Lighting and lighting controllers
THE GIVE GRID BRANDING
THE GIVE GRID BRANDING
It is a myth that it is cheaper to leave lights on when you leave a room
Benefits of changing your lighting and lighting controllers
Who’s doing it?
Did you know that it is a myth that it is cheaper to leave lights on when you leave a room, even if
just for a short time, rather than turning them off and then on again when you come back in? It is
true though that switching fluorescent lamps on and off frequently shortens their lifespan, so it’s
a matter of finding a good balance between saving energy and reasonable lamp lifespan. As a
guide, switch fluorescent lights off if a room is to remain unoccupied for more than five minutes,
otherwise leave the lights on.
Some of the organisations giving it a go:
For a typical office building, lighting generally accounts for 50% of electricity consumption. Over
the entire life cycle of an incandescent bulb from manufacturing to disposal, the energy it uses is
almost five times that used for compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and LED lamps.
There are so many ways to use lighting in the office, but of course one of the best is to take
advantage of natural lighting. More information on this in a separate fact Sheet “Natural Lighting
and Skylights”.
How to do it
+ Prompt colleagues to remember to turn off the lights, using posters and stickers.
+ Switch off lights in areas that are unused during the day, lights that may be left on overnight
(excluding security lighting) or lights that are used where there is sufficient natural lighting.
+ Gradually replace all lighting with fluorescents as needed. Make sure that you choose fixtures
with T5 lamps and high-performance electronic (A2) power supplies (known as ballasts), which are
around 15% more energy efficient than traditional “iron-core” ballasts. You can identify iron-core
ballasts by their switch-on pattern: flicker-flicker-flickerON. If your fluorescent tube lighting switches
on smoothly and instantly, you probably alread have electronic ballasts.
+ Avoid over-lighting areas that don’t require high lighing levels (e.g. corridors, lift wells, foyers).
+ If your office has 1 light switch for the whole floor and there are areas that are unused, then take
the lamps out of the fittings that are ligthing unused areas.
MEDIUM effort projects
+ In lights fitted with double fluorescent tubes, consider removing 1 tube in areas where strong light
isn’t needed (this is called de-lamping). If it seems too dull, consider fitting the light with a reflector
or replace the remaining tube with a brighter triphosphor tube (uses same amount of energy), or an
even brighter quadphosphor tube.
Time to Complete
2
2 - 30 minutes
per fixture
Effort Level
Medium / High
ACOSS is developing this project for and with the community sector,
in partnership with state and territory COSS networks and
the Australian Neighbourhood Houses and Centres Association.
www.acoss.org.au
Image © iStock.com/ACOSSpublications
3
$
We changed all 50 watt bulbs with
energy efficient compact flourescent
bulbs, saving us about $20 a month.
Hadi Prayoga, Good Beginnings
Australia, Surry Hills NSW
We installed LED lighting throughout
the building. South Coastal Women’s
Health Services, Rockingham WA.
EASY lighting improvements:
1
We upgraded our lighting from
fluorescent T8 lights to T5 retrofit
versions. We also replaced
incandescent light bulbs with energy
efficient ones, including fittings to
lower voltage where appropriate.
Adriana, Women’s Health In the North,
Thornbury Victoria
All staff agreed to turn off all interior
lights when they were not being
used eg outside play or excursions.
We also ensure natural light is used
before turning on interior lights. At
the beginning and end of the day
when the centre is not fully utilisedall staff and children congregate in
one play room, rather than use the
power in all rooms. Carolyn Leys,
Gunnedah Preschool, NSW
We had sensor lights installed in
store rooms and toilets de-lamped
throughout the building. The Grange
Community Centre Inc. Hoppers
Crossing, Victoria.
Cost to Organisation
Per fixture: $5 for
compact fluorescent
lamps. $10 - $45for
LED lamps, $100 $250 for fluorescent
tube fixture
replacements
4
Savings per year
30% - 80%
of current
lighting
operational
costs
The GiveGrid project received funding from the Australian Department
of Industry as part of the Energy Efficiency Information Grants Program.
The views expressed herein are not necessarily the views of the
Commonwealth of Australia and the Commonwealth does not accept
responsibility for any information or advice contained herein.
1
Lighting and lighting controllers
“All staff agreed to turn off all interior lights when they were not being used.
We also ensure natural light is used before turning on interior lights.”
+ Replace light covers with ones which are clear or light coloured, and ensure they are regularly
cleaned to allow more illumination
+ Calculate cost savings of replacing the existing lighting with energy efficiency fittings (for
example fluorescents or LEDs).
+ Move objects that block the natural light entering the building.
+ Install timer switches that ensure lights are turned off a particular time, or after a length of time to
reduce reliance on staff to turn off lights.
+ Choose the best type of lighting for your situation. The most commonly used are;
o Incandescent globes: these are cheap to buy and expensive to run with a short life span
(about 800-1,000 hours). Because of their poor energy efficiency, these globes are no
longer available for purchase in Australia. They can be replaced with LED bulbs of similar
shape and light output at 20% of the energy consumption.
o Fluorescent tubes: these last up to 10 times longer than incandescent light (8,000-16,000
hours) for between 2 and 10 times the price.
o Compact fluorescent lamps: these have all the energy saving benefits of standard
fluorescent tubes, plus they have a bayonet fitting so they can be used to replace
incandescent bulbs. Try to use well-known brands because some of the cheaper ones tend
to buzz or flicker.
o Extra low voltage (ELV) lighting: these fixtures use small, high temperature halogen
lamps fitted into a reflector the size of a jam lid. ELV lighting uses 12 volts, and is slightly
more efficient than incandescent globes, but short life, low efficiency, extra heat challenge
for air conditioning and high lamp costs means high total ownership costs. Most halogen
downlight fixtures traditionally use 50-watt bulbs, but you can easily replace these with
35-watt “IRC” bulbs that put out a similar amount of light while using 30% less energy.
Alternatively, there are LED bulbs (e.g. 9-watt) available as direct replacements for halogen
downlights. Be sure to replace the halogen bulb power supply if you decide to use LED
bulbs; the original power supply may not work with LED bulbs (they tend to have flicker
problems) and will not achieve the full energy saving benefit (typically around 80%).
Another LED upgrade option is a purpose-built LED fixture that replaces the entire halogen
downlight fixture and fits in the existing hole in the ceiling. These types of upgrades are
usually a little taller than halogen fixtures, so appropriate space above the ceiling will be
required.
HIGHER cost measures
We undertook lighting upgrades,
and installed efficient lighting,
sensor lighting, and lighting
controls. We’ve done these
upgrades at five of our sites and
we’re expecting annual savings of
around $25,000 Baptcare, Victoria &
Tasmania
We replaced halogen down lights
with LED lights of equivalent
brightness. The Kindergarten,
Kempsey NSW
We use eco-friendly lighting; and
we don’t leave lights on if no one is
in the room. Kay Quinn, CEO-SEE
Foundation Inc, Jamisontown NSW
We put a timer on our conference
room lighting. Drug & Alcohol
Services Association, Alice Springs
NT
We installed efficient lights to
reduce costs, and we check all
air cons and lights are switched
off before closing. North East
Community Support Group Inc,
Brisbane QLD.
More information
NTCOSS lighting factsheet:
http://bit.ly/1lIFrmx
GreenBizCheck energy efficiency
lighting:
http://bit.ly/19ihwXS
+ Keep your office space feeling bright by repainting in light colours
+ Have glass partitioning walls instead of full walls to allow light movement
SA Government lighting factsheet:
http://bit.ly/1amVsKn
Installation of light and movement sensors
There are many types of sensors on the market which increase lighting efficiency in different ways.
Some detect movement in the room and turn lights on and off. These can be cost-effective to
install in intermittently occupied spaces, if extensive rewiring is not required. Another type of
sensor monitors the amount of light entering the building from natural sources and dims the
lighting accordingly. These are expensive to retrofit because they often require replacement of
existing lighting with dimmable fixtures. They may be worth considering if you decide to upgrade
to more efficient lighting fixtures, or if your lighting system is designed for such controls (e.g.
C-Bus).
Online lighting upgrade calculator:
http://bit.ly/1gpnRA4
Downloadable spreadsheet lighting
upgrade calculator:
http://bit.ly/1amVLoD
Your current space and existing lighting, as well as indoor or outdoor application will determine the
best type of sensors to include and where the best installation point is.
ACOSS is developing this project for and with the community sector,
in partnership with state and territory COSS networks and
the Australian Neighbourhood Houses and Centres Association.
www.acoss.org.au
The GiveGrid project received funding from the Australian Department
of Industry as part of the Energy Efficiency Information Grants Program.
The views expressed herein are not necessarily the views of the
Commonwealth of Australia and the Commonwealth does not accept
responsibility for any information or advice contained herein.
2