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well lit board room

Lighting can be both the highest energy cost and the greatest savings opportunity for your business. On average, lighting consumes 40% of electricity in commercial buildings. Most conventional lighting also produces heat, which can increase a building's cooling costs by up to 20%.

Shifting to energy efficient lighting saves money on electricity and maintenance, since energy efficient lamps tend to last longer. In addition, an efficient lighting system can pay off with increased employee productivity, improved security, better comfort and more pleasing aesthetics.

pressing a light switch on beigeTurn Lights Off When Not in Use
Turning off lights when no one is present is a simple and effective energy saving strategy and can be done with little or no investment or equipment. The savings could be significant and you can engage staff in the efficiency process.
businesswoman with laptopMake the Most of Natural Light
Daylight is by far the best light source. It is free, sustainable and increases wellbeing and productivity. Some buildings are not well designed to catch sunlight, so make use of what you can.
smiling woman on phone and laptopMatch Light Levels to Needs
Use direct lighting to illuminate specific areas instead of relying on ceiling fixtures that light entire rooms even where light is not needed. Task lamps and desk lamps are essential pieces of office equipment. Dimmers and sensors save energy too.
engineers assessing warehouseConduct a Lighting Assessment
An assessment is a great way to identify areas of high energy use or inefficiency, outline energy reduction goals, develop a budget for upgrades and make a plan to move forward.
modern reception lobbyUpgrade your Lighting System
Upgrading your entire lighting system to a new, energy efficient system can reduce your energy use and your energy bill by 40%.
lit cfl on blueReplace Incandescent Bulbs
Efficient lamps and fixtures can use as little as one-tenth of the energy that incandescent bulbs use to deliver the same amount of light. They also save on materials and maintenance costs because they last years longer.
lamp lit empty parking spacesUse Timers or Photocells Outdoors
Outdoor security lights can account for a large portion of overall lighting energy costs and are often left on when not needed. Timers help you keep lights on a schedule, while photocells turn lights off during daylight.
red exit signUse LEDs for Exit Signs
Canada's Energy Efficiency Regulations require that all new internally-lighted exit signs consume no more than five watts per word (Exit or Sortie). Most now use LED technology, requiring a fraction of the energy.
office christmas treeSwitch to LED Holiday Lights
Holiday lights are bright and cheerful – but if yours are old, they’re wasting energy. Switch to LED lights to keep the sparkle and cut the cost.

For additional information

Reduce light pollution,
save money,
see the stars

B.C. star-gazers couldn’t be happier to hear that BC Hydro Power Smart has launched a campaign to fight light pollution in this province.

Last Modified: Mar 31, 2011

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