This is the second in a series of articles on smart, effective energy upgrades that will not only save you significant energy costs (if done right), but will also result in many other benefits. In the first article last month, I discussed the revolution in lighting technology in the past few years, highlighted by LEDs, which can reduce electricity usage by two-thirds or more compared to conventional lights and have other benefits. Let me add one more thought. If you are worried that LED lighting is a risk or “experimental”, don’t think so anymore. Major financial firms, such as JP Morgan Chase and Deutsch Bank, have recommended in writing to their clients that they switch to LEDs. The technology works, they stated, is reliable, and the firms who supply them are, for the most part, financially secure. And in addition: those who invented LEDs just won a Nobel Prize. And now a final word: several LEDs have just gone on the market in the last month or so that exceed the magical 100 lumens per watt mark. For more, see: http://www.energymanagertoday.com/several-leds-surpass-100-lumens-per-watt-0106402/ In contrast, CFLs produce 55 – 70 lumens per watt, and incandescents produce 13-18 lumens per watt. LEDs work and they are a cost saver!
Reducing electricity costs by two-thirds is great. But how about an opportunity to reduce lighting electricity costs to zero?! That’s lighting controls. Reliable technology has been developed that can control your lighting to levels appropriate for the use of a room or area, turning off or dimming lights when not in use. These are occupancy sensors.
Some claim they don’t need occupancy sensors because the janitors will turn off lights in rooms at night as they clean up. There are many examples of crews who routinely forget to turn off the lights. Occupancy sensors can react to situations and turn off, dim, or light an area quickly. Of course, you first need to do a total assessment of lighting needs. In fact, a simple switch of lights to LEDs is good, but is more beneficial if you also have done a lighting assessment to see if some areas are under- or over-lit. Also, determine which rooms or areas have the longest periods of non-use; these would be the best candidates for sensors. These would include conference rooms, lockers, bathrooms, individual offices, warehouses, and hotel rooms.
Once you determine which rooms or areas should have lighting controls, look for the best controls. Don’t go to Home Depot or Lowe’s and pick up a bunch of cheap ones; they will not be worth it. There are three types of sensors. First, there is Passive Infrared (PIR), which detects heat from humans. These are relatively inexpensive, but may not work well if people are behind partitions. Ultrasonic is becoming most common. It emits and receives sound waves and reacts to changes in reflections to adjust lights. It is programmable, reliable, and can cover an entire room. Finally, a relatively new type is microwave. These appear to work well, but their long-term reliability is unclear.
Occupancy sensors can work effectively if designed well. For example, I was at a multifamily residence recently with hallway lights controlled by sensors. As soon as I stepped out of the elevator – in less than a second – the hallway lights went from off to on. Traditionally, for security purposes, multifamilies have many lights on at full wattage all night even though almost no one uses the area. What a savings to provide security, but also have hallway lights off for over 90% of the long period of night!
And there is more. Controls can also regulate light (and, of course, electricity usage) based on the natural light in the room, known as daylighting. If sunlight comes into a work area, having all of your lights on at full blast is a waste. Let lights only be on when sunlight does not enter the area. Daylighting control sensors regulate lumens of light from fixtures based on light coming in; a consistent amount of light hits the target.
And one more thing. The same controls that regulate light usage can also control your temperatures, too. A smart building manager can save significant energy costs with controls that reduce the need for heating or cooling an area not being used. The sensor can adjust a thermostat so that an empty area is only heated or cooled when people are using it or if the temperature reaches an extreme. Another major area of cost savings.
CCES has the experts to help you plan out a lighting upgrade to determine where best to put lights, what types of lights, and how they can be controlled to maximize your energy cost savings, but still have a productive work staff. We can plan and buy smart for you, resulting in the greatest benefits to make you look good. Contact us at karell@CCESworld.com or at 914-584-6720.