When the exterior of your home is illuminated, it provides a protective barrier for you and your family inside. LED lights specifically, give off a very bright, but non-intrusive, glow that can be seen quite a ways away.  It also gives off the impression someone is there, present inside the home; even if no one is around. A dark, unlit property is a giveaway no one is home, and it makes your home a greater target for home invasion or burglary.

During darkness, LED lighting is bright enough to illuminate someone or something lurking around your property. In addition, neighbors are able to notify you if they suspect something going on because they can also see through the darkness. Burglars will be less interested in choosing a home that has bright lights on the outside than one that’s completely dark.

Outdoor LED light also provides a security benefit when you are arriving home late at night. It can be an eerie feeling walking up a pitch-black driveway or path to your home. You may have already encountered a similar situation. Fishing for keys can take a while in the dark, further delaying getting inside. The simple solution? Outdoor LED lighting. Now, arriving home during the night is safe.

The dual benefit of outdoor LED lighting, security and appearance enhancement make them a very worthwhile investment. To protect your home and loved ones, contact Illuminations USA today.

-Steve

Dutch researchers, for example, believe that growing tomatoes may produce more vitamin C if exposed to LED lamps, as per early research results. In the article, “LED lights give vitamin C boost to tomatoes,” Fresh Fruit Portal reports, “The research program will continue on in a new joint facility in Bleiswijk dedicated to investigating LED lamps in horticulture. Research has begun on other fruit and vegetables as well to determine the light’s impact on nutritional value and flavor.” If results are positive, that growing fruit and vegetables respond more to LED lamps, we may soon see LEDs revolutionizing the horticulture industry. The BLT you plan on ordering for lunch today may include a tomato that was “grown” using LEDs. What do you think?

Every day, it seems that people are using LEDs for new and exciting things. LEDs are certainly shaping the way we live. While we will not be able to help you with horticulture, Illuminations USA can transform your front- or backyard into a diode wonderland. If you are in the Central Florida area, contact us today!

-Steve

Source: http://www.freshfruitportal.com/2013/05/10/led-lights-give-vitamin-c-boost-to-tomatoes/

The future, it seems, has already been decided; there is a winner in the light bulb wars. For the past few years, fluorescent, halogen and LED bulbs have been fighting it out on battlefields from coast to coast. LED bulbs are coming out on top. It is evolution, survival of the fittest; compact fluorescent light bulbs replace incandescent bulbs and LED bulbs are replacing compact fluorescent bulbs.

In the article, “A winner in the light bulb wars,” Peter Suciu of Fortune writes, “According to NPD DisplaySearch’s latest forecast, LED in light applications will double from 15 million units in 2012 to a forecasted 33 million in 2013. That number could triple by 2015.”

That is a large predicted growth, but it makes sense. LED lights are simply more effective, having longer lifespans, not to mention more environmentally friendly. At Illuminations USA, we have known this for a number of years, but now other people and countries are catching on. Japan, for example, has a large LED market. China will soon be joining them. The global LED presence will only continue to grow, especially in Europe and Asia. Analysts, however, predict developing countries will still rely on incandescents and fluorescents. They are cheaper and in greater numbers.

Nevertheless, LEDs are here to stay. Philip Smallwood, a lighting market analyst, believes the true allure of LEDs is their coolness. Yes, their coolness. He said, “The whole mindset of light could change, as LED really allows people do much more in terms of ambiance. LED can be played with new ways that makes them cool. This could change the mentality of the consumer, which is typically hard to do.” That is optimism at its finest, suggesting that how we view light will change. It will become more ambiance-driven, and we will look at the industry…in a new light. That is indeed cool.

Thankfully, Illuminations USA has been ahead of the curve and Central Florida as well. Providing only the best strategically placed landscape and architectural lighting, we have taken houses and streets to that next ambient level. Just check out the picture to the right!

Interesting in reports from the light bulb war? You can find Suciu’s article here.

-Steve

Have you ever heard of LIGHTFAIR^® International? According to the official website, “As the world’s largest annual architectural and commercial lighting trade show and conference, LIGHTFAIR^® International blends continuing education courses with innovative products ranging from high-end design to cutting-edge technology.” This year, Philadelphia had the privilege of hosting the conference from April 21 to April 25. Chances are the things people use ten years from now will have originated in a conversation at this conference. The attendees are some of the brightest people on the planet and the conference is like a philosophy salon in the 20^th century.

The conference brings together many of the world’s premier lighting industry professionals and puts them all in one room where they discuss the future of lighting, how to manage LED costs, retrofitting buildings, city planning, conservation and much more! There are classes, lectures, workshops, keynote speakers and exhibits. In addition to lighting professionals, the conference attracts architects, urban planners and engineers. This year, there were special exhibits on decorative lighting and lighting control components.

Since 1994, Illuminations USA, Inc. has been lighting Daytona Beach and Orlando with radiant outdoor lighting that perfectly complements houses and streets. In a way, we have turned Central Florida into a mini-LIGHTFAIR^® International! We keep our noses to the lustrous grindstone and use only the highest quality and newest LED lights!

-Steve

In our last post, we discussed how some cities are intent on using LED lights to light the streets. According to The Wall Street Journal, these cities are not in minority; they are moving headfirst into the effulgent future.

In the article, “A Bright Future for LED,” The Wall Street Journal reports, “By 2020, you’re not going to be able to buy a light source other than an LED.” That is good news for everybody, as LED lights are cost-effective, of better quality and more efficient. In just seven years, analysts predict that LED lights will have total control of the market. Not only that, but LED lights will evolve as well, perhaps gaining the abilities to change color temperature and a room’s ambiance. Those are exciting developments! Where will LED lights go next? No matter the direction, Illuminations USA will be right in the thick of it doing what we do best: lighting your world and your future.

For more information on The Wall Street Journal, look here.

-Steve

*Image courtesy of Gary Davids

The benefits of LED lighting

Throw away those old incandescent bulbs, and move beyond them. Embrace LEDs! There are many benefits to using LED lighting, but we will focus on the following: size and efficiency, long life and lower temperatures. While we have discussed some of these benefits in previous posts, here is a bit of a recap. The main difference is the use of energy and efficiency.

LEDs are more efficient in the direction of the given light. Incandescent and other bulbs waste energy by spreading the light in all directions. Not only that, but also certain LEDs can burn up to 50,000 hours. Compare that to incandescent bulbs, which burn up to 10,000 hours at most, and fluorescent bulbs, which burn up to 30,000 hours. When it comes to LEDs, there is more bang for your buck, as you will get more hours of lighting.

In addition to wasting energy by spreading light in all directions, most bulbs also waste energy by giving off so much heat. Heat wastes energy, thus bringing down their effectiveness. After all, heat is not light! LEDs, on the other hand, always remain cool, like jazz great Miles Davis! They do not waste energy by giving off heat.

LEDs and city planning

At Illuminations USA, we have always encouraged the use of LEDs. They are simply more effective. As a company, we were ahead of the curve. Now, it finally seems that whole cities are catching on. Buffalo, NY is once such city. There are many in the city proposing the citywide use of LEDs.

Long ago, Buffalo, NY was the city of lights. It was the first city in America to have electric lights. Since then, the city has met with its fair share of misfortune, but has experienced a bit of a surge of late due to major citywide construction and renovations. Many citizens see this as an opportunity to implement LED lighting to go along with street renovations.

In the article, “LED Street Lighting: Security, Safety and Saving,” Derby98 of Buffalo Rising writes, “Used outdoors, they also light the ground better and reduce light pollution because LEDs can be more easily focused on specific areas.” LED lamps, for the most part, direct light downward. It is better illumination and is an effective tool in crime-ridden areas where perpetrators utilize shadows and dark spots.

While it is not a guarantee that LEDs will prevent crime, it certainly cannot hurt. If anything, the LEDs are cost-effective and will save the city money. If the LED-advocates get their way, Buffalo may once again be the city of lights.

Regardless of where you live, more city planners are incorporating the use of LEDs into their plans. We may very well be on the cusp of a nationwide LED revolution, and Illuminations USA will be right in the middle of it, lighting up the yards and gardens of Central Florida.

For more information on the LED surge in Buffalo, you can find the article here.

-Steve

*Image courtesy of C. D. Arnold, Official Views of Pan-American Exposition, scanned by Dave Pape

Architectural Lighting – The structure of a building transforms as daylight turns to evening and then evening gives way to the night sky. With properly installed professional lighting, beautiful architecture can be accentuated and transform a home.

LED Lighting – LED lighting now comes in a variety of color temperatures, besides the original blue temperature color. Different color temperatures are used to enhance the look of certain colors around the home. Illuminations USA has the experience and know-how to be able to choose just the right color temperature for the desired look.

Low Voltage Lighting – The purpose of low voltage lighting is to highlight and accentuate certain areas of the property that may be difficult to see, especially at night. Low voltage lighting can highlight pathways, gardens, flower beds, walkways and more.

Pool Area Lighting – Lighting around the pool area can be very safe if done the right way.  As we stated in our blog concerning pool area lighting, if there were not safe ways to install lighting around a pool, there certainly would not be a market for it. We assure our customers that we will complete every installation with safety and efficiency.

Outdoor Lighting – Illuminations USA has been the top lighting designers for outdoor landscaping in the Orlando and Daytona Beach areas for many years. Our outdoor lighting designs are creative and unique while also adding an element of safety to the outside of your home when the sun goes down.

For more information on our outdoor lighting fixtures and how they can best be incorporated into your landscape, call us today!

Within this whole process, we have made a big shift with a responsive redesign. For those of you who are unfamiliar, a responsive design is just a term for saying that our site can now recognize and adapt to any device you choose to visit us on.

Regardless of whether you are using a desktop computer, tablet or even your cell phone, our site will expand or compress itself to make sure that you are getting the best possible picture and format for your device.

If you really think about it, how many of you can truly say that most of your browsing occurs on a desktop computer these days? You’re constantly on the move want to be able to get the best information possible at your fingertips, at a moment’s notice. As a company, we understand this and we wanted to make sure we could do everything possible to accommodate.

We’re happy to say that all of the information you could want on local outdoor lighting is now available anywhere and anytime you need it. So take a look around and let us know that you think about our new upgrade!

Beautiful lighting can transform any outdoor area into a private oasis. In fact, many homeowners are now turning their outdoor spaces into additional living spaces, used for relaxation and sharing time with family and friends.  So a few extra lights here and there are becoming increasingly necessary.

One of the simplest ways to accomplish this transformation is by placing lights around the pool. The way that light bounces off of water creates that magical ambiance, perfect for an outdoor dinner or cocktail party, or just hanging out by the pool on a warm summer’s evening. Whatever the occasion, having your own beautifully lit oasis will make your outdoor entertainment area truly stand out.

Though beautiful, electrical lighting around the pool area may raise some concerns for many homeowners when it comes to safety. Of course, lighting a pool area or placing lights near water in general, is best done by professionals and not suggested as a DIY (Do-It-Yourself) project; and considering that low-voltage lighting is extremely safe around any body of water, your best bet is to hire a company that is familiar with this type of equipment – like Illuminations USA.

Just remember, if there were no way to safely add lighting to your pool area, would there even be a market for this type of business? It’s expected that you’d have a few questions when it comes to pool lighting, and we’re here to offer up the answers. You can rest assured, knowing that your family’s safety and enjoyment are at the top of our priorities list when it comes to installation.

In every project that we take on as a company, we are proud to say that we are using LED lights. For those of you who aren’t up to date with growing innovations in energy efficiency and ecologically friendly products, you may be wondering why we would be proud to use a certain type of lighting. Well, let us be the first to tell you that these are more than just your typical light bulbs, and they do a lot to save you time, energy and money.

While most other conventional light bulbs contain harmful chemicals, such as mercury, the LED lights that we use are not only non-toxic, but 100% recyclable as well. Each time you opt to use these lights, you are working towards reducing your carbon footprint by up to a third. If you need a little bit more of an incentive to make the switch however, we’ve got you covered.

There comes a point with conventional light bulbs where you practically know exactly when you’re going to need to change out for a new one – and it’s most likely more often than you’d like. Truth be told, these bulbs just don’t have a very good lifespan, averaging around 5,000 hours of operation. On the other hand, LED lights average about eight times that at 40,000 hours. This means less time spent changing out bulbs and less money spent on those replacements. You won’t need to do any maintenance for approximately 18 years, just because you made the decision to work with a company that only uses LED lighting fixtures.

Make the switch today and consider working with Illumination USA for your next outdoor lighting project. We’d be more than happy to help you make the first step towards going green!