Overlooked Ways To Save Money On Commercial Lighting Maintenance

Introduction

Maintaining commercial lighting is an often overlooked expense for many businesses. However, taking the time to properly maintain and upgrade commercial lighting systems can lead to significant long-term savings. In this article, I will share several effective yet underutilized ways businesses can reduce their commercial lighting costs.

Perform Regular Lighting Audits

One of the best ways to save on commercial lighting is to perform regular lighting audits. A lighting audit carefully analyzes your existing lighting systems to identify areas for improvement.

Here are some key benefits of performing lighting audits:

• Identify inefficient lighting fixtures for replacement
• Ensure lighting levels match building use and codes
• Uncover maintenance issues before they become big problems
• Determine which areas are overlit or underlit

I recommend conducting a thorough lighting audit at least once per year. Not only will this help optimize lighting performance, but it also allows you to plan future lighting upgrades and improvements.

The audit process itself can be done in-house using light meters and questionnaires. However, for large commercial facilities, hiring a professional lighting consultant can provide more comprehensive insights. Their specialized expertise helps maximize the return on investment from the audit.

Upgrade Fixtures to LED Technology

Upgrading from traditional lighting systems to LEDs is one of the most impactful steps businesses can take to reduce energy costs. Some key advantages of LEDs:

• Use up to 80% less electricity than incandescent bulbs
• Last 25 times longer than incandescents, reducing maintenance
• Produce less heat than other lighting, lowering HVAC costs
• Offer controllable and energy-efficient dimming

While the upfront cost of installing LED fixtures is higher, the energy savings often provide a full return on investment in less than 3 years. And with utility company rebates and tax incentives, the ROI can be even faster.

I recommend prioritizing LED upgrades based on recency of use and operating hours. Fixtures used most often will yield the greatest energy and maintenance savings over time.

Take Advantage of Natural Lighting and Controls

Effective use of natural lighting and lighting controls can also lead to significant savings:

• Install daylight sensors that automatically dim artificial lights when sufficient natural light is available. This avoids excessive electric lighting during daytime hours.
• Consider skylights and light tubes to harvest natural light, especially in large commercial spaces.
• Occupancy sensors turn off lighting when rooms are unoccupied, while maintaining safety and visibility.
• Tuning and calibration ensures lighting controls are operating properly for maximum efficiency.

The optimal lighting control approach depends on the specific needs of your commercial space. Consulting a lighting professional can help you select the right mix of solutions for each area.

Improve Lighting Maintenance Practices

Diligent lighting maintenance ensures lighting systems operate at peak efficiency. Here are some best practices:

• Clean fixtures and lamps regularly to remove dirt and dust buildup, which decreases light output.
• Replace bulbs before they burn out to maintain lighting levels.
• Group relamping (replacing all lamps on a schedule) helps avoid replacement labor costs.
• Keep lamp inventory on hand to enable quick maintenance response times.
• Use voltage reduction to extend lamp life without compromising lighting quality.

Developing a lighting maintenance schedule and checklist helps ensure tasks get completed consistently. This preventive approach avoids the efficiency losses of reactive maintenance.

Take Advantage of Utility Rebates and Tax Incentives

Many utility companies and state/federal governments offer attractive rebates, tax credits, and other incentives for energy-efficient commercial lighting. These can cover 30% to 80% of lighting upgrade costs and significantly accelerate ROI.

Be sure to research available incentives before undertaking any lighting projects. Confirm program eligibility requirements and application timelines to maximize savings. Enlisting a lighting advisor can also help navigate the process smoothly.

Conclusion

Maintaining optimal commercial lighting does not need to be an expensive overhead cost for businesses. By leveraging lighting audits, LED upgrades, lighting controls, improved maintenance, and energy incentives, companies can realize substantial long-term savings. An upfront investment in efficient lighting yields ongoing dividends through lower operating expenses and improved lighting quality.