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LED Lighting Applications: Libraries

Integra LED has worked with several libraries to provide modern LED lighting solutions for their facilities. Libraries gain many benefits from upgrading to LED lights beyond the maintenance and energy savings. Lighting quality is extremely important to readers, many libraries still utilize outdated lighting options that create a harsh reading environment for their patrons. Furthermore, libraries commonly have long run hours causing them to consume a large amount of energy for lighting. Continue reading to learn more about how LEDs can benefit your readers and significantly reduce your utility bill! Better Lighting for Readers LED lighting offers a close to natural spectrum of light which is easier on the eyes than outdated lighting options such as fluorescent lights. If you look at the spectrum of fluorescent light, you will see several spikes in colors. These spikes can create sensitivity in certain people that can cause headaches, grogginess and decreased focus. LED lighting not only offers a smoother source of light but is aesthetically pleasing making the facility appear more modern and comfortable. From our experience working with libraries, we have found that a warmer color temperature is the best option for library lighting. It creates a more comfortable feel for the readers and is less straining on the eyes then a cooler color temperature. Color temperature is a value generally between 2,000-6,000K that measures how “warm” or “cool” a light source appears. The higher the value, the cooler the light will appear and the lower the value, the warmer it will appear. For example, a 2,500K LED light will be amber in color while 5,000K will produce a white-blue light. Overall, we recommend using a color temperature between 3,000 – 4,000K for general library lighting. Lighting Control Systems Smart control systems are the future of lighting. They enable facilities such as libraries to customize their lighting and increase the amount of energy they save with their lighting system. Modern control systems offer a variety of features ranging from occupancy sensing to daylight harvesting. Daylight harvesting is a feature that tracks the amount of natural light entering a space then adjust the fixtures light output accordingly. For example, if a room has a lot of natural light, the control system will automatically dim the fixtures to create an optimal amount of light while reducing energy consumption. This not only makes the facility more efficient, but it allows it to better utilize natural light creating a more comfortable space for patrons. Dimming is a core capability for any lighting system especially libraries. In libraries, dimming is a great feature to have for presentations or films. LED’s installed with dimming drivers offer precise and seamless dimming that allows the user to select the perfect amount of light for their needs. Energy Savings Run hours is one of the most important components when assessing how much a facility can save when upgrading to LED lighting. Libraries commonly have long hours making them a perfect space to harness the energy-saving power of LED lights. On average, our customers reduce their lighting costs by up to 70%. Furthermore, since LEDs last significantly longer, the cost of maintaining your lighting system is greatly reduced. LEDs commonly last 5x longer than outdated options saving you money on purchasing replacement lamps. Considering LEDs last around 5x longer than fluorescent tubes, you could avoid purchasing and replacing your facilities lighting 3 times by upgrading to LED. Integra LED offers turnkey LED lighting upgrades covering everything from securing incentives on product to installing the new lighting system. We offer a complimentary lighting assessment to any interested customer. This assessment enables you to see the potential savings and incentives you could receive from upgrading to LED lighting.

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LED Lighting Applications-Education (K12)

Lighting quality can play a significant role in a student’s performance. Most schools still utilize inefficient and poor-quality lighting systems that create unoptimized environments for students. In this week’s LED lighting applications blog, we will discuss how modern LED lighting can improve student performance while reducing energy and maintenance costs. Lighting & Student Performance Does being under fluorescent lighting make you feel groggy, unfocused or even cause headaches? Well, you’re not alone and many people feel the same way you do! What you are experiencing is called Photophobia, it is a sensitivity to light caused by certain wavelengths and brightness. If you look at the spectrum of fluorescent light, you will see several spikes in colors. These spikes can create sensitivity in those who are sensitive to light. Over time, this can have physical effects including headaches and decreased focus. Student performance is a key measure for any education program. Considering how common Photophobia is, many students can experience decreased performance due to poor, outdated lighting in their classrooms. LED lighting is a great solution to this common problem. They offer smooth lighting that can easily be controlled and adjusted depending on student’s and teacher’s needs. Furthermore, LEDs emit light that closely resembles sunlight offering a more natural light source, unlike fluorescent lights constant spikes. Learning environments play a significant role in students’ performance. Quality lighting can greatly improve an environment and ensure it’s optimized for students. Modern LED lighting systems utilize controls that enable the end-user to customize their lighting and optimize it depending on their needs. A few common features of modern control systems include dimming, daylight harvesting, and task tuning. All these features combined can create a more comfortable and enhanced space for students and teachers alike. A recent study found that students achieved a higher percentage increase in oral reading fluency performance when working in a room equipped with LED lights that were optimized for the student’s performance. Energy Savings + Maintenance Lighting is a large electrical demand for school systems as the lights commonly run long hours. Outdated options like fluorescent lighting have very short lifetimes and consume significantly more energy compared to modern LED lights. On average, LED’s use 70% less energy than outdated options while commonly lasting 10x longer than fluorescent lights. These energy savings will show up directly on your utility bill reducing the monthly cost of energy for your facilities. Furthermore, LED lighting is maintenance-free compared to fluorescent tubes which have a much shorter lifetime than LED lights. This will save your maintenance team time by removing the need to constantly swap out tubes and replace lamps. Constantly replacing lights is a cost that can quickly add up which can be avoided by upgrading. Therefore, LED lights not only save you on energy costs but also greatly reduce maintenance costs for your buildings. Conclusion LED lighting is the future of lighting for education facilities. Integra LED has worked with several school districts in New York to help create a better environment for students and save on energy costs. The future is here and it’s only a matter of time before all schools harness the power of LED lighting and controls. Be on the leading edge of this technology and upgrade your school with Integra LED. We offer free lighting assessments to get the process started and give you a better idea of the savings and benefits you could see!

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LED Lighting Benefits For Schools

LED lighting is currently the most efficient lighting option which offers many benefits to those who install them. The most commonly replaced light source is fluorescent lights which have many unhealthy disadvantages. The major drawback for fluorescent lights is color spikes which are essentially spikes in certain wavelengths that can cause distractions and strain on the eyes leading to different negative side effects. On top of this, fluorescent lights contain mercury, a dangerous chemical that is harmful to humans. LED lights emit light that better resembles natural light and does not contain any toxic chemicals. Many schools still utilize outdated and dangerous fluorescent lights so we hope to educate you on the benefits LEDs can have on schools and their students! Increase Efficiency & Durability The first and main benefit of upgrading to LED lighting is increased efficiency and durability of your lighting system. On average, our customers save up to 70% on their lighting cost after upgrading to LED. We have seen annual savings of $30,000 up to $150,000 depending on the upgrade. These savings can be used to reinvest into the school and develop new opportunities for students. Furthermore, LEDs last around 10 years which creates more savings by not constantly buying and switching out inefficient fluorescent lights. Overall, LEDs create significant energy savings and reduce the amount of maintenance needed for your lighting. Improve Students Test Scores Schools have begun conducting tests to see the effects of new lighting systems on students test scores and the results are astounding. Students test scores increased by a massive 25% after upgrading classrooms to LED. Many teachers observed that the student’s attention was more focused, and the atmosphere was more pleasant after upgrading which explains the increase in students scores. Overall, classroom lighting can have a profound effect on students and LED lighting is the leading solution. Increase Comfort As stated in our introduction, fluorescent contains disruptive wavelengths that can strain the eyes of students. The same schools that conducted the test mentioned previously had several students claim the school was more pleasant and that the atmosphere was lighter. Combine this with lighting controls and you will be able to greatly increase the comfort of your students. Therefore, if your students are more comfortable in their environment, they may be more productive and focused in the classroom. Wrapping Things Up News about LEDs benefits in the classroom is spreading like wildfire and we want you to be on the leading edge of classroom technology. As you read above, LED lighting offers significant benefits for students and increases the efficiency and durability of your lighting system. Be the leader in classroom technology and upgrade to LED lighting with Integra LED.

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LED Lighting Controls Are The Future

In general terms, lighting controls enable the user to regulate lighting levels and quality depending on the needs or location of the user. Better control of the user’s lighting system allows them to customize their space while potentially increasing energy savings. If you are interested in learning more about the benefits of smart control systems, you can check out this blog! The Future of Lighting Controls A traditional LED lighting upgrade will save a customer up to 70% on their lighting cost annually. These savings are significant, but the implementation of controls can further increase these savings. As LEDs become more adopted in the marketplace, LED control systems will become the leading force in reducing energy cost. Furthermore, control systems are becoming more advanced with new features to create more benefits for you. Below are two diagrams, the one on the left shows energy usage without a control system and the one on the right shows energy usage with RAB’s LightCloud system installed. As you can see, each feature of their control system offers subsequently lower energy usage. This reduced usage is what causes the cost reduction in your utility bill. For example, you can see that occupancy controls create significant savings during the middle of the day. The reason behind this is that many employees leave for lunch around noon without turning off their lights. Occupancy sensors will automatically turn off or dim those lights depending on your needs which can create additional savings for you! How Can I Get Started? The first step in improving your lighting system is gathering information on the current system to establish a baseline. Integra LED offers complimentary energy assessments to help you gain necessary insights such as current energy usage and maintenance cost. Once this assessment is completed, our engineering team will create a custom proposal based on your lighting needs. Our lighting upgrades are completely turnkey from securing incentive funds to commissioning your new LED control system!

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Smart Lighting Control Systems: Top Benefits

What is a smart lighting control system? Although the name may sound technical, these systems are quite simple to understand. They enable you to regulate lighting levels and quality depending on the location or need. Having control of your lighting enables you to have a more customized space while increasing your energy savings using different features. Daylight Harvesting This simple technology utilizes sensors to recognize natural light in a space then adjusts the artificial lighting accordingly. For example, if your office has a lot of natural light shining in, the control system will automatically dim the lighting. By doing this, you are reducing energy consumption at times where it is not needed. Overall, this increases your savings on energy especially when paired with a LED lighting upgrade! Increase Comfort and Productivity Have you ever sat in your desk and became frustrated with the painful excessively bright lighting above you? With smart lighting control systems, you can quickly and easily dim your lighting to better suit your preferences. By increasing comfort, you may be more productive in your workspace because you won’t have the distractions of overly bright and painful lighting. Occupancy Sensors Do you ever forget to turn off the lights after leaving a space? Occupancy sensors do exactly what the title says, they sense if a space is occupied and adjust the lighting accordingly. This creates massive savings by reducing the amount of energy consumed in spaces that don’t need to be lit. On top of this, it removes the human element of switching off all your lights so you will never have to worry about forgetting again! Increase Lighting Lifetime The three benefits listed above all reduce the unnecessary usage of your artificial lighting systems. By reducing usage, these lighting systems will last significantly longer! Pair this with an LED upgrade and you can see your lights lasting well up to 50,000 hours. This reduces the time and money required to constantly switch out bulbs giving your maintenance or facilities team more time! Savings Smart Lighting Controls decrease your energy consumption. The less energy you consume, the lower your lighting cost will be. Therefore, control systems can offer massive savings for your business. Pair this with a LED lighting upgrade and you will be saving up to 75% on your utility bill every single year.

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