You need to upgrade your facility’s lighting. How can you save money while doing it?

1 Assess your current lighting

The first step to upgrade your facility’s lighting is to assess your current lighting system and identify the areas that need improvement. You can do this by conducting a lighting audit, which involves measuring the light levels, energy use, and maintenance costs of your existing fixtures and lamps. You can also collect feedback from your staff and customers about their lighting preferences and satisfaction. A lighting audit will help you determine the gaps and opportunities for lighting optimization and savings.

2 Choose energy-efficient lighting options

The next step is to choose the most energy-efficient lighting options for your facility. There are many types of lighting technologies available, such as LED, fluorescent, halogen, and incandescent. Each one has its own advantages and disadvantages in terms of brightness, color, lifespan, and cost. Generally, LED lighting is the most energy-efficient and durable option, as it can reduce energy use by up to 75% and last up to 25 times longer than incandescent lighting. However, you should also consider other factors, such as the compatibility, dimmability, and controllability of your lighting system.

3 Apply lighting design principles

The third step is to apply lighting design principles to ensure that your lighting upgrade meets your functional and aesthetic goals. Lighting design involves balancing the quantity, quality, and distribution of light in your facility. Task lighting should be bright enough to enhance visibility and accuracy, but not too bright to cause glare or eye strain. Ambient lighting should be soft and uniform, yet not too dim to impair safety and orientation. Accent lighting should be focused and contrasted, but not too distracting or overpowering. All of these aspects of lighting design should be carefully considered for a successful upgrade.

4 Install lighting controls and sensors

The fourth step is to install lighting controls and sensors to further reduce energy waste and increase convenience and flexibility. By using dimmers, timers, motion sensors, and daylight sensors, you can adjust the light levels and colors according to your preferences and needs. For example, you can vary the brightness of your lights with dimmers, set a schedule for your lights to turn on and off with timers, detect movement and turn your lights on and off with motion sensors, or sense natural light and adjust your artificial light with daylight sensors. Ultimately, these lighting controls and sensors will help you optimize your lighting system.

5 Monitor and maintain your lighting system

The final step is to monitor and maintain your lighting system to ensure that it performs optimally and efficiently. You should regularly check your lighting fixtures and lamps for any signs of damage, wear, or malfunction, and replace them as needed. You should also clean your lighting fixtures and lamps to remove any dust, dirt, or debris that can affect the light output and quality. You should also measure and track your lighting energy use and costs, and compare them with your baseline and target values. You should also solicit and evaluate feedback from your staff and customers about their lighting experience and satisfaction.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?