How to Save Energy - Lighting

Lighting accounts for 40% of domestic electricity consumption and between 25% to 50% in the commercial sector. Here we’ll outline different types of lighting and how you can save energy using new technology. But first of all let's get an understanding of some words used when talking about lighting - lumens, lux and watts.

Lumen (lm) is the amount of light a bulb puts out, the higher the lumens, the greater the light output, the brighter the light. Manufacturers are required to use lumens as an indication of how bright a bulb will be.

Lux (lx) is the amount of light output on a given surface, for instance, lux levels will be measured at worktop or floor level. The recommended lux levels are:

• At home 200-300lx

• The office 400-500lx

• Warehouse and shops 300-1000lx

Watt (w) is the amount of energy the bulb uses. This is where LED’s trump all the others. An LED luminaire creates around 100lm per watt, a fluorescent lamp about 60lm per watt and a halogen lamp 20lm per watt.

LED’s are most efficient not just because of the energy efficiency but also because of the lifespan. An LED luminaire should last between 30,000 to 50,000 hours whereas fluorescent lamps last 5,000 to 20,000 hours.

Now, if you pair the efficiency of LED lighting with smart technology…….

Lighting control, which is a part of building automation or smart homes, allows up to 30% savings. Smart technology automatically switches on and off lights when necessary, adapting according to occupancy, preference and brightness. Features such as Daylight responsive lighting, Automatic lighting and Automatic lights off can dramatically save you or your business money. There's also added convenience of being able to control the lighting with your smart phone or smart speaker using Alexa or Google Assistant.

Daylight responsive lighting - decide on the perfect lighting lux levels for a room. The Loxone system will then assess the amount and quality of natural daylight in a particular space. When natural light is sufficient, artificial lighting can then be reduced. If little or no daylight enters the space, artificial light sources provide the optimum lighting level.

Automatic lighting - As soon as it gets dark, an automatic feature will ensure that the lights turn on when you walk into a room.

Automatic lights off - Your lights automatically turn off when you aren’t in the room, making your home more energy-efficient.

Loxone offers the above building automation features.

If you're interested in exploring how you can save energy and money at home or in business please get in touch call 07422966120 or message on Facebook