Lighting Guide Make Text Larger Make Text Smaller Print This Page

Office Lighting

Lighting can be both the highest energy cost and the greatest savings opportunity for your business. On average, lighting consumes 40% of electricity in commercial buildings. Most lighting also produces heat, which can increase a building's cooling costs by up to 20%. In addition to energy and cost savings, an efficient lighting system can pay off with increased employee productivity, as well as improved security, comfort and aesthetics.

 

10_1_1_1-finger-and-lightswitch-tnTurn Lights Off When Not in Use
Turning off lights in unoccupied rooms is a simple and effective energy saving strategy and does not require any investment or equipment. The savings could be significant and you can engage all staff in the efficiency process.
10_2_1_2-tnDevelop a Plan with Staff
Developing an energy conservation plan that engages your employees is the most important action you can take to save energy and money. This is the foundation for planning and implementing other changes in your business.
10_2_1_3-tnConduct a Lighting Assessment
An assessment is a great way to identify areas of high energy use or inefficiency, outline energy reduction goals, develop a budget for upgrades and make a plan to move forward.
10_2_1_4a-tnUpgrade your Lighting System
Upgrading your entire lighting system to a new, energy efficient system can reduce your energy use and your energy bill, by 40%.
10_2_1_5-tnMake the Most of Natural Light
Daylight is by far the best light source. It’s free, sustainable and increases wellbeing and productivity. Some buildings are not well designed to catch sunlight, but by making the most of the light that is available...
10_1_1_2-cfl_bulb-tnReplace Incandescent Bulbs with CFLs
Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) use about one third of the energy that incandescent bulbs use to deliver the same amount of light. They also save on materials and maintenance costs because they last an average of 10,000 hours...
10_2_1_7-tnMatch Light Levels to Needs
Use direct lighting to illuminate specific areas instead of relying on ceiling fixtures that light entire rooms. Task lamps and desk lamps are essential pieces of office equipment, offering workers the control they need to be comfortable and productive...
10_2_1_8-tnUse Timers or Photocells Outdoors
Outdoor security lights can account for a large portion of overall lighting energy costs and are often left on when not needed. With timers you can save energy by having exterior lights turn on and off at predetermined times.
10_2_1_9_tnUse LEDs for Exit Signs
Canada's Energy Efficiency Regulations require that all internally-lighted exit signs manufactured since November 2004 consume no more than five watts per word (Exit or Sortie). At present, this means that most qualified signs use LED technology.
10_2_1_10_tnSwitch to LED Holiday Lights
If you plan to use lights to decorate during the holiday season, make the switch to LED (light emitting diode) holiday lights.

Last Modified: Oct 7, 2008

Tool Tip Text