The first critical step to minimising the energy consumption of lighting is to ensure that buildings make the best possible use of natural daylight.
This extends beyond the original building design, ongoing maintenance is also critical and simple steps such as cleaning skylights in warehousing and factories can give a substantial reduction in energy consumption. Maximising the use of natural daylight not only cuts energy bills but also makes for a more pleasant working environment. When natural daylight use has been maximised the next step is to ensure that artificial lighting is used only when required and is always dimmed to the minimum level possible. Installing control systems such as motion and daylight regulation sensors is now far cheaper and simpler due to maturation of wireless technology. Where installation of such systems would previously have involved substantial rewiring with the associated cost and disruption a wireless system enables luminaires to be grouped with sensors and switches and reconfigured whenever required with a simple commissioning app on a mobile phone or tablet. Sensor costs can be minimised as daylight regulation sensors are only required where there are substantial differences in daylight contribution minimising both capital and installation costs. Such a wireless system can bring significant additional benefits other than simply linked motion detection and daylight regulation. Fault reporting, automated emergency testing, occupancy measuring and environmental measuring are also easily incorporated ensuring that such systems can both improve work spaces whilst reducing energy consumption and maintenance bills.
