It can be difficult to provide enough light to your houseplants due to seasonal changes or lack of window space. Whether it's for your full-grown houseplants or starter seedlings, check out these ideas for indoor lighting.

Incandescent lights are good for lighting up a room or growing low-light houseplants, such as vines, ferns or dracaenas. They have limited utility for growing plants with higher light requirements. These lights put out only about 10 percent of their energy as light while 90 percent is heat. So, unless you want to cook your plants, they aren't ideal for light-loving plants like many tropicals, cacti or succulents.

Fluorescent lights are ideal for plants with low to medium light requirements, like African violets. They are also good for starting vegetables indoors. These lights typically come in long, tubelike bulbs in a range of sizes including T5, T8 and T12.

The narrower the bulb, the more efficient and brighter it is, due to the smaller surface area. In addition to this, fluorescent bulbs use 75 percent less energy than incandescent lights. So, for example, a 25-watt fluorescent emits about as much light as a 100-watt incandescent light bulb. T5 systems put out about double the amount of light per tube as standard fluorescent lights. They are 6500 Kelvin and also full spectrum, which is very intense light.

Kelvin is a basic unit of color temperature used to measure the whiteness of a light's output; it's the degree of visual warmth or coolness of a light source. So the higher the degree of Kelvin, the bluer, or "cool," the lamp appears. The lower the degree of Kelvin, the redder, or "warm," it appears.

When growing most houseplants, use light bulbs between 4000 and 6000 Kelvin, as the bulb's color temperature will borrow from a full spectrum of colors cools and warms. With these lights, you can actually mimic the growth you would get in a greenhouse or outdoors. Culinary herbs, greens and starter plants can be grown year-round with them. Houseplants that need lots of light, like cattleya orchids, succulents and carnivorous plants, also perform much better under these full-spectrum lights. With starter plants and seedlings, place the T8 or T5 bulbs two to four inches from the plants to mimic the sun. For established plants, including herbs or houseplants, place them a foot or two from the light source.

Compact fluorescents are great for lighting indoor houseplants without having to use a full T5 system and for a fraction of the cost of incandescent lights. Wattage varies, so be sure to ask a specialist what will work best for you and your lighting needs. Carnivorous plants and phalaenopsis orchids do well under compact fluorescents.

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How to Choose the Best Indoor Lighting for Plants : Outdoors ...

Camera Guy Video Tip # 4 - What Makes a Great Video - Indoor Lighting Tips
Upon request; Camera Guy talks about lighting indoors with house hold lights. Watch for quick, simple and inexpensive ways your can improve your You Tube Vid...

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Camera Guy Video Tip # 4 - What Makes a Great Video - Indoor Lighting Tips - Video

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) December 20, 2013

Customer inspired innovation led to the release of a unique pre-cut light-emitting diode (LED) tape light system. Homeowners now have a way to install their own under cabinet lighting without the hassles of splicing electrical wire, soldering connections, or drilling holes into their cabinetry. Or to be more realistic of the typical homeowner experience going on Angies list, calling friends, reading reviews on Yelp.com, to find an affordable and reliable electrician to install their task lighting.

Often times, contractors will use halogen puck lights for their under cabinet lighting systems. Installation is a relatively messy process as the electrician needs to drill holes into the underside of the cabinetry to strategically mount the puck lights above the center of the countertop. Wires need to be measured and spliced to run along the bottom of the cabinet, then connected to the transformer to plug into the wall. Having been a general contractor for over twenty-five years, Tom Piana owner of Affordable Quality Lighting, had intimate knowledge of the back-breaking installation process.

Even when tape light came out it still didnt help homeowners avoid the splicing or soldering part of the installation process, Tom Piana said during a recent interview. With LED tape lighting systems coming in rolls of five to six feet, a homeowner would still have to measure the necessary length and cut the tape light to fit their needs. This increased the risk of damaging the individual diodes, or splicing at the improper section, causing an entire strand of diodes to burn out instantly. I wanted homeowners to be able to truly install their own lighting my goal was to eliminate the hassle and risk under cabinet lighting installation created. Looking at the pre-cut system in lengths of 8, 12, and 16 strips of easy connect tape light, coupled with the plug and play connectors, Tom Piana is well on his way to achieving his original goal.

Unlike the traditional halogen puck light system, which created hot spots of light, AQLs unique LED tape light system creates an even glow across the countertop without generating excess heat. The tape light doesnt require any drilling or mounting brackets; it literally sticks to the underside of the cabinet with 3m adhesive. Tom took the design of his LED tape light one step further by covering the diodes with a weather-proofing epoxy coat. While it isnt necessary to have the epoxy coating for indoor systems, Tom felt it was important to allow homeowners to wipe their cabinets clean with a damp cloth or windex their countertops without fear of damaging the tiny bulbs in their tape light system. The coating also allowed AQL's plug and play system to be rated for outdoor use, so the easy installation isnt confined solely to indoor lighting.

Its clear that Tom's LED tape light kit was built with the homeowner in mind. The strip of 5050 diodes provide brighter light for more task oriented uses, as well as connects to a dimmer to subdue the lighting when desired. The jumper connections were designed to plug from the tape light to the transformer without any soldering or wire splicing. Just line up the arrows and snap the connection together. It's about as easy as putting two Lego blocks together. The ingenuity on AQLs part to create a homeowner friendly task lighting product is certainly bringing the lighting industry one step further down the path of innovation.

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Under Cabinet Lighting Reinvented

EP6 - SE1.1 - Homemade Hydroponics...
The final in a series of six episodes of HydroShow, the World #39;s only Hydroponics Magazine TV show - educating the masses on how to use hydroponics, hydroponi...

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Surry County School District (N.C.) improves gymnasium lighting quality and saves money with new energy-efficient LED luminaires from Acuity Brands.

ATLANTA-- Surry County School District (N.C.) projects annual savings of nearly $1,350 with new Lithonia Lighting IBH low bay LED luminaires from Acuity Brands, Inc. (NYSE: AYI). Ten IBH low bay LED luminaires improved foot-candle levels in Dobson Elementary Schools 5,400 square-foot gymnasium by more than 50 percent. The conversion from metal halide fixtures is part of Surry County School Districts energy education program.

We continually strive to improve energy conservation especially to save money for the schools, said Robert Draughn, Surry County School District Director of Plant Operations. This was the main driver for working on a lighting project as one of multiple district-wide energy-saving projects.

Because the metal halide fixtures require a significant amount of time to achieve full illumination, the school allowed the lights to remain on throughout the entire day, even when the gym was not in use. However, the new Lithonia Lighting LED fixtures instantly illuminate when switched on, enabling the school to easily turn lights off and reduce energy consumption when the gym is unoccupied.

Installation of the new IBH LED luminaires was completed in three days. It was very quick and easy to make the transition from metal halide to LED, said Draughn. Because they were able to successfully complete the project in time for the 2013-2014 school year, the Surry County School District plans to adopt LED lighting in nine additional elementary, middle and high schools.

IBH low bay LED luminaires are designed to save as much as 50 percent of energy compared to traditional metal halide fixtures. Ideal for light industrial and commercial applications, the luminaires have an expected service life of more than 50,000 hours.

For more information about IBH low bay LED luminaires, please visit http://www.lithonia.com or http://www.acuitybrands.com.

About Acuity Brands Acuity Brands, Inc. is a North American market leader and one of the world's leading providers of lighting solutions for both indoor and outdoor applications. With fiscal year 2013 net sales of over $2 billion, Acuity Brands employs approximately 6,500 associates and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia with operations throughout North America, and in Europe and Asia. The Company's lighting solutions are sold under various brands, including Lithonia Lighting, Holophane, Peerless, Gotham, Mark Architectural Lighting, Winona Lighting, Healthcare Lighting, Hydrel, American Electric Lighting, Carandini, Antique Street Lamps, Sunoptics, Axion Controls, Sensor Switch, Lighting Control Design, Synergy Lighting Controls, Pathway Connectivity, Dark to Light, ROAM, RELOC Wiring Solutions, Acculamp and eldoLED.

Rachel Kaylor Rachel@sweeneypr.com 910.772.1688 ext. 101

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North Carolina School District Refreshes Gymnasium with LED Lighting from Acuity Brands

Available for both indoor and outdoor applications, the Hubbell Building Automation Dimming WASP is specifically designed to provide 0-10V (Class 1) output for the control of dimmable fixtures. User-controlled dimming presets give you control of illumination levels while the Dimming WASPs ON/OFF control feature saves energy by turning fixtures off when there is sufficient natural light. Additionally, easy to use dipswitches allow users to set unoccupied and occupied dimming levels.

The sensor is available in end-mount and surface-mount versions in both line and low voltage options. Supported mounting heights range from 16-feet for indoor applications to 30-40 feet for outdoor applications.

The Dimming WASPs durable construction features interchangeable twist-on lenses to eliminate the need for field masking. The gasketed design of the enclosure makes it impervious to dust and gives it the ability to withstand water ingress - making it the ideal sensor for outdoor and wet locations including those with temperatures as low as -40 F/C.

The product is UL and cUL listed and comes with a five-year warranty.

For additional information on the Hubbell Building Automations Dimming WASP, please visit http://www.hubbell-automation.com.

About Hubbell Lighting Hubbell Lighting is one of the largest lighting fixture manufacturers in North America. The company provides a full range of indoor and outdoor lighting products serving the commercial, industrial, institutional, and residential markets. Hubbell Lighting brands include Alera Lighting, Architectural Area Lighting, Beacon Products, Columbia Lighting, Compass Products, Devine Lighting, Dual-Lite, HomeStyle Lighting, Hubbell Building Automation, Hubbell Industrial Lighting, Hubbell Outdoor Lighting, Kim Lighting, Kurt Versen, Prescolite, Progress Lighting, Security Lighting, Spaulding Lighting, Sportsliter Solutions, Sterner Lighting Systems, Thomasville Lighting, and Whiteway. Hubbell Lighting: one name, distinctive brands, limitless lighting possibilities. For additional information, please visit http://www.hubbelllighting.com and follow Hubbell Lighting on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.

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Occupancy and Daylight Sensor offers dimming capability.

EP5 - SE1.1 - Ventilation is the key... with new bits...
The fifth in a series of six episodes of HydroShow, the World #39;s only Hydroponics Magazine TV show - educating the masses on how to use hydroponics, hydroponi...

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EP5 - SE1.1 - Ventilation is the key... with new bits... - Video

EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mercedes-Benz of Fort Mitchell, Ky.,with help from GE, is realizing its dream of the ultimate automotive dealershipan all-LED lighting facility inside and out.

We designed the building to be intuitivethere are lights that guide you to each area. Every lumen on the property is LED. GE did more than deliver the products we neededit found solutions to the obstacles we faced, said Bernie Moreno, president of Collection Auto Group.

The dealership uses GE Evolve LED Area Lights and Evolve LED Post Tops to illuminate its driveway and inventory. Advanced optics aim light precisely where its needed and away from neighbors yards.

Dimming and on/off scheduling of all LED fixtures is managed by GEs LightSweep control system. Intelligent control also enables GEs LED area lights to be dimmed to 10 percent lumen output between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., with each fixture using just 28.5 watts of electricity. For security, the lights instantly return to full brightness when motion sensors identify a vehicle entering the lot.

Illuminating the dealerships lavish showroom, inviting offices and captivating client areas, including a caf, is a collection of GEs Lumination LED Luminaires. Throughout the service center, suspended pendants and blade-like fixtures also help cut a striking aesthetic while slashing costs along with an assortment of efficient GE LED PAR20 lamps.

GE Albeo LED High Bay fixtures deliver light across the shop floor, detail bay and parts department, meaning mechanics wont be left in the dark whether under the hood or in the pitwhere LED lighting is also installed.

The worlds first all-LED Mercedes-Benz dealership further uses GEs Evolve LED Garage Lights in an attached canopy and car wash, and Evolve LED Wall Packs to illuminate the buildings perimeter. GEs Tetra PowerGrid and LED Architectural lighting also adds visual appeal to signs among other decorative elements.

Mercedes-Benz of Fort Mitchell will use about 40 percent less lighting energy with LED than with conventional technologies, saving $46,000 a year.

We've chosen to continue our relationship with GE for several reasons: They're the standard of the lighting world, and they're a great partner, so we've embarked on a process where every dealership we build going forward is going to be a 100 percent all-LED dealership, starting with this one, added Moreno.

To learn more and to request a free lighting audit, visit http://www.gelighting.com/auto.

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Auto Dealer Achieves All-LED Aspirations with GE’s Collection of Lighting Solutions

9 December 2013

Philips launches latest in indoor and outdoor lighting style

Philips Lighting announces the launch of two unique advances in home lighting style and technology with the Vibrant Creativity indoor range and the Ledino outdoor range, which can enable people to transform their homes, inside and out, through innovative lighting.

David Procter of Philips Lighting New Zealand said, Home ownership is very important to New Zealanders and we take pride in personalising our homes and outdoor living areas.

With summer approaching, we thought combining the New Zealand launch of the unique Vibrant Creativity indoor range with our exciting Ledino outdoor range would tick two boxes for a lot of people looking for an easy way to enhance the aesthetics and liveability of their homes.

The Vibrant Creativity range is an exciting fusion of the latest innovative lighting technology and cutting-edge design that has produced a unique array of new options for creatively lighting home interiors.

Philips Product Design Director Unmesh Kulkarni said, Lighting plays a vital role in interior design because it creates perception of space, colour and dimension. It also creates ambiance that can suit a mood.

Lights in this collection are made using unconventional materials, in interesting shapes, and vibrant colours. They are designed to enable users to express their own creativity colours within lights can be adjusted, and different coloured light fittings can be mixed and matched to suit and set the mood in a space.

There are two aesthetic trends that the Vibrant Creativity range responds to. One is about colour gradations with the other being the interplay of colours and textures from inside and outside. Its ideal for people who want to create a centre of attraction within the home, said Mr Kulkarni.

The Philips Slices lights are an example of this. Soft curves, symmetrical form, and three subtle tonal bands of colour mean that even when theyre switched off they create a stylish home dcor centrepiece. When switched on, the tonal bands are enriched by the light within creating a warm outward glow that casts interesting patterns against walls and complements the clean, bright light shining down from the centre.

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Philips launches latest in indoor and outdoor lighting style

Bellingham, WA (PRWEB) December 12, 2013

LED Grow Lighting USA is a recently-launched website dedicated to providing useful information and resources related to one of the latest trends in "sunless" agriculture. The website launched in Fall 2013 and has been growing steadily since then.

Recently, the site has made major expansions to its content and social media presence in an effort to raise awareness about the benefits of growing plants using artificial sunlight. While there are several different technologies for reproducing the light frequencies needed to sustain life, LED Grow Lighting USA specifically emphasizes the low-energy, high-output LED (light emitting diode) technology that has emerged as a growing trend over the past several years.

In addition to educational overviews and links to other relevant resources available online, LED Grow Lighting USA also connects its readers with deals on shopping websites such as Amazon.com and specific grow light manufacturers and distributors.

A LED Grow Lighting USA representative wrote, "Our goal is to be a leading contributor to the online discussion of LED grow lights and best practices for hydroponics, aeroponics, and other innovative gardening practices. We believe that LEDs represent a significant step forward in humanity's ability to recreate natural conditions needed for growing plants, which can be put to use in a wide variety of awesome applications. This technology could wind up in a colony on Mars, it could be used for mass-producing crops in regions where they wouldn't normally grow, and it could empower people - no matter where they live - to grow and cultivate their own crops."

The recently-added content reinforces the website's goal of becoming the informational hub for LED grow lights online. The website can be viewed at http://LEDgrowlights.us.

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LED Grow Lighting USA Builds Content Related To Hydroponics and Indoor Growing