How to Save on Your Business's Energy Costs With Smart Lighting Solutions

Introduction

Operating a business comes with many overhead costs, one of the largest being energy costs for lighting. Traditional lighting like incandescent and fluorescent bulbs can consume a lot of electricity and drive up your monthly bills. Smart lighting solutions such as LED bulbs and advanced lighting controls allow businesses to dramatically reduce their energy usage and costs while also improving lighting quality. In this article, I will discuss various tips on how smart lighting can enable business owners to save significantly on energy costs.

Evaluate Your Current Lighting Setup

The first step is to assess your existing lighting system. Here are some key things to evaluate:

Take Stock of All Lighting Fixtures

• Walk through your entire office space and take notes on all lighting fixtures in use. Count the number of lamps/bulbs used in each fixture.
• Log the wattage of existing bulbs and their technology (incandescent, fluorescent, halogen, etc). This info should be printed directly on the bulbs.
• Note which fixtures may be redundant or unnecessary. Also note any fixtures that are in prime locations where upgrades would have the most impact.

Consider Lighting Usage Patterns

• Make notes on all areas with frequent lighting use versus infrequent use. Conference rooms for example may only be lit a few hours per week during meetings.
• Note which fixtures may be suitable for occupancy sensors or timers to automatically turn off when not in use. This can generate big savings over time.

Look For Areas That Are Overlit or Underlit

• Overlit areas are illuminated with more light than needed. This wastes energy that could be reduced with dimmers or different bulbs.
• Underlit areas can cause eye strain and headaches. Strategic upgrades in these areas can improve lighting quality and energy efficiency.

Upgrade Fixtures to LED Bulbs

Upgrading inefficient incandescent and fluorescent lighting to LEDs is one of the most impactful steps. Key benefits of LEDs:

• Use 50-80% less electricity than incandescent bulbs for the same brightness levels. This generates massive energy savings.
• Last 15-25x longer than incandescent bulbs, lowering replacement costs.
• Run much cooler, reducing HVAC load.
• Available for virtually any lighting fixture type and brightness level.

Here are some tips on maximizing savings with LED upgrades:

• Prioritize fixtures with the most daily hours of use for first conversions to LED. This will maximize savings. Conference rooms for example are a lower priority than lobby and hallway lighting.
• Purchase ENERGY STAR certified LED bulbs from reputable brands to ensure high quality and energy savings.
• Take advantage of utility rebates and tax incentives on LED bulbs and fixtures to offset upfront costs.
• Use LED fixtures with automated controls like occupancy sensors and daylight harvesting for even deeper energy savings.

Install Lighting Controls

Beyond LED bulbs, advanced lighting controls offer additional ways to reduce energy waste:

Occupancy / Vacancy Sensors

• Automatically turn lights on/off based on detecting people's presence or absence in a space.
• Particularly effective for intermittent-use areas like storage rooms, restrooms, and conference rooms.
• Can generate approximately 30% lighting energy savings in suitable areas.

Daylight Harvesting Systems

• Use sensors to track natural light levels in a space and automatically dim or turn off fixtures when sufficient daylight is available.
• Typically used in areas with ample windows and daylight exposure such as open office spaces, lobbies, atriums.
• Can offer energy savings of around 40%.

Smart Scheduling and Automation

• Use programmable timers or smart software to automatically turn lighting on/off per a schedule and optimize for occupancy patterns.
• Configure all lights to turn off at night and on only when needed. Automate schedules for weekends/holidays.
• Software integrations allow remote control and usage tracking to identify savings opportunities.

Address Maintenance Issues

It is also important to address lighting system maintenance that affects efficiency:

• Clean fixtures, diffusers, and lenses of dust/grime buildup which reduces light levels. This avoids overlighting to compensate.
• Replace aging, flickering ballasts in fluorescent fixtures to allow bulbs to run at proper efficiency.
• Ensure LED fixtures have heat sinks and ventilation to avoid overheating and early failures.
• Group control circuits and switches to avoid lighting unused spaces.

Consider Retrofits and New Fixtures

For more extensive lighting projects, consider new energy efficient fixtures:

• LED panel retrofit kits can be installed in existing fluorescent troffer fixtures for approximately half the cost of new fixtures.
• New LED fixtures with advanced optics deliver more uniform and glare-free illumination.
• Task tuning involves tailoring fixtures and brightness levels to the usage of specific work areas as opposed to general ambient lighting. This can improve employee comfort and productivity while using less energy.

Track Lighting Usage and Savings

Lastly, implementing a system to monitor and analyze lighting energy use over time is invaluable:

• Metering individual circuits with smart energy meters provides detailed usage insights.
• Building automation systems can provide live usage data and identify anomalies signaling issues.
• Compare usage before and after upgrades to calculate payback period on investments and ROI.
• Continuously monitor usage to spot new savings opportunities and optimize lighting performance.

Conclusion

Intelligent LED lighting retrofits and advanced controls offer office and retail business owners an outstanding opportunity to reduce overhead costs while also improving the quality of lighting. Following the tips outlined in this article will enable companies to maximize energy savings and return on investment from upgrading their lighting infrastructure. The result is a win both for the bottom line and the environment.