Compared with other investments in energy efficiency — such as upgrading HVAC systems or replacing insulation — lighting controls are often relatively easy, accessible, and affordable changes, according to a EIA report from the Energy Information Administration. The report, Trends in Lighting in Commercial Buildings, details these strategies and provides information about lighting technologies in institutional and commercial commercial buildings.
Lighting control technologies provide the appropriate level and type of lighting to a building and save on electricity costs. The use of these systems is more common in large, lit commercial buildings with at least 50,000 square feet of floorspace.
One of the most common strategies involves only using lights when people are in a room or space. Occupancy sensors reduce lighting when rooms are unoccupied by automatically turning off or dimming lights. Occupancy sensors were used in only 16 percent of all lit buildings in 2015 but in 55 percent of large lit buildings. A more comprehensive approach called plug-load control automatically turns off lights and wall plugs when people leave a room or space. Plug-load controls were reported in 1 percent of all lit buildings in 2015 but in 3 percent of large lit buildings.
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This Quick Read was submitted by Dan Hounsell, editor-in-chief of Facility Maintenance Decisions, dan.hounsell@tradepressmedia.com. To read more about lighting controls and maintenance, visit https://www.facilitiesnet.com/16304FMD. For more about lighting and retrocommissioning, visit https://www.facilitiesnet.com/11867FMD.
