Bright Thoughts on Lighting Efficiency

According to Ameren Illinois, Lighting accounts for 20% to 50% of the average business’ electricity consumption. Second only to the broad category of “other”. This category includes miscellaneous electric loads , process equipment, motors, and air compressors. That’s a considerable percentage! Yet Benson Electrical Contracting would like to shed some light on how making simple lighting improvements can generate significant savings over time.

Lighting is an area where improvements in energy efficiency are often sought. Thanks to new lighting technologies and changes in lighting efficiency standards, utilities are now witnessing steep reductions in the percentage of electricity used by commercial building for lighting.

Certainly, each business and industry have unique needs. Different activities demand different amounts of light within a building. As an example, the average amount of lit floorspace noted in the graph below for all buildings is estimated at 79 percent, but three building types have light in at least 90 percent of floorspace – Food sales, health care, and education. Vacant, warehouse and storage, and religious worship buildings light less of their floorspace than other commercial buildings.

Lighting Controls and Strategies

Additional stats from the U.S. Energy Information Administration shine a light on additional strategies being utilized to reduce energy consumption.

• Occupancy sensors that reduce lighting when rooms are unoccupied: Sensors that automatically turn off or dim lights when a person leaves a room or space. Occupancy sensors were used in 16% of all lit buildings and 55% of large (more than 50,000 square feet) lit buildings.
• Scheduling: Lights are automatically dimmed or turned off at certain times of the day. Scheduling was used in 18% of all lit buildings and 43% of large lit buildings.
• Multi-level lighting or dimming: Control devices that adjust lighting power by continuous dimming, stepped dimming, or stepped switching. These devices were used in 7% of all lit buildings and 23% of large lit buildings.
• Building Automation System (BAS) controls the interior lighting system: BAS are most often used to control the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems in buildings, but they can also be used to provide lighting control based on an occupancy schedule. These systems were reported in 4% of all lit buildings and 19% of large lit buildings.
• Daylight harvesting: A lighting control and shade system that automatically dims light fixtures when natural light is available, and/or adjusts shades so that natural light and artificial light combine to provide the desired level of lighting. Daylight harvesting was used in 2% of all lit buildings and 9% of large lit buildings.
• Demand-responsive lighting: Reduces lighting by dimming or turning off lights at times of peak electricity pricing. This strategy was used in 4% of all lit buildings and 6% of large lit buildings.
• Plug-load control: Device that automatically turns off wall plugs and lights when a person leaves a room or space. Plug-load controls were reported in 1% of all lit buildings and 3% of large lit buildings.
• High-end trimming or light-level tuning: High-end trimming sets the maximum level of lighting to less than 100%. Light-level tuning sets the level even lower if a room or space needs less light. These strategies were used in 1% of all lit buildings and 1% of large lit buildings.

Properties with outdated or inefficient commercial lighting systems, like incandescent bulbs and fluorescent tubes, can benefit greatly by conducting a lighting retrofit or system upgrade. Contact Benson Electrical Contracting for complete information on how you can save you money while providing a clean, comfortable and safely lit building for employees, tenants and guests.