Kenneth Lebersfeld, CEO at Capitol Lighting gave an inspiring speech last month at FAU. FAU hosts the Executive Forum Speaker Series which is designed to provide the wealth of knowledge and experience of inspirational leaders and executives from a wide variety of businesses and industries.

Kenneth presented a brief overview of Capitol Lighting's businesses, as well as specific professional experiences in the lighting industry. He also lead a discussion of key issues he faces in the current business and economic climate.

Capitol Lighting is proud to participate in events such as the Executive Forum at FAU. It feels so rewarding to volunteer and be an active contributor to the community. We encourage all our fans to join in the fun!

We Just LOVE contests and so do our Facebook fans!

We are super excited to present the very first "Vanilla Extracts" Facebook Video Contest. Guess which type of lighting is Vanilla Ice's favorite and you could win a free "Making Lives Brighter" T-Shirt!

All you have to do is watch this video featuring Vanilla Ice and let the posting begin!
"Lights, Lights Baby!"

How it Works:
In the video, Vanilla Ice asks a multiple choice question with four possible answers. All you need to do is post a comment on Facebook including what you think the answer is. On Monday morning, we will post the answer video and will randomly choose a winner who answered the question correctly. The winner will receive a free "Making Lives Brighter" T-shirt
 

Want to see more? Visit our video page for more footage of Vanilla Ice and the Capitol Lighting team.

Don't forget! Vanilla Ice is making lives brighter and so can you! Watch this video to find out how you can help Habitat for Humanity!  Video: Vanilla Ice is Making Lives Brighter

You recycle. You turn off electronics when you’re not using them. You’ve even thought about buying a hybrid car. So why not extend that “green mentality” to your lighting? Well, aside from reducing waste and helping the environment, you’ll save some money too. Below are five fantastic reasons to go green today:

1. An Easy Exchange:  Switching from incandescent bulbs to compact fluorescents is easy and affordable, because replacing bulbs or fixtures to make them fluorescent compatible does not involve changes in electrical installation.

2. Long-term Benefits:  Energy-efficient fluorescents use one-fifth to one-third the electricity of a comparably bright incandescent bulb and last 10-20 times longer. While incandescent bulbs are inexpensive to buy, they consume more energy than any other type of bulb and have a relatively short life.

3. Better Quality of Light:  Fluorescent lighting is now available in over 200 colors, ranging from warm white tones resembling incandescent light to cool white tones similar to daylight. CFL (compact fluorescent) bulbs are especially fitting to illuminate closets, workrooms, home offices, children's rooms, security areas, as well as kitchens and bathrooms.

4.  Great Cost-Savings: If you operate a security light from dusk to dawn or 4,000 hours a year, replacing the 100-watt incandescent light bulb with a 32-watt compact fluorescent lamp will save you about $26 a year per fixture.

5.  Low Maintenance Perks:  If you operate a 100-watt incandescent bulb 12 hours a day, on average, that bulb will have to be replaced six times a year while a single fluorescent bulb usually last 2.5 years.

Convinced? The best part is your transformation is only a Capitol Lighting showroom away.

Thanks for reading and don’t forget to keep checking back for more helpful tips and tricks.

See you soon!

In part 1 we went over the different types of bulbs and which rooms they’re best used for. If you haven’t read it yet, I highly recommend you do so. Go ahead. I’ll wait……Ok. Ready? Part two will cover light bulb lingo and hopefully shed some light (get it?) on some confusing terms you may have heard.

·         Wattage—The amount of electricity consumed by a bulb.

·         Lumens—The amount of light that a bulb produces.

·         Foot-candles—The amount of light reaching an object.

·         Efficacy—A measure of efficiency, expressed in lumens per watt denoting the power needed to produce the desired effect.

·         Color Rendering—a measure of the degree to which a light source shows the true colors of that which is illuminated.  It is expressed by the Color Rendering Index (CRI) and measured from 0 to 100.  The higher the CRI, the more flattering the illumination.

·         Color Temperature—A measure of the color of light from a light source, expressed in degrees Kelvin (K).  The lower the color temperature, the warmer the lighting color appears.

·         Lamp Life—The time period in which half of the bulbs installed for a specific application will burn out.  Lamp life is measured in hours.

So there you have it. You’ve passed light bulbs 101! The next step is to put your newfound knowledge into practice at a Capitol Lighting showroom. Thanks for reading and don’t forget to keep checking back for more helpful tips and tricks.

See you soon!

Does the thought of purchasing light bulbs terrify you? Do you not know an LED from a CFL? Confused about which bulb would be best in that bedroom or bathroom? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Below is the first of a two part light bulb guide provided by Capitol Lighting.  Part one defines the different types of bulbs and outlines how to get the most out of them. Here we go:

•             Fluorescent bulbs last up to 20 times longer than standard incandescent and use much less electricity.  Fluorescent and CFL (compact fluorescent) bulbs work nicely in rooms that require energy-efficient general illumination.

•             Light Emitting Diode (LED) use 80% less energy than incandescent and last up to 50 times longer.  For task lighting, LED (light-emitting diode) for desk lamps, reading lamps and mini-pendants work well.  LED lamps are becoming the standard for outdoor lighting, too, due to their low-maintenance and high energy-efficiency.

•             Halogen lamps are best for accent lighting and to provide a more luxurious illumination to areas of the home that are enjoyed more for relaxation, such as bedrooms, dining rooms and master bathrooms.

 •            Incandescent lamps are still popular for children’s rooms and in table lamps and ceiling fixtures to provide pleasant general illumination.

•             Do not skimp and buy bulbs of lesser quality, because you will end up spending more in the long run.  It is important to buy high quality bulbs, or the quality of light will be poor, and they will burn out prematurely.  Be sure to purchase your lighting from a reputable dealer who will stand behind the quality of their merchandise.

So, next time you go in to your local Capitol Lighting showroom, march right up to your salesperson and say “I need a halogen bulb for accent lighting in my bedroom!” Don’t forget to check back soon for Light Bulbs 101 (Part 2) in which we discuss some light bulb lingo.

See you soon!