From what I've read, the "typical" fluorescent bulb has a wattage of about 10 watts per foot. So, 4-foot shop light uses 40-watt bulbs, and a 2-foot shop light uses 20 (or 18) watt bulbs. The ends of the bulbs, nearest the ballasts, aren't as efficient as the middle, even when the bulb is new. So, for a 4-foot shop light, the last 4-6 inches aren't receiving as much light as the center (I try to compensate for this by switching the flats around every few days). This also makes the shorter fixtures less effective in delivering light to your plants--if the last 6-inches of the each end is weaker light, a large chunk of your 2-foot fixture is less effective, compared to a 4-foot fixture. Speaking of which, I'm off to buy more shop lights, since several died on me last spring (guess I should try to be more careful and not spill so much water on the darn things!!) Emily in FRIGID Fairbanks

Several comments 1. The typical operating temperature for Led diodes is much wider i.e. most should operate between -40 to +140 degrees celsius. Real example The max junction temperature for a Cree XM-L Led diode is ~ 150 celsius or 50 above the boiling point of water. 2. There is a wide selection of LED diodes on the market with a wide range of color, efficiencies, current drive, voltage, ... 3. A LED lamp's longevity is affected by how the lamp/ fixture designer design decisions for example- i. Over driving the current at the expense of lifespan. ii. Which LED components to use - more efficient vs greater max output vs cheaper (given the anticipated production run), ... iii. The quality of the other necessary components - capacitors, resistors, ... iv. The quality of the manufacturing process. SMT (surface mount technology) consistently beats the quality of manual soldering and individual wires. 4. Active cooling (i.e. - fan) is no longer used - not effective or cost efficient, prone to failure and reduces the overall efficiency. The use of the motherboard as a heat sink/ spreader is preferred. The Switch lightbulb utilizes an inert liquid and convection circulation to sink the heat produced. 5. The pricing will drop more when the the LED diode costs are reduced as well as when lighting device designers figure out how to reduce the BOM (bill of materials) cost and simplify the manufacturing process. FWIW, the L prize bulb is not competitive with the Cree bulb (or even the newer Philips LED bulbs) from both a manufacturing and end user consumer standpoint. 6. From an electrical standpoint, the E26 connector is no less efficient than a GU24/ bi-pin connector / wire nuts. 7. The more advanced LED deployments today are done in aircraft, automotive and custom home designs where cost is less of a concern. 8. For the rest, it will take a while before more and better fixtures/ lamps designed with LEDs in mind appear since most folks are used to the traditional glass forms ( bulb, tubes).

As others have mentioned, 15" of clear leg/knee space is the minimum recommended seating overhang for counter-height seating. That means 15" after you account for finished end panels on the back of the cabinets. If you have standard depth cabinets on ones side of the island plus seating, then the minimum depth of the island is 40.5" for semi-comfortable seating. Here's the math: 1.5" counter overhang + 24" deep cabinets + 1" thick finished end panel + 15" overhang = 40.5" If you do not install finished end panels on the back of the island cabinets, then you save about 1", so a 39.5" deep island would work - with the appropriate aisle behind the seats (more on that later). If this is the only seating in the house, then I would discourage island seating as this type of seating is not the most comfortable for meals, is not conducive to personal interaction (especially if seating is like "ducks in a row"), and will definitely be a major detriment to resale (if resale is a consideration...) In your case, you appear to have a DR. So, is it a fair assumption that the island is only going to be used for snacks, the occasional quick meal, and for visitors while you work? Of note is that for a kitchen to have cabinets and/or appliances on both walls + an island with seating, the kitchen needs to be at least 187" (15'7") wide. More math! 25.5" perimeter cabs/counters + 42" aisle + 40.5" island + 54" aisle + 25.5" cabs/counters = 187.5" (15'7.5") If you have an appliance like a refrigerator on one side, add another 6" if it's not a true built-in refrigerator; if it is, add another 2" to 3". You have a 13' wide kitchen...at least 2'7" too narrow for what you want. Reducing the 42" aisle width to 39" will gain you 3", but if you have a DW on that aisle, even 39" could be problematical - unless you're OK with no one being able to pass by when the DW is open. Reducing the 54" aisle will really only work (1) if there's no path through the kitchen on that aisle and (2) if there are no work counters or appliances behind the seats (e.g., pantry cabinets only). If these conditions are met, you could reduce that aisle to 48". If there is nothing on the back wall at all (only wall), then you can probably get away with 44". Be aware that skimping on overhang does not save you on aisle width. People will still take up the same amount of room - they will just have to sit back farther from the island and lean over more - not very comfortable! They might sit sideways or "straddle" the island, but again, those are very uncomfortable positions! [I speak from experience - we have friends with a 12" overhang and it is NOT comfortable to sit at their peninsula! My DH and DS never sit there b/c it's so uncomfortable for them. Even our 15" is too shallow for my DH & DS, but it's not as bad as 12". If I had it to do over, I would try for an 18" overhang.] Another pitfall is the "barrier island" problem. If you can't avoid it, then perhaps an island is not appropriate in your kitchen. I know that islands are the "in thing" right now, but not all kitchens can support an island. Note: While 12" of clear leg/knee space is the minimum recommended seating overhang for bar-height seating, that small a counter is not very useful if you plan to eat any meals there - there's not enough room for plates & glasses w/o the risk of knocking one or the other off the counter and down onto the lower counter. In addition, bar-height seating is very uncomfortable for older people (if not impossible for them to use) and not very safe for young children. Plus, it breaks up your workspace on the working side of the island and sometimes causes that side to have even less depth than perimeter counters/counters with no raised counters on the other side. HTH!

I have Juno and I really like them. Make sure you look at the features, which I didn't know to ask about but I lucked out anyway. Ask what types of bulbs you can use, if they are compatible with CFLs should you decide to go with those in the future, even if you don't intend to now. They are getting better all the time. One feature that came up here was someone who felt hers were too glaring and I was able to fix that on mine by recessing the bulb deeper into the fixture, but they do need to be adjustable that way, and I am not sure if all of them are. So, the more versatile bulbs you can use, and fixture and dimmer that are also compatible with CFLs (I like to have options), a variety of trim pieces available so you can alter/update the decor if you want, and a fixture widely adjustable to recess the bulb or make it flush with the ceiling depending on your lighting needs and comfort. Sue