Complying with Dark Sky Regulations

Have you been to a dark sky park?

Are you curious about why they’re so popular, or how this trend affects the landscape lighting business?

As a business in the lighting industry, dark sky parks seem like they’d be bad news for lighting manufacturers, but that’s not the case!

The dark-sky movement is “a campaign to reduce light pollution. The advantages of reducing light pollution include an increased number of stars visible at night, reducing the effects of electric lighting on the environment, improving the well-being, health, and safety of both people and wildlife, and cutting down on energy usage.”

The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) was founded in 1988 by the professional astronomer David Crawford and physician Tim Hunter.

According to DarkSky.org, “light pollution is caused by lighting that is not properly shielded and causes glare. Uplighting shining into the night sky above the horizon, according to IDA, causes what is known as sky glow.”

So how does this affect the landscape lighting business? It’s important for all of us to be aware of staying dark sky compliant.

Read more on our website!

Exit Sign Requirements

Are you a building manager or owner?

Is your building under construction or about to undergo an inspection? Did you know that you’re required by law to have and test regularly exit and emergency lighting systems?

Having these lighting systems in place keeps your employees safe in case of an emergency and will help you avoid serious liabilities and fines.

Emergency lighting is required to illuminate areas of your building when things go wrong, for example:

• When the normal electrical supply is interrupted by a utility outage
• If there is a fire or failure within the building
• To light pathways and exits that lead out of the building in case of an evacuation

The performance of emergency and exit lights are directly related to safety, so code officials tend to be strict about compliance in design and installation.

Making sure you have a clear understanding of the code requirements for emergency lighting could go a long way toward avoiding any potential expensive surprises late in construction, or during an inspection.

Learn more on our website!

RP Lighting + Fans Has the Emergency/Exit Lighting You Need for Your Business

Whether you need exit signs and emergency lighting with halogen or LED light sources, RP Lighting has you covered. Get specific signs for both indoor and outdoor applications, remote heads (for specific models), specialty die cast, self-luminous, and more for your building on our website!

Emergency Lighting: What’s required for the workplace?

Is your office building under construction?

Are you about to open a new office or business and are awaiting inspection? Have you thought about all the details you need to make sure your building is up to code and safe for employees, customers, and clients?

Regulating authorities like the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) among others have strict requirements for exit and emergency signs in buildings.

OSHA defines an “exit route” as “a continuous and unobstructed path of exit travel from any point within a workplace to a place of safety (including refuge areas).”

An exit route includes all vertical and horizontal areas along the route and consists of the following three parts:

• Exit access − an exit route that leads to an exit. An example of an exit access is a corridor on the fifth floor of an office building that leads to an enclosed stairway (the exit).
• Exit − means an exit route that is separated from other areas to provide a protected way of travel to the exit discharge. An example of an exit is an enclosed stairway that leads from the fifth floor of an office building to the outside of the building.
• Exit Discharge − means the part of the exit route that leads directly outside or to a street, walkway, refuge area, public way, or open space with access to the outside. An example of an exit discharge is a door at the bottom of an enclosed stairway that discharges to a place of safety outside the building.

Do You Have the Safety Signs to Keep Your Building Up to Code?

If not, look no further than RP Lighting. Make sure your building passes inspection with exit signs and emergency lighting, available in both halogen and LED for your application. Learn more on our website!

Want Lighting Options that Look like True Daylight? CRI and how it Works

Color Rendering Index (CRI), is the measurement of how colors look under a light source compared with actual sunlight. The index is measured from 0-100, a perfect 100 indicating that colors under the light source appear the same as they would in natural light.

CRI is also an important measurement for wholesale lighting suppliers. It’s used to discern naturalness, hue discrimination, vividness, and color naming accuracy.

According to experts, “high CRI is generally a desirable characteristic (although of course, it depends on the required application). If your goal is to illuminate a scene such that the colors all reveal as they would naturally (typically an important requirement in the cinematography business for example) then you want a high CRI lightbulb. If, conversely, you’re lighting an underground tunnel and you don’t particularly care whether the shapes are black and white or in color, CRI might not be as important.”

Learn more about CRI and other lighting certifications on our website!

Trust RP Lighting + Fans as Your Preferred Wholesale Lighting Supplier

At RP Lighting, we have quality products value-priced to meet your lighting upgrade needs. We also have knowledgeable associates who can assist you in choosing the appropriate products for your specific application. Check out our 2019 product catalog for more information! Click the link on our homepage to download the newest catalog.

CRI and Foot-Candle – What it Means and How it Works

Did you know that all light isn’t created equal?

Some light renders color better than others. If you’ve ever had trouble telling the difference between black and navy clothes in your closet, it could be that your lighting source has very low CRI.

Color Rendering Index (CRI), is the measurement of how colors look under a light source compared with actual sunlight. The index is measured from 0-100, a perfect 100 indicating that colors under the light source appear the same as they would in natural light.

CRI is also an important measurement for wholesale lighting suppliers. It’s used to discern naturalness, hue discrimination, vividness, and color naming accuracy.

Learn more on our website!

Do you know if your product truly meets industry standards?

Do you know if the LED lighting products you’re shopping for are safe for use in homes and businesses?

Do you know if your product truly meets industry standards?

Where to Find Out if Products Meet Industry Standards 

 

 

There are several places you can look up products to determine if that product has been evaluated for certain lighting certifications. The CSA Group has a product look-up on their website, as does ENERGY STAR.

You can find all the information you need for shopping for certified products here, and learn more about how you can save money.

Read more about LED Lighting Standards on our website! 

Trust RP Lighting + Fans as Your Preferred Lighting Manufacturer 

At RP Lighting, we have quality products value-priced to meet your lighting upgrade needs. We also have knowledgeable associates who can assist you in choosing the appropriate products for your specific application. Check out our 2019 product catalog for more information! Click the link on our homepage to download the newest catalog.

Are you in the market for LED lights or LED fixtures?

If you’re shopping for products, make sure you get the most reliable items available on the market today by learning more about LED lighting certifications!

Despite being known as the preferred alternative to traditional fluorescent or halogen lighting options, many consumers are still learning more about LED lighting technology. Luckily, there are a number of recognized standards that consumers can rely upon if they have questions about safety, or environmental and performance standards.

Visit our website to learn more!

Where to Find Out if Products Meet Industry Standards

There are several places you can look up products to determine if that product has been evaluated for certain lighting certifications. The CSA Group has a product look-up on their website, as does ENERGY STAR. You can find all the information you need for shopping for certified products here, and learn more about how you can save money.

Trust RP Lighting + Fans as Your Preferred Lighting Manufacturer

At RP Lighting, we have quality products value-priced to meet your lighting upgrade needs. We also have knowledgeable associates who can assist you in choosing the appropriate products for your specific application. Check out our 2019 product catalog for more information! Click the link on our homepage to download the newest catalog.