According to the Energy Conservation Enhancement Project at LSU, “20% of all electricity produced in the U.S. is used for lighting, but 50% of that is wasted by inefficient lighting sources or careless consumers.”
Lighting controls are a necessary part of every home’s energy solution.
“Lighting controls save energy, provide mood and ambience settings, as well as enhanced lifestyle, convenience and security,” says Seth R. Atkinson, Chair of the Home Lighting Control Alliance’s Sustainability Committee.
Here are five tips homeowners can use to save energyusing lighting controls:
Dimming
Dimming is commonly associated with adjusting the output of light sources in a space to achieve a desired ambience, but every time a light bulb is dimmed, energy is saved and bulb life is extended. According to the Energy Conservation Enhancement at LSU:
Energy Bulb Life
Savings Extension
10% 10% 2x longer
25% 20% 4x longer
50% 40% 20x longer
75% 60% 20x longer
“Even for spaces where ambience and mood setting is not needed, dimming should be considered purely as a way to save energy,” says Atkinson. “By automatically limiting maximum light levels to 90%, a difference most people would barely notice, 10% energy savings can be achieved while doubling bulb life and thereby reducing the hassle cost of bulb replacement as well as landfill waste.”
Maximize use of daylight
Integrate automated window coverings such as blinds and shades into the lighting control system to maximize daylight while reducing solar heat gain.
“Some control systems even allow homeowners to harvest sunlight into energy savings,” Atkinson points out. “These systems monitor the amount of light in the space and maintain the level by dimming the lights. The higher the daylight contribution, the less electric light is needed and the bigger theenergy savings can be realized.”
Use your controls
Turn off the lights when not needed. When lights are left on accidentally, the resulting energy waste adds up. Eliminate energy waste by using vacancy sensors and Master OFF controls. Vacancy sensors are devices that replace standard wall switches and monitor the space to see if people are absent or present. The monitoring method is unobtrusive; occupants are detected as heat sources moving against background radiation.
Lighting controls should be part of every home’s energy solution.
According to Watt Stopper/Legrand, if 100 million households were to control just one 60W light bulb with one vacancy sensor, nearly 500 million kWh of energy savings would be realized, reducing nearly a billion pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere each year.
“Another method is to add a Master OFF control to your system and it will make sure all the lights are off when leaving the house,” says Atkinson.
Use your controls for non-use
Turn on the lights only when needed. Automatically activate outdoor lights precisely at sunset. “Some control systems include astronomical clock timers that can be set to turn lights on and off at sunrise and sunset each day even as the seasons change,” says Atkinson.
Control energy-efficient light sources
Lighting controls can enhance the energy savings delivered by efficient and dimming-compatible sources such as halogen bulbs. Currently, the Home Lighting Control Alliance does not recommend operating dimmable compact fluorescent lights on line-voltage dimmers due to poor performance. Instead, non-dimmable CFLs should be used wherever lighting and color quality is not important, such as utility spaces.
Similarly, homeowners should use LED bulbs on dimmers with caution. First, be sure to ensure the LED bulb is rated to produce comparable light output as the incandescent bulb. If the bulb boasts high energy savings but these savings come with an equal loss of light output, then no efficiency is gained. Second, ensure the manufacturers of the LED bulb and control system rate their products as compatible.
“Homeowners can reduce their ongoing energy costs as well as their carbon footprint by taking advantage of the powerful and inherent energy savings benefits of lighting control technology,” concludes Atkinson.
Why Brite Control?
With Brite Control you can save energy improve you work life and quality of life in your home.
All of our dimmers automatically save you 4-9% in electricity – even at the highest lighting levels – over a standard on off switch. The more you dim the more you save. A standard light switch only saves energy in the “off” position. Brite Control dimmers and controls save energy 24/7.
By minimizing environmental impact Brite Control lighting and shading controls can contribute to 37 out of a possible 110 possible points in the LEED® 2009 NC Rating System.
Save energy by harvesting daylight and reducing the load on HVAC systems, shading system can make any project eco-friendly. Shading can also be made from eco-friendly materials that can be PVC free or are 100% recycled or recyclable. Also many are GREENGUARD certified.
While there are many ways to reduce energy, most involve sacrificing something. Few actually enrich the quality of living and working environments. Dimming and other lighting and shade controls allow individuals to adjust light levels for specific entertainment options, enhance ambience, set a mood and take advantage of daylight to save energy.
