Commercial Building Lighting Mistakes that Cost You Money

Four Places Your Building Is Leaking Money

Big buildings waste approximately $200 billion in energy every year. Lighting leaks cause nearly 40% of it. Fortunately, professional electricians can identify these energy wasters before they cost you any more cash. With a few simple changes, like upgrading your lighting system, you could save up to 50% on your electric bill.

Let’s take a look at the most common energy leaks in office buildings, hospitals, schools, and shopping centers, just to name a few:

Lighting Unused Rooms

Here you have mainly two options, turning the lights off when you leave a room or install lighting controls, like dimmers, occupancy and vacancy sensors, and timers to automatically do the job for you. These items can help you reduce wasted electricity costs by up to 30%.

Over Lighting

This is a frequent problem, and it can lead to eye strain, diminished productivity, and absenteeism — not to mention enormous energy bills.

A certified electrician can help you determine the right amount and type of lighting for your space based on your priorities.

Using Inefficient Lamps

Outdated lighting fixtures are perhaps one of the most common energy wasters. New LED lighting fixtures use up to 75% less energy than incandescent, fluorescent, or metal halide lighting. They also last between 3-10 years longer, which means you’ll save big on maintenance costs.

Not Using Daylight

Installing daylight-sensing controls can save 20% or more on your annual energy bill. These sensors adjust electric lights based on the amount of natural light in space for maximum efficiency.

If you have outdoor lights, photo-sensors can also help you make sure you’re not paying to illuminate the outdoors during the day. Electricians from a reputable company can assist in determining whether daylight- and photo-sensors can help you save on energy costs and the right type and placement of sensors for your building.

If you want to reduce your electric bills, contacting commercial energy experts is the first step in identifying the places your building is leaking money. At GN Electric, we can help you manage every aspect of your energy efficiency project in Baltimore. Give us a call at 410.893.5560 or get a free estimate here.