Efficient Electric Lighting—Big Plus For NOI

When combined with daylighting and integrated controls, efficient electric lighting offers strong energy savings. The Toyota South Campus office complex, University of California Merced and Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities building all implemented such a strategy. The results: significant improvement on the bottom line.

But remember: high quality lighting provides more than just illumination. When used appropriately, lighting has been proven to improve worker productivity, increase sales, enhance a company’s image, and of course, reduce energy costs. For example, Patagonia, the manufacturer of eco-friendly outdoor wear, integrated high quality lighting into their Ventura, California headquarters. Above the aisles of clothing and great racks, for example, motion detectors automatically increase the intensity of dimmed lights whenever people walk by. In other parts of the building, the lights go off completely if no customer or staff person is moving nearby.

Efficient Electric Lighting & Lessons Learned

After reviewing a significant number of buildings using sustainable technologies, some lessons have been learned. Here are some thoughts from Barbara Hamilton, senior lighting designer, NBI, about electric lighting and sustainable development:

• Lighting affects productivity—it DOES make a difference.
• Lighting dominates the first visual impression for occupants.  Good lighting sells a space.
• Lighting reductions often allow reduced HVAC system size with additional first cost and energy savings possible.
• Base your economics on life-cycle costs, not first costs. It all goes to the NOI.
• Take advantage of the federal lighting tax incentive. (www.lightingtaxdeduction.org)
• Check for additional state and utility incentives at www.dsireusa.org/
• Make sure the lighting design includes control specifications for all systems—interior and exterior.
• Do not allow substitution of inferior products in specifications. They will cost you  in the long run.

Key Questions to Ask Your Lighting Team

Developers who have used efficient electric lighting in an integrated approach to sustainable design say there are some simple questions to ask your design team. To achieve your goals, here are some to consider:

• What is the electric lighting goal for your project?
• Can a quantitative goal be set for each type of space—labs, offices, public spaces, meetings rooms and so on?
• What are the appropriate levels of ambient lighting and task lighting?
• How do you integrate daylighting with electric lighting and use lighting controls effectively?