RelightDepot Lighting Blog

Energy Efficiency News and Lighting Retrofit Success Stories

Sport and Field Lighting

General Sports and Field Lighting can have a huge impact on your venue.  Aside from making a field, court, or gymnasium more aesthetically pleasing, appropriate lighting helps players and spectators.  If you are in the process of purchasing sports lighting, whether it be indoor (i.e., a gymnasium, arena, etc.), or field lighting (i.e., lighting for a football field, baseball field, lacrosse field,  basketball court, tennis court, etc.), there are several factors that you should consider.  The most important factor is to ensure that there is sufficient lighting for the s … Continue reading

May 29, 2012 by Ray De Varona.

Florida Energy Efficient Lighting Rebates

While replacing existing lighting fixtures with energy efficient fixtures such as T5s and T8s will certainly help reduce your electricity bill, several of Florida’s electric companies offer Florida Lighting Rebates/Incentives.  The Florida Lighting Rebates will help reduce the cost of purchasing new lighting fixtures. Florida Power & Light  (FPL) Lighting Rebates As of May 2012, FPL through its Interior Building program provides between 65 cents to $3 for each linear fluorescent lamp as a lighting rebate.   For more information on FPL’s lighting rebates, please go … Continue reading

May 16, 2012 by Ray De Varona.

The Difference Between Standard, White, and Enhanced Reflectors

Many linear fluorescent high bay fixtures are available with a number of different reflector options. This allows the fixture to be configured properly for a broad range of applications. The reflector material in fluorescent high bay fixtures determines how much light is reflected back down towards the work surface. The higher the reflectivity, the more efficient the high bay fixture is at delivering the light that the lamps generate down to the work plane. The typical options are as follows: Standard aluminum reflector: This is typically a matte reflective aluminum … Continue reading

February 15, 2012 by Ray De Varona.

Calculating the Return on Investment for Lighting Retrofit Projects

Calculating the Return on Investment for Lighting Retrofit Projects
As much as I don't like it, lighting retrofit projects for warehouses and commercial offices have to compete for corporate funds just like all other projects. If it was up to me, lighting retrofits would just be given the green light and prioritized above all other capital requests, and corporations large and small would come flocking to RelightDepot for their energy efficient lighting needs. In the real world, project sponsors have to justify why they want to spend money on new lights if the existing ones work just fine. The most common way to do that is by building a b … Continue reading

January 26, 2012 by Ray De Varona.

Identifying and Handling PCB Ballasts During a Lighting Retrofit

Identifying and Handling PCB Ballasts During a Lighting Retrofit
Prior to the late 1970's, ballast manufacturers used a group of compounds called polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, to insulate and cool the inner components in certain electrical products. One common application was to cool the internal capacitor of fluorescent lamp ballasts. These components contained a small amount of PCB oil and most of it is typically absorbed by several layers of paper within the device. Since these compounds were found to be health hazards and were linked to the development of certain cancers, they were prohibited by the US Congress in 1979. The … Continue reading

January 5, 2012 by Ray De Varona.

West Penn Power Energy Efficient Lighting Incentives

All commercial and industrial customers of West Penn Power can now apply to the Non-Standard Lighting for Business Program to receive cash incentives for energy efficient lighting projects. Eligible customers include schools, local governments, institutions, not-for-profits, private businesses, industrial firms, or any other non-residential facility in the West Penn Power territory. The Non-Standard-Lighting for Business Program provides cash incentives for energy efficient lighting projects, both new construction and retrofit. Equipment must be installed after Octobe … Continue reading

November 2, 2011 by Ray De Varona.