Get Retrofit!
Retrofitting is a term often used when converting older, outdated lighting technologies such as incandescent and fluorescent, to newer, more energy-efficient technologies, such as LED. As some people might look at the initial increased prices and shake their head, it’s important to get all the facts about LED before completely pushing it out of your […]
Building for Tomorrow
The United Nations is convening in Paris to discuss the impact of Climate Change and technologies. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon opened the conference last night with a call to action, insisting that Paris mark a turning point, and stating that the world needs to know that it is headed to a low-emissions, climate-resilient future, and that “there […]
New thoughts on Office Lighting
Getting your office lighting right can really improve employee performance and satisfaction. Deep knowledge of how to plan energy efficient office spaces can set an electrical contractor apart from his competition. Balancing daylight harvesting (from windows and skylights) and energy efficient fixtures with advanced lighting controls not only saves operational expenses, it also creates a more evenly […]
3D Modeling puts contractors in their best light
When a contractor presents 3-D design images of how the selected lights and fixtures will look within a given environment to a potential customer, he can claim ownership of the design. This gives him value and differentiation against the competition, who likely don’t have 12 pages of 3-D renderings of how the lighting choices are […]
Watts Up? How to Convert Watts to Lumens
With the proliferation of LED lamps, how do you equate your existing incandescent 60W lamp to an appropriate LED screw-in replacement lamp? First look at the language to assist in getting to an “apples-to-apples” comparison. Watts measure the amount of energy required to light products or how much power a bulb uses, whereas lumens measure […]
LED Basics: Benefits and Options
With energy efficiency at the forefront today, we thought we would explain a bit about LEDs and the benefits of switching to them, along with some ideas of what you can do with them. Light-emitting diode, or LED, is a type of solid-state lighting that uses a semiconductor to convert electricity into light. This technology […]
Sustainable Chicago: Energy Efficiencies Support Mission
Chicago is striving to be the greenest city in America. Mayor Rahm Emanuel is quoted as saying “A sustainable Chicago is a city that spends less on energy use with each passing year, creates good-paying jobs in up-and-coming industries, responsibly maintains and upgrades its infrastructure, and ensures every Chicagoan has the opportunity to live a […]
Paramont EO Finds Rebates to Cut Energy Costs
Saving money is important to our customers and at Paramont EO, we maximize applicable incentive and rebate programs for every project. Rebates can offer our clients significant savings. For example, according to the Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd), more than 30,700 northern Illinois businesses have participated in Smart Ideas for Your Business programs, earning $244.3 million […]
Fashion and Function: Ceiling Fans Beat the Heat
Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, and the heat. The summer heat taxes everyone’s air conditioning systems, but you can give some relief to the AC units by installing ceiling fans to improve air circulation. The counter-clockwise motion of the fan will generate a gentle breeze to circulate the cool air and help […]