Here are important reasons:

• Incandescent (traditional) light bulbs will be banned in the U.S. by 2014. Other nations have already prohibited their use or have scheduled phase-outs between 2012 and 2014.
• Less than 5% of the energy consumed by an incandescent bulb actually makes visible light. The remaining 95% is wasted by producing heat. This creates a big burden on cooling costs.
• Mercury, which is a neurotoxin, is an essential part of CFLs.
• Being exposed to mercury can lead to serious health problems-Psychological disturbances, damage to the nervous system, kidneys, liver, motor skills and memory loss.
• Extreme measures have to be taken when eliminating CFL bulbs. They contain mercury. The EPA urges explicit actions when a bulb breaks, including leaving the room for 15 minutes or more which applies to pets as well as humans.
• The mercury in a typical fluorescent lamp  could pollute 6,000 gallons of drinking water  beyond safe levels if not disposed properly
• Phosphors within CFLs convert Ultraviolet (UV) rays to visible light. All CFLs leak ultraviolet light and being exposed to these rays can cause a myriad of health problems-skin cancer, migraines, eczema, and blurred vision, burning eyes or a severe skin rash.
• Research shows that fluorescent lighting decreases work production, while at the same time increasing depression and suicide rates.

Good Reasons for Making the Switch to Borealis LED products for A Better Tommorow:

Borealis S11 LED lamps are an energy saving, environmentally friendly

• Borealis LED products do not contain mercury or hazardous materials
• They expend up to 90% less energy with no radiant heat or UV rays
• They are 100% Green, and recyclable, with no breakages or disposal requirements
• They are made to be a one-for-one replacement and work in standard sockets. Importantly, they are dimmable
• They have a life span of 50,000 hours or 10 years. Whereas, the life span of a CFL with 6,000 hours of 1.5 years and an Incandescent lamp only lasts 1,000 hours or 3 months.  Contact Custom Lighting of America to discuss the environmentally conscious Borealis LED Lighting Lamp types today!

The Borealis line of LED lamps are designed for usage in residential, commercial, hospitality and retail applications. Borealis LED products consume up to 90% less energy than traditional incandescent lighting and supply at least 50,000 hours of operation. Using industry-leading polymers, Borealis lamps are practically unbreakable and shock resistant. This efficient structure results in a massive amount of energy reduction and maintenance.

The Borealis LED product line protects people and their surroundings by eradicating the damaging the UV and IR radiation which is related with traditional lighting. This product line has vastly simplified the movement to LED lighting with innovative technical techniques such as there is no warm-up time with instant-on full light output, and no flickering which hurts the eyes. The color is a continuous stable flow of light. The Borealis LED product line has eminent dimming capabilities and is able to fit into standard fixtures.

The Borealis A19- General Purpose Lighting

These lamps have a classical appeal and yet provide an outstanding replacement for traditional incandescent and compact fluorescent lamps. The patent pending design is available in a refined clear filament or frosted lamp. The Borealis A19 fits perfectly to any type of lighting fixture that allows for the standard Edison screw based lamps, while presenting brilliant energy reduction without incorporating the quality of light and the environment.

Borealis A19- General Purpose Lighting

Features

•  Lumen output corresponding to 25, 30, and 40 watt

• Incandescent lamps

•  Dimmable with Triac and Reverse-phase dimmers

•  Direct AC Drive

•  Designed to meet UL, CE, RoHS, and Energy Star

The Borealis B10 LED-General Purpose Lighting

These torpedo shaped lights are the perfect substitute for all conventional candlebra lamps and general lighting requirements in chandeliers, wall sconces, ceiling fans and other decorative lighting fixtures. The patent pending Borealis B10 lamps are available in a classic clear and frosted finish and radiate a delightful light. The standard base and the

Borealis B10 LED-General Purpose Lighting

look and feel of the Borealis B10, allows for assimilation into all the congruent fixtures.

Features

•  Lumen output corresponding to 15-watt incandescent lamps

• Dimmable with Triac and Reverse-phase dimmers

•  Direct AC Drive – No high frequency switching

•  No EMI

• Designed to meet UL, CE, RoHS, and Energy Star requirements

The Borealis MR16 LED- Spot Indoor Lighting

The Borealis MR16 LED lamp provides an efficient choice for spectacle and accent lighting. The higher light quality of the Borealis MR16 converts and optimizes product merchandising and environments by generating a fresh, clear confident light that is perfect for highlighting true color. Unlike, traditional lighting, the Borealis MRI 6 lasts at least 50,000 hours and does not radiate UV or IR protecting sensitive merchandise, making it a highly reliable display solution.

Borealis MR16 LED

Features

•  Lumen output corresponding to 20-watt halogen lamps

•  Dimmable with Triac and Reverse-phase dimmers

•  Designed to meet UL, CE, RoHS, and Energy Star requirements

The Borealis R20- LED Flood lamp

The Borealis R20 Flood LED lamp provides a hardy and economical down light for indoor lighting, which matches the brightness of conventional lamps that are used in lower level and track lighting fixtures. The patent pending Borealis R20 is a straightforward, dimmable replacement of a standard incandescent and compact fluorescent R20 lamp. The pulsation and shock resistance feature makes the Borealis R20 idyllic for elevator applications, which results in massive amounts of maintenance savings.

Borealis R20 lamp provides a resilient and efficient down light

Features

•  Lumen output corresponding to 40

Watt incandescent or halogen lamps

•  Direct AC drive – no high frequency

•  Switching

• Dimmable with Triac and

• Reverse-phase dimmers

•  No EMI

•  Designed to meet UL, CE, RoHS and

Energy Star requirements

The Borealis PAR38 – Narrow, Medium, and Wide Beam

These patent pending Borealis PAR38s are available in a narrow beam spotlight, medium beam, and wide beam angle, delivering versatility and exceptional color quality. The efficient operation of the driver and LEDs results in low power output, which greatly reduces the size of the heat sink. The Borealis PAR 38s do not radiate UV or infrared light, so nothing is sacrificed in retail merchandise display cases. This makes them an unmatched LED replacement for traditional incandescent and compact fluorescent spot and flood lamps.

Borealis PAR38’s are available in a narrow beam spotlight, medium beam and wide beam angle

Features

•  Lumen output corresponding to 75 watt

Incandescent lamps

•  Built-in surge protector

•  Designed to meet UL, CE, RoHS and

Energy Star requirements

Borealis Panel Lighting General Purpose Indoor Lighting

Borealis LED panel lighting is intended to replace traditional energy consuming fluorescent and incandescent lighting in standard drop ceiling and surface mount fixtures. These LED panels powerfully reduce energy consumption and provide unvarying light with no glare. These interchangeable panels are easy to install and have no mercury, or hazardous gases. They have no disposal requirements, which eliminate recycling costs, which is associated with traditional tube lighting.

Borealis LED panel lighting

Features

• Dimmable 0 to 10V
• Designed to meet UL & CE requirements
• Power Consumption: 50W
• Beam Angle: 112˚
• CCT: 3500°K Warm White
• 5000°K Cool White
•  Input Voltage 100-277V

Borealis T8 Tube LED Lighting

Borealis T8 LED Tube Lighting is an energy efficient replacement for conventional fluorescent tube lamps. This practically unbreakable Borealis LED Tube eliminates the need for ballasts in any retrofit or new installation. This greatly reduces maintenance costs. The T8 tubes supply a high quality radiant light and do not contain Mercury or UV. They have no hazardous materials, so recycling costs associated with traditional tube lighting are removed.

Borealis T8 LED Tube Lighting is an energy efficient replacement for traditional fluorescent tube lamps.

Features

•  Lumen output corresponding to 20W

• Fluorescent (2ft), 40W Fluorescent (4ft)

•  Standard Bi-pin base

• ETL Intertek certified (#3188725)

• Conforming to Class 2 UL standard for

LED T8 & T5 tubes For general lighting services

•  Suitable for refrigeration T8 applications

Borealis LED Troffer

The Borealis LED lensed Troffers supply a highly efficient, indoor commercial grade alternative to any current fluorescent troffer fixtures. The Borealis Troffer simplifies the switch to Borealis LED T8 lamps that focus on energy savings, long life, and reduced maintenance. Borealis Troffers do not require power supplies or ballasts and can be used in any type of suspended acoustic tile ceilings allowing for fast and efficient building upgrades with easy installation.

Borealis Candelabra B10 LED Lamp

Features

• Replaces 2 x 2 & 2 x 4 Fluorescent Troffer fixtures

• Instant on/off

• Shock and vibration resistant

• Voltage: AC 120V – 277V

• Operating current: < 1.5A

• Nominal Power: 10W each 2ft tube / 20W each 4ft tube

• Frequency: 60Hz

• Wall and Rib thickness: 0.09 inches

• ETL Intertek #3188725

Borealis High Bay Lighting

Borealis LED High Bay lamps bring LED technology to ceiling floating spaces. This is a perfect fit for industrial and commercial sections. The space lighting for warehouses can now be replaced with Borealis, while ensuring tremendous savings in energy expenses as compared to older light fixtures. These bay lights encompass these great advantages- resistant to shock and vibration have an instant on/off operation, and all at the same require no warm up time for full illumination.

Borealis LED High Bay lamps bring the many benefits of LED technology

Features

•  75W – 250W HPS Replacement

•  Typical monting height of 15 – 25 feet

•  CCT: Warm White 3000˚K – 4000˚K,

• Pure White 4000˚K – 6300˚K,

• Cool White >6300˚K

•  CRI: Ra>75

•  Power factor: >0.95

•  Input voltage: 90 – 270VAC, 50–60 Hz*

Borealis Street Lights

These LED street lights are an environmentally secure energy saving solution for conservative HPS or mercury street lamps. This lighting illuminates a sharp, precise color while depicting objects. This creates a better visibility, while enhancing being safe outside. This LED lighting reduces light pollution and features an instant “on” with no cold starting as compared to HPS lights. It is much more suited to resist extreme temperature changes. The great advantage is that it reduces maintenance and bulb replacement. Motion sensors and lighting controls can also be implemented with Borealis to even further reduce operating costs.

Borealis Street Lights

Borealis Canopy Lights

Borealis LED Canopy Lighting is also an environmentally secure energy saving resolution for replacing conventional fluorescent, HPS, and metal halide lighting. These Canopy Lights produce a higher CRI, which results in a sharp, accurate color that generates better visibility. This greatly improves safety in industrial and commercial spaces. Borealis lighting features an instant “on” with no cold starting as compared to HPS lights. These LED lights are not affected by vibration and are better suited to withstand extreme temperature alterations. Additionally, they can use motion sensors and lighting controls to further reduce operating costs.

Borealis Canopy Lights produce a higher CRI, resulting in a sharp, accurate color

Contact Custom Lighting of America to discuss the Borealis Innovative LED Lighting Lamp types today!

PolyBrite conserves complete control of the design, development, and manufacturing of its Borealis solid-state lighting products, while confirming the highest quality and dependability. The Borealis brand employs PolyBrite’s proprietary polymer technology and patented drive circuit and thermal management, while conveying the environmental sustainability and

Bright Light, Long Life, Low Cost - Borealis LED lighting products

economical advantages of LED technology to the marketplace. Contact Custom Lighting of America to discuss this Innovative LED Lighting technique today!

Tip #1

Start by looking from the house through the windows. When there is no lighting used outdoors, windows become very reflective at night. Therefore, what happens at night is the windows end up reflecting the lights in the room, and you end up seeing their own reflection instead of the view beyond. The rooms can seem smaller than they appear. The key is to try to balance the total amount of light inside and outside the house, allowing the windows to become more translucent. Most people feel safer when they can see their front lawn around them. They feel more discernible inside their home when there is no lighting outside. 

Tip #2

Be cautious about the placement of security lighting. Security lighting and landscape lighting are two different things and people should not use the same lights to perform both functions. Security lighting should not be glaring and confrontational; the main intention is to provide enough light so homeowners can see what is causing the mischief outside their door. Security lights are employed as safety devices and should not be a part of landscape lighting. No one wants to arrive at someone’s home and then be aggravated by glaring lights in their driveway.

Tip #3

Landscape lighting should be used lightly on residential landscapes. Attention needs to be drawn to the plantings, sculptures, and not the luminaires (light fixtures). For example, installing pagoda-type lights along the perimeter of a driveway and parking area is low key and gives the subtle quality of an airport landing strip or a helipad.

 Tip #4

Lanterns play an important role in overall lighting design. They are primarily used at the front door. Their job is to create the false impression that they are providing the entire exterior lighting, when, they should have no more than 25-watts to 45-watts worth of illumination. Importantly, when selecting an exterior lantern is the glass. If you choose a light fixture (luminaire) that has a frosted glass, an iridescent stained glass, or a sandblasted seedy glass, then the amount of the lantern is seen instead of just the light bulb. If you are choosing lanterns as part of your residential landscape lighting project, it is possible to have the glass inside them sandblasted. Often, mirror companies also do sandblasting as a sideline.

Tip #5

When choosing the right type of design for your lighting system, a resolution must be made as to which voltage system will be used, 120-volt or 12-volt. If your landscaping has already been completed you should not consider the installation of a 120-volt system, it would be costly and harmful to the plants due to trenching. 120-volt systems need the wiring to be buried in conduit or the use of a straight buried wire. Check local codes for permit requirements. If you have a new landscape project then a 120-volt system would be excellent.

Twelve volt lighting systems are less limiting and installation is effortless. The low-voltage 12-gauge cable does not have to be buried. Low-voltage systems greatly use less power and may not require any additional circuits. The flexibility of a low-voltage system makes altering the original lighting design practicable and simple without expensive rewiring. When preparing your 12-volt system remember to include the transformer locations. Knowing the voltage drop is an important consideration as it is necessary to have a run of over 100 feet.

Tip #6

There are various techniques used for planning the best way to illuminate in landscape lighting. When landscaping has begun, plan for switching and transformer locations. This will save you money. You can save time and money by having power lines or conduit installed under the driveway or patio before paving.

For your trees and plants scheme prepare for their maximum growth potential and install smaller wattage lamps, which can be exchanged with higher wattages as the plants ripen.

Here are some options to consider when you want the best variety and lighting for your landscape full of foliage. Using   a decorative assortment will make the design pleasing to the eye.

Uplighting

This gives a dramatic feel of lighting foliage and presents a visual height to the           landscaping at night. A house looks more vivid when tall trees can be illuminated. The light fixtures can be ground-mounted or actually installed below-grade. These are known as well lights. Luminaires using CFLs (compact fluorescent lamps) for tall trees and LEDs (light emitting diodes) for smaller trees such as Japanese maples are long life and an energy efficient option to standard incandescent sources. Use shrubbery to conceal the light source from view.

Spotlighting

     Use this technique  minimally. Prominent statues, sculptures or foliage deserve to be enlightened, but they will tend to dominate the view as people look outside. Spotlights should definitely be shielded with a deep snoot and louver to avoid glare.

Silhouetting or Backlighting

This is a good technique to consider for topiaries, or for thick leafed trees like magnolias. Fluorescent luminaires can do a good job of wall-washing, while consuming a small amount of power with a long lamp life. Remember to specify ballast designed for low temperatures if your plan is located in a cold climate. Employ either a color temperature that compliments the plants (a cooler Kelvin rating of 4,000K-5,000K) or the wall surface behind the plants (a warmer Kelvin rating of 2,700K to 3,500K).

Path Lighting

This important lighting technique needs to be done right. Too often, we see walkways or driveways sided with rows of pagoda lights as the only source of exterior lighting. As a result, this looks like an airport runway at nighttime. When using a pathway light, consider opaque mushroom-type light fixtures, which will cast light down without drawing a bunch of attention to the light source itself. The fixtures should not exceed 1.5 feet in height and should be installed using stakes or mounting boxes that keep them vertical.

Step or Stair Lighting

Fixtures can be buried in the sidewalls of an exterior staircase or the steps themselves to enlighten the risers. Prominently, this provides safety to your guests as their navigation around the steps. You also have the advantage of using linear low voltage lighting (available in incandescent, fiber optic and LED versions) that can be installed under the nudge of the steps to provide a glow of illumination along the entire width of the steps.

Moonlighting

This is a great ornamental way to lighting an exterior space. Speckled patterns of light and shadows are made along pathways. This is consummated by mounting luminaires in older trees. Some are pointed up to highlight the foliage coverings.

It is not a good idea to dim your exterior lighting. Many outdoor luminaires use incandescent resources. When incandescent lamps are dimmed, the light becomes more amber. This pronounces a grossly yellow cast on plant life. Therefore, the whiter the light, the more healthy your plants will appear.

The Bottom Line
When designing and planning a landscape lighting design, it is best to level out different techniques of lighting so your overall look and feel will glow as natural as possible. Remember to keep it conservative … and contact Custom Lighting of America to light up your life!

LED wall washers are high power LED lights used for enhancing lighting purposes and highlighting. They highlight wash walls of edifices, hotels, theatres, parks, art galleries, commercial building front walls, with different kinds of colors.

While a LED wall washer is projecting itself, it can change colors. The RGB LED wall washer lights project 16.7 million colors and you can change the color by programming the LED wall washer any way you would like.

Examples of places where high power LED wall washers are used for wall washing:

• Lighting for Clubs
• Lighting for Stages
• Lighting for Parks
• Lighting for Plazas
• Lighting for Stages;
• Commercial Building Facades Lighting
• Art Gallery Lighting
• Landscape Lighting
• Stage Lighting
• Architectural decorative lighting
• Green landscape lighting, etc…

Contact Custom Lighting of America for all your outdoor landscape lighting needs.

Wall Wash Lights are ground mounted landscape lighting fixtures that project light in a wide spread or wash. Wash light fixtures are ideal for illuminating walls, signs and other flat surfaces, and can be used for both backlighting and shadowing effects.

This technique creates a glossy, even touch of illumination on specific objects or large wall areas. This brings a unique reflective visual accent to your home. If you change the light fixture spacing, this will create different effects. Wall washing increases an even illumination.

A very effective technique in landscape lighting because it highlights your outdoor walls and exposes a soft, shimmer free glow onto the surrounding area. If you decide to use it on a wall adjoining your walkways or driveways, traditional path lighting is not necessary.Contact Custom Lighting of America to discuss this technique further today!

The latest home improvement trend uses professionally installed outdoor LED lighting to accentuate architectural features and landscaping at night. Homeowners can enjoy more time outside and create an elegant atmosphere for outdoor entertaining.

Outdoor lighting for the home used to be simple
Place a few light fixtures from the local home improvement store around the home, and you thought you were done. Unfortunately, those fixtures rapidly deteriorated over time. Today, homeowners have seen the quality and the difference professionally installed, LED lighting can provide.

Professional landscape lighting uses an array of special  outdoor lighting techniques that not only enhance the beauty of the outdoors at night but foster outdoor safety and security. Outdoor lighting gently adorns your house, yard and garden areas with soft accent lighting to create warmth, atmosphere, ambiance and safety that you, your family and friends will enjoy all evening long.

A seasoned lighting designer brings personalized service
Outdoor light fixtures take on a whole new meaning when a homeowner insists upon special sizes, decorative “baubles” for finials, tweaking the outdoor light fixture’s “roof” ever so slightly. All of a sudden you have a custom outdoor light. You cannot go to the “big box stores” and pull something off the shelf that doesn’t look like everyone else’s outdoor lantern.

If you’re looking for outdoor lighting with that modern look or a lantern that is traditional, then a lighting designer can give you that personalized service, high quality materials, custom matched finishes, high end art glass, project management to ensure every detail is attained and the correct UL Label for the proper exterior or interior application.

Lighting is one of the easiest ways to save energy. Switching to green alternatives has an immediate impact on energy use, CO2 emissions and the environment and it also improves light quality.

The only constant is change
We are increasingly an urban and global culture. Buildings and streets account for around 75% of all energy used for lighting. Our lifestyles are changing. People are spending more time relaxing, entertaining and socializing at home.

LED for outdoor spaces
Today lighting is about more than just security. It is being used to create a nocturnal environment in which the city takes on a new identity, creating a more livable community that residents are proud of.

LEDs are highly adaptable and can even change with the weather or the season, and provide festive color options on public holidays. And all this with energy consumption that is only a fraction of conventional lighting techniques.

Sustainable Design
The first aspect that springs to mind is low energy use. But there are plenty of others, including waste reduction, recyclability, the use of materials & resources and the effect on building and design practices.

Can one light bulb make a difference?

<- Winner of U.S. Department of Energy competition to replace the common light bulb – The LED L Prize lamp from Philips.

If you change just one of your regular incandescent light bulbs to a LED light, you can facilitate the preservation of the environment and save money. How?

LED-FLASHLIGHT

First, LED lights last 10 times longer than a regular incandescent bulb and are four times more effective. LED lighting uses almost 80% less energy than incandescent bulbs. This equates to money savings in your bank account and a cleaner environment.

Unfortunately, LED lighting fixtures are more expensive to purchase, but will save you money in the end. LED home lighting uses only one third of the energy that an incandescent bulb uses. An 18-watt LED light can replace a 75-watt incandescent bulb; in the lifetime of that 18-watt LED light (which is ten times longer than the incandescent) you will save 570 kilowatts of energy. This would be a good savings of almost $50 on your energy bill.

Keeping regular light bulbs is a downfall to the environment. They put out carbon dioxide, sulfur oxide, and nuclear waste into the atmosphere. On the other hand, one single bulb of LED home lighting, keeps one half ton of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere through its life cycle. In addition, it keeps the sulfur oxide and nuclear waste to a bare minimum in the landfills and the environment.

Making small simple changes to protect the earth by switching to LED lighting would make a great impact to the environment. Interestingly, if every house in the United States switched to LED lights, 90 current power plants could go away, especially considering that more power plants are being constructed and are in use.

LED lighting can benefit other areas of your life. Consider using LED lights during the Christmas season, which is a smart energy saver. LED lights are cool in appearance and energy efficient during the holiday season because energy use goes up, considerably. LED lanterns and LED flashlights are great when you want to go camping. They are also imperative to any home emergency kit. You need not to worry if your batteries run dead in the middle of use; LED flashlights and lanterns use less energy meaning your batteries will last a lot longer.

LED lighting is considered the best long-term solution for your home and outdoor lighting needs. Therefore, its environmental benefits and energy efficiency make it outstanding  for your household and the world.

• Safety-Avoid tripping of off steps, pathways
• Security-Make unwanted guests leave your premises by looking as if you are still home
• Utility-Use your outdoor living space after sunset for parties or relaxing
• Beauty-Make your home look like a palace at night!

Here are some common landscape lighting techniques to enhance the beauty of your home:

1. Path Lighting
This includes tulip lights, lanterns, tier lights and specialty lights. These are low impact or shielded lights and adds safety, security and visibility for walking .This is great for walkways and ponds.

2. Deck Lighting
This includes spot/accent lights, specialty lights. Bring your cool deck to life at night and help your guests navigate your stairs safely with deck lighting. Light fixtures can be installed and in the risers of steps. Surface lights can be assembled on vertical posts and below railings.

3. Spot Lighting
This includes floodlights, spot/accent lights. If you want to light large areas on decks, lawns, arbors, pools, hot tubs, etc. you can use these fixtures that are placed on to trellises, eaves, and  gazebos.

4. Spread Lighting
Spread lights produce low-level, evenly dispersed, circular patterns of light for enlightening flowerbeds and low shrubs. They are wonderful for Koi ponds.

5. Wall Lighting/Wall Washing
This uses well lights, spot/accent light, wall wash lights. Enhance the structural elements of your home by illuminating a wall chimney or fence with light. By positioning  a fixture within six to eight inches of a facade and aiming it almost 90 degrees vertically you can dramatically light large tree trunks, brick walls, building facades, chimneys or anything that has textured surface.

6.Security Lighting
This includes floodlights, spot/accent lights, wall wash lights. Security lighting can act as a great restraint against criminal activity and unwanted animals. Illuminate certain areas where intruders can hide by positioning a mixture of low-level lighting or spotlighting lighting.