Lighting solution decisions have become even more critical in recent years as more and more buildings undergo energy efficient renovations and green certifications.
This boom in lighting retrofits has coincided with an undeniable innovation boom in the lighting field. New technologies and intelligent lighting approaches promise both energy savings and increased functionality for building occupants and owners. Simple replacement of lamps or ballasts is no longer the most effective solution.
Solid State Lighting and LEDs
The emergence of solid state, semiconductor-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) show all the signs of changing the way people light their spaces. Over the last several years, white high-brightness LEDs have realized exponential growth in useful life and light output, making it possible to develop lighting fixtures that consume one-third of the energy of an incandescent version, with 10-20 times the life. At present, the cost of LEDs are higher than traditional sources; however, consumers can sometimes offset the higher initial costs through energy and maintenance savings in certain applications. Looking towards the future, the price/performance gap is closing rapidly as LED technology continues to advance.
Office Lighting Renovation
There are several hundreds of millions of office lighting fixtures installed in the United States, most of which are 10 to 25 years old. Nearly all are extremely costly to operate when compared to newer, more energy-efficient alternatives. In the past, lighting renovation decisions required a tradeoff between energy reduction and aesthetic enhancements. This is no longer the case. New retrofit lighting and control solutions address both requirements and are more cost effective than ever.
Warehouse Renovations with High-Efficiency Lighting
Traditional technologies such as linear fluorescent and high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps have also benefitted from a focus on greater energy management. For indoor applications, fluorescent and newer HID technologies are still among the most efficient sources around, and integrating lighting controls such as occupancy sensors into the solution can generate even more energy savings. For example, a large national electronics retail chain recently replaced its outdated HID high bay lighting in hundreds of its stores with energy-efficient, dimming-enabled, electronic HID luminaires. The result was a savings in excess of 25 percent of their lighting load. Similarly, a large distribution center in the southeastern United States reported a 43 percent reduction in their energy usage after replacing the metal halide HID fixtures in their 30-year old facility with a fluorescent lighting system utilizing occupancy sensors.
Lighting Controls for Interiors and Exteriors
The simplest form of lighting controls is the act of manually turning lights on and off, a straightforward method touted by parents and conservationists alike. Automating this process, however, can yield significant energy savings, and some degree of lighting automation is now required for new construction in most states. Modern systems offer features such as occupancy sensing, time-based scheduling, daylight harvesting, and dimming control for almost any lamp type, although special dimmable ballasts are usually required.
Interior lighting controls solutions range from simple wall-switch replacement occupancy sensors to advanced and highly customizable systems with graphical computer interfaces. Selecting the best system depends on the goals of the building owner or operator. Depending on the equipment installed and application, lighting energy savings of 20 to 50 percent can be realized over manual control. Many lighting controls systems have also become easier to commission and operate, adding intelligence to lighting fixtures and controls components to optimize them for energy management. Intelligent plug-and-play lighting systems are flexible and automate many setup, calibration and programming tasks which must be performed manually on other systems. Changes to the use of a building no longer require reprogramming or re-commissioning of the control system, a welcome departure for most users.
Some new approaches to outdoor lighting controls include the use of wireless controls devices that not only adjust light levels, but that also include feedback mechanisms to report diagnostic information and energy use for each fixture. Through the use of software, a facility manager is now able to instantly assess the on/off status and working condition of all of the lights in a parking garage from a laptop located anywhere in the world. Wireless outdoor monitoring systems eliminate visual patrolling and repeat maintenance trips for crews, resulting in improved efficiencies and reduced operating costs.
With new technologies and financial incentives for energy efficient lighting, the time has never been better to renovate your building’s lighting.
About the Authors
Cheryl English, Vice President of Market & Industry Development for Acuity Brands Lighting,is responsible for energy and environmental activities, marketing and education. She can be reached at Cheryl.English@AcuityBrands.com
Karyn Gayle, Director of Business Development for Acuity Brands Lighting, specializes in strategic partnerships and other corporate development initiativess. She can be reached at Karyn.Gayle@AcuityBrands.com
