Electical Contractor

Spiraling energy costs served as a catalyst for manufacturers to develop new commercial lighting products. Digital addressable lighting interface (DALI) and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are two innovations in the indoor commercial market.

Energy efficiency, improved performance, ease of installation, ease of use and streamlined or otherwise improved statistics (smaller sizes, broader voltage ranges, lower or higher wattage, etc.) are among the benefits of many notable, new or enhanced indoor lighting products.

Lighting can consume up to 35 percent of a building’s electricity. While energy conservation was important before September 11, it has become even more significant with the possible difficulties in obtaining foreign oil.

Ask most landscape lighting contractors about low voltage and you’re likely to get a shrug—unless you talk to the growing number of low-voltage specialists who are learning just how lucrative the jobs are.

With the evolution of business management models over the last several decades, new planning philosophies for addressing workplace space issues have emerged. Concepts such as alternative officing, hoteling, desk sharing, or Just-In-Time (JIT) are becoming commonplace.

When it comes to tunnel and roadway lighting, all technologies are not created equal. In fact, researchers have discovered two emerging trends to illustrate this point.

Pulse-start metal halide ballast and lamp systems bring a wealth of benefits to users of high-intensity discharge (HID) lighting. Prior to the development of pulse-start systems, metal halide lighting delivered white light at the cost of operational inefficiencies.

(Please refer to pages 78-82 of Electrical Contractor magazine for the graphs, which Ian Lewin refers to in his lighting column).

As an electrical contractor, you may feel like you’re walking a tightrope when selecting and installing lighting systems for modern retail stores. You want to provide retailers’ desired look and feel while meeting their requirements for long life and operating efficiency within budget.