Energy efficiency advice & tips
Lighting
Most buildings (new and old) usually provide opportunities to reduce the electrical
energy use of lighting systems. Savings are generally achieved by:
- Improved fixture efficiency by upgrading existing fixtures or replacing with a more
efficient type
- Reduced operating hours by ensuring you limit lighting hours to periods when areas
are occupied or lights are needed
- Reduced lighting levels by reducing the number of lamps in a fixture of fixtures
in a given space
- Perform survey of lighting
-
A survey is the first stage in the process of addressing improvements to the efficiencies
of lamps and lighting circuits.
Before you can assess and prioritise energy efficiency improvements in lighting
systems, you need to prepare an inventory of all applications. Conducting a survey
to collect the necessary information will record the actual configuration and operation
of the equipment.
- Replacement of older, less energy efficient tubular fluorescent lighting
-
T12 lamps and magnetic ballasts are now obsolete. Fluorescent fixture retrofits
to T8/T5 lamps and electronic ballasts provide energy savings of up to 30% over
T12 lamps and magnetic ballasts.
- Install occupancy sensor lighting controls
-
When the space is unoccupied for a preset period of time (e.g. 15 minutes), the
lights are shut off. Occupancy sensors can provide energy savings of 25–60% depending
on the utilisation of the space where sensors are installed. They can be applied
to many different areas that are infrequently used but always lit such as: Restrooms,
Storage and filing rooms, Warehouses, Conference rooms, Corridors etc.
- Install lighting controls to maximise the use of natural light and reduce the use
of artificial light
-
Many spaces in buildings receive natural light from the outside through windows,
skylights, clerestories and other forms of glazing. These spaces often have lighting
circuits that can only be either fully on or fully off. Such lights are left on
all day, providing more light than needed when combined with the outside light.
Daylight dimming can reduce lighting costs from 35% to 70% for the fixtures that
are affected.
- Replace standard incandescent lamps with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs)
-
CFLs can provide energy savings of up to 75% when replacing incandescent lamps while
providing equivalent lighting levels. Increased lamp life also reduces maintenance
costs significantly in many common applications formerly dominated by incandescents.
- Replace high bay high intensity discharge lighting with the latest optical and energy
efficient Patina fittings
-
This new Patina system uses a new generation of compact fluorescent lamps and ballasts.
The advantages of retrofitting Metal Halide high bays to Patina fixtures include:
- Energy savings of up to 50% or more
- Instant start and re-strike time
- Less light degradation over time (5% degradation in the first 40% of life)
- Longer life
- Dimming capabilities
- Ability for high–low switching
- Occupancy sensing
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