In keeping with its commitment to providing innovative LED lighting solutions, California-based Flexfire LEDs has announced its new UL Listed UltraBright™ High CRI Series LED Strip Lights. Designed to meet today’s higher lighting quality standards, this new line measures >93 on the color rendering index, fortifying the company’s reputation for delivering cutting edge technology at consumer-friendly prices. CRI, or color rendering index, is the standard measure of a luminaire’s ability to accurately render a specific color spectrum in comparison with a perfect reference source at a given color temperature (i.e. daylight). Simply put, if you direct the light onto a particular object, how natural do its colors look? Testing for CRI is a complicated process, requiring specialized machinery designed specifically for this purpose. Lamps are tested in terms of how they render eight basic colors (or “R values”), termed R1 through R8. A score from 0-100 is given for each color, and these eight numbers are then averaged to determine the lamp’s overall CRI rating. Those measuring above 90 are generally considered highly effective at rendering natural color; for a practical understanding, many of the traditional fluorescent lights that people consider “harsh” or “artificial” measure in the 60-70 CRI range. LED lighting is the established industry leader in energy efficiency, and advanced technological development means LED products are now available at dramatically lower prices than even just a few years ago. This dynamic is driving a worldwide shift to LED lighting, one that is further accelerated by government regulations such as those found in California’s Title 24. Established by the State’s Energy Commission, Title 24 addresses a number of energy efficiency standards, particularly those having to do with lighting. To be classified as “High Efficacy” and thus qualify for utility rebates and other advantages,...

If your company has a physical office or storefront, chances are you’ve at least looked into commercial signage at some point. If you already have a sign, chances are equally high that you’ve dealt with increased maintenance and energy costs as well as burnt out bulbs and tubes. As many business owners are discovering, these issues are now being addressed thanks to the versatility of LED signage lighting. Because of their tiny size, LED chips can be aligned and configured in a variety of ways to illuminate infinite shapes of indoor and outdoor commercial signage. Flexfire LEDs strip lights, for instance, are perfect for this sort of installation. They are thin, flexible, and come with adhesive backing, meaning they can be applied to follow various angles such as those found in channel lighting. With optional IP weatherproofing, LED strip lights are also resistant to water and dust. It’s important to note that unlike other lighting technologies, LEDs produce direct, precise illumination, a big part of why they’re used in televisions and smartphones. For this reason, LEDs are a perfect backlighting source for letters and company logos in box sign applications as well. Additionally, improved technology means that the initial cost of LED lights has been dramatically reduced over the past few years, removing what has been the main barrier for many business owners. There are four main advantages to using LED lighting for commercial signage as opposed to fluorescent or neon tubes: energy efficiency, durability, safety, and overall light quality. Let’s start by addressing energy efficiency, as it directly affects your company’s bottom line. Energy Efficiency High quality LED and fluorescent signage products are both capable of producing in excess of 100 lumens per watt, meaning they will produce a great deal of light...

One of our customers created dramatic LED staircase lighting in his home using Warm White ColorBright™ strip lights from Flexfire LEDs. The strips were inserted into a routed channel along the staircase, and attached to a Honeywell programmable timer switch to enable automatic on/off at specific hours of the day. This installation adds aesthetic flair to staircases in both homes and commercial spaces, carrying increased safety benefits as well, particularly for the elderly and small children. In fact, according to a 2012 study published in Pediatrics magazine,  a child under the age of 5 is admitted to U.S. emergency rooms every six minutes as a result of staircase accidents. Smart, safe, and great looking – a winning combo for your home or office!   Choose one of our convenient Flexfire LEDs strip light kits to suit the appropriate brightness, length and color of your LED display case lighting project:                 ...

LED strip lights deliver extreme versatility in a compact, low profile package. Their customizability is popular with creative lighting professionals everywhere, and this popularity promises to expand greatly as LED prices continue to fall. Obvious applications for flexible strip lights include above cabinet and under counter lighting, and the list continues to grow thanks to increased product development and innovation efforts. Here, therefore, is a quick checklist of the top 5 concerns for lighting designers to compare and choose among different LED strip light products.   1. Lumens Per ____? Every project is different, so determine what matters most before comparing overall lumen output. Lumens per watt, for instance, is most important for LEED and energy-efficient installations, while others may be more concerned with lumens per foot, meter, or reel.   2. CRI Customizable LED chips can be configured to produce a wide variety of lighting conditions. High quality LED strip lights are now capable of producing a color rendering index of 90 and above, rivaling the top lighting options found anywhere on the market today.   3. Certification Choose products that are UL or ETL Listed (U.S. and Europe, respectively), and provide the appropriate LM testing information from the Illuminating Engineering Society to certify claims regarding things like luminous intensity and CRI.   4. Dimming Capability Whether through a simple wall switch or smartphone mobile app, clients want the ability to adjust their lights using a dimmer. Professional grade LED strip lights should be compatible with desired dimming options.   5. Quality of Components LED chip design, heat sink, and PCB quality are among the factors that differentiate one LED strip light from another. These affect light quality, degradation and longevity, not to mention product safety. Look for a supplier who stands by his...

Nearly a decade ago, governments around the world began mandating a move away from traditional incandescent light bulbs as a way to help meet broader energy management goals. At the time, those curly white compact fluorescent bulbs seemed like the best alternative, but further research has revealed the dangers of fluorescent lighting in any form. All fluorescent lights – from industrial tubes to the spiraled household bulbs – contain mercury, and this is the main concern. Mercury is a heavy metal that is highly toxic in even tiny amounts, a serious deterrent to the adoption of fluorescents on a widespread consumer scale. Exposure to mercury is associated with a whole range of major health concerns, from neurological and behavioral disorders to liver, kidney, and central nervous system problems. Mercury exposure is thus an unavoidable concern with this technology, driving many towards complete replacement of fluorescent lights. Aside from the environmental effects of mining and manufacturing, there’s of course the danger associated with product breakage. As we all know, accidents happen, and when a fluorescent bulb or tube breaks, a small amount of mercury vapor is released. This small amount is so dangerous that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has filled an entire page on its website with detailed instructions on what to do should this happen to you. Several important steps should be taken immediately, a tall order given most will not have these steps available at their fingertips. Worse, liquid mercury can also be released, finding its way down through carpet fibers and cracks in concrete flooring. This liquid eventually evaporates into the atmosphere, causing local contamination and substantially increased health risks. Even if we manage to avoid breakage, there’s still a major problem when it comes time to dispose of fluorescent bulbs...