For any commercial building owner or manager, energy efficiency is important for several reasons, from general sustainability to limiting monthly utility bills and more. There are several areas you can look into when it comes to improving energy efficiency, especially within the electrical realm, and one of the simplest here is your lighting usage.

At Orange Electric, we’re proud to provide comprehensive commercial electrician services, from basic electric repairs and upgrades to new system installation and numerous areas in-between, including lighting installation.

We also offer expertise and tips on how to keep your building’s electrical setup and usage as efficient as possible on a day-to-day basis, the kinds of themes that often help our clients save large sums on their utility bills while also taking on more sustainable practices. Here are a few of the top approaches to take when it comes to limiting energy use for your lighting needs.

LED Lights

Over the last five-plus years, the cost of LED lighting has decreased by tremendous, exponential amounts – while a single LED bulb used to cost upward of $100, today it costs under $10. And when you consider the massive increase in efficiency you receive with the use of LED bulbs over other traditional types, this is a major change that building owners should be well aware of.

Did you realize, for instance, that a single LED light bulb brings you 25,000 hours of basic use? That’s a far cry from the numbers provided by traditional incandescent bulbs, which are closer to 1,000 hours of use before they begin to stop working – and that’s before even considering the cost of operation between the two, which is about two-and-a-half times higher for incandescent bulbs than it is for LEDs. A bulb that uses less energy and will last for up to 25 times as long? The energy efficiency benefits here are almost too good to ignore, and your savings will recuperate extremely quickly from your up-front cost if you replace older bulbs with LEDs.

Keeping Lights Off

One of the simplest themes out there for limiting energy usage and remaining sustainable: Keeping lights off when they aren’t in use or needed. This is often as simple as reminding employees to turn off desk lights and other lighting areas when they leave for the day, or as instructing after-hours maintenance staff to turn off lights that have been left on. In addition, while leaving some lights on within the office overnight for security reasons might be necessary, there are several modern themes here that allow for this to be done without using quite as much energy.

Motion Sensor Lighting

One such theme we’re referring to above: Motion sensor lighting, which is enormously beneficial for many commercial buildings that are looking for a combination of lighting security and energy efficiency. As their name indicates, motion sensors turn on whenever someone enters a room, then turn off after a long enough period of inactivity signaling no one remains in the room.

And while security is often a top use of motion-sensor lighting, it’s not the only one. In fact, many offices have transitioned to motion-sensor lighting for common areas like bathrooms, kitchens, or even conference rooms, helping not only make lighting more convenient but also assisting with energy use limitations by turning lights off when no one is using them.

Cleaning Themes

Many building or business owners don’t realize it, but one factor that directly contributes to poor energy efficiency is dirty bulbs. A bulb that’s caked in dust and debris will not be as bright when you turn it on, meaning you’ll need more lights on simply to achieve the same baseline level of brightness you were going for to begin with.

Meanwhile, cleaning lights is incredibly easy. Ensuring bulbs are off, simply run a dry cloth or dusting mechanism over your bulbs once every week or so to ensure they don’t deal with these concerns.

Natural Light

Another great way of limiting energy usage from lighting: Utilizing alternative forms of light that don’t require any energy usage, also known as natural light from the sun. Numerous commercial buildings present great opportunities to allow natural light in, including large windows often found in many areas. There are plenty of times of day when you can limit the number of indoor lights that need to be on, simply by letting this light in.

In addition, natural light has a well-known impact on employee productivity within the workspace. It’s known to increase both happiness and overall work quality, so it has additional benefits beyond just increasing your energy efficiency.

Professional Services

And finally, perhaps the single simplest tool at your disposal for making any part of your building’s energy usage, including all lighting themes, more efficient: Working with quality electricians like ours. From our general inspections to new lighting installations or even an entirely new electrical setup, our professional electricians have a keen eye for numerous areas where we might be able to make your system more efficient. We’ll recommend efficient LED bulb upgrades and help you find the best bulbs for your needs, for instance, plus will handle numerous logistical areas.

Have questions about your circuit breaker or how to manage particular areas of your electrical setup? We’re here to help with those as well, plus to handle any and all repairs without you risking your safety or the quality of the service.

For more on how to conserve energy within your lighting setup, or to learn about any of our commercial electrical services, speak to the staff at Orange Electric today.