Retrofitting Buildings with LED Lighting

Choosing the Right Supplier for Quality Electrical Parts

The journey towards efficient lighting starts with selecting the right supplier. Electrical contractors and government procurement officials understand the importance of partnering with reliable sources for top-notch electrical products. A premier supplier not only provides materials but also offers invaluable advisory services and solutions. ATEK Distribution in Minneapolis epitomizes this dual role, excelling both as an electrical product supplier and as an expert consultant.

When seeking a supplier, the first consideration is the depth and breadth of their product range. Comprehensive inventory ensures timely availability of needed products, thereby reducing project delays. ATEK Distribution’s warehouse, for example, stocks a vast array of products suitable for a variety of installation requirements. From LED fixtures to transformers, their extensive product offering signifies preparedness for any project needs.

Equally important is the supplier’s market reputation. Longevity and client testimonials serve as proof of reliability. Contractors and government officials would do well to vet potential suppliers extensively, ensuring they have a solid track record. ATEK Distribution’s long-standing presence in the Minneapolis area underscores its commitment to quality and customer satisfaction.

Lastly, the supplier’s capability as a consultant plays a critical role. Given the intricacies involved in retrofitting buildings with LED lighting, expert advice can bridge the gap between a good project and an outstanding one. ATEK Distribution prides itself on providing seasoned guidance, helping clients navigate through technological and regulatory complexities.

Planning the Retrofitting Process

The next phase involves meticulous planning. A well-thought-out retrofitting process minimizes operational disruptions and maximizes efficiency gains. The planning stage includes energy audits, feasibility studies, and financial analyses. These preliminary steps determine the scope of work and lay the foundation for a successful retrofit.

Conducting an energy audit pinpoints inefficiencies within the current lighting system. It provides a baseline against which savings can be measured post-retrofit. ATEK Distribution’s consultants excel at conducting these audits, translating technical data into actionable insights. These insights help contractors and government agencies make informed decisions.

Feasibility studies come next, assessing whether the state of existing infrastructure supports the retrofit. It’s here that seasoned expertise shines through. ATEK Distribution evaluates the condition of the current electrical system, identifying any need for repairs or upgrades. This proactive approach ensures that the retrofitting project proceeds without unexpected hitches.

The financial analysis assesses cost implications and return on investment (ROI). LED lighting generally promises considerable energy savings, but the initial investment can be substantial. Understanding available rebates, payback periods and potential savings is vital for green-lighting the project. Here again, ATEK Distribution stands out, offering detailed cost-benefit analyses that provide stakeholders with a clear financial roadmap.

Implementation and Monitoring

Once planning is complete, the focus shifts to implementation. Rapid, efficient execution is paramount. Contractors must coordinate with suppliers to ensure that all products arrive precisely when needed. Staggered deliveries synchronized with project phases can streamline installations and avoid clutter at the site.

Quality checks and adherence to safety protocols are non-negotiable. ATEK Distribution’s components undergo rigorous quality control, offering peace of mind to contractors and government procurement officials. Their robust safety standards further ensure that installations meet all regulatory requirements.

Post-installation monitoring is the final yet ongoing phase. Retrofitting doesn’t end when the lights are switched on. Continuous monitoring evaluates performance and flags possible issues. Metrics such as energy savings, lighting quality, and user satisfaction offer insights that guide future projects. ATEK Distribution supports this phase with training programs for maintenance personnel and ongoing consultancy services, ensuring that the benefits of retrofitting endure.

Realizing Long-term Benefits

The advantages of retrofitting with LED lighting are numerous. Reduced energy consumption translates directly into lower utility bills. Longevity of LEDs reduces maintenance costs, offering further savings. Additionally, LEDs contribute to sustainability goals by lowering carbon footprints.

Government agencies too stand to gain from enhanced public welfare. Improved lighting significantly elevates safety standards, both within buildings and in surrounding areas. For educational institutions, healthcare facilities, and office buildings, this improvement can be profound, contributing to better overall outcomes.

Electrical contractors equally reap rewards. Expertise in LED retrofitting can open new business avenues, bolstering the contractor’s portfolio. Delighted clients become repeat customers, fostering long-term relationships.

Successfully retrofitting buildings with LED lighting hinges on several critical factors: the right supplier, meticulous planning, systematic implementation, and sustained monitoring. ATEK Distribution in Minneapolis embodies these principles, offering an end-to-end solution that ensures every retrofitting project is a resounding success. Working with such a partner lays the cornerstone for efficient, economical, and environmentally friendly lighting solutions.

Smart Light Bulbs and Apps to Make Your Home Energy-Efficient

Smart home automation is a technology that has taken years to grow and develop, and now it’s ready for every homeowner. Smart home technology enables you to operate your home’s thermostat, appliances, and control lights with your phone.

Using apps on your smartphone, you can make your house run more energy-efficient, and perhaps the best part is that you can do it remotely.

But controlling lights with your phone and other smart home solutions require a little more than just downloading an app. Whether you have an iPhone or Android smartphone, here are the steps and hardware you’ll need to make your home more energy efficient.

How to Control Lights with an Android or iPhone – The Software

When it comes to connectivity for controlling lights with an Android or iPhone, there are two factors that come into play – your home’s connection to the internet, and downloading the right app.

Home automation lighting systems require an internet connection, and while there’s a few different ways to establish that connection, each has its pros and cons.

There are Wi Fi smart lighting systems, which enable you to operate the lights remotely, but won’t work unless your internet connection is established. If your internet goes down, so too will your ability to control the lights.

Blue-tooth based systems are very popular, as they require BLE-enabled smartphones for operation. They operate remotely, and require a hub that’s typically connected to your home’s router.

Likewise for ZigBee and Z Wave technology, as they will also require a hub. This technology is established through a WiFi connection, and the hub’s connectivity to the internet is required for operation.

How to Control Lights with an iPhone or Android – The Apps

The software and the apps that are available to control your lights with an iPhone or Android are the same. The top choices for the lighting component of your smart home system are as follows:

Smart Life – Smart Life is probably the most popular and widely used app to control lights from your iPhone or Android. It works with just about any software from any manufacturer.

Philips Hue – Philips Hue is another app that will control lights with your phone, but it is exclusive to Philips Hue smart lights and accessories. It enables cool features, such as brightness, color, and schedules.

Hue Disco – Since Smart Life will take care of controlling lights with your phone in a pragmatic way, you should also be aware that there are some fun apps out there too. The Hue Disco app connects your lights to your music, and turns any room of your house into a club style dance floor.

While these apps will do a fantastic job of controlling lights from your phone, they will not control other components of your smart house. Multi-tasking smart home apps will not only control your lighting, but will also control thermostats, appliances, and other smart systems in your home.

Smart Plugs

Smart home automation requires a number of components, and once you have your smart lighting system and software, and the right app on your iPhone or Android, it’s time to review other components that round off your smart home lighting system.

Investing in smart light bulbs for every single light socket in your home may become more work and cost more money than you intended. A nice component that makes it unnecessary to even change the light bulb is a smart plug.

The best smart plugs will enable everything from a bedside light to a lamp in the office to become controllable from your phone. They plug right into an electrical socket and connect to your phone via WiFi.

Smart Outlets

Another component for smart home automation that are not light bulbs are smart outlets. Smart outlets replace your current, generic outlets and add several pieces of functionality.

Smart outlets connect to your iPhone or Android, and enable you to set schedules. They also have another great feature, as they allow you to control each electrical socket independently.

Staying Safe Because of Smart Lights

Making your home more energy efficient is one fantastic use of controlling lights from your phone. But automated lighting systems have another benefit that brings peace of mind – security.

It’s a practice that goes back generations, but how many times have you left the lights on before you left your home for a vacation? It’s such a common action for people to take that outside lights that are on during the daytime make homes targets for burglaries and break ins.

Timers on outside lights have long been available, but using your phone to control your lights while not at home is a new ability for homeowners.

Smart lights enable you to set schedules for individual lights, and turn them on or off remotely and randomly, which gives anyone watching the impression that you are actually home.

Security and energy efficiency are common reasons that people are beginning to embrace controlling lights from their phones. But it’s also kind of fun, and when you combine that with peace of mind, it’s a no-brainer to install a smart home lighting system.