Monday 15 May 2023

Dialux Vs Relux Lighting Simulation

DIALux and Relux are some of the world’s most popular software tools for professional lighting. Both programs come with a specific data format and support the installation of most luminaire manufacturers’ data plugins. With these lighting simulation programs, you can achieve virtually the best luminaries. So, if you are planning to achieve the best lighting schemes, here are some insights into these two leading programs. 

Visit https://www.saving-light-bulbs.co.uk/blog/dialux-vs-relux-lighting-simulation/

How To Install Led Tubes

A fluorescent tube has its own ballast which can either be of the inductive or electronic type which is used to drive the tube itself.  In a standard energy saving light bulb of the CFL type this is actually contained within the bulb itself but with traditional fluorescent tubes this is normally separate and located inside the light fitting.

Conversely with our  LED Tubes the driver is actually part of the LED tube itself  so the LED tube is a totally integrated stand alone unit which can simply be wired up to the mains.  This means that if you are fitting an LED tube to a conventional fitting then you need to make a few simple modifications to the wiring.

Visit https://www.saving-light-bulbs.co.uk/blog/how-to-install-led-tubes/

How Much Co2 Does A Light Bulb Create?

 

Well it is not the light bulb itself but it is the CO2 created in the generation of the electricity that the light bulb consumes. Now clearly the amount of C02 created will depend on the type and the efficiency of the power station which is worst for coal power stations but if your electricity is generated by wind power then your light bulb will not be responsible for creating any CO2 at all during its operation. But right now the majority of electricity is generated by coal powered stations so lets look at the figures for those.

Visit https://www.saving-light-bulbs.co.uk/blog/how-much-co2-does-a-light-bulb-create/

The 2d Compact and 2 Pin 4 Pin Technical Information

 

The 2D compact version of the CFL ( compact fluorescent lamp) is also extremely popular these days.  The main uses of the 2D compact are within commercial applications where is is necessary to have a bright but compact lamp that will fit into a light fitting which can either be ceiling or wall mounted. As a consequence there are a whole range of different 2D compact lamp fittings available on the market which are used extensively in car parks, warehouses, corridors in flats, hotel areas not exposed to customers, retail outlets, office buildings  and the list goes on.  As these lamps are energy efficient saving around 80% in electricity compared to standard incandescent light bulbs then they have really taken over as the standard for this classification of installations. Quite often these lamps are connected to PIR units so they just light on demand when somebody passes the senses which makes them ideal for corridors areas which are not continually used and it would not be economical to leave the lights on the whole time!

Visit https://www.saving-light-bulbs.co.uk/blog/the-2d-compact-and-2-pin-4-pin-technical-information/

Wednesday 9 June 2021

Looking At Your Lighting Options

 

We need lighting for so many reasons today, right from being able to sit in our office at the computer to driving our car at night to making sure we have proper illumination in our homes too.

Lighting, in the first place, is necessary and used for practical reasons, but often it goes beyond that to also include aspects related more to the aesthetics and the ambience we are looking to create when we touch the light switch. Also, most people are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of saving energy and cost in terms of their own electricity account.

Therefore the drive towards LED as the preferred option for the modern user is delivering results as more and more people all over the world are turning to this option: even though LED is more expensive to acquire initially, it puts back the pounds in your pocket since LED uses less energy and LED bulbs last much, much longer than the older incandescent and halogen – even CFL – options.

This means you also help save the earth and contribute towards clean living. The effects of LED are felt everywhere right from the office and all commercial and industrial outlets that are changing to LED, to the individual that is aware of the world around them. Millions of home owners too, are opting for LED. In many homes, office foyers, shopping malls and retail spaces it is about more than the practical use of lighting and the options offered to us by LED.

Aesthetics play a big part. Whether you hang six vintage filament bulbs above your kitchen counter or whether you opt for an interesting display of ceiling lights, decor and aesthetics matter to most. Therefore many homeowners and commercial outlets choose an interesting display of the different possibilities, and very often this starts right at the beginning when the home or building is designed.

Orders are placed with the best retailers – either in their shop or with online marketers that often offer great discounts if one buys bulk – to ensure you get the display you want, whether that is a ceiling panel of LED lights or separate AR111 lights at, say, 12v to be installed in the pattern one most prefers to offer great light. The AR111, for example, is often a favoured choice for retail shops, various other commercial premises right from gym foyers and areas where you would want strong, bright light to illuminate spaces.

Very often round LED panel lights are equally popular in these circumstances. These are normally installed by a professional right at the start when a building goes up; however, very often these are installed too when buildings are renovated or when an owner feels it is time to replace older light systems such as CFL or even halogen. These lights, for example the AR111 LED, are long lasting rated bulbs that last for 30 000 or more, which offers, in the long run, wonderful cost savings as one of its benefits.

Some homeowners may want to switch to this type of bulb when they are looking at the options for their kitchen or bathroom ceiling, or even in a passage in the house or apartment. Best is always to call in a good, qualified electrician with the know-how in terms of which these bulbs are installed, and also to make sure what the correct volt AC or DC supply is and what LED drivers may be required. Few individuals may want to take this on as a DIY project, but there are indeed some that understand what is needed, what accessories are required and where to find the best examples of such lights. The internet – and leading websites – often leads you to the best retailer for quality and choice.

About Us

Saving Light Bulbs is a family run business which brings the public the best high quality bulbs at the most affordable prices. The service is mainly run online to bring the products to a wide range of people and to keep running costs down which, in turn, will have financial benefits for the customers. At Saving Light Bulbs we work with only the best manufacturers to ensure that a quality product reaches our customers, and because we have many years’ experience in dealing with the lighting industry we have great knowledge about all the products we bring to our website. All customers are important and we pride ourselves on the products and service we deliver. For more information, please visit https://www.saving-light-bulbs.co.uk/



About Reducing Our Carbon Footprint And The Influence It Has On Cost Saving

 

We live in a world where there is growing concern for the environment. Therefore more and more groups and societies are starting to look at what can be done to help reduce our carbon footprint; in other words, what can we do to help save or conserve the earth.

Some people refer to this as supporting a greener, i.e. more natural, lifestyle void of relying too much on the introduction of chemicals – and also the over-use of electricity and other sources to provide power and energy. Of course it is not possible to totally live without modern technology, but there is a strong case to be made to reduce over-use and in doing so, cause great damage.

Ways to help achieve these goals is to look at how we use, for example, electricity. Nobody can live without proper lighting in their home or the office environment – or in any commercial and industrial environment right from hotels and restaurants and shopping malls to factories. This means we need electricity in most cases, even though some are moving towards sun energy and solar systems.

Lights, light fittings and a choice of different bulbs ensure that we can carry on our daily tasks and enjoy all social get-togethers. We can no longer imagine a life without modern lighting. Of course years ago communities relied on candle light and fire to provide light when it was needed. Then, in 1879, Thomas Edison produced the first light that was operated by touching a switch on the wall and so changed the way we look at lights and lighting options forever.

That first form of lighting for bulbs is known as the incandescent bulb, and it has been in use ever since, except many users have started to look at other alternatives, mainly keeping in mind that the less electricity one uses, the less you pay and you start saving – in addition to helping keep the environment greener because of reduced power usage.

Since the incandescent bulb that started it all, there has been great development in technology, also insofar as lighting and bulbs are concerned. In the late 1950’s the halogen bulb was introduced into our lives, which was, at the time, a tremendous improvement on the older incandescent type. It also recorded savings of up to 30% on the previous generation of lamps and bulbs simply because you use less energy. This became possible because of the new technology that was introduced by halogen. So you save on the electricity bill, but also on energy, which makes its own contribution towards reducing man’s carbon footprint.

It has to be mentioned, too, that the use of the CFL technology (compact fluorescent lamp) that was introduced for the first time in New York in the 1930’s has helped tremendously in saving people and companies great amounts of money over time, especially since the 1980’s when it was estimated that this technology offers a 75% savings over the incandescent bulb. Once more: it helps to reduce our carbon footprint.

CFL is popular over a wide front right from commercial outlets, government buildings, in industrial settings. The CFL is still popular and used in kitchens today, in bathrooms, in cupboards in the home. And then, of course there is the latest technology of the LED that was introduced in the early 60’s.

It is used widely these days for the cost savings it guarantees. This technology uses much less energy than previous lights and bulbs and has also become a great player in our efforts to conserve energy and maintain a healthy, greener environment. It also lasts much longer than the older bulbs and they do not have to be replaced all that regularly. Many of the LED bulbs last for 30, 000, 40, 000 hours and more.

LED is starting to lead the way in terms of bulbs and lighting. They are used everywhere now, you can buy them in the shopping mall, at the corner shop – from your local supplier. LED has become the preference for millions world-wide and is starting to overtake all other bulbs and lamps in terms of popularity and preference for use.

About Us

Saving Light Bulbs is a family run business which brings the public the best high quality bulbs at the most affordable prices. The service is mainly run online to bring the products to a wide range of people and to keep running costs down which, in turn, will have financial benefits for the customers. At Saving Light Bulbs we work with only the best manufacturers to ensure that a quality product reaches our customers, and because we have many years’ experience in dealing with the lighting industry we have great knowledge about all the products we bring to our website. All customers are important and we pride ourselves on the products and service we deliver. For more information, please visit https://www.saving-light-bulbs.co.uk/

Saturday 13 March 2021

How to become more Energy Efficient at Home

 

How to become more Energy Efficient at Home

The popularity of building bigger homes also indicates that homeowners must install more lighting fixtures which can escalate the electricity consumption. However, over the last few years energy saving, efficient lighting solutions can assist you to become more energy efficient at home.

Since childhood, individuals were told to turn out the lights when leaving a room. At this moment in time, there are some solutions available on the market that can reduce your electricity bill and make your home save energy.

Energy-efficient lighting solutions have gained itself an impeccable reputation to light up housed more effectively and affordable the last couple of years. The market has seen a transformation where standard bulbs and lighting solutions are now being replaced with LEDs that include products such as 4 pin energy saving light bulbs, LED ceiling lights, LED downlights, and smart lighting products like dimmer switches and controls.

These products are designed to stay on and uses much less electricity than the standard lighting products that were on the market a few decades ago.

Homeowners have become more conscious of the influence they have on the planet than in previous decades. But, then again, they also have some alternative solutions that can not only reduce their energy consumption and bills but decrease their carbon footprint in the environment.

Reducing your electricity bill can be done by implanting small changes over time. Below you will discover some factors to consider.

The normal household in the United Kingdom dedicates five per cent of its electricity to lighting solutions. To reduce this figure, residents can just form a habit of turning the lights off when leaving a room. Incandescent lights and Halogen light bulbs consume the same amount of electricity and should rather be turned off whenever the occupants leave the room for extended periods of time.

At a glance, compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) might look like a great investment since they are more affordable to purchase. However, LED lighting solutions such as downlights for the living room, LED strips for underneath the kitchen cabinets, and exchanging your lamp lights with 4 pin energy saving light bulbs are more ideal for your home. Even though they are more expensive than CFLs they have a longer life span and consume less energy, making the ideal lighting solutions, despite their added cost.

The development and design of light bulbs have improved a lot in recent years. Here are some facets to think about when picking the proper lighting solution for your home.

It is important to pick out a light bulb with the proper fitting and since they come in different sizes. For instance, the Compact Fluorescent Lamp light bulb comes in different designs such as the 4 pin and 2 pins. You want to make sure you pick the correct one, so you do not have to go back to the store or waste money on additional lighting fittings.

It is worth noting that 4 pin energy saving light bulbs come in different designs. Find the right colour, brightness and shape for your lighting fittings that suit the aesthetic appeal of the area you going to use it for.

Energy efficient lighting is considered as both LED light bulbs and CFL, which can make it difficult to pick between the two. However, they both reduce electricity consumption. Then again, electricity use fluctuates from property to property, but it is always best to switch your standard lighting products to energy-efficient products since it will reduce your carbon footprint and cut back on energy expenses.

About Us

Saving Light Bulbs is a well-respected family-owned company based in the United Kingdom that specialises in LED lighting and energy-efficient solutions. We are passionate about helping domestic, commercial, public as well as social enterprises to reduce their carbon footprint by providing energy-efficient lighting services and products. With more than 1000 products catalogued on our online platform, we stock only the most reliable and highest quality products and can support you whatever you budget. If you want to reduce your energy consumption, upgrading your lighting and intergrading smart solutions, our highly dynamic team is dedicated and friendly to assist you with your requests. For more information visit http://www.saving-light-bulbs.co.uk

Reasons Drivers are Important For LED Lighting

 Reasons Drivers are Important For LED Lighting 


A lot of property owners are now switching over to energy-efficient lighting solutions to lower their power consumption and reduce their carbon footprint.

You might have considered to change your standard lighting to LED lighting and returned from the hardware store with a trunk of LED strig lights and a big dream, but you are not sure how this lighting works and how to turn them on.

LED lights are a good choice for business and home settings, however, the key to accomplishing the ideal light-balance in your environment is by using the correct power supply.

At this moment, there are 2 domineering power supplies available when installing LED lighting in your setting namely electronic transformers and 24v LEDdrivers. In this article, you will obtain information regarding 24v LED drivers.

Installing LED lights, you will need a unique device called a 24v LED driver to operate and turn on your lights. LED drivers act in a similar way to what a ballast achieves for fluorescent lighting. The LED drivers administer line voltage into power fit to operate a LED. Furthermore, since the electrical properties of LED alter due to temperature changes, the driver maintains and regulates a constant 24 volts.

LED drivers have three major functions. The majority of residential properties consume 120-277V AC electricity, however, LED work on low voltage DC electricity. Therefore, the driver switches the higher voltage ACC into a lower voltage DC current to equal the 24v what LED lighting requires to operate correctly.

It is worth noting that the voltage to the driver must be similar to the voltage needed by the driver. If this is not the case, the voltage difference can cause flashing or flickering.

A general tactic for regulating light productivity is pulse-width modulation. If you dim your LED bulbs, specifically at the lower end of light output, it may result in it flickering.

The majority of LED lighting need a 24v driver, a small number of them are designed to operate on AC current. Even though the LED bulbs you purchase on the market may not look like they have drivers, that feature with an internal driver.

When doing kitchen improvements and installing LED strips, you will require a driver to operate the lighting. These 24v drivers can be purchased separately and one driver can deliver electricity to more than one LED strip.

For those property owners that already have LED lights, if you discover that your LED lighting is getting dim, it is most likely that the driver is faulty and not your LEDs.

LED drivers run at high internal temperature and can reduce the lifespan of the LED bulb when used in a hot garage or enclosed fixture.

The driver may not function optimally and can stop working before the LED seize up.

LED lighting operates much better in cold temperatures CFLs since they are faster than incandescent, whilst CFL bulbs may need a dim light, warm-up before reaching full output potential.

For those individuals that have just purchase a handful of LED strips to install in their kitchen, it is best to buy a driver for your lighting renovation.

In the past, LED lighting products were very expensive to purchase. However energy-efficient lighting solutions such as LED bulbs, 24v drivers, dimmer switches, and more are becoming more affordable for consumers. Reducing your power consumption and lighting up a room can be accomplished when you purchase the proper lighting products and installing them correctly. If you need help to choose the correct LED lighting solution for your kitchen or bathroom area, ask the help of a lighting and energy-efficient solution specialist to assist you and give you informed advice.







About Us

Saving Light Bulbs is a well-respected family-owned company based in the United Kingdom that specialises in LED lighting and energy-efficient solutions. We are passionate about helping domestic, commercial, public as well as social enterprises to reduce their carbon footprint by providing energy-efficient lighting services and products. With more than 1000 products catalogued on our online platform, we stock only the most reliable and highest quality products and can support you whatever you budget. If you want to reduce your energy consumption, upgrading your lighting and intergrading smart solutions, our highly dynamic team is dedicated and friendly to assist you with your requests. For more information visit http://www.saving-light-bulbs.co.uk

Monday 9 July 2018

CFL Choice- Full or Semi Spiral or Linear ?

There are a number of different designs of compact fluorescent lamps CFL on the market which can make it quite confusing to decide which is design is the best one to go for. Here we will look at the major types and review the advantages and disadvantages of these energy saving light bulbs.


Linear Tube CFL



The majority of the early CFL bulbs introduced in to the UK market were of the linear tube design as shown in the picture. . The linear CFL is just a long thin fluorescent tube which goes up vertically and then is looped back and this pattern can be repeated several times for high wattage light bulbs. These light bulbs are the cheapest to manufacturer and work well as an energy saving light bulb. The disadvantages of the linear CFL are two fold. Firstly, the look of the light bulb is rather cumbersome and quite odd certainly when compared to the traditional incandescent GLS bulb. It is not that the bulb is inherently gross from an aesthetic point of view but I think it is more the fact that the light bulb looks very different to what people generally expect a light bulb to look like and for this reason it is not rated highly from a visual perspective. The second issue is that because the design is thin and tall the bulbs are quite long in length and for this reason can be difficult to physically fit into a number of light fittings where there is a height restriction.


Semi Spiral CFL


The semi spiral light bulb has always been fairly common in the US market and has recently been introduced to the UK. The design of the CFL is shown in this picture. Again the semi spiral CFL is simply a long thin fluorescent tube which is looped around in a spiral shape but the first portion of the fluorescent tube just goes up vertically. Accordingly the semi spiral name is derived because this CFL is half linear and half spiral and therfore designated as a semi spiral. The overall look of the bulb is more akin to the traditional bulb and because of the fact that the fluorescent tube swings outwards it has a larger diameter than the linear CFL and accordingly the overall height can be reduced and the bulb will still produce a similar level of lumens output.



Full Spiral CFL

The final choice considered here is the full spiral CFL which is shown in this picture.

With the full spiral CFL the fluorescent tube spiral starts right at the base of the bulb and continues in a tight spiral to the top of the bulb. The benefits of this design is that because the spiral design is inherently more compact and because of the fact that the spiral starts lower, the overall dimensions of the bulb are less than the semi spiral CFL which gives it an overall more compact design. This is invariably important for the fitment into a number of closed light fittings or lanterns where there is a bulb height restriction. The aesthetic angle is clearly subjective and dependent on peoples individual views but I think that the compact proportions and shaping of the full spiral CFL make its looks more appealing than the semi spiral of linear CFL.

So from our perspective the Full Spiral CFL is the clear winner.



Click below to buy from our wide range of energy efficient CFL Lights

Monday 2 July 2018

A Guide to LED Emergency Lighting

LED Emergency lighting is usually meant for emergency situations where the primary power supply gets disconnected and every normal illumination fails. This could result from a power cut or a fire outbreak. It’s essential that LED emergency lighting automatically operates fully and provides sufficient illumination to enable all occupants to leave the premises safely.

So, if you are considering LED emergency lighting system, here is all you should know:

LED Emergency Lighting: The basics 



Most buildings nowadays incorporate sophisticated LED emergency lighting fixtures installed during construction; the design of equipment being chosen by the architect as per the current local authority requirements as well as Building Regulations. Emergency LED lighting is often sub-divided into standby lighting and emergency escape lighting.

Cost Matters

Generally, the decision to utilize a self-contained LED Emergency Lighting system or a central battery will probably be determined by cost. If an installation is durable and has low maintenance requirements, then central batteries, though quite expensive, might be ideal for larger projects. Typically, costs and luminaries are major issues of concern, especially on smaller jobs, and it’s this criterion that makes the self-contained systems more popular.

LED Emergency Lighting Driver Temperature

Ensure that your LED emergency lighting has been subjected to aging plus electronic load tests. This helps to ascertain whether the LED emergency lighting panels can withstand excessive temperatures. This guarantees performance, safety, and stability.

Emergency Escape Lighting

Emergency escape lighting refers to that part of the emergency lighting system, which supplies illumination for the safety of persons vacating a location or attempting to end a potentially hazardous process beforehand.

Standby Lighting

Standby lighting is often provided to allow normal activities to continue substantially without being changed.

Consultation and Design

The first thing to do when installing LED Emergency Lighting escape illumination is consultation and design. Both the fire risk assessor and the designer should meet and make comprehensive decisions on where the system is required and chalk up a plan illustrating the type of power supply, the locations to be covered, facilities, duration, and mode of operation.



Contact us for survey and consultaion service

The next step…..

Having decided on the type of LED emergency lighting system you’d like to install, then go ahead and choose specific positions for the lighting signs and units within specific premises. This will then help you choose the right equipment. Remember, emergency LED lighting signs should be carefully sited in order to create clear exit routes that lead to the ultimate exits from the building. Where the exit isn’t identifiable, a visible sign should be utilized instead of a lighting unit. Special concern should be paid to directional changes, individual stairways, floor level changes, corridor intersections, plant rooms, and toilet areas. Access to firefighting equipment as well as fire alarm call stations should be properly illuminated.

Mode of Operation

Mode of operation is a vital factor to consider when choosing LED Emergency lighting systems. Thus, you should take into considerations principle factors like maintained or non-maintained. The use of the premises in question determines whether to go for a maintained or non- maintained LED Emergency Lighting system.

LED Emergency Lighting Advantages

Installation is extremely fast and affordable
• Low hardware material costs
• Standard wiring material might be used
• Reduced maintenance costs
• Burn-through will automatically fulfill the need for luminaries to be lit
• No unique sub-circuit monitoring requirements
• Increased integrity and efficiency


LED Emergency Lighting: Disadvantages

Testing requires isolation
• With varying environmental conditions throughout the system, the batteries might be severely affected by high or low ambient temperatures
• Battery life is often limited to four years, depending on the application

 
Bottom line

LED Emergency Lighting systems have become very popular these days- thanks to their low energy consumption, efficiency, and flexibility. However, before you rush into getting your LED Emergency Lighting system, it is vital to understand the basics (what they are and how to choose the best). The above guide will help you in getting the best.



Source (Copyright © 2018 Saving Light Bulbs) — https://www.saving-light-bulbs.co.uk/blog/a-guide-to-led-emergency-lighting/

Retro Style Meets Modern Efficiency: An Introduction To LED Filament Bulbs

  In the evolving landscape of home lighting, the fusion of vintage charm with contemporary efficiency has given rise to a unique lighting...