Almost everything that runs on produced power can be made more energy efficient by energy efficient engineering. But there are some products that consume so much energy that not making them more energy efficient is critically costly to both their owner and the environment, an example of which can often found in thelighting design firm systems that occupy corporate buildings. Research shows that a commercial building's interior lighting accounts for roughly 30 percent of its total electrical usage, which can often be reduced by around 50 percent with the implementation of energy efficient lighting. With corporate facilities commonly incurring annual electric bills that exceed six figures, the bottom line results of retrofitting an old lighting system can be impressive.



If your facilities operate using the energy designs of yesteryear and you're interested to know how much a new lighting system could reduce your energy costs, you should consider contacting an energy efficiency consultant to perform an energy audit of your lighting system. During the audit, the consultant will record data that include what type of lamp and ballast are used in each room of the building, the building's current fixture types and opportunities for lights to be turned off when areas aren't occupied. With the data collected, the energy consultant prepares a formal proposal that identifies what implementations should be made, how much they cost and the projected long-term cost savings of the implementations. In many cases, corporations that implement energy efficient lighting systems realize a 50 percent first year return on their investment.

One form of lighting that commonly receives a replacement recommendation is metal halide lighting. When metal halide lamps are new, they emit a tremendous amount light while maintaining energy efficiency. However, research shows that metal halide lighting loses over 40 percent of its original illumination power after only 60 percent of its useful life without using less electricity than when new. Thus, halide lighting is designed to provide excessive brightness when new so that later in its life it still emits a useful level of illumination. Another weakness of halide lighting is that it produces too much heat to switch off and on again by using a sensor to detect body movement.

Another form of corporate architectural lighting designer commonly recommended for replacement is older T-12 fluorescent lighting that uses magnetic ballasts. Both T-12 and halide lighting are often replaced with more energy efficient T-8 fluorescent lighting that uses electronic ballasts and is usually connected to automatic sensors that regulate brightness according to the presence of natural light and occupancy patterns.

Whatever work environment your company maintains, energy efficiency consultants offer a variety of solutions for specific atmospheres. Instead of letting old halide and T-12 lighting eat away at your energy budget, why not do your net profits and the environment a favor and call an energy efficiency consultant today?

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