Low-energy LED lighting technology is the wave of the future. Are you still in the dark? Let us help you separate the facts from the hype surrounding this increasingly popular lighting option.

LEDs Last Forever

Like all light sources, LEDs will fade slowly over time. Depending on operating conditions, well-designed fixtures can retain 70 percent of their initial light output for 6 years, or 50,000 hours or more. If you run them 24/7, they'll last you twice as long as fluorescents and many times longer than incandescents.

The total cost of LED lighting over time can be significantly lower than conventional systems. Though initial fixture costs may be higher, LED fixtures have a longer useful life, are more durable and reliable requiring less maintenance and material costs, and use far less energy than their fluorescent and incandescent cousins. Annual lighting costs can be reduced by up to 80 percent, and payback on your investment can often be achieved in less than three years.

Waiting will cost you more in the long run. Lighting is often one of the greatest energy expenses of a business. Incremental price declines in LED technology will be more than offset by paybacks in energy savings. It does not pay to wait.

LEDs have been in widespread use for over a decade. LEDs have earned their place as a reliable lighting technology, having been used in critical safety applications and rapidly gaining popularity for industrial use thanks to their cost effective, efficient, sustainable, high quality light. Their impressive durability makes them a top choice for high intensity industrial applications such as manufacturing operations, warehousing, maintenance, and more.

LED lighting does not contain mercury. However, fluorescents and compact fluorescents (CFLs) contain hazardous mercury.

Thanks to advancements in technology, LEDs are ideal for these applications. A wide range of fixtures – from low to high lumen outputs – are available today, allowing for the selection of lighting perfectly matched to suit your specific business needs. Placement is essential to proper optics, so be sure to consult a professional to plan effective light placement.

LED lighting is “cooler” than other lighting colors.The blue hue of LEDs does vary from the yellow tones of traditional lighting. However, customers frequently cite an improvement in lighting quality and effectiveness following upgrades. If you have concerns, consider another hue in the ever-expanding variety of LED colors now available.

Well-designed LEDs offer convenient, targeted dimming settings. Quality matters. Well-designed LEDs can provide gradual dimming across many more increment than their competitors, offering targeted settings for the perfect combination of convenience, ambiance and energy savings.

LEDs don’t use magnetic ballasts – they use electronic drivers. Well-designed drivers don’t require replacement. Light bulbs, like incandescents, fluorescents, and halides, use magnetic ballasts that wear out over time, particularly with frequent on and off switching. LEDs do not share these characteristics because LEDs are semiconductors, not light bulbs. They require electronic drivers for managing power delivery. Look for electronic drivers with well-designed, integrated control features for the maximum in efficiency and functionalities - like dimming, sensing, and auto on and off capability.

Well-designed LEDs function beautifully in a wide range of temperatures. LEDs performed at least as well as fluorescents and HIDs in temperature tests conducted by independent labs, particularly in cold environments where other lighting technology suffers. However, quality matters. Opt for lighting that is carefully designed to manage heat dissipation – regardless of the climate you will operate them in.  

Well-designed LEDs manage glare and light placement with optics. Well-designed optics minimizes a direct sightline to LEDs, as well as glare, and color temperature for these applications is also excellent.

Don’t let old lighting technology leave your business burned out. Upgrade to LED lighting with the help of Mr. Electric® today.

As our #1 international customer base, Canada is enjoying brighter times ahead with the most outstanding light fixtures and lamps from Capitol Lighting’s 1800lighting.com.

Capitol Lighting provides Canadian customers with friendly, reliable service and custom quality illumination.

Here is what we offer…

• Capitol Lighting maintains partnerships with the most trusted lighting manufacturers throughout the US, and remains a family owned and operated business backed by 90 years of experience in the lighting industry.

• When you purchase from Capitol Lighting, you buy with confidence.  All of our products are backed by our 110% best price guarantee.

• From traditional to futuristic compositions, 1800lighting.com offers a world-class selection of chandeliers, wall decor, decorative accessories, track lighting and portable lamps for your residential or commercial space.

• Experience the latest in LED and energy-efficient illumination, as well as eco-friendly lamps and lighting products.

• Choose from a tremendous assortment of items including, exquisite foyer fixtures, decorative table and floor lamps, desk lamps and task lamps, superb outdoor and landscape lighting, ceiling fans and light kits, and automated lighting controls.

Capitol Lighting provides the best service and care, along with custom quality illumination for your residential or commercial environment.

We keep in touch with you…

• Within one full business day of placing your order, you will receive an initial order status email providing you with the initial “estimated” shipping dates for each item on your order.  These shipping dates are estimated based on the availability of the item(s) in our warehouses in New Jersey and Florida, as well as the warehouses of our Manufacturers.

• If an item you have purchased is made to order or is on back order with the Manufacturer, your order status email will reflect this along with an estimated shipping date.

• Until your order has fully shipped and is complete, you will receive Order Status Update emails if/when the estimated shipping date changes or we receive new information about the product that impacts your order.

• Using the shipping calculator tool in the shopping cart is fast and easy—you can even get FedEx rates to your door (inclusive of duty and taxes)!

• 110% best price guarantee

• Friendly, reliable service

• Dedication to top quality design and composition

Go to Capitol Lighting’s info page for details and get started on furnishing your home and/or office environment with the best illumination from 1800lighting.com.

Shipping to Canada:

• 1800lighting is pleased to ship directly to our Canadian customers.

• Standard Ground Shipping-FedEx/UPS items: All items will ship from warehouses around the US directly to your door via FedEx or UPS and their Canadian partners.  All our shipments will comply with Canada Customs regulations and pricing will include all duties and your local GST+PST or HST.

• To simplify the process, in the shopping cart our shipping calculator will calculate all related charges based on your postal code, connecting directly with FedEx to provide the most accurate delivery charges.  Please note:  We pass on our preferred shipping rates and do not mark up our shipping fees in any way.

• Shipping Lead Times:  If your purchase or project is time sensitive, it is strongly suggested that you contact a representative at 1.800.544.4846 or email ShippingToCanada@1800lighting.com to inquire about what expedited shipping services may be available.

It used to be that the moon and the stars were the brightest bulbs in the sky. But as anyone who’s flown across a city at night knows, these days, there are an awful lot of outdoor lights shining up from the ground.

Many people assume that an orange nighttime sky is just ugly, not harmful. But recently scientific studies have suggested that light pollution is more than an annoyance; it’s destroying wildlife, damaging human health and costing us a lot of extra money.

That’s why a growing number of cities and towns across the United States are drafting ordinances to try to bring the night sky back. They’re requiring that all new outdoor lighting fixtures that are installed – both commercial and residential – only shine light down onto the place that needs to be lit, not up into the atmosphere.

Known as the Dark Sky movement, these ordinances vary from town to town, but often the requirements are similar. No outdoor lighting fixtures can shine any light above a horizontal line. Instead, everything must shine down.

“We’re not saying you can’t have that aesthetic value, you just light it from the top down,” explains Johanna Duffek, Sections Coordinator with the International Dark Sky Association, a Tucson, AZ-based non-profit group that’s at the forefront of the movement.

Although the original purpose of The International Dark Sky Association was to keep the night sky pristine for astronomers, today the Dark Sky movement is gaining ground because more consumers are interested in reducing their energy usage, and when you’re not wasting light that’s going up into the sky, you can use a lower wattage bulb to achieve the same level of exterior lighting.

For example, if a homeowner used an outdoor sconce that had openings on the top and the bottom, he’d have to use a 100-watt bulb. But if he switches to a Dark Sky fixture that only allows light to shine from the bottom of the fixture, the homeowner could use a 40-watt bulb.

“It’s a more efficient use of light,” explains Tom Patterson, Director of Product Development at Hinkley Lighting, which already offers some Dark Sky light fixtures. “You can use a third of the wattage or half of the wattage and get the same amount of lumens.”

Patterson says consumer awareness of the Dark Sky movement is still very low, but he said awareness has been growing among local government leaders, and that is forcing the manufacturers to come out with more and more Dark Sky-friendly outdoor fixtures.

“Now in Arizona, in all the new construction, you’re going to have to meet the dark sky qualifications,” Patterson says. “It’s catching a little bit more momentum.” Hinkley, for example, advertises that it can make about 25 percent of its outdoor lighting fixtures Dark Sky compliant. Retailers are charged about $15 to $20 to change a regular fixture to a Dark Sky fixture.

Currently, there is no official government standard for a Dark Sky fixture, but the International Dark Sky Association has been in talks with the Department of Energy to incorporate the Dark Sky philosophy into the Energy Star program.

The International Dark Sky Association also independently evaluates fixtures from manufacturers and awards a seal of approval to all of those that meet its requirements.

So far, Duffek says the International Dark Sky Association has awarded Fixture Seals of Approval to 75 different lighting manufacturers, and while many of those have been commercial applications, Duffek says the organization is hoping to increase participation among residential lighting manufacturers.

Hubbardton Forge, for example, makes a sconce that has received the Dark Sky Fixture Seal of Approval that features a slate-colored ceramic shield around the light bulb that forces the light down. And the Minka Group has several outdoor lights with metal crowns that block the upward light.

Both Patterson and Duffek say the biggest resistance to Dark Sky fixtures isn’t coming from manufacturers but from homeowners who are afraid that less exterior lighting around their house will make them less safe.

But Duffek said homeowners need to understand that blocking light from going into the sky doesn’t mean blocking all exterior lighting. Duffek says the Dark Sky movement suggests homeowners buy outdoor lights with movement sensors that will go on if someone enters your yard, which can help alert you to danger and keep your energy usage down at the same time.

“When you keep the lighting on all the time, all you’re doing is lighting for the bad guys,” Duffek says.

Duffek says the biggest challenge now is to educate the public about the benefits of reducing light pollution and encouraging manufacturers to continue to design compliant fixtures.

“We always try to present it as a win, win, win solution,” she says.