However, this also means it’s hard to know where to start! Consider this your how-to guide for using track lights to create the perfect effect.

First, you’ll need to decide what type of light you want the track fixtures to provide. Track lights are typically used in one of three ways:

* Accent lighting, highlighting a particular object such as a work of art.
* Wall washing, evenly illuminating a wall. Should be used for non-textured vertical surfaces.
* Wall grazing, dramatically highlighting the texture in a wall. Should be used for textured vertical surfaces like brick, stone, or draperies.

Made your decision? Now just follow the guidelines below!

Accent Lighting (Best used with halogen light sources):

Measure the distance from the ceiling to the middle of the object being lit. Multiply that number by 0.55 to determine how far away from the wall you should place the track fixture. For example, if you are providing accent lighting for a painting that is three feet below the ceiling (measured from the ceiling to the middle of the painting), you should place the track fixture 1.65 feet away from the wall.*

After you’ve determined the distance from the wall, position the track fixture so that the light makes a 30-degree angle with the wall/vertical surface you are trying to light up. This is the optimal distance to prevent glare and minimize shadows.

*If you are lighting any object that has the potential to produce direct glare (such as a photograph with a glass frame), do not place the track lighting any further than three feet from the wall.

Wall Washing (Can be used with either fluorescent or halogen):

Mount the track fixture parallel to the wall. If your ceiling height is 9 feet or lower, place the track about two to three feet from the wall. If the ceiling is between 9 and 11 feet, place the track about three to four feet from the wall.

Then, space the fixtures the same distance apart as the track is from the wall.

Wall Grazing (Can be used with either fluorescent or halogen):

Any time you are aiming for the wall grazing effect, mount the track 6 to 12 inches from the wall. Space the track fixtures 6 to 12 inches apart and aim them downward.

The light source recommendations are based on how well various light sources produce easily focused light. Wall washing and wall grazing does not require as much of a controlled and focused light source, but this quality is very important in accent lighting.

IEE and non-profits are providing high efficiency lighting to people around the world who do not have reliable electricity.

More than a billion homes in rural, developing countries rely on kerosene for their lighting and cooking needs. Kerosene is smoky and irritates the eyes. In a typical home in Ghana, just one open-flame kerosene lamp puts out smoke equivalent to smoking two packs of cigarettes a day. In Ghana, and other developing countries, the lack of safe, adequate home lighting is directly linked to illiteracy, poverty and health issues.

Enter the Institute of Energy Efficiency (IEE) at UC Santa Barbara. Director John Bowers, a professor of electrical and computer engineering, pulled together a team that designed and produced a high-efficiency solar-powered LED lamp.

The white light LEDs require approximately 4.5 volts of electricity, which generally translates to three AA batteries. However, the lamp designed by his team used a circuit that triples the output of a single battery.

Partnering with the Santa Barbara-based nonprofit organization Pangaea, the first group of lamps – 100 in all – was shipped to Ghana. Another 1,200 were shipped to Ghana, Haiti, and Kenya, and another 10,000 have been ordered for delivery. The goal for 2011 is to ship 100,000 lamps to Ghana, Uganda, Senegal, Kenya, Chad, India, and Haiti.

Unite to Light, a nonprofit organization in Santa Barbara, currently oversees distribution of the lamps.

In the United States, we have choices about our lighting. Other countries are not so fortunate. Click HERE to see a video about the lamp.

When you opened up for business, you knew it wasn’t going to be easy. Emergencies involving electricity and lighting must be dealt with immediately and accurately.  No light means no business. With 20 years of experience, Sunset Lighting is equipped 24/7 to respond to any emergency service call with certified electricians in fully stocked trucks.

We’ll report to you directly on arrival, complete our repairs and check in with you before we leave to ensure you’re completely satisfied with our service. Sunset Lighting is your trusted partner for expert emergency lighting service and repair. Our emergency lighting electricians will manage your headaches so that you can keep your business running safely, efficiently and profitably.

I just wanted to say thanks for the great response that you had last week when St. Louis reported a sparking ballast. Nicole Adams at the location told me she was very pleased that Sunset had someone show up within an hour. Keep up the good work and thanks again!  -  Maria Polito | Tiffany & Co.

 
Click Here To See Why To Call Sunset Lighting When You Have An Emergency

Osram Sylvania, one of the oldest lighting suppliers in the world, took a survey of more than 350 facility decision makers a across a broad spectrum including education, healthcare, hospitality, office and retail sectors.

What Sylvania found sheds light on this question!

Most industry professionals are now more focused on energy-efficient lighting than before.
• Majority (81%) of respondents are looking to energy-efficient lighting solutions.

Lighting has become a top priority for businesses.
• 71% of facilities and lighting professionals have evaluated their commercial lighting in just the past year.
• 53% have evaluated lighting in the 6 months alone.
• 84% of building and lighting professionals cite energy consumption at an important factor when making lighting decisions.
• The same percentage, cite operating costs and maintenance as an important factor.

Businesses are turning to LEDs and solid-state lighting to save money and energy.
• 73% of building and lighting professionals are currently using LEDs or planning to use LED lighting in their commercial spaces.
• 76% of lighting professionals surveyed believe it is more important to have lighting that saves money over its lifetime, even if it costs more to purchase and install.

Click HERE to find out more.

What is your company doing to save money on lighting? Send us a reply below.