One of the biggest business trends on the market right now is sustainability and energy efficiency. Business owners and facility managers are constantly seeking out new ways to make their buildings more environmentally conscious. The first step a lot of buildings and offices are taking towards sustainability is switching out their fixtures to LED lighting. Fluorescent lighting is one of the most commonly used lighting throughout facilities, but they take a lot of energy to power, so they are being phased out by LEDs. Another way facility managers can step up their measures is by installing lighting controls throughout the building.

There are many types of lighting controls that are installed in the facilities. Some of the most common sensors are time schedule and occupancy sensors. When lighting in certain parts of the office is on a schedule, it will turn off automatically at the time set by the facility manager. Occupancy sensors turn off when motion is not recognized in the room. These are best used to limit lights being turned on when people aren’t in the room. Occupancy sensors can even be used for security purposes on the exterior of the building. Dimming and daylight harvesting affect how much light is being used. Dimmers can be used by employees to manually lower the lighting in the room while daylight harvest automatically lowers the lighting in the room based on the time of day. These sensors mitigate how much energy is being consumed throughout the day.

Not only will LEDs and lighting controls help preserve energy usage but will help facilities save money on utilities. LEDs also last a long time and do not need to be changed as often as fluorescents and other alternative lighting resulting in facilities saving money on maintenance. It’s been shown that LEDs and lighting controls even influence the mood and productivity of occupants.

Click here to read the full article. Originally published, December 27, 2022, by Facility Executive.