Livegreen Blog
LiveIN 7 - Keep the lights on, but learn to use them properly
by Samantha on Thursday, 30th September 2010 in Live In
How can modern lighting help save energy?
Of course, one of our first answers could be by reducing waste. But reducing energy consumption doesn’t simply mean turning off the lights. Light is an essential part of our lives and meets not only our functional needs at home or in the workplace, but also needs like safety, as in the case of street lights, and a better perception of our environment, of public spaces, and of the city, significantly improving our quality of life. Fortunately, it’s possible to save energy without reducing the amount of light we use.
So if we don’t need to turn off the lights, what can we do to save energy?
One obvious solution is to make the most of natural lighting. This can be done with simple means such as repositioning furniture, moving a desk or reading chair closer to a south-facing window, or going the extra mile to install skylights where possible to bring more light into the room. Light-colored walls also favor natural lighting, allowing it to more easily penetrate the depths of a room.
When evening falls and turning on the lights becomes a must, using task-oriented illumination can reduce electricity consumption. This means focusing the light on where you need it, and not necessarily illuminating an entire room with overhead lighting when only the desk in the corner is being used. When it comes to bulbs, choose wisely. LED lamps, for instance, use only 10% of the electricity guzzled by regular incandescent bulbs and are thus being widely recognized as the newest, most environmental lighting solution. Though they may cost more initially, their greater efficiency and longer lifespan ultimately make up for the difference in price.
Lighting management systems and control panels are also quite effective in cutting electricity use, and cut down on waste caused by human forgetfulness. These include dimmers, photocells and occupancy sensors, which reduce the amount of light required, turn lights on and off depending on natural light levels, and activate or deactivate lights based on whether or not people are present, respectively. Some lighting management systems can also be programmed to shut off or turn on the lights at a certain time.
In fact, light management is just one of the ways home automation systems contribute to improving the daily management of the home’s interior while saving energy.
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