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Retrofit your old lighting system to save energy and improve lighting quality
To reduce energy consumption and improve lighting quality, at costs comparable to standard technologies.
Halogen lamps. In accent lighting applications, replace incandescent lamps with line voltage (PAR type) or low voltage (MR16 type) halogen lamps. They last longer, consume less energy and add more light reflection with greater sharpness.
T8 fluorescent lamps. Replace your existing T12 fluorescent lamps and magnetic ballasts with T8 fluorescent lamps and electronic ballasts. They reduce up to 40% of the energy costs, lower maintenance costs, increase the system’s life and improve the quality of light.
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.
Very bright light sources can cause glare. Unless bright sources can be effectively shielded, a greater number of low-wattage lights usually create a better visual environment than a few higher-wattage lights.
If your lighting application requires fast start and re-strike (lights can be turned on again quickly after being turned off), 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 1-3 minutes-twice faster than the normal metal halide lamps.
Use LEDs (light emitting diodes) for exit signs
LEDs are currently used for indicator lights and numeric displays on electronic devices. They are also becoming the standard for illuminating Exit signs.
This is because new LED exit signs or retrofit kits consume 1-3 watts a fraction of the energy used by incandescent-based signs-and last about 100,000 hours. LEDs can also be inserted in the same sockets as incandescent lamps.
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 (be sure to adjust timers for daylight savings time). Astronomical timers, which make seasonal adjustments, are also widely available. Photocells activate exterior lighting to ensure that high wattage “outside lamps” are not accidentally left on during the day. Photocells are better than timers as they are not affected by power failures.
Install dual switches and dimmers
Consider dual switching (when multiple switches control the same light) in some rooms and installing dimming controls. This will enable lights to adjust to lower levels when rooms are not in use or when tasks at hand differ. Dimmers can be local, centralized or even wireless controlled. Incandescent dimmers start at a very low price while fluorescent and compact fluorescent dimmers are more costly.
Adjust lighting levels to match needs at different times
Before and after “public” hours, use lighting according to need. Full lighting may not be necessary; have 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 and HVAC load to suit your needs and save energy. See BC Hydro’s Power Smart Alliance for more information.
Use motion detectors and lighting reflectors
Motion detectors or digital timers can turn on lights in infrequently used areas such as storerooms. These devices will ensure that lights are turned off when rooms are unoccupied.
Aluminum or silver reflectors in overhead light fixtures require only half the number of lamps to maintain the same level of brightness. In addition, the reduced number of lamps will lower internal heat from lighting. In turn, this will lower air conditioning costs.
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