Reducing Energy Costs with Lighting Controls –

Even the most energy efficient lamps and fixtures are still wasting your company’s money if they are left on when they are not needed! Integrating automatic lighting controls into your operations saves you hundreds of dollars in energy costs, by ensuring your lighting is only in use when needed.

Today’s state-of-the-art automatic lighting control options are easy to use, adaptable to any environment – and literally “pay for themselves” by dramatically reducing unnecessary energy costs. Automatic lighting controls can switch off or dim your lighting based on time of day, occupancy or vacancy, daylight availability, or any combination of these factors. And, most automatic lighting control options are now also available in wireless models.

Below is a list of Automatic Lighting Control Systems:

Occupancy and Vacancy Sensor Lighting Control

Occupancy and vacancy lighting control sensors operate by sensing the motion, body heat, or both, of an area’s occupants. They can cut lighting energy use by up to 25 percent. Occupancy and vacancy lighting control sensors are ideal for use in spaces where personnel move in and out often, and/or in unpredictable patterns, including: offices, restrooms, conference rooms, stairwells, storage areas, break-rooms and warehouses.

Occupancy sensors turn lights on automatically when someone enters a room or area – and when no motion is detected after a specified time, the occupancy sensors then switch the light(s) off.

A vacancy sensors is similar to an occupancy sensor, however the vacancy sensor requires manual operation (button is pressed by occupant to turn on lights) – then the light is turned off when there is no longer motion in the room or area. This Combination of manually “on” with “automated off” prevents false turn-on events, thereby saving even more energy.

Occupancy and vacancy lighting control sensors can be mounted on walls, on ceilings, and even integrated in a room’s light fixtures. The latest generation of occupancy and vacancy lighting control sensors operate wirelessly – making them very easy to install, as well as ideal for retrofitting an existing space with energy saving lighting controls.

Photocells & Photo Sensor Lighting Control

Photocells or photo sensors detect changes in light levels, turning fixtures on when it is dark or overcast outside, and off when there is sufficient daylight. Photocells and Photo Sensor lighting controls are commonly used to control outdoor lighting. This type of basic lighting control has been in existence for a long time, and provides a simple and affordable option for outdoor areas.

Photocells and photo sensors simply turn lights on or off when certain external light thresholds are met. However, for indoor usage, “Daylight Lighting Controls” (below) offer a more sophisticated and adjustable lighting control solution, that adjusts light levels upward and downward in addition to simply turning lights on and off.

Daylight Lighting Control

Daylight lighting controls are among the latest, most sophisticated automatic lighting controls. Daylight lighting controls enable a space to utilize available daylight through windows and skylights – while providing electric light only as needed to supplement natural light. By adjusting the electric light output downwards when there is sufficient daylight, dramatic energy savings can be realized. And when cloudy days strike – or nighttime falls – light output returns to is upward adjustment as necessary!

Intelligent lighting control systems

With intelligent lighting control systems, the future of energy savings has arrived! These computer networked lighting control systems are able to “learn” your building’s use trends – and automatically adjust lighting as patterns change over time. Intelligent lighting control systems can optimize comfort and realize energy savings for a single room, a whole building or even multiple campuses. Additionally, integrated controls can also provide complete facility energy usage data. And intelligent lighting control systems also afford remote operation and control capabilities of your lighting systems. Giving you or your facilities manager(s) control over energy usage even from a remote location.