Lighting can be your highest energy cost and your greatest source of savings by switching to more energy efficient options. Reducing your lighting can also lower your air conditioning costs because lights generate heat.

Turn off lights when not in use

Lights should be turned off whenever an area is unoccupied. To encourage employees to follow this simple rule, post reminders next to light switches. For even greater convenience, install occupancy sensors.

Keep lamps and fixtures clean

Dirt and dust accumulation can reduce light output by 30%. For maximum performance, clean fixtures every two or three years. Every time a lamp is replaced, wipe the fixture with an anti-static cloth to remove dirt and dust.

Remove lamps that are not needed

Many lighting systems are over-designed, providing too much light for the task. In some cases, lamps or whole lighting fixtures can be removed or retrofitted without creating lighting problems.

Consult a lighting professional for advice before embarking on a removal or retrofit project.

Retrofit your old fluorescent lighting system to save energy and improve lighting quality.

Use high-pressure sodium or metal halide lamps for exterior lighting.

Replace outdoor incandescent or mercury vapour lamps with high-pressure sodium or metal halide lamps. This can save up to 74% of energy use, while providing similar light output.

If your lighting application requires fast start and re-strike, consider using metal halide lamps with Pulse Start technology. These new lamps consume up to 20% less energy, last longer and can start and re-strike in 1 to 3 minutes, twice faster than the normal metal halide lamps.

Replace exit signs with LED exit signs.

LED exit signs or retrofit kits consume 1 to 3 watts, a fraction of the energy used by incandescent-based signs, and last about 100,000 hours.

Use compact fluorescent lamps

Replace incandescent lamps in exit signs, pot lights and general lighting fixtures with appropriate wattage compact fluorescent lamps. These lamps use 70% less energy while lasting 10 times longer.

Install occupancy sensors

Use occupancy sensors in meeting rooms, washrooms and storage areas to turn lights off automatically when the space is unoccupied. Their use saves about 25% of the lighting energy.

Use timers or photocells for outdoor security and parking area lighting.

Timers and photocell sensors automatically turn on outdoor lights at dusk and off at dawn. Astronomical timers, which make seasonal adjustments, are also widely available.

Adjust lighting levels to match needs at different.

Before and after business hours, full lighting may not be necessary. After hours you need just enough light for employees to do jobs such as cleaning or restocking shelves.

If you can control lights with a bank of switches, you may be able to turn off up to half of the lights, and save considerable energy. Even if you have to rewire the lighting system to permit partial lighting, the payback from energy savings and increased lamp life may make the investment worthwhile.

For multilevel commercial buildings, consider installing an automatic Building Management System which can be programmed to efficiently control your lighting, heating, ventilation and air conditioning load to suit your needs and save energy.

 

1. If you have thermostatically controlled appliances such as heaters, ovens and grills, turn on one appliance every 15 to 20 minutes instead of all at once. Thermostatically controlled appliances require more electricity when heating up than during ongoing operation. Staggering start-up times will reduce demand and save you money!
2. If you have flexibility in your work schedule, run high-demand equipment after regular business hours when your overall electrical usage is lower.
3. Indoor lighting can account for a significant amount of energy. If you have incandescent lighting, replace them with high-efficient fluorescent lights to lower energy usage and reduce demand.
4. The international ENERGY STAR^® symbol for energy efficiency is an easy way to identify products that use less energy and help save on your energy costs. Computers and other office equipment displaying the ENERGY STAR^® symbol have power management capability. For example, this feature puts the computer and monitor in sleep mode when not in use. While in this mode, computers use up to 90% less electricity than when fully operational.