Restaurants and LED Lighting

Small business owners across the country continue to look for ways to cut costs – restaurant operators are no different.  One solution that many operators have turned to is LED lighting.

LEDs are 300% more energy-efficient than compact fluorescent lighting and about 1,000% more efficient than incandescent bulbs while using up to 90% less energy to run. What this means to a business owner is that LED lamps last significantly longer than other lighting solutions, which translates to decreased maintenance costs and replacement fees. Furthermore, operators will see the savings immediately on their energy bills.

Some restaurant operators are hesitant to switch to LEDs because they fear a drop in quality. It’s important for them to maintain the perfect intensity and color of light so that their space and food looks attractive. Thankfully, with the advancement of LED technology over the past several years, we can now match nearly every color temperature imaginable, creating both cool and warm tones. Additionally, LEDs now come with more options such as instant startup and better lighting control, including the ability to dim, a huge plus for restaurants.

A great way to learn if you could benefit from LED lighting is to call LED Source® for an energy audit. With our new Lampinator™ mobile app, we can pull up a polished, easy-to-understand report for you within minutes, depicting your potential savings. That’s also a great time to talk with our experts about what products are available. It’s very important to work with a supplier, like LED Source®, who only sells top brand products. With the progression of the industry came tons of lesser quality lamps and applications – which could end up costing you much more in the long run.

While quality LED lighting can cost more than incandescent and fluorescent lights – requiring a higher initial investment – businesses will often see the payback in just a year or two. And business owners are further encouraged through federal tax incentives and local utility rebates that can cover anywhere between 30 to 100 percent of the cost for retrofit projects.

The bottom line is, do your research, work with experts, make wise investments and reap the benefits!

For more information on LED lighting, contact the Experts at LED Source®.

Using LED Lighting To Display Art

When considering LED lighting, most people think of one benefit: saving money.  And it’s true, LED lighting will save you the most money of any lighting technology over it’s life, but there are many other benefits to LEDs that people don’t realize.  LED lighting has come a long way from their origins back in 1962 when they came in any color, as long as it was red.

One of the ancillary benefits of LED lighting that often gets overlooked is the fact that LED lights do not produce harmful UV rays or heat.  If you’re a museum, art house or even a homeowner that displays precious objects, this alone could be enough to move you in to LEDs.  Your fabrics won’t fade from the light shining on it, artwork will stay as crisp and clean as the day it was hung and even old papers will not degrade from the LEDs lighting it. And not heating up the air around these objects is going to reduce the wear on them as well.  Imagine the cost savings on restorations to fine art or furniture you’ll preserve not exposing it to a harsher lighting fixture (that darn money-saving thing just won’t stop popping up!)

Another benefit that LEDs provide is a wide range of color temperatures and beam spreads.  In the past, LEDs looked blue to people. Now, they come in a myriad of color temperatures from 2700K to 6500K and more in white lighting.  That provides you with a broader brush to “paint” walls, areas and other objects with the exact light required.  You’ll also be able to achieve brighter, crisper whites for task lighting and office settings, and warmer lighting for residential applications and cozier spaces.  All of these options are available because of the versatility of LED lighting.  The possibilities of what can be done with LED lamps and fixtures these days are unparalleled.

Also, because of the high CRI (color rendering index) available in LED lighting, the true colors of objects are displayed.  It means that all of the colors will be faithfully reproduced, just as the artist or designer originally intended.  This may just be a fancy way of saying that things will look like they should, but that’s something you can’t discount when you’ve worked hard to put together an amazing room design or are showcasing works of art.

Saving money is top of mind for most people when choosing a lighting solution.  It’s no secret that LED lights provide the best return on investment in lighting, but as we’ve discussed that’s not the only thing that makes LEDs superior to other lighting products.  There are so many hidden benefits that you should not ignore when thinking about the switch to LEDs!

LED Source® is the nation’s leading supplier of high quality and name brand LED lighting. Speak with one of our LED lighting experts for your next project. Call 866.900.4LED or visit www.LEDsource.com.

7 Reasons to Use LED Lighting for Landscaping

The other day, I happened to catch a rebroadcasted episode of The Vanilla Ice Project on DIY Network.  If you have not seen this program before, it is a great home improvement show where Robert Van Winkle aka Vanilla Ice, shows you the best products to use when renovating a home.

In this particular episode, “Nice, Nice Landscaping,” Rob discusses the importance of having the right light for exterior lighting, specifically landscape lighting. His goal is to highlight the newly planted palm tress and illuminate the distinctive stonework covering the front of the home. To accomplish this task, Rob decided to use LED lighting and called upon the experts at LED Source® to help determine the right products for the job. You can watch more of the episode here http://bit.ly/meJkqA

A great LED light to use for landscape lighting or accent lighting is the EcoSense EcoSpec Landscape LED fixture. This EcoSpec model comes in both a mini-flood at 12 Watts and an accent fixture at 6.4 Watts. When compared to that of a traditional 100 Watt flood light, homeowners will see an immediate savings of over 90% in energy costs.

A survey done in 2000, estimated that homeowners spent $50.9 billion to install and maintain their landscapes and gardens. When given the reason as to why they would spend so much money on landscaping, the answer was simple: to create beauty and relaxation for family and friends (54%). The second highest reason was to provide a comfortable place to entertain (47.4%), followed by improving real estate value (44.1%).

What does all this data really mean?

We love our homes and like to show them off. However, why spend all that time and money on landscaping and improving the exterior of your home when no one can see it at night? This is where landscape lighting comes in and more importantly LED lighting. Here are seven reasons LED lighting is best for your landscaping needs:

1. You don’t have to change the bulb/lamp every few months like you would with traditional lights. LED lamps can last in most cases over 50,000 hours. Running 8 hours per night, 7 days a week, would take 17 years before you would consider changing them.
2. You’ll save money on your energy costs. Most exterior lighting uses 75-100 Watt floodlights, which can cost a fortune over the year. When using an LED lamp, the savings can be an average of 75% or more.
3. They’re perfect for the harsh conditions. LED lighting can withstand some of the harshest weather conditions from hot or cold, to wet or dry.
4. Multi-color options are available with LED lighting without even having to change the lamp.
5. You’re helping the environment. LED lighting not only saves money on energy, thus reducing your carbon footprint, it is also a green technology since its bulbs do not contain harmful mercury, like fluorescent bulbs do.  Plus, the fixtures are 100% recyclable.
6.  You’ll achieve better overall lighting. With LEDs you get a better color temperature of light and better lumens when compared to that traditional lighting.
7. The replacement of fixtures in hard to reach places will decrease. Gone are the days that homeowners need to hire a professional to replace lamps that are situated in hard to reach/access areas. The average life span of an LED lamp is 25 years!

LED lighting has come a long way in the last few years and the technology, as well as the prices, keeps getting better. It is important to note that not all LED lights are the same. As with any product, there are cheaper options available.  But buying an inferior product, especially when it comes to LED lighting, is not always the wisest investment. Speak with an expert to help you understand the best LED lamp for your needs.

As Vanilla Ice said, “The key to good exterior lighting is to not see the light, you only want to see the effect. You have to really think about lighting, not only is it important, but it makes a huge difference.”

Be sure to check out Season Two of The Vanilla Ice Project coming on DIY Network.

LED Source® is the nation’s leading supplier of high quality and name brand LED lighting. Speak with one of our LED lighting experts for your next project. Call 866.900.4LED or visit www.LEDsource.com.

Why Would I Buy A Franchise?

One of the most common questions I’m asked is, “Why on earth would I buy a franchise when I could open my own company?” Although it’s a good question, I also have a good answer:

Less Work For You

Here at LED Source®, we are very happy to have established a solid head start in the LED business. Sure, other companies have also been in LED since the early days, but most of them have done it on the side – not as their primary business. Like many other franchise companies, we’ve never done anything else and that alone has given us a breadth of experience that not many people share. This experience has enabled us to sell franchises to people who are now growing their own successful businesses by following our already proven system.

Less Risk For You

According to the Small Business Administration, fewer than 30% of startups are still in business after 10 years. Though you’re not completely immune to failure as a franchise owner, much of the work has been done for you. For example, the business has already been executed well and a market has been identified for the product or service. In our business, LED retrofits have become the fastest growing business division and will continue to grow at a frantic pace. Recent reports from the “experts” have estimated the business as high as $25-30 billion annually in coming years.

You also know going into the business how much capital is needed to get it up and running. Additionally, instead of competing head to head with industry leaders all on your own, the brand you’re buying into has already established itself as a player in the field.

More Support

You very well may be in the entertainment or architectural lighting world if you’re reading this. We’ve already signed on franchisees with backgrounds in both of these sectors and they’re finding early success. Why? This is because we’ve helped them transition from those disciplines into retrofit LED lighting. While you may already possess strong knowledge about LED lighting, buying into a franchise system means that you have access to other franchisees who have already started their businesses and a whole corporate team ready and willing to help to succeed as an owner.

Built-In Relationships

At LED Source®, we are proud to serve brands including Cree, Toshiba, EcoSense, Philips and Color Kinetics. These brands are cutting-edge and have given us the products, value and marketing support to enable us to grow our own brand. As a result, we are able to put each new franchise in business with competitive pricing and relatively clean markets. Each of our brands offers the highest quality and the very best in support and value. In essence, the relationships your franchisor has spent years building with vendors are carried over to you as a franchisee and you reap the benefits.

Franchise ownership offers an exciting and rewarding career for individuals who have the desire to work for themselves, but not by themselves. LED Source® has opened franchise locations in Texas, Eastern Canada, Western Canada, Kansas and Indiana. The company expects to sign 30 franchise agreements this year, with at least 20 locations open/operating.

For more information about LED Source® franchise opportunities or if you have any questions, please email franchising@ledsource.com or call 561-296-9599 and ask to speak with someone in the franchise department.

Plan Ahead For Your LED Lighting Project

As LEDs are becoming more prominent in the marketplace. Manufacturers and distributors are working hard to make them more readily available. LEDs are still not considered a commodity product and many times people are surprised by the potential challenges in obtaining them.

LED lamps and related products are largely built over seas. The constant growing demand sometimes results in longer lead times and additional freight costs.  When items are not readily available, we must consider why and how long it will take to get them. These items are typically transported via ship to the US, whether it is for stock at the manufacturer or directly to a distributor, but this transit time can take up to eight weeks or longer. There is sometimes an option to fly items in, but with rising oil prices this option is becoming more and more expensive.

One thing to consider is that many products have a great number of variations such as length, housing color, and color temperature. It is challenging for companies to know exactly what to stock. If waiting for a backordered item to become available is not going to work, it is always a good idea to look into an alternative option.  Simply asking if the out of stock item is available in another option can eliminate a larger problem.

Another thing to keep in mind is that typically the more generic a product is, the easier it is to get. You will rarely see a problem with availability for Par Lights, but larger and more specialty items can be difficult to get immediate delivery on.

To elaborate a bit on delivery, it is important for people to realize that every company has same day shipping deadlines. If a product is readily available, please be sure to find out when you need to place an order by to get same day shipping. Suppliers will do everything that they can to help in these situations, but sometimes these things are simply out of our hands.

That being said, companies are doing everything they can to stock and supply LED products.  While stock levels are improving, please remember to do your part and plan ahead! It is unfortunate when a project is held up because of availability issues, so customers and suppliers need to work together to avoid this.

For more information on LED lighting, visit the LED lighting Experts at www.LEDsource.com

Restaurant Chain Adds LED Lighting

LED Source® was recently featured in Pizza Marketplace for its work with Pizza Fusion, an eco-friendly pizza restaurant franchise based right here in the Sunshine State. Not only is this company environmentally responsible with the food they serve, but also in the restaurants they build. Pizza Fusion debuted a new prototype in December 2010 in Tampa and worked with LED Source® to illuminate the space with LED lighting, the most environmentally friendly lighting solution currently on the market.

LEDs do great in the restaurant space because they create a bright space that helps show off the delicious food being served all while saving energy. Operators save money on utility bills as well as maintenance costs. LED fixtures also give off no heat, so it stays cool for workers in the kitchen!

For more information about LEDs in restaurants, give us a call: 866.900.4LED (4533)

http://www.pizzamarketplace.com/article/180817/Pizza-Fusion-transitions-to-LED-Source-lighting

LED Lighting and Events

If you’ve recently attended a corporate or private event, such as a wedding, you’ve likely noticed significant advances that have emerged over the past few years. The scope of the production has increased drastically and the attention to detail to maintain a focused theme and custom-tailored atmosphere has become crucial. The production company, event planners and host/hostess work closely with one another in the design and planning processes to ensure that an event’s décor has visual impact and makes a lasting impression on the attending guests. The most effective way to achieve the desired impact is through the creative use of light.

An LED lighting system has the ability to completely transform a space by painting a variety of architectural and decorative elements with multi-colored light. LED lighting is the new standard for these types of events due to their low energy consumption, remarkably long lifespan and compact form factor, which allow them to complement any environment. The versatile control of an LED lighting system allows a designer to produce millions of vivid, saturated colors and allows them to create even the most complex lighting schemes.

LED fixtures, particularly the Color Kinetics ColorBlast TR, can be used to highlight columns and other architectural features throughout the hotel, banquet hall or other event venue. This 12” fixture is also an excellent option to illuminate drapes and other decorative fabrics or textured materials. The ColorBlast TR has a rubber sleeve to protect the fixture when out on temporary rentals, and uses 4pin XLR power/data cables for quick setup and breakdown.

The Color Kinetics ColorBlaze, available in 4’ and 6’ lengths, has become the go-to linear fixture to consistently wash a cyclorama, scrim or scenic pieces on a stage at corporate events. The ColorBlaze is incrementally addressable down to 6” segments, which allows it to be used as a direct-view effect light for eye candy in addition to a “cyc” light.

Coemar’s ParLite LED, with on-board power and stand-alone control, is undoubtedly the best truss warmer on the market. The fact that the ParLite LED is available with an outdoor-rated IP65 backplate makes it an ideal fixture for exterior applications such as façade wallwashing. It also works exceptionally well as an uplight for landscaping and foliage when ground standing on its double yoke.

The addition of LEDs to the lighting design of today’s corporate events is intended to inspire creativity, motivation and energy amongst the employee audience. This contemporary approach conveys how the environment of the modern corporation has changed in recent years. The extensive use of LED lighting in a private event setting proves that the days of the traditional white wedding are long gone.

For more information, visit the LED Lighting Experts at LED Source – www.LEDsource.com

Using LED Lighting in Your Restaurant

Lighting is one of the most important aspects of setting the mood in you restaurant.  If you opt for bulbs that are too harsh and bright, people think of it as a cafeteria.  Too dark and they can’t see your menu and your employees can’t see your customers.  So what do you do?

Many restaurant operators these days are turning to LED lighting, which offers a variety of fixtures to set the perfect ambiance (and save you some money in the process).

LED now offers direct replacement lamps for many of the fixtures you already have in your facility.  From small to large, LED lighting has a wide variety of styles, color temperatures and wattages available for your lighting solutions.  Plus, unlike CFL (compact fluorescent lamps) many LED lights are dimmable so you can set the exact right tone during different times of the day.  Nothing is worse than replacing everything in the house with CFLs to save money and realizing that you’re formerly romantic spot is now as bright as a park at noon!

In the back of the house, there are many overhead and task-oriented fixtures that can provide you much better energy consumption than what you’re currently using.  In an establishment that runs their lighting 20 hours a day, the savings can be significant.  Imagine saving 50 percent or more of your lighting energy costs and providing your staff with a brighter (and safer) work environment.  Productivity increases, accident rates go down, and you save energy on your electric bill.  Sounds like a no-brainer to me.

Speaking of setting the mood, wouldn’t you love to repaint your restaurant on a daily (or hourly) basis to match the vibe you’re going for?  Change the colors of the walls for special events or holidays with LED wall washing fixtures.  Transform those plain white walls into rich reds, blues, greens and millions of other colors at the push of a button.

Do you rent your space out for special occasions?  Use the LED lighting as a marketing tool to save planners time and money having to rent lighting fixtures.  We all know how busy event planners are and by providing them a solution to more than just a facility and food, you’re saving them time and money – all the more reason to continue using your facility over your competitors!

There is no one solution for lighting (or anything else) in your restaurant.  As you already know, every element has to work together to make up a great place.  LED lighting is only a small part of the equation, but by utilizing the latest technology in your restaurant you’re giving yourself yet another edge against other establishments in your area.  In these tough economic times, any solution that can bring in customers and save you on the bottom line is something to seriously consider.

For more information on LED lighting, contact the LED lighting Experts at LED Source – www.LEDsource.com

5 Ways You Can Become A Facility Engineering Superhero – Part 1

Let’s face it; sitting in a facility engineering position is more than demanding.

Whenever the phrase ‘budget cuts’ starts to creep up, it usually results in leaner maintenance crews or losing valuable long-time employees. Maintenance replacement is part of inventory budgets, which are critical to a smooth operation, are usually reduced drastically or diminished completely and purchasing anything becomes a knee-shaking event. It’s no secret that times have changed and it’s hard to be loved as a facility engineer. After all, we are asking for money all the time to keep our facilities running at peak performance. Very rarely are we recognized in such a way that we get the VIP parking spot for Employee of the Month, even though we are responsible for the VIP parking sign and the painted parking stripes.

Well what if you could impress your executive leaders so much that they give you the parking spot for a year? And who knows maybe even a little extra change in your pocket for a special lunch. Sales people and marketing teams spend their careers figuring every possible method to bringing in operating cash and boy do they get recognized when they do. What about accountants? They get the corner office with real windows when they save the company some money in taxes every year. Now, it’s your turn to shine.

The solution is an LED lighting retrofit. I know what you’re thinking: “Here we go again – another creative idea that I end up paying the bill on.”  Well contraire my friend, this is your secret to success! Interested? Before you run out to your local home center store and get sticker shock from the LED lamps on the shelves, consider the following:

1. First and foremost if you think a home center is going to give you what you need to get into that corner office then you belong in the basement! Remember this: experts, experts, experts – got it? LED lighting experts, such as those at LED Source, not only know how to save you money but they know how to make your lighting look incredible, which of course makes you look good.
2. Pay attention to the wattage savings – yes, they are real. Often times, you’re replacing 60-Watt bulbs with 7-Watt LED lamps. That’s a huge reduction in wattage, which results in big savings on your lighting bills.
3. Let the experts audit your facility and tell you where you can save and where it does not make sense to change. One very important note here: Never pick a vendor who is locked into one manufacturer because you will quickly find out that one manufacturer does not have the best product for every application. Pick a an LED lighting solutions company that has access to all the best manufacturers and products on the market.

Part 2 of this article will be available in our next post. Stay tuned.

For more information on LED lighting and how you can save, visit the LED Lighting Experts at www.LEDsource.com

The Advancement of LED Lighting

Today, we can offer LED products that are truly useful and reliable for all sorts of applications that were not possible even a year ago.  The advancement of the technology has allowed manufacturers to create products that produce consistent color and high output lumen performance.

Anyone that has been involved with LED products knows that the biggest issues in the past have been the lack of output available from most fixtures and the wide variation of color produced by these fixtures.  A designer would be very leery of using LED lights because they might get fixtures or lamps that looked “green” or “pinkish,” with no control over what might be delivered.  Even within the same shipment of lights, there may be a fixture with both color variations.

Now that more manufacturers are involved with the technology, everyone seems to be paying more attention to their binning.  Binning is the way on which LED dyes are sorted with their color in relation to the center line. This is known as the McAdams Ellipse. When the manufacturer of a LED lamp or fixture selects the LEDs for their product, they now generally pay a lot more attention to the bin as this will give their product the consistency that everyone is looking for and expects.

The second greatest advancement has been the rate of efficacy, or how many lumens per watt can be achieved.  There has been much misinformation stated and published on LED products in the past. Some claims have over exaggerated their performance so greatly that a lot of early buyers of LED products were greatly disillusioned.  The Department of Energy is now getting involved by setting up standards for the Energy Star Program. These new standards clearly state what LED products will deliver and what true equivalent replacement brightness will be achieved.  Also, LED producers are now able to create LEDs that can generate over 100 lumens per watt.  That being said, it must also be noted that when a fixture states its lumen output it must calculate the loss of heat, optics and electronics which all deduct from the final output.

The future of LED lighting is very exciting as we now have multiple options for every type of lamp or fixture. LEDs can produce a real life replacement for most types of energy wasting incandescent lighting. In addition, it reduces and eliminates the harmful fluorescent, mercury-filled lamps from our environment while still maintaining a well-lit space.

Please contact one of our LED experts at LED Source® and find out how we can assist you today. (www.LEDsource.com)

VP / Business Development: Joe Zamore – Joe is responsible for new business, product and technology opportunities. Joe’s lighting design career has spanned three decades involving projects for some of the world’s most renowned facilities. As the former vice president of product development for EcoSense and a product development consultant for Lightolier, he has obtained the experience and knowledge to be admired by his peers as one of the true “experts” in LED lighting. Joe has also aided in helping some of the leading LED manufacturers to set a standard and performance level that is used today. Throughout his career, Joe has been awarded multiple Lumen Awards and won the IESNA Paul Waterbury Award of Excellence for Outdoor Lighting Design in 2003.