The Energy Saving Potential of Lighting Controls in an Office Building

This paper examines three different lighting controls on a single floor of a typical office building for a period of six months during 2009. The energy savings and effectiveness of the three different lighting controls in operation were evaluated. The lighting controls examined are occupancy sensors, daylight controls and central off. The energy saved from these lighting controls in over a six month period in 2009 was compared against figures from 2008 when manual switching was the dominant control. It was found that after six months of data in 2009, results indicated a significant savings from 2008 figures. In the single floor of the office building, where the three controls were installed, savings of 19% were obtained. Automatic dimming of the lights through daylight sensors, automatic switching of the lights through occupancy sensors and the central off timing function turning off any forgotten lights, all helped towards this 19% savings. Since the six months of data saved 19% of energy from the previous year, the typical pay-back period for this type of investment would be between 3-4 years. This research indicates a pay-back period of just over 3 years.