How Can I Have More Control Over My Lights and Energy Consumption?

August 24, 2015

Controlling energy consumption is increasingly one of the most important priorities for companies looking to cut down on costs. One of the big sources of energy consumption in buildings is the electricity it takes to light a building, as well as the heat generated by these lights (and the cooling systems that need to be in place to regulate temperature).

Energy consumption and costs can be a huge expense for office buildings, hospitals, government buildings and restaurants. For example, lighting costs are 16% of a typical hospital’s total energy consumption and compose over 40% of a hospital’s electricity use. Similarly in office buildings, lighting accounts for 39% of total energy consumption and cooling accounts for 14% of consumption. Reducing these expenses is becoming increasingly important for administrators and facility managers as these costs take a huge cut out of the bottom line. The good news is that new innovations in lighting and new technology has given managers the opportunity to control these costs.

Using LED lights cuts down on many of these energy costs, as LED lights last substantially longer than florescent or incandescent lights, consume less energy, and generate less heat. More and more businesses and hospitals are switching to LED lights to take advantage of these savings. But LED lights alone will not allow for increased control over when these lights are on, how much light they’re producing, and ultimately, how much cost these lights are accumulating in energy consumption.

With new technology comes better ways to manage this consumption. The simplest way to cut down on lighting expenses is to turn lights off. Now, businesses can track and control usage utilizing software that automatically dims lights when natural sunlight fills a room, turns lights off when rooms are not in use, and allows building managers to set lighting levels at desired amounts, utilizing only the amount of the light that is needed.

These “smart” lighting systems are possible through software such as IGOR’s Power over Ethernet (PoE) lighting solution, which puts control back into the hands of the user. Nearly limitless possibilities can be achieved for controlling how lighting is used and automated with this solution. Constant feedback about energy usage is in the hands of the user. The savings are real, and the reduced energy consumption results in a sustainable business practice that everyone can get behind.