How to save energy

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Lighting controls are devices for turning lights on and off or for dimming them. The most useful controls for increasing lighting energy-efficiency in a home are dimmers, photocells, and occupancy sensors.

• Turn off non-essential and decorative lighting, especially in unoccupied areas.
• Replace flickering, dim and burned out lamps.
• Clean fixtures and diffusers as often as necessary.
• Color-code or mark light switches and circuit breakers that can be turned off when not needed.
• Lower the height of light fixtures if possible to increase usable light.
• Replace burned out lamps with lower wattage lamps or energy-saving lamps.
• Replace T12 lighting systems with T8 energy efficient fixtures.
• Install high-pressure sodium fixtures in parking lots.
• Install time clocks or photoelectric cells to control exterior lighting, advertising sign lighting and some interior lighting.
• Paint dark walls and ceilings with lighter colors to maximize the effect of existing light sources.
• Use natural lighting when possible.
• Install dimmer or occupancy switches where appropriate to lower energy use in stairwells, copy rooms and restrooms
• Schedule janitorial services during the day, or use a minimum number of lights when cleaning.
• Color-code switches that should remain off when crews are cleaning.
• Trim bushes and trees away from outdoor lighting to maximize illumination and prevent shadows.
• Implement a group re-lamping schedule, and re-lamp at 70 percent of rated lamp life. Lamps that run longer than 70 percent of their rated life actually cost more in terms of energy use.