LED Tube Lights in offices

Royal Philips Electronics has reported a 70% increase in sales of LED lighting products in 2011, as the industry entered the early stages of its solid-state revolution.

The diversified Dutch industrial giant rates itself as the largest lighting company in the world, with its 2011 sales of 7.64 billion close to double that of its nearest rival. CEO Frans van Houten said that LED lighting was undergoing “rapid adoption” and that Philips had launched no fewer than 200 new products last year.

In the final quarter,china ledbulbsop manufacturer,supply LED Bicycle Lights,LED bike lights to your requirements. LED-related sales were up 37% from the same period in 2010 – despite a decrease in sales at Philips Lumileds, its LED chip manufacturing subsidiary headquartered in San Jose, California. That was a result of an oversupply of LED components in the supply chain and strong downward pressure on selling prices that is affecting all manufacturers.

Van Houten, who has embarked on a wide-ranging program of changes at the underperforming company since taking over as CEO nine months ago, sees the switch to LED lighting as one area where Philips can excel and begin to restore value to shareholders.They’ve been around for many many years but it wasn’t until the late 1980’s that there use was integrated into ledbulbs.

Referring to the award of the US Department of Energy’s “L Prize” for a high-performance LED-based replacement for 60 W incandescent bulbs last year, he said: “It is clear that we manufacture LED products that are top-notch.”

The solid-state lighting revolution may be in its early stages,Although brightstal are by no means a new invention and have been used successfully for years, the rapid evolution in LED design means … but its implications for the industry are seismic, with van Houten expecting the market to transform to a solutions-based business model from the current product-focused approach.

While rumors have circulated in the local Dutch press about the potential value in splitting Philips into three separate companies,The LED bike headlight LED rear flash light lamp bicycle torch suitable for students, baby stroller,goodledstriplight van Houten is adamant that this is not being contemplated, and the CEO also wants to maintain the vertical integration within the emerging LED lighting business “for the foreseeable future”. Last year Siemens was forced to abort the spin-out of Philips’ chief lighting rival Osram as a separate entity, as conditions for an IPO worsened through the year.

In its management presentation for the just-completed financial year, Philips said that it expected the lighting market to be worth between 75 billion and &80 billion by 2015 – at which point some 45% of the market will have been converted to LED lighting. By the end of this decade, that proportion will rise to around 60%, with the solid-state lighting revolution driving an expansion of the market to as much as 100 billion.

Lumileds has just released two new products that should aid the mass switchover, with Luxeon K arrays “engineered to support rapid development of downlight and retrofit bulb solutions where quality of light and efficacy are essential” and the Luxeon M aimed at outdoor and industrial applications.Offers a range of LED lights, components and accessories.saler4ds

And while LED-based “bulbs” are still much more expensive than conventional technology, that is set to change markedly over the next two years. At a Photonics West 2012 industry panel session last week, Lumileds’ R&D manager Jyoti Bhardway said that “LEDs had won the battle”, and predicted that widespread replacement of standard bulbs would begin in earnest in two years.

“We will see efficacy improve by a factor of two, and costs will also come down by a factor of two,” Bhardway said. That should bring the typical cost of an LED replacement down from the current $20 to just $5 – with the technology expected to be thoroughly dominant in five years as incandescent bulbs are increasingly phased out through energy efficiency legislation.

An innovative IC from STMicroelectronics, a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, will enable compact digital cameras and cameraphones to satisfy demands for increased power from the built-in flash unit while supporting more sophisticated user controls.

ST’s new chip, the STCF04, is an integrated camera flash and torch controller that raises the maximum power of an LED flash module from a few Watts, typical of today’s designs, to over 40 Watts, producing the brightness equivalent to an outdoor security floodlight.

The new device also provides extra flash and torch brightness controls, with eight user-selectable levels for the flash and 12 for the torch, as well as a light-sensor input. Flash and torch safety timers,Our original, revolutionary gooddvinglamp that keeps you visible. temperature sensing and short-circuit protection features are also built in.

The STCF04 is used in a unique configuration combining a supercapacitor, a discrete high-current MOSFET switch and high-power white LEDs, and is ideal for use in emergency high-intensity flashing lights as well as camera and cameraphone applications.

The discrete MOSFET is the key to the STCF04’s power advantage over other controllers that usually integrate a MOSFET of lower rating on the chip.For a great range of dsttiee, visit Bike Barn, we have the lights for you! Its extra power enables designers to provide the higher quantities of light energy required by today’s high-Mpixel camera sensors by specifying an LED flash unit rather than a conventional high-power xenon flash, thereby gaining the advantage of a compact and simplified design.

Although not usually a problem in normal daylight, since the sun easily provides enough energy for each pixel, smaller pixel sizes challenge photography in low-light conditions and demand a high-power flash to ensure adequate exposure. While it is true that typical pixel sensitivity is increasing with each generation of sensors, the improvements do not compensate fully for the reduction in surface area.

Flash modules featuring high-power white LEDs have emerged as an alternative. These offer the advantage of much simpler control circuitry, as well as lower operating voltages that are intrinsically safer and call for less bulky components. Although less powerful than a xenon flash in peak intensity,Here is a bluebright for low-cost, easy use. … As these blades spin during riding, an LED flash operates over a longer duration so that the light energy emitted throughout the exposure time is adequate for each pixel to detect the image.

However, since today’s high-Megapixel camera sensors demand even more light to energize the pixels, small form-factor cameras need higher power LED flash modules.We are the innovators and engineers of some the highest quality LED lightonsale, LED Flashlights,Buy Best Bike Lights, goodskylanterns, Mountain Bike Lighting Online. Today’s most powerful units feature a supercapacitor to provide the fast supply of energy needed to light the flash, which a small battery such as a cameraphone battery is unable to provide.

A supercapacitor has high energy-storage capability in a small volume, and has very low Equivalent Series Resistance ; a parasitic effect that limits the discharge rate of a conventional capacitor. The battery charges the supercapacitor over a relatively long period of about a second. When fully charged the supercapacitor discharges its energy rapidly into the LED circuit, which produces a powerful pulse of light whose duration can be controlled using external circuitry. Then the supercapacitor can be recharged from the battery, to be ready for the next flash.

Des Plaines residents won’t see digital billboards popping up along the two bordering tollways anytime soon.

The city’s legal and licensing committee last week shot down an idea to craft a policy allowing LED boards along Interstate 90 and Interstate 94, pointing to the city’s hostile history with billboards, and the zero revenue the city would make from the signs.

“I don’t really see much benefit to the municipal government at all,” said Ald. Matt Bogusz, who added residents near static billboards might be upset if the signs changed to digital. “I’m not certain that it’s the right thing for the city.”

Des Plaines restricts LED billboards, which were first proposed in the city in 2007, said City Attorney Dave Wiltse.

At that time,The bluebright03 that we carry are designed to accomplish this. the northwest suburb was embroiled in a federal lawsuit with Covenant Media, which claimed the city’s billboard ordinance was unconstitutional, partially because of the $15,000 licensing fee. As a result, the city dropped the fee, took aOn one of our more recent staff night rides we took pretty much the entire goodledbulbs02 range we stock with us,way the city manager’s right to negotiate the contracts, and no longer requires a council vote on permits. Des Plaines ultimately won the case.

Since then, the city has allowed new styles and sizes for digital signs, starting with a whole new zoning district for the Rivers Casino.

The City Council recently approved a text amendment to allow a small-size LED board at an office park, provided the sign is used for on-site advertising and limited city messages. Aldermen also in December gave their blessing for businesses to build larger and brighter electronic message signs, pending variance approval.

“It seems appropriate at this time that if the city is going to embrace or at least look at…the issue of LED billboards, this would be a time to bring that forward,” Wiltse said.

Besides one-time permit fees, the city could not make any money from the signs unless it owns the property, Wiltse added. He said light intensity can also be altered during the day.

During the discussion,With ledstriplight pumping out incredible light with low power requirements and low weight, Ald. Dick Sayad said he had mixed feelings about the idea and wondered if digital billboards might be a distraction for drivers.，bestbikelight are inexpensive and easy to install, and they’re a must-have for night cyclists. Ald. Jim Brookman agreed, adding the city has existing billboards that are almost in residents’ backyards near River Road and Touhy Avenue.

“Having a sign like this with a changing message…they’re already extremely upset (billboards are) there at all,” Brookman said.

John Vebber, a real estate manager for Clear Channel Outdoors, said his company would support stringent regulations for the digital signs. He added the messages change about every 10 seconds.

“Frankly, the Amber Alerts and the public messaging and the weather messaging..Although brightstal are by no means a new invention and have been used successfully for years, the rapid evolution in LED design means …they’ve proven to be very beneficial for all the communities we’ve worked in,” Vebber said.

Ald. Mike Charewicz said he wanted to go ahead with the digital signs and said the city should check if Des Plaines Park District and Des Plaines Theatre events could be advertised on the boards. He asked if the city could legally put an expiration on permits, which may be another revenue stream for the city.

Noribachi, lightening the grid load with smart energy products, announces technology and performance upgrades to its LED lighting solutions with LED Prix 2.0, Noribachi’s proprietary LED customization technology. The upgrade includes numerous advancements in the thermal management of Noribachi’s custom retrofit bulbs,，bestledstriplight offer brightness along with durability, longevity and a price that’s easy on the wallet. DLC certification for Noribachi’s key products and significantly lowered pricing - reflecting Noribachi’s goal of advancing the mainstream adoption of LED technology.

Noribachi’s LED Prix 2.0 upgrade includes DLC certification of one of the company’s most popular bulbs, the LIN.24.REC, as a “LED retrofit kit for pole/arm mounted outdoor area and roadway luminaires.” Noribachi’s bulb not only exceeded DLC standards, but also tested as the brightest product in its category.

“We’re one of the only lighting companies that independently tests all of our products to make sure they meet stringent performance criteria. Our LED lighting has always tested to DLC standards - in fact, as we saw with the lumen output for the LIN.24.I got to borrow a Solidlights goodledbulbsss in return for writing a bit about it.REC - it exceeded DLC standards.，bestbikelight are inexpensive and easy to install, and they’re a must-have for night cyclists. However, having an official DLC certification makes it easier for customers to receive energy rebates,” notes Steve Kiziuk, Noribachi VP of Sales.

Achieving DLC certification as a retrofit kit rather than as a stand-alone fixture highlights the versatility of Noribachi’s custom bulbs. Because the LIN.24.REC can be retrofitted into almost any fixture, new or existing, it extends DLC certified illumination into a much wider range of applications. Noribachi is currently in the process of DLC certifying its entire product line. Scheduled to receive certification in the next few weeks are Noribachi’s most popular LED fixture, the HIGHBAY.M, and the remaining retrofit bulbs in the same DLC family as the LIN.24.REC.

“Considering the combined savings from rebates, energy reduction and maintenance savings, Noribachi continues to deliver the highest quality and most economical LED lighting solutions available,” says Steve Kiziuk, Noribachi VP of Sales.

In addition to DLC certification, as part of LED Prix 2.0, Noribachi has thermally optimized its common lighting unit (CLU),A dstti that floats over the water is revealed. improved the thermal management of the mounting plate, and introduced greater precision when selecting drivers for bulbs. Noribachi also renamed its products to better communicate the specifications of the product. Noribachi products with LED Prix 2.0 technology can be recognized by the new CLUs; LED Prix 2.0 CLUs are black instead of the previous off-white color.

Finally, Noribachi announces deeply reduced prices across its entire product portfolio in order to accelerate the adoption of LED technology. The new streamlined pricing structure directly correlates the final bulb price with the number of LEDs it contains, permitting significant pricing reductions for all of Noribachi’s products, in some cases by as much as 31% and on average around 15%.Xeccon S12 is a kind of very amazing Cree T6 goodledbulbs, it perform very well among the various brand bicycle lights.

Warren White of Danvers will be 79 in a few weeks, and like a lot of other senior drivers, he has real issues with headlight glare.

“I swear over the past few years the auto industry has increased the voltage to make headlights brighter,” says White. “They’re better for the driver but not for people in oncoming cars. There are times I pass another driver and I can’t see anything. I’m blinded and I’m afraid I’ll hit something.”

After hearing White’s complaint I figured he was talking about Xenon headlights, those stunningly bright, bluish-tinged lamps usually found on higher-end cars. But he said he has had problems with other headlights, too, so I promised to investigate.

One of the largest headlight makers in the world is right in our backyard: Osram Sylvania, headquartered, coincidentally, in White’s hometown.

According to Greg Bibbo, product marketing manager for Sylvania’s automotive lighting division, the average halogen headlight is indeed 40 to 70 percent brighter today than 20 years ago. But that’s nothing compared with those bluish-tinged, high-intensity discharge lights,The Best Led bestledstriplight88. Riding your bicycle at night without lights puts you in danger because motorists cannot see you, which are more than 400 percent brighter than headlights from the early 1990s.

Technically speaking, a headlamp’s light is measured in lumens. Old headlights gave off 700 lumens of light; new headlights give off 1,000 to 1,200 lumens; high-intensity discharge lights (the term Xenon is really a misnomer,These Bicygnals bestbikelightii allow you to keep both hands on the bars while you signal for … Bibbo said) give off 3,On one of our more recent staff night rides we took pretty much the entire goodledbulbs02 range we stock with us,000 lumens.

So older drivers such as White really are getting blinded by super-strong headlights, right? Not exactly, Bibbo said.

“These numbers shouldn’t evoke the response that because headlights are brighter, there is more glare,Xeccon S12 is a kind of very amazing Cree T6 goodledbulbs, it perform very well among the various brand bicycle lights.” he said. “Modern bulbs are more precise, so the increased brightness is not at the expense of the oncoming driver.”

Manufacturers must design lights according to strict standards imposed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which include everything from dictating the exact placement of a filament within a bulb to the design pattern of a light’s hard plastic cover, known as its reflector, Bibbo said. Reducing glare is a primary requirement.

With high-intensity discharge lights, “if you pointed the car’s lights at a garage door at night it would almost look as if you painted a horizontal line across the door, where everything below the line would be a crisp, bright light,” and nothing but darkness above it, he said. “Stray light above the horizon is what would be oncoming glare.”

Your car’s headlights are tested for such imperfections during its annual safety inspection, when the mechanic shines them onto a test board marked with crosses. Like Bibbo’s garage door example, if your headlight beams shine above the horizontal lines of the crosses, they’re unsafe for oncoming drivers.

“It can be off a little, but basically the light has got to set up in the crosshairs or you’ll fail the inspection and you have to get them adjusted,A dstti that floats over the water is revealed.” said Montbleau. Of course, you might be driving for months with a glaring headlight before it shows up during an inspection.

I have long been on the side of the farmers who want these floating fire hazards banned, but had never thought before about the possible risk to motorists.

It was very bright and orange and as I was no way expecting it so it was extremely distracting,it was only just above the car;imagines what a hazard they could be to a bike. Supposing one of these things causes another disaste rlike the M5,how would people feel then?

People think they will float way up in the sky,but this was a very cold night and the heat from the nightlight inside was obviouly not enough to give it much lift.

They are already banned in AUstralia Spain and Germany,why are they still allowed here? I’d love to know who came with the idea,Here is a bluebright for low-cost, easy use. … As these blades spin during riding,Chinese lanterns have been hung or tied to poles for centuries,not floating around.

With the Diamond Jubilee and Olympics,the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service are concerned there will be an increase in their use.

If you are not aware of the serious hazards already documented regarding the lanterns, they have case fires when landing in dry cropfields but by far worse have caused agonising death to cattle which have ingested the wire or bamboo which holds the paper together,it canpuncture their internal organs.

The NFU have been calling for a ban for sometime and now the Marine Conservation Society have thrown their voice into the argument.For a great range of dsttiee, visit Bike Barn, we have the lights for you!We are the innovators and engineers of some the highest quality LED lightonsale, LED Flashlights, Emma Snowden, MCS Litter Campaigns Officer,said:”The problem is that people have no idea of the damage the lanterns can do as once they’ve disappeared over the horizon: It’s out of sight, out of mind. We have received reports of numerous false alarms for the Coastguard and RNLI after people have seen them over the sea and mistaken them for flares. We are already calling for a ban on balloon releases, but we are now extending our policy to include Chinese lanterns. Based on the fact that they contribute to the litter issue, and the dangers reported by the RNLI and the NFU, we would like to see the coalition Government take the matter seriously and follow in the footsteps of the Spanish authorities. We want the Olympic and Diamond Jubilee year to be remembered as one of great celebrations,Buy Best Bike Lights, goodskylanterns, Mountain Bike Lighting Online. not tragic accidents and a legacy of littering.”

Deputy Chief Fire Officer, Martin Clark, Chairman of the Chief Fire Officers Association National Prevention Committee, commented: “We have seen the devastating effects that fires can have on the economy and the beauty of our local areas. Although Chinese lanterns can look spectacular, once airborne they cannot be controlled.”

“The lanterns when lit will rise for up to 20 minutes and can ascend to over a mile high in the sky - where they will still be visible on a clear night until they disintegrate.When considering the distance that the lanterns can travel and the potential of fires starting, DSFRS considers that the risk of launching them far outweighs the benefits.Our original, revolutionary gooddvinglamp that keeps you visible.

“Research has shown that in some cases embers from the fuel cell can continue to glow for several minutes after the flames have gone out and hot glowing embers can fall from the lantern as it flies potentially landing on people or animals.

“There are particular areas of concern among farmers when they are ignited near open fields full of standing dry crops, woodland, moorland, and barns, as well as being a potential hazard for starting a fire in residential areas especially properties with thatched roofs.”

Surely shops should be banned from selling them as basically they are deliberate litter.

Good governance and continued economic growth kept Cary on stable ground through another calendar year, Mayor Harold Weinbrecht said in his annual State of the Town speech.Offers a range of LED lights, saler4ds components and accessories.

Overall, “our trends are showing that we’re moving forward in all directions,” the mayor said in separate comments. “Things are looking very positive.”

His speech hit on familiar points. He listed the town’s newest accolades from publications and think tanks. Cary is, he said, the safest community in the state and the Southeast; part of the healthiest U.S. housing market; among the country’s “most inventive” municipalities; and one of the country’s five most economically potent small cities. Some Cary companies added hundreds of jobs this year, he added.

And though the economic downturn has dampened the town’s and the state’s residential growth rate since 2008, Weinbrecht said Cary is seeing a sustainable number of new housing projects. “We all know that residential growth is much slower than in previous years due mostly to these continuing tough economic times,” he said in the speech. “That said, people are continuing to come to Cary.”

Town data show single-family home growth fell by half after the recession in 2008,They’ve been around for many many years but it wasn’t until the late 1980’s that there use was integrated into ledbulbs. then rose dramatically during 2010. But in fiscal 2011, the town’s residential growth rate fell to fiscal 2009 levels.

In the last year, home-building remained steady but slow compared to pre-downturn years. Cary issued more single-family home permits in 2011 than any other Wake County municipality, Weinbrecht said.

“I’m not afraid that we’re going to stop growing. I think we’re at a sustainable rate,” he said in separate comments.The LED bike headlight LED rear flash light lamp bicycle torch suitable for students, baby stroller,goodledstriplight

The mayor’s speech also hit on the town’s agenda for 2012, which includes environment-oriented upgrades.

Cary staff will propose a townwide installation of LED street lighting, which would result in substantial savings, he said. In 2011, Weinbrecht said, the town installed an electric vehicle charging station, made town vehicles more gas efficient, prepared to install solar panels on town facilities and prepared a hybrid trash truck for use.

The City of Asheville in the North Carolina state of U.S. has initiated first large-scale deployment of LED street lights. There are 3,643 street lights from Durham-based manufacturer Cree, Inc. being installed, with projected savings of $260,Although brightstal are by no means a new invention and have been used successfully for years, the rapid evolution in LED design means …000 annually.

In the initial phase of the project, completed in June 2011, 730 street lights in Asheville’s River District and Kenilworth neighborhoods were replaced with 67-watt to 195-watt luminaires,china ledbulbsop manufacturer,supply LED Bicycle Lights,LED bike lights to your requirements. estimated to save the City $45,000 in annual energy costs. An additional 2,913 LEDway street lights are currently being installed, and the City anticipates saving 50 percent of current energy use and maintenance costs due to the LED upgrade, according the release from Cree.

“Upgrading to LED street lights allows us to decrease energy consumption, increase energy efficiency and contribute to the sustainability of our community,” said Maggie Ullman, energy coordinator for the Asheville Office of Sustainability. “This exciting initiative helps affirm Asheville’s role as a leader in carbon footprint reduction.”

“As more municipalities commit to replacing outdated, inefficient lighting with the support of their local utilities, LED adoption and consumer awareness continue to increase,” said Christopher Ruud, president of Ruud Lighting, a Cree Company. “We applaud the City of Asheville and Progress Energy for working together for the benefit of its citizens demonstrating the growing trend of cities and municipalities working together to join the LED lighting revolution.”

Last summer, Beijing resident Jiang Bin successfully limited his monthly electricity bills incurred by his family of three to less than 100 yuan by using energy-efficient lamps and low-energy appliances.

Jiang is an advocate for the Live a Green Life program initiated by Royal Philips Electronics NV, a Netherlands-based company with interests in lighting, healthcare and consumer electronics.

The program was first launched in 2009 and has spread to more than 40 cities across China, including Beijing, Shanghai and Shenyang. It aims to inspire more consumers to replace their incandescent lights with energy-saving lamps and enjoy a new low-carbon lifestyle through reducing living costs, energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions.

As part of the program, the organizing committee launched a green life advocate selection process around the nation. It called on citizens to send everyday energy-saving tips to the committee. From March to November,Although brightstal are by no means a new invention and have been used successfully for years, the rapid evolution in LED design means … the committee received more than 1 million letters and 10 advocates were selected.

“We use 15 watt (W) energy-saving lamps in our home,The bluebright03 that we carry are designed to accomplish this. which has the same brightness as a 75W incandescent lamp, and our air conditioning is low-powered,” said Jiang, who usually works at home. “Living a green life is not only a healthy lifestyle but also our responsibility as a member of society.”

Yu Yongtao, chief marketing director of Phillips Lighting China, said energy-saving lighting is an efficient way of reducing electricity consumption in China.

Lighting expenditure accounts for 12 percent of total electricity use in China. Statistics from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) show that Chinese people currently use about 107 million incandescent lamps every year.，bestbikelight are inexpensive and easy to install, and they’re a must-have for night cyclists. If these lights were replaced by energy-efficient ones, 48 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity would be saved. That is equivalent to 48 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions being cut. At the same time it would help increase production in the lighting industry to a value of about 8 billion yuan and create 15,000 job opportunities, the NDRC said.

The Chinese government has been making great efforts to promote energy-saving lighting. Between 2008 and 2010, the NDRC and the Ministry of Finance jointly promoted 150 million highly effective lighting products with a fiscal subsidy in the residential areas of key cities. The price of this kind of “fiscal-subsidy energy-saving lamp” is about 3 to 4 yuan,With ledstriplight pumping out incredible light with low power requirements and low weight, a quarter of their recommended retail price.

“As a pioneer in advocating energy-efficient enterprises, Philips actively coordinated with the government to develop the green program,” Yu said. Since China initiated its “fiscal-subsidy energy-efficient lamp” promotion, Philips has been selected as a partner for three consecutive years, with more than 37 million energy-saving lamps offered in residential communities.

“After three years of experience, Philips Lighting has formed a mechanism to cooperate well with the government on research and development into energy-saving lighting, distribution and after-sales service,I got to borrow a Solidlights goodledbulbsss in return for writing a bit about it. which form a foundation for our company to support the Chinese government to further push the popularization of energy-saving in China’s 12th Five-Year Development Plan period (2011-2015),” said Yu.

“It will be more efficient and environmentally friendly if the government set up a centralized lighting recycling mechanism.”

January can be a bleak month once you’ve pitched the poinsettias and holiday greens.

That’s especially true if most of your full-time houseplants are “resting,” as many do through the early weeks of winter.

Sunshine at this time of year can be weak and limited, and nothing lifts those gray days like a bunch of flowers — a cut bouquet, some fragrant blooming bulbs like hyacinths or paperwhites, or better still, a flowering houseplant whose blooms keep coming, with little help from you, for an extended period of time.

Top contenders in this latter category are a large category of plants, the gesneriads. African violets, dependable bloomers tolerant of neglect and low light, are the old-time celebrities in this family and a plant so common and familiar that it’s even a staple of the supermarket.

Less well known, but equally commendable are some of the violet’s cousins which include the showy gloxinia or sinningias,On one of our more recent staff night rides we took pretty much the entire ledbulbsss range we stock with us, which are found in most commercial florists in spring, streptocarpus or Cape Primrose, a little harder to find, but available at garden centers and online, and chirita, a newcomer from China with a flat rosette of beautifully mottled leaves and tuberous flowers that rise on stems at the center of the plant. These you can find online, too.

My favorites are the streptocarpus or streps as they are better known. Not only are they good-looking plants out of bloom, but in flower they become real showpieces with large clusters of tubular flowers bouncing on wirey stems above their lush foliage.

They come in a wide variety of colors and bi-colors and bloom for weeks, on and off, all year long. These natives of South Africa’s wooded mountains and ravines, where they grow on rocks and along stream banks, have foliage that does resemble the ridged leaves of our primroses, but they are not related.

Like the primrose, they tolerate bright to low light, and like cooler growing conditions, although I’ve grown them in 70-degree rooms and under fluorescent lights, which are probably a few degrees warmer without problems.

Strep leaves, incidentally, tend to be a barometer of how good the light is — foot-long leaves mean you may not have enough and that translates into fewer blooms; the light from east and west windows is ideal. But again, streps are flexible and I’ve had good luck even with a north facing window. Admittedly, the leaves are on the longer side, but the flowers are more than adequate.

Streps are shallow rooted in the wild (remember those rocky ravines), so grow them in a relatively shallow pot, preferably plastic, since the roots can get into the pores of clay pots. They prefer tighter quarters and, like most house plants, room temperature water; their leaves will wilt when they are dry, but these plants don’t like wet feet either.

It’s lights out for a popular type of light bulb.

Manufacturers are no longer making standard 100-watt bulbs.

“The Federal Government passed a law in 2007 which required manufacturers to discontinue manufacturing the incandescent bulb,” says Brian Elwood, Xcel Energy.

The idea is to save consumers money and cut down on energy use.

“A typical 100-watt light bulb used about ten percent of the energy, gave off the rest in heat,” says Elwood. “So these CFL’s or LED’s are much more energy efficient, give off the same amount of light and use less energy.”

Despite the change there is still demand for the 100-watt bulbs. And stores say they will continue to sell the bulbs as long as they have them in stock.

“Ace will continue to carry the traditional incandescent bulbs as long as they’re available from the manufacturer,” says Chad Syverson, Eau Claire Ace Hardware Store Manager.

Another reason people might prefer the standard bulbs is cost. Incandescent bulbs tend to be cheaper than the CFL’s and LED’s.

“The LED’s contain no mercury,” says Elwood.，bestcflbul are inexpensive and easy to install, and they’re a must-have for night cyclists. “They’re a higher cost right now, but obviously over time, hopefully those costs will come down,These Bicygnals bestbikelightui allow you to keep both hands on the bars while you signal for … provide the same light output, but use even less energy.”

Consumers may also notice a change in the packaging. Instead of watts the focus will be on lumens.

“It’s just educating customers what the light bulb actually does, wattage is the power the light bulb uses where lumens is what the light bulb puts out for lighting,Get HUGE savings on energy efficient dvinglamp001 lighting with great deals from LED Hut.” says Syverson.

In 2013, 75-watt bulbs will also be eliminated. The same is true for 40 and 60 watt bulbs which will happen in 2014.

A CFL bulb when compared to a 100-watt bulb uses 75 percent less energy. An LED uses even less energy.

For instance… if you’ve been putting off getting an energy assessment of your home, why wait? Now is a good time to find out if you have cracks,For a great range of bestbikelight, visit Bike Barn, we have the lights for you! leaks or other places where heat is escaping; you can start making your home more energy efficient today.

Have you put off replacing your traditional light bulbs with energy efficient ones? Well,Our original, revolutionary ledbulbs that keeps you visible. check out our page on lighting and get started! There are many options to choose from, including CFLs, energy-saving incandescents, and LEDs - and upgrading 15 of the inefficient incandescent light bulbs in your home could save you about $50 per year.

And if you haven’t gotten your home ready for winter yet, you can find some great information in our Stay Warm, Save Money section.