LED are the new line of LED Linestra / Philinea type replacement bulbs. These are a linear source of light replace much high wattages such as 150, 60 or 35 watts, but now using only 4 watts, 6 watts or 11 watts. One of the nicest features of these lamps are the way they look nearly identical to standard incandescent versions they replace. Because they have a rated life of 25,000 hours, you would replace these once for every 25 times you replace the older incandescent version. The electrical savings are substantial along with replacement cost savings making it possible to save hundreds of dollars over the life of the lamp. It delivers one of the fastest paybacks of any LED replacement light bulb on the market today while keeping the soft light you've grown to love. All you have to do is replace the light bulb and nothing else. If you can handle the initial investment, which is a higher, it's a good way to go for energy savings and not having to hassle with replacements in the future.

LED PAR16 flood light bulbs to replace hotter halogens.

One of the things that bother people who own small light fixtures is that they have to use higher wattage floods to get the proper lighting effect. Along with more light, it also brings along more heat, which is often a problem. Not only is excessive heat bad for a light fixture, it also reduces the life of light bulbs if that heat can't be dissipated properly. PAR16 flood lights have been one of those types of light bulbs that generates a lot of heat in a very small space. Because this type of light is often mounted low in a retail situation, that heat can be a factor in customer shopping comfort. This problem can be reduced with new LED PAR16 flood light bulbs that have almost no heat and offer an extremely long life. This particular product has a beam of light that can possibly replace those higher wattage halogens while still providing a good lighting effect. But where it really shines is in lower electric bills and heat reduction. It's a good solution for people that are looking for a cooler, more efficient alternative to small halogen floods.