How Bright are LED Lights vs. Incandescent Bulbs and CFLs?

The typical incandescent light – bulb or spotlight – uses between 40W and 100W. We always are asked how our Mr. Beams Wireless LED Lights compare to these incandescent bulbs and spotlights. My first response is that the Mr. Beams Wireless LED Lights don’t use any electricity. These motion sensor LED lights are battery operated, and completely off the grid. And they should make your batteries last at least a year under typical use.

But what people are really asking is this: “How bright are your wireless LED lights?” My old wired outside lights used to have 60W and 75W incandescent bulbs. These lights put out anywhere from 800 lumens to 1100 lumens. What is a lumen? Think of a lumen as a volume of light – similar to paint. If you have 128 ounces of yellow paint, you can cover one side of your house with a light coating of color or a smaller section of the side of your house with a darker coating of color. Light is similar, and lumens is a measure of the total output of light. If that amount of light is concentrated by using a lens (known as optics) then the light will cover less area but be more intense where the light is covering and thus appear brighter. That measurement is lux. What is lux? Lux is the intensity of the light on a surface. Of course, if you start with very little light in the first place, the idea of brightness (in this case light intensity, or lux) will never be achieved, no matter what optics are used to increase brightness.

Light bulbs are high on lumens but lower on lux. The light from a light bulb is emitted in every direction, so the intensity on any one surface (the lux) is never as high as a spotlight. A spotlight takes the same number of lumens (think how much total paint in the can) and concentrates it into an areas about one-third that of a light bulb. Therefore the lux of an incandescent spotlight can be three times greater than the lux of an incandescent light bulb. So how bright does a light need to be for it to be useful to you?

We will focus this blog entry on outdoor lighting. As mentioned before, my house had all 60W and 75W incandescent bulbs and incandescent spotlights to achieve what I thought was the right amount of light. I was wrong because I did not take into account the fact that the human eye adjusts to darkness. Once the human eye is adjusted to darkness, a very low light level is adequate. I’m saying that 100 lumens is more than adequate to light up an area effectively.

In five minutes you can install a battery powered Mr. Beams Motion Sensor Security LED Spotlight and have 140 lumens of light. The photo of our battery operated LED Motion Sensor Security Spotlight shows how much light 140 lumens provides. You can read by 100 lumens if it is concentrated with optics. You can choose clothes in a closet. You can scare someone or something away with the light provided by all Mr. Beams wireless LED lights.

So if you need light right now - for a quick solution for security lighting, as a lighting solution to prevent falls, or as a solution to light a closet - the light provided by Mr. Beams wireless motion sensor LED lights will give you enough lux to provide security lighting, safety lighting and convenience lighting. Mr. Beams battery powered lights will also provide the best wireless lighting for security, safety and convenience. Wireless lighting will save you money because you can install it yourself without an electrician and move the light exactly where you need it. For the best quick, wireless security lighting, look to Mr. Beams wireless LED lights and be confident that the light is bright enough for the security, safety and convenience that you require in your lighting.

Mr. Beams Also Makes Great Wireless LED Lights with Remote Control

Did you know that you can keep a remote control next to your bed that turns on a light when you hear a noise? Whether the noise is outside or inside, simply press the remote control and a light shines brightly to scare something away or help you see what caused the noise.

The products are made by Mr. Beams and are called Remote Controlled Wireless Lights. There two types of LED lights that can be controlled by a single remote control. Both LED lights are completely wireless – this means that you can place these lights anywhere without wiring and without having to call an electrician. These wireless LED lights are so easy to install that anyone can attach them in minutes.

Let’s look at some practical applications of remote controlled wireless LED lights:
1. The outside corners of your house are dark. You hear noises at night and they keep you up. Simply install one or two Mr. Beams Wireless LED Security Spotlights using just one screw (included). Attach the Mr. Beams Wireless LED Security Spotlights to your house, to a tree, or anywhere else that will make you feel more secure. If you hear a noise at night, press the remote control and turn on 140 lumens of light to let everyone and everything know that you heard them.
2. Your dog disappears into the darkness when you let her out at night. Simply install one or two Mr. Beams Wireless LED Security Spotlights using just one screw (included). Attach the Mr. Beams Wireless LED Security Spotlights to a tree and turn the Wireless Spotlight on with your remote control from inside your house. One remote control can turn on dozens of Mr. Beams LED Spotlights. Never worry about your dog again when you let her out at night.
3. You wake up in the middle of the night and need to go to the bathroom, or need to help a child or elderly adult in the house. You don’t want to turn on the overhead lights because it will disturb your sleep and wake up others. The solution is to install the Mr. Beams Wireless LED Path Lights to your walls. When you wake up, press the remote control that you keep on your night table and all of the Mr. Beams Wireless LED Path Lights will illuminate. As soon as you return to bed, press the remote control again and all of the Wireless LED Path Lights will turn off.
4. You learn about how many people fall in their homes and decide that better lighting will lower the probability of someone falling. Mr. Beams has motion sensor wireless lights as well as remote control wireless lights. You install the Mr. Beams Wireles LED Stair Lights and Remote Control Wireless LED Path Lights throughout your hallways, stairs and bathrooms. One remote control can activate multiple Mr. Beams lights. This lights up your floors and stairs and reduces falls caused by improper lighting.
5. You know that your house needs better outside lighting. You have a budget. The solution for low-cost outside lighting is wireless LED lighting from Mr. Beams. Unlike solar lighting - which cannot provide bright light and must be in direct contact with sunlight – Mr. Beams lights are bright and work anywhere. They are 5-12 times brighter than the typical solar light, and provide bright lighting for path lighting, driveway lighting, doorway lighting, yard lighting, shed lighting, garage lighting and gazebo lighting. You can install 6 Mr. Beams wireless LED lights with remote control on / off in under 1 hour for less than $200! If you called an electrician, it would take 3 weeks and cost you more than $1,500!

As you can see, remote controlled lights from Mr. Beams solve many lighting problems. They are the solutions to the following:
How do I put security lights on my house?
Answer: Mr. Beams Remote Controlled Security Spotlight attached to the house
How do I light up the yard for my dog?
Answer: Mr. Beams Remote Controlled Security Spotlight attached to a tree
How do I light a path to the bathroom?
Answer: Mr. Beams Remote Controlled Path Lights attached to the wall
How can I help prevent falls in my home?
Answer: Mr. Beams Remote Controlled Path Lights attached to the stairway wall
How can I light up outside my house without an electrician?
Answer: A combination of the Mr. Beams Remote Controlled Security Spotlights and Remote Controlled Path Lights
Where can I buy Mr. Beams LED lights? Go to www.mrbeams.com

The Best Lighting Solutions for Many Dark Areas of Your Home

In our last blog we wrote about how LED light bulbs will eventually replace incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs. They are durable, efficient and last for years. Mr. Beams battery-powered motion sensor LED lights are not designed to replace traditional light bulbs. Instead, Mr. Beams LED lights are designed to replace darkness – areas inside and outside your house where the darkness is a problem but the high cost of calling in an electrician to install a light fixture holds you back. For $10-$50, Mr. Beams provides the best wireless closet light, the best wireless shed light, the best wireless shower light, the best wireless attic light, the best wireless driveway light, the best wireless playground light, and the best wireless night light available anywhere. We use the most current LEDs for the brightest light of any battery-operated light. We use the latest motion sensor technology so the lights go on right when they are needed. We have designed the electronics to maximize battery life so you can get more than a year out of one set of batteries. And we have developed long-range remote controls for our battery-operated LED lights so you can turn your lights on and off from up to 100 feet.

So take a minute to think about all of the dark closets, storage spaces and corners in your house. Think about the darkness between your bed and the bathroom at night, or the kids room. Notice all of the dark doorways, dark corners outside your house, dark walkways and dark parts of your driveway. These are the lighting solutions that Mr. Beams was designed for. Our lighting solutions come in different shapes and brightness. The MB980 wireless Ceiling Light is the best solution for lighting dark closets, porches, gazebos, sheds, attics, crawl spaces, basements and utility rooms. The MB360 wireless Security Spotlight is the best solution for lighting dark driveways, dark garages, dark backyards, dark doorways, dark barns and dark playgrounds. The MB530 Stair Light is the best solution for lighting dark stairs, dark decks and dark docks. The MB723 Stick Anywhere Night Lights are the best lighting solutions for dark kids rooms, night lights where there is no outlet, night lighting bathrooms and night lighting hallways.

Whatever your darkness problem, you can find great wireless lighting solutions from the battery-powered LED lights from Mr. Beams. Please look us up at www.mrbeams.com to learn more.

Where Can You Buy Good LED Light Bulbs?

I had a meeting with a friend who is a sales manager for a company that we deal with. He is very technically savvy but when we talked about the state of LED light bulbs he was unaware of how far they have progressed into the retail market. Home Depot carries Philips LED light bulbs and the Lighting Science Group's Ecosmart LED light bulbs. Lowe's carries Sylvania LED light bulbs and Feit Electric LED light bulbs. The pricing is a little high but the return on investment from LED light bulbs can be just a few months if the light is on more than 8 hours per day. We know from our testing that the product quality is quite good. I think my friend probably falls into the same category as most people - who really browses the lighting section at these stores?

The bottom line is that LED lighting products like the Mr Beams LED lighting product line are finding their way into mass retail. 6 to 12 months ago, I was telling people that it would be 18 months before we started seeing quality LED lighting products hitting the shelves at the stores they shop. 2011 will be a breakthrough year for LED lighting. Expect to see 25W-equivalent LED light bubs selling for $19.99, up through 40W-equivalent LED lights selling for under $40.

Many people wonder how you compare the light output of LED light bulbs to the light output of incandescent bulbs and cfl / fluorescent bulbs. Some manufacturers use the term “equivalent to” or “compare to”. Watts are not a good indication because LED light bulbs and CFL / fluorescent bulbs use less watts to produce similar light. In theory, an LED bulb may need just 10W to produce the same amount of light as a 60W incandescent bulb. So when comparing light from an LED light source to light from an incandescent bulb or cfl / fluorescent, compare lumens instead. Lumens measure the total light output. A 60W incandescent bulb produces about 880 lumens. We have yet to find a LED bulb that produces 880 lumens, but we expect to see some in early 2012.

For comparison purposes, the Mr. Beams MB360 wireless Security Spotlight produces 140 lumens of light. While this is only the equivalent of a traditional 15W incandescent light bulb, this battery powered light is designed to provide efficient light where it is too expensive to hard wire (at a cost of $200 or more). 140 lumens – when focused properly – provides more than enough light to be a great lighting solution to light up playgrounds, basketball courts, driveways, dark pathways, dark garages and dark doorways.

More information is available at www.mrbeams.com

The Best Wireless Lighting Solutions

Wireless Lighting. Sounds like a dream. The idea of sticking a light wherever you need it and having light for closets, showers, driveways, hallways, bathrooms, sheds and garages is a fantasy. No more electricians. Because they are wireless, you take them with you when you move and can move them anywhere you need.

Now Wireless Lighting is available from Mr. Beams. We had the dream of lights that can be attached anywhere without electricians back in 2003. Not junky tap lights, that give off a light glow and burn out in a few hours. That's not the wireless lighting solution that we wanted. We wanted wireless lighting solutions that gave bright light, turned on and off automatically, was hands-free, and provided this wireless light for more than one year on a set of batteries.

The solution required a combination of many technologies to create the best wireless lighting solutions. LEDs are used to maximize the battery power. Motion Sensors are used for hands-free automatic lighting. Auto shut-off is programmed to conserve the battery life. And battery power is used to make the Mr. Beams lights wireless.

The Mr. Beams products provide the best Wireless Lighting solutions in four different shapes and brightnesses. The Stick Anywhere Night Light is the wireless LED light that attaches to a wall or stands up on its own. It is a great wireless solution to light a path to your bathroom and prevent falls. The Stair Light is an indoor / outdoor light that mounts to a deck post or stairway wall. It lights up stairs without wires, using a motion sensor to activate. It has a glow feature so you always know where the light is. This battery-operated wireless light will last at least one year on one set of batteries. The Mr. Beams Ceiling Light is the best solution for a closet light anywhere. Because it is wireless It mounts in minutes in your closet, attic or shed. Because the Mr. Beams Ceiling Light is weatherproof, it is the best wireless lighting solution for a shower, porch or gazebo. The Mr. Beams Spotlight is the best wireless light solution for all of your outdoor areas. Stick it to a tree for lighting up a backyard, driveway or basketball court. Light up doorways, garages and barns. Because it is wireless you can install it yourself in minutes and move it whenever you need to.

So wireless lights are now a reality at Mr. Beams. We exist to create the best wireless lighting solutions to eliminate darkness. We welcome your ideas for battery-powered light designs. Please let us know how we can help you create better wireless lights by writing us at info@mrbeams.com.

Instant Bright Lighting for Property Managers

We have gotten a lot of great feedback from property managers on what types of applications Mr Beams LED lights are good for in the condos, apartment complexes, community associations and other properties that they manage. We realize that a lot of the lighting was designed into the building or property from the beginning. In those cases, a property manager can find the replacement lighting at an electrical supply house. However what we are finding is that there are a number of property management lighting applications where a wireless battery powered light makes a lot of sense.

In one example, a property manager for a condo association found that there were a number of places inside and outside of the condo buildings he was in charge of where a security light could be added. For indoor lighting, he had a number of locations in hallways and stairwells that he thought did not have adequate lighting. For outdoor lighting, there were a number of alleys that had dark spots he felt could be better. He ordered a number of the Mr Beams MB360 Wireless Outdoor Security Light which contain a motion sensor for automatic activation of the lights. His condo association board approved the spotlights as I believe the property manager had identified a place where it was worth spending money. The MB360 is a very cost effective solution for this application. In the end, he was very happy with the lights and ended up recommending the MB980 Anywhere Ceiling Light and MB530 Motion Sensing Step Light to condo owners as a good solution to lighting problems in their condos.

In another example, a different property manager used the MB980 Anywhere Ceiling Light to provide extra lighting at the mail stops on his property. At every set of outdoor mailboxes, he installed an MB980 on the overhang. At night, when residents walk up to get there mail the light would automatically turn on. The MB980 is a weatherproof, battery powered LED light. It has a light sensor that acts as a day / night sensor such that the light only turns on when it is night time. It has a motion sensor to turn on only when it senses motion and it automatically turns off 60 seconds after no motion has been detected. Battery life should be very good in this application.

For the property manager, Mr Beams LED lighting is a good option in applications where you want to add extra lighting but do not want to get an electrician involved. For outdoor lighting, utility room lighting, equipment room lighting, storage room lighting, as a wall light or a battery powered light fixture where wires are not an option, it is worth taking at look at the wireless battery-operated Mr Beams LED lights. If you are a property manager and you have an application that you think our lights would work well in, please email us at info@mrbeams.com.

How to Reduce Light Pollution

My 7-year old son was recently given a telescope for his birthday. We were excited because we had recently watched an episode of the original Batman TV series where Bruce Wayne was unlocking the secrets of the universe to Dick Grayson through a telescope at Wayne Manor. No doubt Bruce Wayne – being a millionaire when millionaire meant something - had the top of the line telescope and that helped. But there was another reason why our telescope was not able to reveal too much about our universe: light pollution.

Light pollution is caused by improper lighting in heavily-populated areas. Light from outdoor fixtures is aimed improperly and causes light bouncing in all directions. You can see this in parking lot lighting that shines in every direction; street lighting that lights in too many directions; and house lighting that shines in your eyes and shines up instead of just lighting the ground.

Drive down a residential street at night and notice how many lights are shining right at your eyes instead of just lighting the path and the house. Some are a nuisance, while some can almost blind you. This is one of the complaints of incandescent bulbs: they shine in every direction, while you only need the light to shine in specific directions. This is one of the important advantages of LEDs - they are more directional. The typical LED shines a beam of about 120 degrees – putting light in only one third of the places that an incandescent bulb will throw light. This is the main reason that creating an incandescent bulb replacement using LEDs is so challenging. However, this is also why LEDs create much less light pollution compared to incandescent bulbs. And this is why light fixtures made with LEDs can be so much more efficient that incandescent bulbs and CFLs as well. Incandescent bulbs and CFLs emit light in every direction. Does your outside lighting really need to shine upwards?

I recently wrote about the cost savings of using the Mr. Beams battery powered LED security light versus using a traditional wired spotlight with an incandescent bulb. The cost savings is dramatic: If you would normally turn a 75W incandescent light bulb on all night (cost of $35.50 each year at $0.13 per kWh) then you can save about $33 per year by changing to a Mr. Beams battery operated Security Spotlight. The Mr. Beams LED Security Spotlight will only activate when it detects motion. The Spotlight also reduces light pollution. It s bright LED will only shine in the direction that you have pointed it. It is smarter lighting that will prevent light pollution while preventing wasted energy.

Please learn more about the Mr. Beams line of battery powered, motion sensor LED lighting at www.mrbeams.com

How to Reduce Your Cost of Outdoor Lighting, Part 1

We had a two-headed security spotlight above our garage for years. Every day when I pulled out of the garage to go to work, I would see that spotlight still on and it would drive me crazy. But not always crazy enough to stop the car, go back into the house and turn off the light.

In commercial buildings, lighting accounts for up to 30% of the total electricity consumption. For your home, it is much less – probably less than 15% of the electricity you consume is due to lighting. So turning a light off will not make a significant difference. Unless, of course, it’s your two-headed spotlight.

The math is much simpler than you would expect. If you have two 75-watt bulbs, then you are using 150 watts per hour. If those lights are on for 24 hours, then you are using 3600 watts per day. Since a kilowatt is one-thousand watts, you have burned 3.6 kilowatt-hours (kWh). At $0.15 per kWh, the cost of electricity from leaving your spotlights on all day is $0.54 per day.

So that $0.54 per day adds up to $16.20 per month, and $197.10 per year. Even if you remember to turn that light off 4 out of 7 days each week, it still is costing you $84.24 per year to light up one small area.

When I looked at those numbers I cringed – what a waste of electricity! This is one of the reasons that we at Mr. Beams™ wireless off-grid lighting are so passionate about our products. Yes they provide security from intruders and animals. They also help prevent falls in and around the home. And they save you the expense of an electrician because they are battery-powered and mount anywhere in minutes. But all Mr. Beams™ products stay off during the day and only turn on when they detect motion.

Compare that to the Mr. Beams™ LED security Spotlight with motion sensor. The Spotlight has a daylight sensor so it will only turn on at night. And it has a motion sensor so it will only turn on when there is movement. At $39.99, two of these Mr Beams™ Spotlights will pay for themselves in less than a year. You will never pull out of the garage and have to make the decision on how much saving electricity is worth to you.

How Bill Uses Mr. Beams LED Lights

My friend Bill called again this week. Bill is one of our favorite customers. He has installed Mr. Beams lights throughout his home and property and keeps adding more of our bright LED lights. Here are a few of the locations that Bill installed Mr. Beams motion sensor LED lights:

Barn – There is no lighting in a detached barn on Bill’s property. So Bill installed two Mr. Beams motion sensor Spotlights that turn on as soon as they detect motion. The installation took just minutes and the light is bright enough for safety in the barn.

Porch – Bill’s favorite application for lighting up dark spaces is a Mr. Beams Ceiling Light on the ceiling of his porch. When he approaches it lights up so he can see his keys, lights up the steps so he does not fall, and turns off automatically after 30 seconds.

Deck – Bill attached four Mr. Beams motion sensor Stair Lights to his deck posts. These bright LED lights glow once it gets dark and then light up bright when they detect motion. Compared to wiring lights on a deck, Bill saved about $600 and was able to install all four in under 30 minutes.

The very positive feedback from our customers has been the most rewarding part of running Wireless Environment. Our customers are the best advertising – so many of them buy additional lights and tell their friends about the lights that can be installed anywhere in minutes, use bright LEDs and the best motion sensors available, light up brightly when they detect motion and turn off when they are not needed. We hope that you will try our Mr. Beams lights to drive away the darkness and add safety and security to your home. Start living off the grid.

Living Off the Grid in Nigeria

CNN reports today on the problems with the electrical supply in Nigeria. There is a story about a hospital that was constantly suffering from the effects of power outages. One night 12 accident victims came in and nobody could treat them because there wasn't any light to see their wounds.

According to Amara Nwankpa in the CNN story, “Less than half the population has access to grid electricity and those who do typically have power for nine or 10 hours a day, but sometimes go for three or four days with no power at all."

Wireless Environment is focused on improving the quality of lighting in off-grid situations. We help countries like Nigeria by providing lighting that runs without wires, and a hybrid version of lights that tap into the electrical grid when it is working and then switch to battery power when it is advantageous.

Our Mr. Beams line of products helps residents of Nigeria operate during power outages and rolling blackouts. For interiors, the Ceiling Light can light up an entire room with enough bright light to read by. It is battery-operated so power outages do not affect it. It turns on with motion and stays on as it detects motion. The Mr. Beams Stair Light can provide safety lighting to prevent falls in the home. It also is battery operated and turns on when it detects motion.

For outside, the Mr. Beams Spotlight can provide security lighting to protect a house. It turns on a bright LED when it detects motion. Like all other Mr. Beams lights, it is weather-resistant and can survive extreme environmental conditions. And because it is battery-operated it works off the grid in countries like Nigeria.

Wireless Environment is also developing battery systems that are contained inside light fixtures. These batteries store electricity when it is available and then discharge power when grid power is not available.

Prepare Your Home to Go Off-Grid

Glenn from Australia called me this week. He wants to introduce the Mr. Beams line of wireless LED lighting to his country. I assumed it was because Australians are more likely to spend time outdoors and they need lighting that can operate without electricity and be installed anywhere. That is partially true, but the real reason is to save money.

Electricity was deregulated in Australia and rates have risen more than 17.5% in 2010. According to Glenn, the average household in Australia is paying $200 to $300 more per year for electricity than they did last year.

Australians are looking at their electricity consumption and figuring out where they can go off-grid. People in China and India are constantly focused on shifting off-grid. It is only a matter of time before people living in other developed countries will need to analyze their electricity consumption and shift off-grid as well.

Look at the statistics in the U.S. In order for electricity production to keep up with expected demand in 2035, the U.S. will have to create 250 gigawatts of new generating capacity*. At an average of 750 megawatts per plant, that means the U.S. needs to build 330 plants over the next 25 years, which is almost impossible. This means we can expect many more black-outs, rolling outages and a general inability to rely on the grid to provide power.

Mr. Beams’ parent company - Wireless Environment - is working on solutions for the future electricity shortage by developing quality off-grid solutions for lighting and other appliances. Currently, Mr. Beams offers six products to help you start shifting off the electrical grid. All use LEDs and motion sensors and can be installed by you in under 5 minutes. These LED lighting products are designed to help you go off the grid by lighting the following dark areas:

Outdoor Security Lighting – with batteries, a motion sensor and LEDs, you can install a weatherproof Mr. Beams wireless motion-sensor spotlight all by yourself for under $40. It will activate when it senses motion – people, vehicles or critters – an shine a bright light until the motion stops. $3 of batteries will give you at least one year worth of light. Security lighting even during power outages.

Shed Lighting – Install a light in your shed for under $40. The weatherproof Mr. Beams Ceiling Light provides bright enough light for illuminate a 15’ x 10’ shed. The Ceiling Light detects motion and keeps the light on until there is no motion, then turns off automatically. $4 of batteries should last more than 2 years.

Garage Lighting – Instead of using fragile light bulbs to light up your garage, install a Mr. Beams Motion-Sensor Spotlight for under $40. The Motion-Sensor Spotlight will provide the light you need and will turn on automatically once someone enters the garage. It will survive vibration and temperature extremes and still provide 120 lumens of bright light. It will never stay on all night and burn out. You can install it anywhere in less than 5 minutes and aim it in any direction that fits your needs.

Closet Lighting – Stop worrying about leaving your closet light on all day. The Mr. Beams Ceiling Light is a bright closet light that can provide the equivalent of a 40W light bulb. It will turn on as soon as it detects motion in the closet. It will stay on until 30 seconds after you leave the closet. $4 of batteries should provide at least 2 years of closet lighting.

Attic Lighting – Our attic light has never lasted more than 2 weeks. Someone always accidentally turns on the light and we never know it is on. The Mr. Beams Ceiling Light installs to a rafter or wall in 2 minutes. No electrician needed. Install 4 C batteries and this light will provide you with 5 years between battery changes with typical use. Bright light that goes on even during power outages.

Path Lighting – Solar Lights introduced the world to off-grid lighting, but they have serious issues. Switch the solar cell with batteries and you have the perfect off-grid solution for path lights. Indoor or outdoor, path lights with batteries work even after cloudy days in the winter. They go on much brighter than solar lights once they detect motion. The Mr. Beams Stair Lights and Remote Control Path Lights are bright, off-grid lights to provide safety for those walking in and around your home.

* DOE – U.S. Energy Information Administration

What Is Off-Grid Lighting?

What Does Off-Grid Lighting Mean?

Wireless Environment has observed and classified three major reasons for taking lighting off-grid. Our vision is to become the leader in shifting lighting off-grid for maximum efficiency, utility and value.

The three reasons to go off the grid with you lighting are:
1. No Access to Electricity
2. Power Outage / Rolling Blackout
3. Economic Gain

Here is how we define the three categories of off-grid lighting:

1. No Access to Electricity
The majority of locations in the world are off-grid. In remote locations there are often no electrical wires. But even in your own home, there is are many areas where you want light and have no wires. Think about your driveway, your backyard, the corner of your house and many of your closets. For all of these areas that need light, battery-powered or solar-powered lighting is the best option. Battery-powered lights can provide brighter light without wires.

Products like the Mr. Beams Spotlight can attach to a tree anywhere. When it detects movement through its motion sensor, a powerful LED lights up a driveway, walkway, backyard, porch. There is also a remote control Spotlight that can be activated by the remote control or turn on with its motion sensor. For detached sheds and detached garages, the Mr. Beams Ceiling Light can provide bright light. It is weatherproof, like all Mr. Beams wireless lights, and has a sensitive motion detector. Once someone enters the garage, shed, gazebo or closet, the Mr. Beams Ceiling Light emits a bright white light until the auto shut-off turns it off. Other Mr. Beams lights include the Stick Anywhere Night Light and the Stair Light. Both lights have daylight sensors to keep the lights off during the day and conserve battery life. They also are weatherproof and have motion sensors. They provide lighting where there is no electricity, and can significantly help reduce the number of falls.

2. Power Outage / Rolling Blackout
I recently blogged about the increase in the number of blackouts in the U.S. As the grid becomes more strained, we will experience more power outages. For this reason Mr. Beams is developing a line of batteries that can be installed inside light fixtures. These batteries will detect a power outage and then provide enough back-up power to allow for safe exit. Technology will also help extend the battery life and thus the useful light for exit or other operation.

3. Economic Gain
In the future world of increased demand on the electrical grid, there will be a strong incentive to reduce electricity use during certain times. Currently the peak demand times are between 2pm and 5pm during the business week – especially during hot days. Electric companies are paying facilities to go off the grid at these times. With the Wireless Environment battery technology, a facility can transfer its lighting to battery power during these peak times. The facility can collect a fee for going off the electrical grid, and take advantage of lower electricity costs by re-charging the back-up batteries for the lighting during an off-peak time. In some areas of the country, the spread in the cost between peak-demand electricity and off-peak electricity can be significant. With LED light fixtures and the Wireless Environment battery technology, lights can shift off-grid and still operate at the same lumen level.

In our future, we will all face the need to go off-grid more often. Products are being developed to help manage lighting off of the grid. We will continue to update the progress of developing off-grid lighting products and components.

Mr. Beams: Your Defense Against Blackouts and Power Outages

A recent CNN story announced the startling fact on power outages: "U.S. Electricity Blackouts Skyrocketing". Those of us caught in the blackouts have known this for a long time - the electrical grid is strained more and more every year. Utilities can not keep up with demand. This strain leads to more and longer power outages. The reason they are also called "blackouts" is because the loss of lighting is the major inconvenience.

Mr. Beams lights are your best defense against blackouts. They are indoor / outdoor LED lights that are powered by batteries. You mount them anywhere in just a few minutes - no electrician, no wires. As soon as the space is dark and the light detects motion, it shines brightly, illuminating large areas with bright LED light.

Here is the installation locations we recommend for your home to provide safety and security lighting during a power outage:
1. Stairways - Most important lighting is on the stairways. Good stair lighting during a blackout will help prevent the most dangerous falls. Mount the MB980 Ceiling Light on the ceiling of the stairway. As soon as there is darkness, the Mr. Beams Ceiling Light detects for motion. If you are upstairs during the power outage and need to go downstairs, you will have a lighted path to safely guide you. We also recommend installing two Stair Lights, which will glow lightly as soon as it is dark to show you where the stairs are. Once they detect motion, they light up brightly.

2. Entrances - On your inside entrance we recommend the Mr. Beams Ceiling Light mounted near the entrance. As soon as the light go off, the Ceiling Light turns on its motion detector. If you need to exit your home, the Ceiling Light will detect you and light up the entire entrance way with a bright Nichia LED. Once there is no motion, the Ceiling Light will turn off to conserve its batteries for when it is needed. For outside entrances, we recommend the weatherproof MB360 Spotlight. This is our brightest light with the largest motion sensor diameter. If anyone approaches your home during the blackout - be they wanted or unwanted - the Motion Sensor Spotlight will turn on a bright light to scare them away or let them approach safely. You will be the only home in the neighborhood with lighting during a blackout. this will deter intruders from approaching your home.

3. Basements - If you have ever had a blackout when you are in your basement you know how difficult it can be to exit. Some basements are in total darkness, and there are many obstacles in your way. Imagine your kids yelling for you from upstairs during a power outage and you need to get out of your basement quickly. For the basement ceiling we recommend the Mr. Beams Ceiling Light mounted near the stairs and in the back area. As soon as the light go off and you move ever so slightly, the Ceiling Light turns on its bright light to light up enough of the basement with a bright Nichia LED. Once there is no motion, the Ceiling Light will turn off to conserve its batteries for when it is needed.

4. Hallways - Since many power outages occur at night, it is important to be able to exit your bedroom in safety. We recommend the MB723 Stick Anywhere Night Lights for this reason. The Stick Anywhere Night Lights mount anywhere with the adhesive tape provided. They are perfect to light the path between you and the bathroom, you and the kids room, or you and the exit. They are battery powered so no electrician is required. As soon as you approach these motion sensor lights, a bright LED will go on to light your way and help prevent falls. As soon as you pass, the lights have auto shut-off to conserve battery life.

So be prepared for the next blackout. Install Mr Beams wireless LED lights with motion sensors. They come in Spotlight, Stair Light, Ceiling Light and Stick Anywhere Night Light forms. Install them throughout your home to have emergency lighting for the next blackout. Prevent falls between blackouts. And experience battery-powered lighting that does not rely on your electric company.

Where Do You Need Light?

What is the value of light to you? Probably never gave it much thought - yet you used some method to evaluate whether or not to call you electrician in to light up that dark porch in your backyard, or the end of your hallway that is too dark. In my mind a light costs me $250. The light itself is $50 and the electrician will cost me $200.

This same evaluation led us to develop the Mr. Beams line of battery-powered lights. At $10-$60 per light, your cost of light is significantly lower. In many ways your annual operating cost will also be lower. Battery operated lights like the Mr. Beams Ceiling Light requires 4 C batteries at $1 each. The Mr. Beams Ceiling Light is designed to last 18 months on one set of batteries - so the annual operating cost is around $2.35. If you hire an electrician to install a ceiling light, this light requires a light bulb that will probably last just one year ($1.50) plus require electricity. Electricity can add up when the light is left on during the day or when not needed. All Mr. Beams battery operated lights have auto shut-off and motion detectors. The auto shut-off turns the light off after no motion is detected.

So the Mr. Beams line of motion sensor battery operated lights can save you money and get you off the electrical grid. When battery power is combined with motion sensors and LED's, it allows you to add light anywhere at a low initial cost and a low operating cost. So at $30 per light, where do you need light? The Mr. Beams Spotlight can light up your backyard and driveway. The Mr. Beams Stair Light can make you stairs safe and help prevent falls. The Mr. Beams Stick Anywhere Night Light can light up hallways and bathrooms and toilets to help prevent falls. The Mr. Beams Ceiling Light can light up your closets and attic so bright that you can choose the right color of your clothes. All are battery powered and use a motion sensor and auto shut-off to get you off the grid and save money in your lighting.

Homeowners' Associations Need Lighting Solutions!

We are always looking to share customer success stories. As great as we think the Mr Beams products are, nothing sells better than word-of-mouth. Think about it: you can be on the fence about purchasing an item and all it takes is a friend's "you've gotta have it" or "don't do it" to sway you in either direction. Therefore, we try to publish posts and reviews that are useful and will provide you with enough feedback to persuade you to give battery operated lighting a chance.

Many conversations and e-mails were exchanged between Wireless Environment and Jim in New Hampshire to help him determine that wireless lighting was the right solution for him. The problem: Jim is a property manager who was looking for an affordable way to illuminate common areas in his condominium development. The challenge was that the existing electrical network was not enough to support the desired lighting configuration. Combined with budgetary constraints, Jim and his team were scratching their heads for a solution when Jim found Mr Beams online and called to see if it was practical to entertain battery operated lighting for his requirement. After getting the 411 on the wireless LED Spotlights, Jim presented Mr Beams to his board who gave the green light to test and subsequently purchase 120 Security Spotlights for use on the property. Jim took the time time to report to Wireless Environment:

"The spotlights have been installed in all four of our condo buildings. Shortly after the lights were installed, a thunder storm caused a electrical power outage and the spotlights operated exactly as intended providing light illumination in the "blacked-out" high traffic areas in which they were installed. Feedback from the condo owners has been very positive...we are very satisfied with the spotlights and their performance...we appreciate all the assistance you provided and your more than prompt response to all of our inquiries."

From one customer to a prospective customer--isn't that a great testimony?

Mr Beams will go the extra mile to sell you their products. Moreover, they will go the extra mile to support you after you've purchased your units. Ask Jim.

You can always learn more about Mr Beams on their website: www.mrbeams.com. The LED battery operated lights are extremely effective and reliable--from a simple closet light to preempting bear attacks (see previous post), you'll be amazed at the uses you'll find for these products.