Research by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Agency (EECA) found that switching to energy efficient lighting is one of the best returns on investment available for businesses looking to reduce their energy use.¹ Office lighting consumes up to 35% of an average building’s energy use, and currently around 70% of all office lighting is based on old, inefficient technology.²

The Energy Management Association of New Zealand recently stated that many commercial properties nationwide are paying more than they need in energy costs – to the total tune of $780 million annually. One of the obstacles for businesses looking to become more energy efficient may be a perception that it is too hard to change because of the constraints of their existing infrastructure. However some energy saving measures used in Green Star rated buildings can be incorporated into existing buildings without the headache of a major construction project. Lighting is one of these measures.

Financial savings can be made by the simple act of changing a lamp to a more efficient option, while further gains can be achieved by switching to electronic lighting ballasts and energy efficient luminaires. Additional energy savings can be gained when energy efficient lamps and luminaires are combined with daylight-harvesting lighting controls (that recognise light levels outside and adjust interior lighting accordingly) and movement-detection sensors (which identify when workspaces are occupied and adjust lighting accordingly), so energy efficiencies of up to 70% can be made. This can achieve enormous energy efficiencies. A typical office of 2,000m² and 100 employees could save $12,000 per year and use 32,500 kg less CO². The huge savings, as well as the additional environmentally responsible credentials, also make buildings more attractive to tenants.

Philips New Zealand has recently been selected for the 2012 EECA programme to promote subsidised lighting products for businesses looking to save electricity with the aim of reducing over-lighting and increase the uptake and usage of lighting controls. Philips products selected for the programme include the intelligent Sereno range of recessed office luminaires which come with built-in lighting controls. The Sereno model with the integrated LuxSense control measures natural light entering an office space and adjusts the luminaire lighting up or down to maintain the optimal lighting levels. The Sereno Actilume luminaire will perform the same function but also includes presence detection to automatically switch off the lighting when an area or room is vacated. The Philips Occuswitch is also supported in the EECA programme, and is a standalone presence detection unit which can be retrofitted to control existing office luminaires. For more industrial environments, Philips also has the TPS150 T5 high-bay with controls which can achieve up to 60% energy savings compared to older metal halide fittings.

Lighting controls can also be programmed to simulate natural daylight to stay in tune with people’s natural biorhythms. They can provide brighter light in the morning to energise staff when they get into the office and then warmer, decreased light at lunchtime as people take a break. In a trial at Westraven Tower, a 23-storey office block in the Netherlands, staff reported feeling more energised and having a greater sense of wellbeing.³ In addition to energy-savings, the productivity benefits from correct lighting in businesses are highlighted in a 2006 paper entitled “Healthy, wealthy and wise. A health impact assessment of Future currents: Electricity scenarios for New Zealand 2005–2050”. Written by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, the paper showed that improved lighting design increased worker productivity by up to 23 percent. ⁴

Lighting also presents an opportunity in the education sector, where internationally it makes up close to three-quarters of an average school’s energy bill. Not only can installing energy efficient lighting in schools make big financial savings, new lighting technologies also help children to learn. In a year-long study commissioned by Philips in Hamburg, Germany looked at the effects of lighting on children’s learning, with teachers able to change the light intensity and colour temperature in classrooms to suit the tasks children were working on. The results showed that attention span, concentration and the behaviour of pupils all improved significantly under dynamic lighting conditions. Not only did their performance improve, they read faster and made fewer mistakes. Philips is assessing similar pilot studies for New Zealand to see what effect this lighting technology and controls can have on pupils’ learning.

The lighting technology hailed as the future of lighting is LED (light emitting diode) technology. Lasting up to 25 times longer and using up to 80% less energy than incandescent lighting⁵, LEDs also contain no mercury or lead and emit little heat. Due to the compelling environmental and financial benefits of LEDs, they are expected to make up at least 45% of global lighting by as early as 2015, and 75% by the end of this decade.⁶ LED lighting is also designed to be flexible and controlled, so adding lighting control systems to work with new LED fixtures maximises the potential energy saving benefits.

While the monetary savings and environmental reasons for making the switch to energy efficient lighting and lighting controls are clear, there are also the benefits to productivity that new lighting technology brings to businesses, making for an even more compelling case to switch.

Written by: Philips Lighting New Zealand
Level 2, 1 Nugent Street, Grafton, Auckland 1023
philips.co.nz/lighting