If there is any ideal candidate for color corrected light bulbs, Art & Frame of Sarasota would be near the top of our list! Robert Antovel; Owner of Art & Frame had reached the point where he realized that it was time for a significant change. With the current economy as it is, and with the changes going on globally, it was time to Go Green, and Go Big! That’s just what Robert did when he decided to enlisted the help of Synergy Lighting of Sarasota to help achieve his goals. One of the top of Robert’s list was to cut the electricity costs of his nearly 10,000 s.f. facility on US41 & Bahia Vista. The Second on his list was to Go Green.

Synergy Lighting helped by hand selecting light bulbs that were bright enough to use less wattage, but had to be of the highest available color rendering. With the customer in  agreement, Art & Frame converted to Natural White Lighting using the latest in Tri-Phosphor Technology with the Ultra 50 Pure Natural Daylight Lamps. Unlike standard daylight bulbs, the Ultra 50 yields a true replication of natural light produced by the sun. This special Tri-Phosphor technology available exclusively through Synergy Lighting has the greatest levels of light output, allowing the client to use less light bulbs through a practice called “De-Lamping”. This is a common practice used by Lighting Experts to improve light quality while reducing the number of lamps, and ballasts in a business.This results in a 50% energy reduction per fixture that is de-lamped.

The end result for Robert was an extremely well illuminated store that shows all color accurately to natural sun light. In an art supply store such as  Art & Frame Sarasota, there couldn’t be a greater reward for the store and it’s large clientele. Customers can more accurately select the paints that they need, match any colors for Framing and Matting as well as showing products with visual acuity. Going green was achieved due to the low mercury content, and the reduction of our natural resources used to produce the electricity to power the Mega Art Store. 

For more information on using Pure Natural Daylight bulbs such as Sky Brite and Ultra 50, check out our Natural Lighting Articles, or call Synergy Lighting.

Phone: (941)-756-4844

Toll Free: (877) 220-5483

e-mail: sales@synergylightingusa.com

Ultra 50 Specs
Download Ultra 50 Light Bulb Article

Often we tell customers about these really good natural white light bulbs called Sky-Brite Plus ®. Customers often neglect to address lighting thinking that their existing lighting is sufficient. At Synergy Lighting, we pride ourselves on our expertise and making the best possible recommendations to our clients and potential clients, all to often to be ignored. One customer who did not ignore our recommendations was the owner of Great Clips located in Bradenton, FL.

Great Clips chose to provide their employees and customers with Sky Brite Plus ® light bulbs. This not only saved money on the power bill, but as you can see from the before and after photos, drastically improved the business. The employees have a much brighter and exciting environment, that will surely pass on to the customers as a Great Place to get Great Clips! The business in whole now appears that it is open and ready to perform business, conveys a sense of cleanliness and improved safety.

When it comes to hair salons, natural lighting improves the stylist ability to provide great haircuts and perfect hair color matching. There are many more benefits to retail and commercial clients as well.

To learn more about converting to Natural White Light Bulbs, and energy savings, visit www.synergylightingusa.com , or call Synergy Lighting.

Phone: (941)-756-4844
Toll Free: (877) 220-5483
e-mail: sales@synergylightingusa.com

Sky Brite Plus Product Information Sheet: Click Here

Recently we we’re asked to produce a Techno Look to a retail fashion store in Brandon, Florida. This was a very unique challenge for Synergy Lighting, as the customer wanted natural bright white light bulbs for color rendering throughout the main portions of the store, but also did not want it to be too bright.  Usually our depth is increased with brighter lighting, however to achieve a “Techno” Look, we had to get a little advice from local teenagers. It seems Synergy Lighting is not quite in touch with the “Techno” Community of younger generations.

The end result was a combination of Bright White Skybrite lamps utilized in 2×2 troffers, and Compact Fluorescent Warm White PAR’s to develope contracting color schemes between display and racks. This project not only achieved a more than satisfying result for the client, but resulted with a 35% energy reduction over the previously installed Cool White Troffers.

Synergy Lighting goes beyond the realm of ordinary lighting with the ability to research and design nearly any concept in lighting. Our design services are no-charge.

For more information, visit www.synergylightingusa.com , or call Synergy Lighting.

Phone: (941)-756-4844
Toll Free: (877) 220-5483
e-mail: sales@synergylightingusa.com

Sarasota, Florida Landscape Lighting is somewhat challenging and far from boring. When the manager of a local Apartment Complex asked us to “Spruce Up” the pool area on a budget of $500.00 we were scratching our heads to figure out how to accomplish her goal. That’s when the light bulb came on out of nowhere. Could we use Self Ballasted Metal Halide lamps to provide incredible uplighting effects and maintain a budget? YES! The customer installed (6) Par 38 Bullet Light Fixtures with (6) 25 Watt Philips Metal Halide Light Bulbs: Total prject cost: $487.43. Just enough left over for a nice Margarita By The Pool!

Energy Savings acheived by using the MasterColor® Integrated 25W PAR38 Ceramic Metal Halide Lamps over Halogen was 50 Watts per fixture or $203.43 per year savings, and a 15% Increase in light quality.

For more information, visit www.synergylightingusa.com , or call Synergy Lighting.

Phone: (941)-756-4844
Toll Free: (877) 220-5483
e-mail: sales@synergylightingusa.com

Lighting always seems to be the most over looked item when a retail store is created. We paint the walls, pick out good flooring, and sometimes even go the extra mile to choose great looking formica to cover the counter tops. Yet the one thing that effects everything is the lighting. It doesn’t matter what color we paint the walls, lighting can make the color appear different.

Additionally, the lighting we overlook can make a huge difference in the tasks we perform. This  hair salon made the realization that lighting can make all the difference especially in hair. The sylists at the salon perform hair coloring to their clients regularly. In most cases the Stylist peeks under the foil or wrap to check base color, and often times walks the customer outside to check if the color is correct.

By choosing Natural White light bulbs from Synergy Lighting, the stylists not only can create more accurate coloring for the clients, but the no longer need to walk a client out the door. The natual white lamps made a hug difference and a great improvement for the business by spending less than $300.00 to complete the change over.

In the words of the Store manager; Julie, “This is the most excellent change we have ever made”!

For more information on converting your lighting to Natural White Lighting with as simple as changing light bulbs. Contact your Synergy Representative at 941-756-4844 or visit us online at www.synergylightingsupply.com

With the ever growing steps in energy conservation, many consumers find great savings in using Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs known as CFL’s. The light bulbs create tremendous energy savings and produce less heat than their incandescent predecessors. However consumers must beware of the cautions associated with use of these lamps.

CFL’s are designed to replace incandescent lamps in most portable and non-portable fixtures, such as table lamps and wall mounted fixtures. The limitation of using these CFL bulbs is their use in outdoor applications and enclosed fixtures. CFL’s such as spiral lamps are permissible in enclosed fixtures, providing that they are specially designed for that application and limited to 42 Watts or less. CFL lamps greater than 42 watts are designed for use only indoors with open rated fixtures. Many manufacturers of these higher wattage CFL’s, such as TCP, Maxlite, and Sunlight Brands expressly denote that these high wattage CFL Lamps are not for use outdoors or enclosed fixtures due to risk of fire.

According to Ellis Yan, Chief Executive Officer of TCPI the nations largest producer of CFL lamps, “The high wattage CFL’s are designed with an integral cooling fan to reduce the heat levels produced from overheating the electronic components. Using these lamps in enclosed fixtures may pose a serious risk to consumers”.  Education is a passion for Ellis that extends into the company’s business philosophy.He has been instrumental in establishing consumer and school education programs to share the energy efficient and environmental benefits of using compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). He is also dedicated to health and wellness and has developed incentive programs encouraging employees to make decisions that are good for their health and the environment.

In 2008, the Office of National statistics reports there were 1033 fires caused from misuse of CFL light bulbs. Energy Star, a joint effort between the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency, CFLs installed in enclosed fixtures designed for incandescent bulbs may overheat. This can pose serious risk of injury or fire, and significantly reduce both light output and lifetime.  Even under optimum conditions, light output from a CFL will decrease over its lifetime. To maintain existing light levels, select CFLs with rated lumen output (of bulb and ballast together) at least as high as the bulbs they replace. CFLs should have a power factor (PF) above 50% and a Color Rendering Index (CRI) above 80%. ENERGY STAR-qualified integral CFLs and most available modular CFLs meet these criteria.

Particularly for high-use fixtures, consider replacing an existing screw-based (“incandescent”) fixture with one designed exclusively for CFL use—i.e., a fixture with a hard-wired ballast that accommodates pin-based CFLs. (Residential CFL fixtures are also covered by an ENERGY STAR labeling program.

For More Information

• DOE’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Information Center
  Phone: 1-877-EERE-INF or 1-877-337-3463
• The EPA/DOE ENERGY STAR®program provides product listings of complying CFLs and dedicated CFL fixtures.
  Phone: (800) 372-7827
• The Lighting Research Center’s Web sitehas valuable information covering CFLs and other lighting systems.
  Phone: (518) 276-8716
• Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory provided supporting analysis for this recommendation.
  Phone: (202) 646-7954

Changing ballasts in a commercial setting has often been difficult without interrupting operations. For most businesses, turning out the lights in a store so that an electrician can replace and rewire a ballasts is not an option. This requires the electrician or maintenance repair man to work with the electricity hot.

Working with live electricity poses serious risk

Working with electricity hot can pose serious risk of electrocution to those performing the repairs. Fortunately the New N.E.C. code requires that all manufacturers of lighting fixtures for commercial use require quick disconnects. Ideal Industries has solved this problem with the new IDEAL PowerPlug is the first disconnect that fully meets both the new Canadian Electrical Code 30-308(4) and new National Electrical Code 410.73(G) for non-residential fluorescent fixtures with ballasts.

Using these quick disconnects prevents the possibility of electricution during repairs and replacement. Synergy Lighting goes beyond the basic requirements of the N.E.C. by utilizing these PowerPlug connectors with every ballast we replace at no charge to the client. Synergy lighting feels that by including these with every ballast replacement that it should be a standard for taking care of the customer, the right way every time.

For more information on Ballast replacements, or Powerplug disconnects, contact our service department at 877-220-5483 Ext 201

Everyone seems to be asking as of lately, are there any new LED landscape lighting fixtures on the market?  Finally the answer is Yes! Synergy Lighting is proud to offer a complete line of commercial grade LED landscape lighting fixtures, at a very affordable price level.

For accenting architectural and landscape features, this uniquely designed low voltage Up & Accent fixture utilizes nine warm white high output LED emitters, with an exclusive driver, powered to operate for 50,000 hours and is designed to withstand the most rugged of applications. Extra care has gone into its design with fitted o-rings to ensure a superior weather-tight seal. The lens is made of a soda-lime glass lens safeguards the optics from shock and is heat resistant to beating Florida sun. There are 14 super durable polyester powder-coated finishes to choose from. With three different light distribution options available; spot, flood, and wide Flood, this fixture is ready for a multitude of lighting tasks to accent your outdoor living space or commercial property.

For more information on LED Landscape Lighting Fixtures, contact your Synergy Representative of call us at 1-877-220-5483

Traditionally, fluorescent lighting has been used at fixture mounting heights of <15 ft., and HID lighting was preferred in spaces with higher mounting heights.   In spaces where color quality of the light is important, metal halide (MH) was generally the preferred light source.

In recent years, manufacturers have begun offering fluorescent fixtures designed to replace MH fixtures in low-bay and even high-bay applications. The fixtures house two, three, four, six or eight T8 or T5HO lamps to provide various levels of light output.  Fluorescent lighting offers many advantages over MH lighting in high/low-bay applications.

Benefits of Fluorescent High Bay Lighting

• Instant On/Off of the fixtures (No Warm Up Time)
• Increased visual acuity for performing detailed tasks
• Higher color correction values when using 800 series 87 CRI
• Reduction of shadowing in working areas
• Energy savings of up to 50%
• Reduced heat output of the lamp and ballasts
• 60% reduction in maintenance costs

To great reduce energy costs and prolong the life of the fluorescent fixtures, many companies chose to have chosen dimming ballasts or have occupancy sensors installed on these fixtures.  The use of occupancy sensor depends on the working environment.  If particular areas of an industrial facility or warehouse are seldom used, the energy saving potential is greater.   For areas where the space is occupied greater that 60% of the day, occupancy sensors would not be a solid choice.  

T8 Vs. T5HO:

Regarding fluorescent, the choice is T8 or T5HO. Lighting professionals may hear that T8 fixtures are better at fixture heights <20 ft., T5HO at >20 ft., and either T8 or T5HO at 18-25 ft. mounting heights. However, while T5HO may produce enormous light at lower mounting heights, both T8 and T5HO can be used in high- and low-bay applications.

Currently most Power Companies and select fixtures manufacturers offer great Rebates and Incentives to aid in the cost of retrofitting from HID to Fluorescent High Bays.    When comparing the energy savings, cost of maintenance and labor, the T8 & T5 Fluorescent high bays almost always come out to be a phenomenal savings with the most benefits!

For more information or a no-charge energy analysis on your facility, contact the experts at Synergy Lighting by calling 1-877-220-5483 or visit online at www.SynergyLightingUSA.com

On average, interior lighting accounts for more than 25 percent of a business’s energy consumption according to Florida Power & Light. In addition many customers experience an additional 30 percent of their air conditioning expense, just to cool the heat produced by the lighting.

Synergy Lighting is an FPL Participating Independent Contractor offering FPL rebates to businesses who change to qualifying energy efficient lighting. This is an exciting new program offered based upon the new 2012 Department of Energy Rule that was adopted by the United States Congress. The D.O.E. has established guidelines through the Consortium for Energy Efficiency.   CEE is a consortium of efficiency program administrators from across the U.S. and Canada who work together on common approaches to advancing efficiency.

In 2010, CEE has developed a standard of rating products based on specific energy efficiency measurements. FPL has adopted the CEE standard and is offering a phenominal rebate of $2.00 per lamp for 4′ T8 CEE approved bulbs and ballasts.

What does this mean for you?

By retrofitting your existing T12 or T8 Fixtures to CEE Rated High Efficient Bulbs and Ballasts, you may qualify for the FPL Rebate Incentive of up to $10.00 per fixture. That is 25% of the total cost of a retrofit, allowing the retrofit in most cases to yield a 12 month ROI. In addition to the rebate, you will benefit by an estimated energy savings of $34.00 per fixture per year, and enjoy a better quality of light.

How do I qualify for the FPL Rebate Incentive?

When you decide to upgrade your lighting, one of our Sales Associates will help you though the entire process, from qualifying to selecting the lighting system that’s right for your business.

Here are the steps:

1. Call Synergy Lighting’s Sarasota Office at 941-756-4844
2. Synergy will perform a No-Charge Feasibility Study of your business/facility
3. We will identify target areas of savings and establish where energy can be reduced
4. Synergy will submit all paperwork for your rebate and get an FPL “Pre-Approval”
5. Our team of certified installers will perform the lighting retrofit
6. FPL randomly selects and performs post verifications of lighting installations where rebates are applied.

It’s that easy! Call today for a no-hassle-no-charge audit or study and start saving today!

Qualifying Systems:

High-efficiency lighting systems that qualify for FPL’s lighting incentive include:

• Installation of T8, T5 or T5HO lamps with electronic ballasts
• Installation of pulse start lamps and electronic ballasts in metal halide fixtures
• Permanent screw-in (with locking device) compact fluorescent or ceramic metal halides in hard-wired fixtures
• Delamping with reflectors, tri-phosphor lamps and electronic ballasts
• New hard-wired fixtures, such as fluorescent, ceramic metal halide or compact fluorescent lamps
• Circuited current limiters with electronic ballasts with standard wattage lamps

Click here for more detailed information on qualifying high-efficiency lighting.