Cutting Costs on Your Energy Bill, One Light Bulb at A Time

Haines Electrical Services Top 10 Lighting Ideas for 2020

Nothing can make or break a room like lighting. Whether you are grabbing a cocktail in a dimly lit bar or packing boxes in a warehouse at 4am, having good lighting is essential. 

With appropriate lighting comes, reduced eye fatigue, headaches, and safety hazards. What also comes with appropriate lighting, is the ability to set the mood for your style of business. For example, you would not want to eat dinner under a spotlight in a restaurant or go shopping for clothes in a dimly lit room. 

In 2020, it does not matter what area of the industry you’re working in (retail, restaurant, warehouse, healthcare etc.) the general theme is the same, ‘how do you make lighting more environmentally friendly, cost effective and low maintenance?’ 

Building A Control Strategy 

Whether it is a small business or a major corporation, business owners everywhere are making significant changes to run an energy efficient operation. The first step is to create an energy control strategy. Doing this can show how much energy is being used, in comparison to how much is needed. 

Dimmable bulbs, motion sensors, smart appliances and timers, can be put in place to ensure energy is not being wasted. 

Incandescent vs. LED 

Originally the most common used light bulb was the incandescent globe. However, as a need to save our planet grows, so does the demand for more energy efficient lighting. The solution – a simple change of a light bulb. In 2018, the global market saw a significant increase in the sale of LED bulbs. What was once 5% of the market in 2013 has jumped to nearly 50% of the market in 2020. 

There are a few reasons for this change: 

1. An LED bulb converts 100% of energy into light, while incandescent bulbs convert only 10% of energy into light, with the other 90% being wasted as heat. 
2. The lifespan of an LED bulb is 50,000 – 100,000 hours. An incandescent bulb only has a lifespan of 1,000 hours, becoming more costly over time as you are required to make frequent changes. In some cases, an LED bulb can be left on for up to 24 hours a day and still last 15-20 years. 
3. LED bulbs do not include the mercury, lead, and UV radiation that can be found in an incandescent bulb. 
4. LED bulbs are often low maintenance; simply fit the lights during the building process and forget about it. 
5. The growing demand for LED bulbs will save roughly $26 billion, prevent the development of 40 new power plants, and reduce electricity demand by roughly ⅓ over the next two decades. 

Luminaires are Getting an Update 

A luminaire is the complete light fixture which holds your LED bulbs. This year they’re gaining a technology update including controls, wireless BLE technology and occupancy sensors. 

Integrating these smart technologies into luminaires will become more critical, as the technical components of lighting continue to change. 

Furthermore, upgrading to luminaires allows for a direct access to power and creates a background for IoT applications. These applications are likely to be used in the commercial real estate, healthcare, and education industries and have proven numerous advantages including energy efficiency, improved staff productivity, predictive maintenance and increased security.

Non-polluting Lighting

With artificial lighting comes light pollution – the inappropriate or excessive use of artificial light. Light pollution washes out starlight, interferes with astronomical research, disrupts our ecosystems, has adverse health effects and wastes energy. For this reason, property owners are enforcing the introduction of sustainable methods (LED bulbs) within their buildings. 

Adjustable Lighting

The ability to dim and adjust lighting is not a new concept, but with the integration of LED bulbs and new technology, the process is even simpler. Adjust your lighting at a moment’s notice, directly from an app (control system) on your phone and go about the rest of your day. 

Spotlight Light 

Research has shown that the hues and brightness of nature during a 24-hour light cycle has a significant impact on the human body. As a result, Tunable White (TW) technology has been integrated into commercial real estate, healthcare and education industries. TW mimics the 24- hour light cycle, so your employees can get their necessary light intake while indoors. 

Every industry serves a different purpose and as a result, every industry deserves a unique style of lighting. The main industries we would like to focus on today are restaurants, retail stores, warehouses, and healthcare centres. 

Restaurant Lighting – Lately, restaurants have been focused on providing a comfortable ambience and warmth. Such stylish lighting persuades guests to want to dine in and get lost in the amount of time spent at the table. 

Retail Lighting – On average, the retail industry is focused on low light and high contrast. However, we are also seeing retail stores alter their lighting for the client. Asking themselves if their ideal client prefers bright or dim and ambient lighting, and then adjusting as they see fit. 

Warehouse Lighting – Warehouse lights are an example of functional lighting, often remaining on 24 hours a day, both inside and outside. For this reason, many owners are making the change to LED bulbs only. Overtime, this reduces their energy costs by roughly 50% and allows them to focus on other aspects of their business, as once an LED bulb is fitted it can be left alone for the next decade. 

Healthcare Lighting – When working in healthcare, lighting plays a significant role on a patient’s wellbeing. A functional lighting approach is to install LED bulbs, which can mimic natural light and boost overall health. Furthermore, the costs saved with the switch will be put towards staff development and an overall better industry. 

Conclusion

As our world sees the effects that come hand in hand with climate change, we see the construction industry doing all they can to help our planet. Light is an essential part of life and we are seeing a direct effort to maintain high quality and efficient lighting, without wasting unnecessary energy. From flood lights and strip lights, to parking structures and schools, every light bulb is working on your dime. You would not hire an inefficient employee, why not apply the same logic to the technology you are using?