7-11 Stores, as the most popular chain of convient stores in the united states launched a National Campaign to covert nearly 5900 stores to LED Lighting. This massive campaign began early in 2010 and is nearing completion in the next week.

Synergy Lighting and our network of Electrical Installers have retrofitted many of these stores from Exterior Fluorescent and HID Lighting from Tampa to Miami. Each of the locations posed its own challenges but over all went very smoothly. The LED Lighting installed was manufacturered by LSI Industries, one of the top producers of LED lighting Fixtures with all products manufacturered in the United States. Though we don’t really know the total range of energy savings created nationally, we can only assume that it far exceeds the project total for the State Of Florida at $25 Million dollars.

The range of LED Lighting was everything from LED Parking Lot Lighting, Soffit LED Lighting, Wall Wash LED, Sign Retrofit to LED, to even replacing the fluorescent bulbs in the ATM Sign and converting it to LED. This means that there is not a single product used outdoors other than LED Lighting. Customers and employees alike were awe struck at the phenominal light out put of the LED lighting and the great improvement in light quality outdoors.

Here are a few photos of some of the LED retrofits performed at these 7-11 Stores.

The Final Result at night looks great at this Miami Florida 7-11 Location completed on July 1, 2010

For more information on LED Lighting, view our website or call Synergy Lighting for a free consultation.

 

Phone: (941)-756-4844

Toll Free: (877) 220-5483

e-mail: sales@synergylightingusa.com

With significant changes in our country’s global economic and environmental climate, every day customers ask us about going green with LED Light bulbs. Synergy Lighting offers over 300 of these newly popular, environmentally friendly, Solid State Lighting Products which achieve phenomenal energy savings and feature CREE Brand LED’s. Of particular interest is the myriad of associated questions commonly asked of us by consumers.

• Do the LED Light Bulbs really last a long time?
• How much do they cost?
• Do LED Light Bulbs put off as much light as a standard light bulb?
• How long before the price comes down?

At one point in time, though we highly encourage the use of LED Light Bulbs, the resulting answers were all positive until that moment in time when you have to disclose to a customer how much the LED bulbs would really cost. Many LED distributors will do anything but answer that all consuming bottom line question, “How much do they cost?”  One can only imagine the words we hear from a customer when the price comes out. Customers must come to understand that the Price of the Bulb and the cost of operation are two different things. The price of the lamp, or the purchase price rather is usually insignificant compared to the operating cost of electricity, replacement and labor. In the following comparison, we will compare a 60 Watt Incandescent to an 8 Watt LED to show the true “Life Cycle Cost.”

Total Energy Savings Achieved: $349.27

As clearly demonstrated with the above chart, an energy savings of $349.27 per bulb can result in thousands of dollars saved by reducing energy waste for a business with multiple lamps. When one looks at the initial price of an LED light bulb, this must be considered the investment value, and the energy and labor, replacement cost savings is the return on investment (ROI). The ROI is 498% and a 87% total reduction of energy waste.

For more information on LED Lighitng or LED Light Bulbs, view our website or call Synergy Lighting for a free consultation. 

Phone: (941)-756-4844

Toll Free: (877) 220-5483

e-mail: sales@synergylightingusa.com

The customers experience at night begins in the parking lot, making Parking Lot Lighting the most valuable tool for a business at night. If a parking lot is poorly lit, customers will not stop, park, or shop. When a potential customer or client is considering visiting a store, shopping center or dealership, light can create a great sense of curb appeal attracting potential buyers or shoppers. A Well illuminated facility sends a clear message to customers that your business is open, ready to conduct business, and represents a more inviting, safer place to shop.

Making a good first impression!

Making this first impression a good one is vital to the success of any business. It is human nature to subconsciously be attracted to well illuminated areas, and thus increases traffic flow. Recently we received a call from a National Store Chain that the parking lot lighting was poor and needed to be improved. The concern was that most shoppers at night were female, and the lack of good, bright lighting made the store look unattractive to these potential shoppers. This is not just an assumption. As stores and shopping centers become larger in today’s real estate world, the walking distance from store to car becomes larger. Men have a tendency to not think about safety as much as women, so business owners must cater their lighting to the concerns of most women.

Poorly illuminated areas provide drastically increased potential risks, ranging from theft or purse-snatching to assault, rape, an even kidnapping. Women feel especially at risk walking to their car alone after dark. Few people realize the dangers inherent in this commonplace activity, but the fear alone may prevent potential customers from shopping at stores or centers with lower light levels. The criminal element is more likely to strike in these areas because the lack of Parking Lot Lighting allows the element of surprise and reduced visual acuity and increasing premise liability.

Target Corporation prides itself in offering more for less. Target Corporation operates Target stores, a chain of large, general merchandise discount stores, The company currently operates 1,272 Target stores in 47 states, all of which are required to maintain a pristine, warm atmosphere for shoppers. Target established a corporate policy to maintain standards for light levels for its stores’ main parking, peripheral parking and front drive areas. As part of their store maintenance program, Target periodically evaluates the light levels of each of its store location’s parking lots. That’s why when Target believed its parking lot light levels at a popular location were not meeting its corporate standards, they called in the lighting experts to measure light levels, and take corrective action.

How much light should a parking lot have?

First we must understand that there is no such thing as too much light in a parking lot. Most often we find that retailers do not put a focus on parking lot lighting fixtures due to high costs of repair and energy consumption. There are many alternatives such as LED and Induction lighting that can reduce these costs while providing high levels of light. The Illumination Engineering Society in Partnership with Nema, the Nations leading authorities on parking lot lighting standards, has determined that the most appropriate light level for a business at night is 4.0 foot candles or greater. Local ordinances controlling light pollution may require lower levels, however meeting a maximum light level is most beneficial. This foot candle recommendation is both vertically and horizontally across the plane. Some businesses or centers that just measure light levels directly beneath a light pole may have inadequate lighting across the parking lot.

How can parking lot lighting be improved affordable?

Synergy Lighting offers a wide variety of HID, LED and Induction based lighting products that can improve parking lot lighting design scotopically, without requiring additional expenses of poles and wiring to be added. The human eye responds to brighter whiter light on a scotopic level with increased see-ability or visual acuity. Any of the following tips can improve a lighting system on an affordable basis:

• Convert High Pressure Sodium HID, to Metal Halide
• Use Natural White Lamps whenever possible
• Convert HID to LED or Induction which provides improved see-ability and scotopically rich lighting
• Change older fixture heads to newer heads with type III polished reflectors
• Replace hard mounted fixtures with adjustable angle fixtures

Why use LED or Induction for Parking Lot Lighting

With vast improvements in efficiency and affordability, the LED Parking Lot Lighting and Induction Parking Lot Lighting alternatives are an excellent choice. Both of these options offer over a 50% savings on energy waste while providing some of the brightest white light in today’s market. The ratio of light measured photopically (standard light meter), and scotopically (human eye), this is known as the S/P Ratio. The S/P Ratio for a 5000K natural white light source is 2.1. Standard metal halide light bulbs are 4000K cool white and have a S/P ratio of 1.65.  where as a High Pressure Sodium system has an S/P ratio of 0.64 with the same photopic luminance as metal halide. This means that Metal Halide is twice as effective as HPS, while LED and Induction which are standard at 5000K are three times more effective while reducing electricity costs by 50% or greater.

For more information on Parking Lot Lighting Systems, view our website or call Synergy Lighting for a free consultation.

Phone: (941)-756-4844

Toll Free: (877) 220-5483

e-mail: sales@synergylightingusa.com

Synergy Lighting is Florida’s #1 Provider of wholesale lighting, and the largest selection of Light Bulbs. However we find that most businesses are not aware of the recent ban of incandescent, halogen and many popular fluorescent tubes.

On July 1, 2009 Congress passed an amendment to the Energy Independence and Securities Act of 2007. This amendment called specifically for the ban of manufacturing any incandescent or halogen floods, all 13oV commercial grade light bulbs as well as most 2′, 4′ and 8′ models. This comes just after the July 1, 2010 ban of magnetic ballasts.

What does this mean for you business?

This means that 90% of all businesses will have to make significant changes to their lighting by 2012. The push is to achieve greater energy savings and efficiency. Synergy Lighting carries all the new lighting including CFL and LED Light Bulbs as well as High Lumen T8 and Natural White light bulbs. A business owner should be cognisant of these changes before purchasing any lighting or light bulbs that are discontinued under this new rule. Some companies may attempt to liquidate old stock or surplus inventories of these discontinued lamps, which we do not recommend anyone to purchase as it will increase the replacement costs in the future.

Synergy Lighitng Provides free delivery and great pricing on over 5000 of the most popular light bulbs to customer in Sarasota, bradenton, Clearwater, Tampa, Naples, and all surrounding areas. To learn more about the new DOE Law 2012 , visit us online at www.synergylightingusa.com or call us toll free at 1-877-220-5483.

Phone: (941)-756-4844

Toll Free: (877) 220-5483

e-mail: sales@synergylightingusa.com

Synergy Lighting has expanded its line of innovative LED Light Bulbsto over 12 brands from top manufacturers. With a growing movement towards energy savings are reducing our overall carbon emissions, LED Light Bulbs are fast becoming the wave of the future. LED lighting is accredited for achieving energy savings of up to 90% while extending useful life to that of 20 times traditional lighting sources. LED Light Bulbs not only save the consumer by drastically reducing the electrical consumption, but create tremendous savings through labor reduction. An average commercial building can reduce labor costs by up to $113.00 per bulb over the life of the LED lamp.

All of LED Light bulbs from Synergy Lighting are available at wholesale prices with Free Delivery to Sarasota, Tampa, Naples, Clearwater, Orlando and Miami, Florida and surrounding areas. For more information or to see if your business can switch to LED lighting, from Top Brands such as TCP, Sylvania, Eco Story, ProLED or many more, view our website  or call Synergy Lighting for a free consultation.  

Phone: (941)-756-4844

Toll Free: (877) 220-5483

e-mail: sales@synergylightingusa.com

In today’s world, going green and energy savings seem to be synonymous, and with the latest in LED Lighting, many consumers have felt a heavy financial toll on their pocket books in order to “go green” with this technology.  LED is considered as Solid State Lighting, and just like the original days of LCD and Plasma Televisions that were once considered to be solid state, the initial price is high and eventually comes down with time.  The current leading US Manufacturer of LED technology is CREE brand LED’s.   CREE is a publicly traded company and holds over 1000 U.S. Patents for Solid State Lighting.

Benefits of LED Lighting

LED light bulbs and fixtures provide extreme energy savings compared to incandescent and halogen light bulbs.  The LED Light bulb is manufactured to closely resemble the shape and style of their incandescent predecessors and reduces electrical consumption by up to 90%.  Basic benefits of LED Light Bulbs and Fixtures are:

• 90% Reduction of electricity costs
• 10 times longer life than incandescent
• 85% reduction of labor costs
• 30% reduction in total air conditioning costs
• 24 Year Residentaial Life
• 12 Year Commercial Life
• Increased light quality
• Improved color management

LED Light Bulbs Are So Affordable, You Can’t Afford Not To Use Them

For those consumers who have priced LED light bulbs, many will find the initial up-front costs to be too expensive, although they love the benefits and long life.   Due to the type of technology and exchange rates with foreign manufacturers, it is likely that by the time a customer waits for the price to drop, they would have wasted more money on electricity than the price of the LED lighting to begin with, but we do understand you have to be able to afford LED to begin with.   Because of this, Synergy Lighting of Sarasota, FL has the most affordable plan to allow a commercial business to retrofit with LED lighting.   The plan is simple.  It is FREE!   

Yes,  You did read that correctly, FREE!   Synergy can retrofit most commercial business to the latest in CREE LED light bulbs or fixtures with no money out of pocket to the business.   Synergy Lighting specializes in bringing the highest levels of quality to customers in surprisingly affordable terms.  

For more information oor to see if your business can switch to LED lighting, without spending a single dime out of pocket,  view our website  or call Synergy Lighting for a free consultation.  

Phone: (941)-756-4844

Toll Free: (877) 220-5483

e-mail: sales@synergylightingusa.com

* FREE represents the total cost out of pocket to the business for switching to LED lighting.  Business must obligate to use LED lighting for a minimum of 5 years, and subject to finaincial approvals.  Applications for program are required.  Call for more details.

Restaurants have always seemed to get the raw end of the stick when it comes to energy saving light bulbs. Nearly 97% of all Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs are not dimmable, leaving restaurants to either be overly illuminated with CFL’s, or sticking with incandescent and halogen bulbs. Most restaurants need to dim their lighting in order to create a subtle and enjoyable accent level for dinning.

Dimmable Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs in the past would flicker when dimmed, or cut out at low levels. Because of this poor dimming, the practical applications were extremely limited. With time comes technology, and a new wave of dimmable CFL light bulbs. The new dimmable CFL light bulbs from Halco Lighting  and TCP have a greater dimming range and when paired with the Leviton CFL Dimmer, these lamps perform extremely well with no flickering or cutting out prematurely.

For restraunts that require greater dimming levels than standard Pro series CFL Dimmable are capable of, a special line of Cold Cathode Dimmable CFL’s are available. Cold Cathode lamps in simple terms is a NEON light bulb, resembling the shape of a CFL. These bulbs are fully dimmable and result in an extremely long life averaging 25,000 hours. Due to the cold cathode technology, these lamps can be dimmed as low as 1 watt, and are not subject to premature failure from rapid switching on and off.    Cold Cathode lamps are also available in a Soft Pink version commonly used in higher end restaurants to create rose hues to enhance the color of meats and pastas.

For more information on Cold Cathode Lamps, view our website  or call Synergy Lighting for a free consultation. Some CFL Cold Cathode Lamps qualify for Incentives

Phone: (941)-756-4844

Toll Free: (877) 220-5483

e-mail: sales@synergylightingusa.com

Synergy Lighting for years now has attempted to educate its customers on the value of quality light bulbs. In hard economic times, businesses often look for ways to cut expenses and save money. We see these businesses often perform layoffs or reduce their inventories in order to keep a positive cash flow. However most businesses do not realize their savings potential just by switching to quality light bulbs which can result in huge savings.

First we must identify the difference between price and cost. A .39 cent light bulb does not have a cost of .39 cents. That is the price of the bulb. The cost is measured by how much electricity is paid for to illuminate the bulb, and how much labor is paid to change the bulb time and again. For most businesses, a .39 cent light bulb has an annual cost of $42.65 when you calculate electricity and an employee changing the bulb twice a year at a pay rate of $10.00 per hour. Remember, a $10.00 an hour employ also has taxes to the business owner above and beyond their normal pay rate.

Three Things That Kill Light Bulbs:

Heat

Any illuminated light bulb has heat. Even cooler burning lamps such as CFL’s and Fluorescent produce some form of heating.  This heat or burning of the filament or cathode, over time dissipates the tungsten and the filament becomes thinner and weaker till it eventual breaks.

Vibration

Often customers grin when we tell them about vibrations damaging the tungsten filaments or cathodes. The standard feedback is that their light bulbs are firmly mounted and do not have vibration. Air Conditioning, doors opening and closing and wind load forces on a building cause subtle vibrations undetectable to humans, but can be passed on to the filament of a lamp even if so subtle we can not feel them. As you will see in the video below, the filaments or cathodes have their own vibrations from molecule collisions while under a heat load.

Power Surge

Every time we turn a light on there is a power surge to the filament or cathodes. Many other power surges happen daily that we do not recognize, such as every time an Air Conditioner turns on or off, a large motor operates, or even a power surge from a laser printer spooling up. By design, the utility company redirects power to grids several times a day which causes a series of small power surges that are only sensitive to light bulb filaments.

It is only when we combine all three of these actions together that it kills a light bulb. Over time naturally the repetitiveness of these actions will kill the lamp, or if any one of the three has a drastic increase over the other we will realize this with a premature failure of the lamp.

Sylvania, Philips, GE and many other manufacturers use a Standard Tungsten-Alloy Filament stretched between two filament supports. Unlike the Pure Tungsten Filaments invented by Thomas Edison, and used in most Industrial Grade Bulbs, the tungsten-alloy filament is weaker and does not hold up as long. This may be part of planned obsolescence, or a way to get a consumer to buy more bulbs.  Industrial Grade lamps such as Halco, Superior Life Lamps use Pure Tungsten filaments with additional filament supports. This increase lamp life and stability when subjected to Heat, Vibration and Power Surge.

As previously stated above, the typical Philips, Sylvania, GE bulb with a price of .39 cents has a cost annually of $42.65. If we change to an Industrial Lamp with a price of .59 cents, the price is higher, but the resulting cost would be lowered to $33.92 per year because of it’s life that is 4 times longer. This has an additional Price of .20 cents that results in a cost savings of $17.46.

50 Bulbs saving $17.46 over 24 months would save a business approximately $873.00! That’s cutting costs!

Conclusion: Spending a few cents extra on a quality light bulb can result in tremendous savings and increased cash flow over time.

For more information on quality light bulbs, view our website  or call Synergy Lighting for a free consultation.

Phone: (941)-756-4844

Toll Free: (877) 220-5483

e-mail: sales@synergylightingusa.com

Due to soaring energy costs many companies are aggressively exploring ways to reduce their energy consumption and improve efficiencies. Replacing or retrofitting obsolete lighting systems can often provide significant savings and many local utilities are offering rebates to customers that upgrade their lighting with new, more energy efficient products.

With today’s credit crunch, leasing these projects provides an attractive alternative to a capital outlay and often makes the purchase of a lighting project more feasible. Payments can often be structured so they are less than the monthly savings and can generate immediate positive cash flow for the customer.

Synergy Lighting has the knowledge, resources and expertise to deliver the leasing options that energy management professional’s demand.  To better serve our clients we now offer leasing of your lighting system on our Green Energy Leasing Plan, which offers the following benefits:

Manage Cash Flow

Payments can be matched to the energy savings generated by the project and this can provide you with positive cash flow.

Overcome Budget Constraints

We can provide you with a variety of financing structures specifically designed to work with your budget. Here are a few examples:

• Step Payments
• Monthly or Quarterly Payments
• Deferred Payments

100% Project Financing

Bundle charges related to lamps, ballast, fixtures, installation and disposal into a single monthly payment. We’ll even issue purchase orders to your vendors to reduce your administrative burden.

Preserve Working Capital

Avoid large capital outlays and preserve your working capital for other important projects

Dedicated Sales and Service Support

With Synergy Leasing, you will always talk to a live person so that you can get the support you need, when you need it. Synergy can provide state and local government customers with tax exempt pricing and structures unique to their market.

For more information on leasing, call for a free consultation.

Phone: (941)-756-4844

Toll Free: (877) 220-5483

e-mail: sales@synergylightingusa.com

Energy conservation is rapidly being realized as a viable way to cut expenses and add positive cash flow to any business or home budget. In the growing popularity of Compact Fluorescent Lamps and LED Light bulbs, one other great investment is Occupancy Sensors. Lighting is typically the single largest users of electricity in a commercial building. Occupancy Sensors, commonly referred to as an “Occ Sensor” are installed to turn lighting on when a person approaches or enters a room, and have a built in, programmable time delay to turn the lighting circuit off after a brief period of time. Over the past few years, this technology has changed to incorporate a wide variety of sensors for use in many residential and commercial applications.

One of the biggest drawbacks in years past was the use in commercial bathrooms. If a bathroom stall was in use, the partitions would block the sensor from detecting that there was an occupant in the restroom, and the lights may turn out while the bathroom is still in use. Often perople would find themselves waving a hand over the stall door to try and activate the sensor again. This problem has been rectified with the creation of a “Nocc Sensor”, or Noise and Heat Activated Switch. The Nocc Sensor has a decibel rated noise sensor capable of detecting so much as a murmur or footstep, preventing it from turning off even if direct view of an occupant is blocked.

Where should you use an Occupancy Sensor?

Residential: Occupancy sensors should be used in areas that are not normally occupied for extended periods of time. Use of an occupancy sensor in a Bathroom, Closet, Garage, Laundry Room and other low use areas can provide added sensor of luxury with hands free switching as well as ensuring non priority lights do not remain on when not in use.  Children often leave these lights on, so the use of the occupancy sensor corrects bad habits affordably.

Commercial: We recommend a (2) Visit Rule. Besides Bathrooms which are an almost given in a commercial building, the two visit rule is the best way to judge Occ Sensor usage. How this rule works is simple. Perform a walk through inspection of your facility. If you enter a space, room or area that lights are on and no one is occupying that space at any two given times during your walk through, it is likely a great place to install an occupancy sensor. Primary considerations should be placed in:

• Independent Offices where the user works in and out regularly
• Warehouse Isles and Back Room Areas
• Conference, Meeting Rooms
• Storage or Supply Areas
• Bathrooms
• Stair Wells and Corridors

How much electricity is saved by an occupancy sensor?

Saving electricity by use of an occupancy sensor is very hard to calculate precisely, but should result in a 50%-90% reduction in usage. The following example should help you understand the principle. If a bathroom uses (3) 2×4 fluorescent fixtures is left on during an 8 hour day, the cost of electricity is approximately $112.93 per year. By installing an Occupancy Sensor (Average cost $30.00) the lights in the bathroom may be cut down to as low as 1.5 hours per day. The resulting savings would be $91.76 per year. Times an average switch life of 10 years is equal to a positive cash flow of $917.60. Return on investment is an average of 4.2 months. By using Occupancy sensors in multiple areas, a business can reduce its electricity expenses measurably.

For more information on using Occupancy Sensors  view our website  or call Synergy Lighting for a free consultation and walk through.

Phone: (941)-756-4844

Toll Free: (877) 220-5483

e-mail: sales@synergylightingusa.com

 NEMA Case Study – Occupancy Sensors