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Home > Energy Efficiency Tips & Tools > Lighting > Lighting Tips
Lighting Tips - Small Business
Save 20% or more with little effort
Lighting offers an easy opportunity to boost energy efficiency. Energy-dollar
savings of 20% to 50% are commonplace. For instance, removing just one
100-watt light bulb can save over 200 kWh of electricity every year. Removing
five such bulbs would save over 1,000 kWh!
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Fluorescent fixtures
Evaluate overlit areas
Lighting levels often are higher than necessary. You can save energy by
removing unneeded lamps. Excess light levels are often found near windows,
in hallways, and in areas with no furniture. Check out how to save on
Ceiling
Fluorescents.
Fluorescents should always be removed in pairs. In common four-lamp fixtures,
you can remove either the two outermost lamps or the inner pair. Be sure
to remove the same pair (inner or outer) from each fixture to achieve
a uniform lighting pattern for the ceiling.
To try out the effect of removing lamps, just twist them out and leave
them on the sides. That way you can experiment with the lighting levels
and easily re-insert the lamps if needed.
Disconnect the ballasts
Fluorescent fixtures include components called ballasts which provide
proper voltage and current for starting and running the lamps. Ballasts
use electricity when the fixture is turned on. If the lamps are removed
but their ballast is not disconnected, the ballast will continue to use
electricity when the fixture is switched on. A ballast for two 40-watt
lamps uses 6.5 watts.
For maximum dollar savings, ballasts should be disconnected too. Consult
with your electrician to have this done. If you find this too difficult
or troublesome, be reassured that no operational problems will result
if you remove lamps but leave the ballasts connected.
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Switch lamps
Replace incandescents with compact fluorescents
Conventional incandescent lamps are inefficient and generally have a short
life. Compact fluorescent lamps are super energy-efficient replacements.
There are many types available and you should be able to find ones that
will fit your fixtures.
So, without changing the fixture, compact fluorescents make it possible
to replace an incandescent with a more efficient and long-lasting fluorescent
lamp. So you could replace a 75-watt incandescent, with a 20 watt compact
fluorescent that will last 4 times longer- and will deliver the same amount
of light for about one-quarter the energy!
Although compact fluorescents are considerably more expensive, they will
more than pay for themselves with savings in electricity, lamp replacement
and labour costs. Payback is quickest when they are installed in fixtures
that are used for many hours each day, year round.
Install more efficient lamps in recessed downlights
Standard light bulbs are inappropriate for recessed downlights. They radiate
light in almost all directions rather than just down. Also the fixture
traps both the extra light and the heat, causing this kind of bulb to
burn out pre-maturely, sometimes damaging the wiring and fixture as well.
Rather than standard light bulbs, use reflector lamps in recessed downlights.
ER lamps - the right choice for you?
In a ceiling downlight or "can" fixture, 50% or more of the
light from a deeply recessed standard flood lamp may be trapped and the
energy wasted.
You can save energy dollars by replacing the standard floodlamp with
a lower wattage "ER" (ellipsoidal reflector) lamp, which projects
more of its light out of the fixture.
Use halogen lamps where appropriate
Halogens uses halogen gas to increase lamp output and prolong the life
of the filament. Halogen light tends to be sparkling white.
They can also provide dramatic lighting for highlighting a display, while
delivering significant energy savings. You may find you can use a 90 watt
halogen PAR 38 lamp instead of a 150 watt conventional PAR 38 lamp.
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Use larger lamps
Use one larger lamp
The larger the lamp, the more efficient it is. So rather than using two
60-watt incandescents (total 1780 lumens), try one 100-watt lamp (1750
lumens). This will yield about the same light but save the cost of 20
watts of electricity.
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Install dimmers
Use dimmers
You get more control over lighting levels, and when you dim the lights,
you use less energy. If you find that you're always dimming the lights,
maybe you should replace your lamps with lower wattages.
If you are currently using or considering the use of dimmer switches,
be sure to use the efficient, solid-state kind rather than the older,
energy wasting rheostat type.
There are special dimmers available for fluorescents and low voltage
halogens - be sure to get the right dimmers for the bulbs.
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Install timers or occupancy sensors
Install timers
Timers are ideal for installations such as parking lots or exterior security
lights. Timers can be set to go on and off at particular hours (but must
be reset seasonally to adjust for changes in the length of the day), or
controlled by a photocell to go on at dusk and off at dawn.
Install occupancy sensors
When people may forget to turn lights off, occupancy sensors are probably
the answer. They're easy to install and can be used to turn lights on
and off automatically. Among the best places to install occupancy sensors
are private offices, rest rooms, storage areas, conference rooms, dormitory
and locker rooms, restrooms, and hotel and motel rooms.
Some sensors also come with ambient lighting override so that when sufficient
ambient lighting (daylight) is present, the lighting will not turn on.
The ambient light sensitivity is adjustable to suit the application.
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Half lighting
Rewiring a store for "half lighting"
Half lighting is an effective way to save energy, especially in retail
stores during off hours for shelf stocking or cleaning.
Half lighting (so every other fixture is on or off) would be enough provides
enough light for these tasks. Speak to an electrician to find out the
cost for rewiring for half lighting. You may find that it will pay for
itself in less than 2 years.
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Install an EMS
An Energy Management System can control lighting as well as the HVAC (heating
ventilating and air conditioning), machines and equipment for one or more
areas or for an entire building.
Intelligently programmed to meet your needs, an EMS can automatically
and reliably remember to:
- Turn off lights in unoccupied areas
- Maintain partial lighting before and after "public" hours
- Assure that only necessary safety and security lighting is on
- Schedule lighting operation by hour of day, and time of year
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Other opportunities
Efficient HID lights for parking, other areas
HID (high intensity discharge) lights are extremely energy efficient and
include metal halide and high pressure sodium (HPS) lamps. While HPS light
makes some colours (blue and red, especially) appear quite different,
the very high energy efficiency of these lamps makes them an excellent
choice for street lights, parking areas and perimeter security lighting.
Inside, HPS lamps might be used in a warehouse or in other areas where
color rendition is less important than in a store or office.
Metal halide lights give a bright white light and are often seen in gyms
and overhead lighting in industrial buildings. HID lamps require ballasts
in order to work, and the ballasts for the different classes of HID lights
are not generally interchangeable.
Safety and security lighting
Most buildings have lights that are left ON all the time to satisfy codes
or safety and security needs. While meeting code requirements, you should
be using only the least wattage necessary to do the job.
Retrofit your EXIT signs
EXIT signs are an excellent example of a savings opportunity. These signs
typically contain two or more incandescent lamps which use a total of
30 -50 watts and last from 2,000 to 5,000 hours. An exit light left on
24 hours a day, every day, burns for 8,760 hours a year, so a single sign
may use from 250 to 460 kWh of electricity per year. In addition, it requires
lamp replacement perhaps four times a year, an added maintenance burden.
Compact fluorescent replacements for these incandescent bulbs are available
that operate at 8 - 10 watts per sign and last about 4 times as long as
the incandescents.
Install other new lighting
Lights for hallways, stairways, and inside parking facilities may also
have excellent potential for energy savings. Compact fluorescents are
excellent for stairs and hotel hallway lights, and HPS wall packs can
be used to advantage in parking garages.
New controls and rewiring
Rewiring or installing more efficient controls can be a very effective
investment, with a fast return and "pure gravy" savings for
years afterward. And some projects cost very little to do.
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