How to Rewire Your Office's Lighting on a Budget

Upgrading your office's lighting can make a big difference in productivity and appeal, but rewiring projects can get expensive fast. Here's how I rewired my office's lighting on a strict budget while still getting the quality and features I wanted.

Assess Your Current Lighting Situation

Before making any changes, take stock of your current office lighting.

• Walk around the office and make notes on what is and isn't working. Pay attention to which areas are too dark or too bright.
• Ask employees where they'd like more or better lighting. Having their input will help make the changes more impactful.
• Take inventory of the existing light fixtures. Make note of the number, type, condition and placement of each one.

Knowing what you're starting with will help determine the scope of work needed.

Set Your Lighting Goals

Now it's time to think about what you want to accomplish with the lighting changes.

• Do you want to create specific moods in different areas of the office?
• Is the goal to highlight architectural features?
• Are there areas that need brighter task lighting, like workstations or the production floor?

Having clear lighting goals will inform your plans and help you prioritize changes for maximum effect.

Make a Lighting Floor Plan

A lighting floor plan helps visualize the lighting changes and serves as a guide during installation.

• Use an existing office floor plan and mark proposed new lighting locations and types.
• Indicate areas getting ambient lighting, task lighting, accent lighting, etc.
• Show where you'll need new wiring and electrical circuits.

Making a floor plan upfront helps catch any issues before the rewiring begins.

Choose Energy Efficient Fixtures

Energy efficient LED lighting has many advantages:

• Long lifespan - Lasts up to 50,000 hours vs 10,000 for fluorescent or 1,000 for incandescent. Fewer fixture replacements needed.
• Lower energy use - Use 40-50% less power than fluorescent and up to 90% less than incandescent. Saves significantly on electricity costs over time.
• Reduced heat output - LEDs produce very little heat compared to other types, reducing HVAC costs.
• Better light quality - LEDs provide natural, vibrant light and excellent color rendering.

Prioritize LED options to maximize energy and cost savings. Look for ENERGY STAR rated fixtures.

Install Dimmers and Occupancy Sensors

Adding dimmers and occupancy sensors during the rewiring further increases efficiency.

• Dimmers allow manually controlling light levels. Set to lower brightness when possible.
• Occupancy sensors automatically turn lights on/off based on detecting people. No wasted power lighting empty rooms.

Combined with LED fixtures, these additions realize even more energy savings.

Shop Secondhand and Salvage Supplies

To cut costs on the lighting fixtures themselves:

• Check secondhand stores, salvage yards and online listings for used commercial lighting. Look for retro styles that reinforce your office's brand personality.
• Repurpose lighting from other areas of your building if possible. Moving an existing fixture is cheaper than buying new.
• If buying new, choose affordable, barebones fixtures and add personality with paint, decals or shade fabrics.

Saving on supplies leaves room in your budget for pro installation if needed.

Prioritize Critical Lighting Needs

If your budget is very tight, focus first on meeting your most pressing lighting needs:

• Task lighting in areas where work is performed. Proper illumination prevents eye strain and mistakes.
• Safety lighting in areas with stairs, uneven surfaces, machinery, etc. Helps prevent accidents and injuries.
• Security lighting inside and outside entry points. Deters crime and theft.

Taking care of these critical needs first ensures your office lighting supports operations, safety and security. The ambience lighting can come later.

Summary

With smart planning and resourcefulness, you can tackle an office rewiring project on a modest budget. Focus on your goals, maximize efficiency, cut supply costs and prioritize critical lighting needs. Improved lighting doesn't have to break the bank if you take the right approach.