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This informative material has been provided by Pegasus Lighting, a nationally recognized lighting distributor that has been selling unique lighting products to a wide spectrum of customers since 1993.

Display lighting makes your exhibit more alluring. That doesn't mean it needs to make your exhibit more complicated.

Trade show displays are temporary by definition, and it’s frustrating to plan for an entire complicated setup that you know will soon be disassembled. So, why not make it easier on yourself and avoid display lights that are as much of a pain to install as they are to take down? This guide will help you choose a portable display light that you can use again and again.

First, consider the exhibit you are lighting. We offer both clamp-on and clip-on styled light fixtures, but you’ll need to have a general idea of where they will be attached. For example, this LED display light can mount on a wall with a diameter ranging from 0.5 inches to 2 inches; whereas this one can be installed on a wall/pipe up to 2.75 inches thick. The adjustable brackets always enable you to fit the lighting to your exhibit, but it’s still important to confirm the space enables you to mount the portable lights you choose.

Second, determine where your power source will be. If you’re setting up in an area with no access to outlets, consider using a battery operated display light. If you do plan on using an outlet, determine the distance the cord will need to travel. We offer extension cords for most of our portable display lights on the Accessories tab of each product page.

After determining the electrical logistics, you can focus on the features you want your show lights to have. Do you prefer LED lights or halogen? Should the arm of the light fixture be adjustable or fixed in place? Do you want the head of the light fixture to swivel? Are you looking for a dimmable display light for your exhibit?

If you have any questions at all, call our customer service representatives – they can specify a display light that’s perfect for your needs. One more thing: Remember, if you’re in a pinch, you can have lights shipped directly to the trade show! One of our customers did just that:

“I shipped my booth contents to a trade show only to have my boxes hung up in the UPS system due to weather. I needed (display) lighting sent to San Diego quickly. I phoned your order line and your customer service person was wonderful – she assured me that you could get my order out same day sent UPS 3-day. And your company delivered!!! You are all great and I wasn’t in a dark booth. Thank you!!! I will be recommending you company.” – Cindy of Foxglove Fiberarts Supply

This informative material has been provided by Pegasus Lighting, a nationally recognized lighting distributor that has been selling unique lighting products to a wide spectrum of customers since 1993.

It probably didn’t come as a surprise last month when we published results of a recent study revealing certain artificial indoor lighting has a negative impact on sleep cycles.

The study found that light with a cool color temperature affects a certain blue-sensitive photoreceptor that targets our biological clock. So, to avoid losing sleep because of your lights, we recommended sticking to lighting with a warm color temperature (2800-3200K) after dusk – and dimming the lights before bed!

However, that recommendation didn’t address the bulk of the problem: the glare from computer screens, smartphones, and tablets. If you’re like most people, you check your e-mail and catch up on news articles in the hour or two before you go to bed. The color temperature from those devices will kill your efforts to stay away from sleep-inhibiting lighting.

Luckily, there’s a solution! It’s a free software program called F.lux, and it automatically adjusts the color temperature of your computer monitor based on the time of day. You can tweak the settings, but you basically just specify where you live and how fast you want the color temperature transition to be.

I came across a review of F.lux on the Jim on Light blog and downloaded it right away. It detected my location and didn’t seem to change anything. That evening, I was working on the laptop around 6pm or so as the sun was going down. All of the sudden, my monitor transformed from a cool blue-ish daylight glow to a pleasant, warmer toned screen. Given the fact that the room around me was darkening as well, it was much more relaxing on the eyes. I love that it is completely automated!

You can download F.lux on most Windows, Mac, and Linux OSes, and it’s also available as an iPhone app. Thanks, Jim on Light for blogging about this software – it’s an excellent way to dial down the harsh glare of a screen at night.

This informative material has been provided by Pegasus Lighting, a nationally recognized lighting distributor that has been selling unique lighting products to a wide spectrum of customers since 1993.

We’re becoming more efficient. This one’s no surprise. Technological advancements improve energy-efficient lighting in terms of performance and efficacy month by month, so ten years certainly showed strides toward sustainability. Most notably, fluorescent light fixtures made a big impact. In the residential sector, the shift was from incandescent to compact fluorescent lamps; in the commercial sector, it was from T12 to T8 and T5 fluorescent lamps. As you can see in the chart below, linear fluorescent light fixtures now make up the largest portion of the commercial sector as well as the largest portion of the total.

Overall, the efficacy of lighting improved by 29 percent – an increase from 45 lumens per watt in 2001 to 58 lumens per watt in 2010.

LEDs make up a small piece of the pie. Take a look at the chart below. LEDs (in yellow) account for very little of annual electricity consumption. Likely, that is partly because LEDs consume minimal energy to operate and partly because LED lighting has yet to be adopted on a large scale, especially in the residential sector. The greatest penetration of market in LED lighting can be seen in the outdoor sector.

Demand is going up. It’s good news that efficiency is improving; because in ten years, the number of lamps installed in the U.S. grew by about a billion. This was likely due to an increase in the number of households, as well as an increase in the number of sockets per household.

Take a look at the complete report if you want to see more details. What do you think – is this what you would’ve expected for ten years?

This informative material has been provided by Pegasus Lighting, a nationally recognized lighting distributor that has been selling unique lighting products to a wide spectrum of customers since 1993.

Kelly’s Kitchen Sync (@kitchen_sync on Twitter): Read Kelly Morisseau’s posts, and you’ll have a wealth of information on kitchen design, bathroom design, and top trends. You’ll discover new, revolutionary products. You’ll learn what makes excellent design, and what makes designers cringe. We are constantly sharing Kelly’s helpful posts with our Facebook and Twitter followers – she’s fantastic!

Color Recipes (@Color4Charlotte on Twitter): We first “met” Donna Frasca of Color Recipes on Twitter during a chat with kitchen and bath professionals – #kbtribechat is on Wednesdays at 2pm for those who want to join in. She’s a Color Specialist in Charlotte, NC, and she helps homeowners choose color palettes that complement their homes. Her blog documents the paint colors she pairs. The interesting spin is that she uses food as inspiration for each color palette. If you’re considering painting any room, Color Recipes will give you a unique perspective.

Freshome (@freshome on Twitter): Yes, Freshome publishes posts multiple times a day. Yes, it can really build up in your RSS feed, if you have one. And yes, they are totally worth following if you’re looking for interior design inspiration. Freshome uncovers and shares “the latest and greatest products in architecture and design.” Here is where you will find drool-worthy photos of apartments and homes you would trade for your own in a heartbeat. Each post is compelling – there’s no question that Freshome will spark new ideas for you.

This informative material has been provided by Pegasus Lighting, a nationally recognized lighting distributor that has been selling unique lighting products to a wide spectrum of customers since 1993.

Imagine controlling every single feature of your lighting from your Smartphone: dimming an individual light or a set of lights, turning them on/off, setting up a timer, and even tracking energy usage in real-time.

In Japan, that’s becoming a reality. Tokyo-based lighting tech startup Net LED Technology Corp has developed the first cloud-based LED lighting system.

It will go on sale in Japan February 20. The lights are 40W LED tubes with a 40,000 hour lifespan, and they come with built-in Wi-Fi. It’s possible to control the lights from a smartphone, tablet, or computer.

For more information, see the feature in TechCrunch or view Net LED Technology Corp’s English site.

This informative material has been provided by Pegasus Lighting, a nationally recognized lighting distributor that has been selling unique lighting products to a wide spectrum of customers since 1993.

Little did Silverman and Matthews know that 3,000 of those electricity-generating soccer balls would eventually be delivered to Mexico, Haiti, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and South Africa. This is a pretty incredible story:

This informative material has been provided by Pegasus Lighting, a nationally recognized lighting distributor that has been selling unique lighting products to a wide spectrum of customers since 1993.

If you’re asking yourself that question, your most helpful tool will be Remodeling Magazine’s Cost versus Value report. Published once a year, it’s an analysis of  remodeling projects with the highest (and lowest) value. You can select your region (New England, Middle Atlantic, etc.) and view the average cost of particular projects as well as the estimated resale value.

Obviously, those numbers are incredibly difficult to pin down, but Remodeling Magazine does their research, using figures from the National Association of Realtors, several market research companies, and thousands of web-based surveys.

If you decide to remodel a particular room after using the report, use these additional tips to amp up the lighting – and make your home more attractive to buyers:

1. Sell on Sunshine: This one doesn’t cost a cent, and it’s a tried and true strategy for home stagers. Avoid blocking natural light at all costs. Move around your furniture, adjust your window treatments, trim outside bushes blocking the windows, and give those panes a nice scrub. Potential buyers are looking for lots of natural light, so let that sunlight stream in as much as possible.

2.Go Green: There’s no doubt that energy efficiency is a selling point right now. Potential buyers want to know that they won’t be slapped with a huge power bill a month after move-in. Install energy efficient light bulbs and low-energy light fixtures, then tout the benefits of going green.

3. Layer, Layer, Layer: Layering your lighting is a general rule in lighting design – I wrote a tutorial for After Dinner DIY on the subject. If you’re selling a home, this is especially crucial in the bathroom. According to industry expert Nora DePalma of O’Reilly/DePalma; ”Bathrooms are one area where home buyers make decisions because it will be one of the most used rooms in the house. Make them look bright, absolutely spotless, and loaded with storage options.”

The key to effective, bright lighting in the bathroom is to incorporate the three layers of light. There should be general illumination via overhead or ceiling lighting, task lighting via vanity light fixtures, and accent lighting that in some way highlights architectural details or interesting decor.

4. Lower the Lights: If you don’t already have dimmers in your home, installing a few before a showing can work for you in two ways. First, you can set the lights at a cozy level that warms up the space visually. Second, they can serve as yet another valuable asset to your home’s features!

5. Roleplay: Put yourself in the home buyer’s shoes and take a discerning look at your light fixtures. You may have lived with them for years, so be honest with yourself: Are they outdated? If they are bordering on “eyesore,” invest a little bit of money on a more contemporary style. Replacing just a few light fixtures can make a huge difference in the overall feel of your home.

This informative material has been provided by Pegasus Lighting, a nationally recognized lighting distributor that has been selling unique lighting products to a wide spectrum of customers since 1993.

He used our Xenon Line Voltage Under Cabinet Task Lights (in brushed steel) to illuminate the countertops. A lot of our customers have trouble deciding what type of light source to choose for under cabinet lighting, so I asked Chad why he went with xenon. There are pros and cons to each type, but it’s really a matter of personal preference. Chad said he picked xenon because he loved the color temperature (xenon gives off a warm white light) and the CRI (xenon has excellent color rendering). “They’re very bright, thin, and dimmable,” he said.

Why not fluorescent? Chad said he wanted to avoid flickering and also wanted to make sure the light was dimmable. Actually, all of our fluorescent under cabinet lights include a built-in electronic ballast which prevents flickering. However, they are not dimmable, and the CRI is typically not as high as what you’ll see with xenon.

Chad mounted the light fixtures as close to the front of the cabinet as possible to maximize even light distribution  - which is exactly what we recommend for installation, and the Lighting Research Center backs it up.

This informative material has been provided by Pegasus Lighting, a nationally recognized lighting distributor that has been selling unique lighting products to a wide spectrum of customers since 1993.

It's our mission to make choosing a transformer as easy as choosing from a box of chocolates.

A couple months ago, I promised to write more “how-to” posts here since they seem to be most popular among all of you wonderful readers. Since then, I’ve posted How To Light a Foyer, How To Wash a Wall With Light, How To Choose a Recessed Shower Light, and How To Prevent a Power Outage Blackout.

Today, I’m tackling an arguably drier topic. However, for those of you that are diving into remodeling projects for the New Year, it’s a crucial one.

First, an introduction for those not familiar with transformers in the lighting industry (Hint: they are not shape-shifting creatures). There are two types of lighting systems: Line voltage and low voltage. Line voltage simply means that your lighting fixtures may be plugged in directly to an electrical outlet or hardwired directly to a power source. The voltage that  the light fixture needs is the same as the voltage supplied from your wall. Low voltage lighting systems require lower voltage to operate than the typical power source supplies. So, if the power source in your wall outputs 120 volts, low voltage lighting fixtures require an input of just 12 or 24 volts. That’s why you need a low voltage transformer – to convert the voltage from your power source to the amount your lighting fixture needs!

Occasionally, the transformer is built right in to the lighting fixture – in which case there’s no need for this guide. The decision has been made for you! However, if the transformer is separate, you’ll need to make sure it is compatible with your lighting fixtures. Follow this guide to make your selection in four steps …

Decision 1: Volts

Low voltage lighting systems operate on either 12 or 24 volts. The easiest way to start filtering out the right transformer is to determine if the low voltage light fixture you need to power requires 12 or 24 volts. You should be able to find this information in the description/specifications of any product. Also, determine whether your power source outputs 120 or 277 volts. Most power sources in the U.S. output 120 volts, but there are transformers available for power sources that output 270.

Decision 2: Magnetic v. Electronic

There are a few pros and cons to consider here. Electronic transformers have an additional electronic device called an inverter that enables them to be much smaller than magnetic transformers. So, if you need to tuck the transformer into a tight space, you might want to veer toward an electronic transformer. Another advantage to an electronic transformer is that it can be reset at the wall switch if there’s an overload.

Although magnetic transformers are somewhat larger and heavier, they are more durable than electronic transformers and they tend to last longer.

Decision 3: Wattage

Now that you’ve determined whether you’re looking for a 12-volt magnetic transformer, 24-volt electronic transformer, 12-volt electronic transformer, or 24-volt magnetic transformer (that’s a mouthful!), you can narrow it down by wattage. Each transformer has a “maximum wattage load.” Typically, this is what the actual product is labeled as; i.e., this 60-Watt 12-Volt Electronic Low Voltage Transformer has a maximum wattage load of 60 watts – and a minimum of 20, if you read the product description. The rule here is that the maximum wattage load of your transformer must be equal to or larger than the total wattage of all the light fixtures you are connecting to it. Let’s say you have one light fixture with one 60-watt light bulb for the transformer mentioned above. That’s fine. However, if you install a light fixture with three 60-watt light bulbs, you’ll need a transformer with a maximum wattage load of at least 180 watts.

Decision 4: Enclosure

If you see the word “enclosed” in any of the product descriptions, this simply means the transformer is encased in a metal case that provides storage space for terminal block connections you may need to make. It’s fine to choose a transformer that’s not enclosed, but you should probably store it in some sort of metal housing (i.e., a junction box).

As always, please feel free to ask any questions here on the blog or by calling our toll free customer service number!

This informative material has been provided by Pegasus Lighting, a nationally recognized lighting distributor that has been selling unique lighting products to a wide spectrum of customers since 1993.