Low Voltage LEDs for Commercial Outdoor Lighting?

Posted on January 25, 2014 by outdoorlightingofcolorado
Ya Yas New LED Outdoor Lighting

Ya Yas New LED Outdoor Lighting

The answer is a resounding YES! Outdoor Lighting Perspectives (OLP) of Colorado recently completed two projects prior to the holidays – one for a restaurant in Greenwood Village (Ya Yas) and the other for a townhome community (Woodbox Condos) in Fort Collins. At YaYas, the line voltage 100W metal halide HID fixtures were replaced with OLP’s low voltage 24W LED box flood lights (an energy savings of 76-percent). At Woodbox Condos, the old line voltage post lights with 120W flood lights were replaced with low voltage 16W LED post lights (an energy savings of 87-percent). In addition, other dark areas of the property were illuminated with low voltage 24W LED box flood lights mounted on the exterior walls of the condo buildings.

New Low Voltage LED Post Lights at Woodbox Condos

New Low Voltage LED Post Lights at Woodbox Condos

Woodbox Condos Low Voltage LED Floodlight

Woodbox Condos Low Voltage LED Floodlight

In a lot of these commercial applications, the previously-installed line voltage wiring to the exterior lighting has become corroded or severed, or may not even meet present-day electrical code. The cost to repair and/or replace this line voltage wiring (at a depth of 18-inches in conduit or 24-inches direct burial) can be prohibitive, and the damage to any mature landscaping can be problematic.

That’s what makes low voltage LED lighting so attractive for commercial applications compared to redoing the line voltage lighting;  the lighting effect is just as bright; the energy-savings is upwards of 75-percent; and the overall project cost is much less. And by the way, a lot of older residential properties and estates still use line voltage lighting for illuminating landscape and architectural features. As this wiring begins to fail after many decades of use, retrofitting to low voltage LEDs becomes a very viable option for them as well.

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Filed under: Architectural Lighting, Commercial Lighting, Landscape Lighting, LEDs, Lighting Retrofits, Residential Lighting | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

The Holidays Are a Great Time to Sell a House – Especially If You Add a Little Lighting!

Posted on December 14, 2013 by outdoorlightingofcolorado

Which  house would you rather purchase?

House & Property w/o Landscape Lighting

House w/o Landscape Lighting

House w/ Landscape Lighting

House w/ Landscape Lighting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A few Saturday’s ago I heard a local realtor (Rich Petrone) being interviewed on KKZN AM760’s Saturday morning show – The American Real Estate Network – about the advisability of selling a home during the holiday season.  Rich said that the holidays were a fantastic time to sell a house because –

  • there are fewer houses on the market; i.e., less competition
  • there are more motivated buyers seeing different neighborhoods while attending holiday parties and events
  • and last but not least, the houses that are well illuminated by landscape and/or holiday lighting have great curb appeal and look very welcoming

During the last 15 years, our company (Outdoor Lighting Perspectives) has illuminated many homes during the holiday and winter season because the homeowners had already listed or planned to list their home for sale. During this time of year, just about every commuter in the work force is traveling home after dark, and if they’re in the market for a new house, what better time is there to make your house stand out after dark.

Companies who provide staging services and products for home sellers to enhance the interior of homes have been all the rage in recent years. So now is definitely the time to consider exterior lighting staging services – either on a temporary or permanent basis. Lighting a home on a temporary basis is similar to the evening lighting design demonstrations that we perform. The only difference is that these lights would remain on site for several weeks or months, and that the temporary wiring, etc. would be hidden from view.

The other option is to permanently install a basic design of 15 or fewer lights to enhance the primary architectural features of the house to give it curb appeal after dark. This lighting then becomes an additional feature and asset of the home, and it would also provide the new homeowner the opportunity for expanding the lighting system in the future. Lastly, adding a few strings of twinkle lights on trees and shrubs can add to the spirit of the season – and bring even more attention to the home you’re hoping to sell sooner rather than later.

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Filed under: Architectural Lighting, Christmas Lighting, Holiday Lighting, Landscape Lighting, Party/Speciality Lighting | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Celebrate National Night Out 2013 in Colorado

Posted on August 5, 2013 by outdoorlightingofcolorado

30th-Anniversary-POV-LogoThe 30th anniversary of National Night Out , Americas’s NIGHTOUT against crime, will be celebrated throughout Colorado and the country on Tuesday, August 6, 2013. Founded by the National Association of Town Watch initiative, National Night Out (NNO) has become an annual event to bring communities together to fight crime. NNO now involves over 37 million people and 15,000 communities in all 50 states, US territories, Canadian cities and military bases worldwide.

Since it is well known that outdoor lighting can be a deterrent against crime, homeowners have been asked to show their support with this community effort by turning on their porch lights. Of course, Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Colorado has always been a strong proponent of the use of landscape lighting every night of the year to enhance a home’s safety and security throughout the property.

To participate in a NNO event near you, the following is a partial list of Colorado cities and counties holding events tomorrow evening:

City of Arvada, City of Denver, El Paso County, Jefferson County, Larimer Country, City of Lakewood, City of Littleton, City of Longmont, City of Lone Tree,

So turn on your outdoor lights and get to know your neighbors, and celebrate National Night Out 2013!

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Outdoor Lighting Enhanced with LEDs at Ya Yas Euro Bistro Restaurant in Greenwood Village

Posted on July 30, 2013 by outdoorlightingofcolorado
Ya Yas Restaurant LED Sign Lighting

Ya Yas Restaurant LED Sign Lighting

Outdoor Lighting Perspectives (OLP) of Colorado recently completed an outdoor lighting project at Ya Yas Euro Bistro restaurant at 8310 East Belleview Avenue in Greenwood Village, Colorado. Ya Yas has been a very popular restaurant in the south metro area of Denver for the better part of two decades, and they recently installed a new monument sign at the intersection of East Belleview Avenue and East Crescent Parkway.

Since there was no available line voltage power in the imDaytime View of Ya Yas Euro Bistro Restaurant Signmediate vicinity of the newly constructed monument, OLP of Colorado installed their factory’s low voltage model of the LC-50, 24W LED rocket-mounted flood light with a 50,000-hour rated life. This newly illuminated monument sign will make it easier for both long-time and first-time patrons of Ya Yas to find this great restaurant in the evening hours.

Ya Yas Restaurant LED Path Lighting

Ya Yas Restaurant LED Path Lighting

OLP of Colorado also replaced the restaurant’s three outdated line voltage pagoda-style path lights with OLP’s low voltage BB-09 (9-inch diameter copper path hats), 8W LED at the main entrance of the facility. The previous path lights used 60W incandescent bulbs for a total of 180W – compared to the new LED path lights that use a total of 24W. That represents a reduction in energy use of 87-percent!

So the next time you dine at Ya Yas Euro Bistro, check out our new LED lights.

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Filed under: Architectural Lighting, Commercial Lighting, Green Energy, Landscape Lighting, LEDs, Security/Safety | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Creative Ways to Conceal Landscape/Architectural Lighting Fixtures and Wiring

Posted on June 28, 2013 by outdoorlightingofcolorado
Column Lighting Dilemma - Shrubbery.jpg

Column Lighting Dilemma – Shrubbery at Columbine Valley Project

It seems like every new lighting design and installation has its own unique challenges, and some jobs have more than one. At this recently completed low voltage LED landscape/architectural lighting project in Columbine Valley, the homeowners of course wanted to uplight each of the four columns for dramatic effect. The inner two columns were easily uplighted with the Outdoor Lighting Perspectives BB-03 6W LED well lights with tempered glass lens covers – and those fixtures were mounted at ground level.

Stick-Light Solution for Lighting Column That Is Blocked by Shrubbery

Stick-Light Solution for Lighting Column That Is Blocked by Shrubbery

However, it was not possible to use our standard ground-mounted well lights for the two outer columns since the shrubbery in those locations occupied the entire space in the planting bed. Fortunately, our company’s manufacturing facility recently released the newest fixture in our product line, the BB-02 6W LED, also known affectionately as the stick light. This barely visible fixture can be installed where no fixture has gone before, it can be custom manufactured to any height, and it is available with several beam spreads. The best news of all is that the lighting effect from this fixture looks identical to our BB-03  6W PAR36 LED bulb/well light.    

 

 

 

Column Lighting Dilemma - Hardscape

Column Lighting Dilemma at Columbine Valley Lighting Project – Hardscape

In the back yard, we also encountered another dilemma for uplighting the four primary columns. The area next to the columns was surrounded by hardscape and there was no pre-wiring of any kind. In new construction, we can coordinate the installation of lighting with the concrete/hardscape contractor so that the lighting fixtures can be flush-mounted and all of  the wiring routed through pre-installed conduits. Fortunately, our experienced installers can typically find a way to install and conceal both the lighting fixtures and the wiring on a project where the hardscape has already been installed.

Well Lights Concealed in Flower Pots to Uplight Columns

Well Lights Concealed in Flower Pots to Uplight Columns

The easiest way to hide well lights if they cannot be flush-mounted into hardscape is to plant them like a plant in a flower pot.  And yes, you can water and fertilize the actual plants in the flower pot without damaging the lighting fixture. That’s the easiest way to conceal the lights but how do you hide the wiring? The good news is that most extensive hardscaped areas have drains to channel the water out into the yard from the upper story of the house – and that’s how we were able to get the wiring to within 6-feet of where the lighting fixtures were installed. To run the wiring from the drains to the pots required grinding out grooves in the mortared joints and running the 18-gauge wiring to the lighting fixtures up through the bottoms of the flower pots. The wiring in the grooves was then held in place and sealed by using a high-quality caulk.

At Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Colorado we’ve started our 15th year in business, and we can almost always find solutions to the most difficult lighting design and installation problems. Many of our customers ask us after an installation has been completed:

How did you do that? We don’t see any wiring or anything disturbed on our property. All we see is the beautiful lighting effect.

As the owner of a lighting company, that is one of the highest compliments that a customer can pay to our company and our installers.

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Filed under: Architectural Lighting, Bulb Technology, Choosing the Right Lighting Contractor, Design, Green Energy, Home-Community Security/Safety, Installation Techniques, LEDs, Residential Lighting | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

See the Latest LED Landscape and Architectural Lighting Products at the 2013 Denver Home Show

Posted on March 13, 2013 by outdoorlightingofcolorado

DHS_150NEWCome visit Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Colorado at the Denver Home Show. We’ll have the latest LED landscape lighting, LED architectural lighting, and Lighting Control Automation(TM) products on display. Also stop by to sign up and take advantage of our exciting show specials that will be in effect through April 30th of this year.

 

  • March 15 – 17, 2013
  • National Western Complex (Denver)
  • Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Colorado (Booth #2117)
  • Hours
  • Friday (10am – 9pm); Saturday (10am – 9pm); Sunday (10am – 5pm)

Click Here to Obtain $2.00 Off Tickets for the Show

Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Colorado is a full-service outdoor lighting design, installation and maintenance company for residential, municipal, and commercial projects – and we design and install lighting automation controls as well. Of course we still design and sell low voltage quartz halogen systems, and the great thing about our lighting products is that we can retrofit any of the fixtures we have already installed to LED whenever the homeowner is ready. We are also happy to provide lighting energy audits to show the homeowner how much they could save in electrical costs by converting to LEDs. We are glad to do this for any OLP or non-OLP systems. We also provide turnkey holiday lighting products/services and special event lighting throughout the year.

We look forward to seeing you at the show!

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Filed under: Architectural Lighting, Christmas Lighting, Commercial Lighting, Community Events, Garden Lighting, Green Energy, Holiday Lighting, Landscape Lighting, LEDs, Lighting Control Automation, Residential Lighting | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

4 Days Remaining to See the LED Makeover at the 2013 Colorado Garden & Home Show

Posted on February 14, 2013 by outdoorlightingofcolorado

]There are only four days remaining to see the 2013 Colorado Garden and Home Show – and to see the Outdoor Lighting Perspectives exhibit (#1442) where we are showcasing the latest LED products that are truly transforming the landscape and architectural lighting world.

Please enjoy the videos below that will provide you with a short tour of our exhibit.

We hope to see you at the show!

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Filed under: Architectural Lighting, Ceramic Metal Halide, Community Events, Green Energy, Landscape Lighting, LEDs, Lighting Control Automation, Lighting Retrofits, Residential Lighting | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

$2 Off Coupon for the 2013 Colorado Garden & Home Show

Posted on February 5, 2013 by outdoorlightingofcolorado

2013 Full Page CouponThe 2013 Colorado Garden and Home Show is only four short days away – and Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Colorado would like you to take advantage of the $2 Off Coupon that is shown on the right. Just click on this image, print out a full-size coupon, and take it with you to the ticket windows at the Colorado Convention Center.

With the 14 landscaped gardens, the convention center will be filled with the bright colors and scented flowers of Spring. Be sure to stop by the OLP exhibit (#1442) to see the latest in LED products and services for landscape, architectural, and special event lighting.

We look forward to seeing you at the show!

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Filed under: Architectural Lighting, Community Events, Green Energy, Landscape Lighting, LEDs, Lighting Control Automation, Lighting Retrofits | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

See the Latest LED Landscape Lighting Products at the 2013 Colorado Garden and Home Show

Posted on January 26, 2013 by outdoorlightingofcolorado

CGHSLOGO-4cThe 2013 Colorado Garden and Home Show starts two weeks from today – so plan to visit our Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Colorado exhibit (Booth #1442) to see the latest in LED landscape and architectural lighting products and services for your home and property.

The show details are:

  • Colorado Garden and Home Show
  • Colorado Convention Center – Downtown Denver
  • February 9 – 17, 2013
  • Hours:
  • Saturdays 10:00 am – 8:00pm
  • Sundays 10:00 am – 6:00pm
  • Monday – Friday 12:00 Noon – 8:00 pm

The 9-day long Colorado Garden and Home Show is the oldest, largest, and most prestiguous garden and home show in the Rocky Mountain West – with over 600 exhibitors, 14 landscaped gardens, and educational seminars. The show is run by a non-profit organization that provides horticultural scholarships to students as well as grants for landscaping projects throughout Colorado.

Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Colorado is a full-service outdoor lighting design, installation and maintenance company for residential, municipal, and commercial projects – and we design and install lighting automation controls as well. Of course we still design and sell low voltage quartz halogen systems, and the great thing about our lighting products is that we can retrofit any of the fixtures we have already installed to LED whenever the homeowner is ready. We are also happy to provide lighting energy audits to show the homeowner how much they could save in electrical costs by converting to LEDs. We are glad to do this for any OLP or non-OLP systems.

We are proud to be exhibiting for the fourteenth time at this wonderful show – and we hope to see you there.

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Filed under: Architectural Lighting, Commercial Lighting, Community entrance lighting, Community Events, Design, Garden Lighting, Green Energy, Landscape Lighting, LEDs, Lighting Control Automation, Maintenance and Service, Residential Lighting | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

New Outdoor Lighting LED Fixtures on Display at the 2012 Colorado Fall Home Show

Posted on September 9, 2012 by outdoorlightingofcolorado

There is still one day remaining to attend the 2012 Colorado Fall Home Show – and to see all of the new LED lighting products in the Outdoor Lighting Perspectives exhibit.

To take a tour of our exhibit and learn more about our company’s products and services, please take a minute to watch the video below:

 

 

 

Filed under: Architectural Lighting, Community Events, Garden Lighting, Green Energy, Holiday Lighting, Landscape Lighting, LEDs, Lighting Control Automation, Lighting Retrofits, Residential Lighting | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a comment »

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