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Compact Flourescents, LEDs, and the Search for Greener Lighting

By BulbAmerica

Recently great progress has been made in the development of environmentally friendly and efficient light bulbs to replace the traditional incandescent bulb. The compact fluorescent bulb (CFL) and the LED represent two of the most the common green bulbs being used in the home, office, automobile, and airplane, and other areas. Though CFL bulbs are very durable, lasting 8 to 15 times longer than the typical incandescent bulb, they contain mercury and pose a risk to the environment upon their disposal. The LED bulb is therefore a more environmentally friendly alternative to the CFL.

LED bulbs are particularly environmentally friendly because they do not contain any toxic chemicals. The most notable feature of the LED is its long-lasting light. The LED bulb can shine for more than 100,000 hours before its light dims. The outstanding lifespan of the LED is clear in comparison to the 6,000 to 15,000 hour lifespan of the compact fluorescent bulb. In addition to its shine, the LED bulb’s lack of a filament and strong construction guarantee a long life. Furthermore, LEDs produce lots of light using a very little wattage, making them energy efficient while cutting your energy bill. Whereas a 60-100 Watt incandescent bulb produces roughly 15 lumens per Watt, a 5 Watt LED can produce up to 18-22 lumens per Watt. The LED bulb’s capacity to produce large amounts of light by using minimal amounts of electricity is extremely promising.

LED bulbs can be found in nearly all lighting areas. LED PAR cans such as those by American DJ, Chauvet, and Optima can be found colorfully lighting up theaters and concert venues. The controllability and wide color spectrum possible with LEDs makes them a great choice for DJs and clubs. LED lighting is also common light sources in kitchens, candelabras, and flood lights. LEDs are currently found in most lighting applications and will likely expand into others soon. The only immediate difficulty with LED bulbs is their price. LED candelabra bulbs, for example, range from $18.06 compared to $5.89-$13.22 for CFL candelabra bulbs. Though LED lighting is still early in its development it promises to be a cost effective, environmentally friendly, and efficient lighting option.

By Victor Lopez | 11 November, 2014 | compact fluorescent, led, lights, news | 0 comments | Read more

Make Your Event One of a Kind With Apollo's Gobos

By BulbAmerica

Gobos are an integral part of any lighting effect system. Without gobos one would be limited to color and light shows, but with gobos a lighting designer can sculpt the available color and light into patterns and shapes that can capture the ambiance and mood of whatever the situation. As gobos become more common in not only scanners and DJ lighting effects but moving head units and outdoor projectors, the gobo itself has become that much more important. Apollo's outstanding steel and glass gobos are the best in the business and will make your show an unforgettable one.

Apollo offers low resolution and extremely high resolution glass and steel gobos. Apollo’s glass gobos are made from the finest quality borosilicate glass. Glass gobos are capable of producing much higher resolution and detailed images than steel gobos because they do not require bridging, a technique used to connect the separate lines of a design and thus maintain the integrity of the gobo image. Colored designs are also available with glass gobos, thus contributing an additional degree of excitement to your lighting that is not possible with steel gobos. Steel gobos, however are still highly valuable. Apollo’s steel gobos are made from 8mm stainless steel with high nickel and chromium content to ensure durability.Though Apollo glass gobos are able to withstand high temperatures, steel gobos are generally more durable than glass gobos and are better suited for use in fixtures that generate large quantities of heat such as ellipsoidals and followspots.

Apollo has some very special gobos, in particular their super resolution gobos and multi-color gobos. Apollo’s super resolution gobos depict images in vivid detail, allowing each facet of the image or pattern to be prominent and lively. Multi-colored gobos, which are made from multiple glass dichroic filters fused upon one another, are also an outstanding gobo. Apollo’s multi-colored gobos come in combinations of nearly every design imaginable while still maintaining the integrity of the image being presented.

I could go on and list the possible colors and patterns available but it would simply take too long. Suffice it to say that BulbAmerica stocks 1,758 different gobo patterns and images, so we probably have exactly the gobo you need plus much, much more. Check out what we have to offer, you won’t be disappointed!

By Victor Lopez | 11 November, 2014 | gobos, lights, news | 0 comments | Read more

Timers and Wall Dimmers: Bright Ideas for Green Lighting

By BulbAmerica

Today, homeowners and business owners alike are always on the look out for ways to save energy and save on their energy expenses. Many people look to the latest and greatest in LED and compact fluorescent bulbs first for ways to go green. There are however, other extremely simple ways to save on your energy use, namely the use of timers and dimmers. Timers have come a long way from the plastic mechanical dials that you would plug into power outlets, now, though these simple dimmers are certainly still used, there are more technologically advanced timers that are capable of handling multiple lighting programs. Sunlite’s T500 7 day timer is a wall-mounted timer with 36 on/off settings for full control over your lights. By using a timer, you can set your lights turn on and off when you’re not home, or while you are asleep, or at times when the office is empty. By using timers you can have lights on only when you need, saving you serious energy and money.

Wall dimmers are another way to not only save electricity, but to make your existing lamps last longer. By setting your lights to burn at a lower intensity, you can prolong the life all your bulbs including your incandescent and halogen light bulbs. Wall dimmers are easily mounted and come in a variety of styles to suit your decorative and functional needs. It is important to note, however, that combining wall dimmers and environmentally friendly bulbs, particularly CFLs, is not always so simple. Not all CFLs are dimmable and those that are, like cold cathode compact fluorescent for example, are not 100% dimmable. This means that you many not be able to use them on certain dimmers, and you should consult the manufacturers literature on the subject. Or, as always, you can contact me by leaving a message on my blog, or BulbAmerica with any questions you have by dialing 1-888-505-2111.

Save energy and money now—go green and save green! Invest in timers and dimmers today!