Energy Tips – Lighting

19th April 2016

There are a number of effective quick wins and simple behavioural changes that can make a big dent in your lighting costs, but there is no need to stop there. Up to 75% of lighting installations are thought to be out-of-date and unable to meet current design standards. Here are a few further steps you can investigate.

More efficient technology

Many traditional lighting products, such as older fluorescent tubes and sodium high bay lighting, are very inefficient in comparison to more modern high frequency T5 fluorescent tubes of LEDs. These upgrades do require investment, but many providers offer finance options that can make the solution case positive from month one

T5

High frequency T5 fluorescent lights can last up to 20,000 – 30,000 hours (3.4 years) and can save 45% in energy costs compared to older T8s and T12, without the warm up time associated to comparable sodium lamps and other high bay fittings

LED

LED lights require more investment than other lighting alternatives, but are by far the most energy efficient – they use up to 90% less energy than traditional lamps. They also last up to three times longer than compact fluorescents (CFL), saving you more money in the long term and reducing associated costs such as maintenance, downtime and access equipment hire. LED lights can now be used to replace halogen spotlights, and as they produce a lot less heat, they can help to prevent cooled areas from overheating

Dimmable fittings

More modern light fittings, such as LEDs, can be purchased in dimmable versions. These usually operate in conjunction with a daylight sensor switch and automatically dim to emit less light – and therefore use less energy – when natural light levels increase.

sky-light

Update building infrastructure

While general maintenance, such as cleaning windows and lights, is an excellent way of improving lighting efficiency, further investment in your building infrastructure is worth exploring and can provide effective results

Skylights

Skylights are an effective use of natural light. If retrofitting your building, consider installing double glazing skylights to considerably reduce the need for artificial lighting.

Reflectors

An effective method of increasing efficiency without replacing all of your lights can be to install light fittings with reflectors so that light is directed to specified areas. In some cases, this measure has improved efficiency by up to 20%.

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