LIGHTING & CONTROLS
Smart lighting cuts energy waste in commercial buildings
James Foster, OCTO national sales manager at Ansell Lighting explores the relevance of ‘smart occupancy’ systems and the role smart lighting and other complementary new technologies play in supporting businesses to reduce unnecessary waste and accurately evaluate energy usage
Lighting accounts for
almost 40% of all energy used in commercial buildings in the UK, so with the traditional 9 to 5 office working practices out of the window, there is real potential that businesses will use energy to power lighting unnecessarily.
P
erhaps one of the biggest challenges faced by professionals in the building services industry today is how to effectively manage energy use in under-utilised buildings. Since the pandemic, the adoption of hybrid working practices has meant that many workspaces are now scarcely populated and as energy prices, coupled with inflation, continue to rise, the need to eradicate inefficiencies has never been greater. The way we live and work has undoubtedly changed. The pandemic has brought about changes to working patterns for huge swathes of the population, which means that for many businesses and organisations, large office spaces that house the entire workforce are no longer required. As with all forms of evolution, these changes call for real adaptation and in the lighting world that means specifying solutions that are responsive and adjustable; that work not only with varied routines but that also address other challenges we face such as energy use and carbon emissions.
Smart occupancy systems, as they have been coined, use intelligent technology to effectively
manage the relationship between humans and their usage of the built environment. They automate processes and through the use of monitoring systems provide data to which managers can respond and evaluate areas which are unused and wasting valuable resources. Ideal for spaces where lighting requirements change regularly, such as workplaces that are being used sporadically, they provide light or other building services only when they are needed and are having a huge impact on the amount of energy used. In an environment of soaring energy prices and rapidly rising inflation, smart occupancy systems can really help businesses and commercial organisations to make significant energy savings. Lighting accounts for almost 40% of all energy used in commercial buildings in the UK, so with the traditional 9 to 5 office working practices out of the window, there is real potential that businesses will use energy to power lighting unnecessarily. Smart lighting systems have been around for a number of years now and their use is becoming more mainstream, but it is technology such as this that will help business property owners and managers to optimise their energy use.
Smart lighting uses automation to ensure that lighting is only used where and when it is needed – in fact a well-designed and operated smart lighting system can reduce lighting energy use by up to two thirds. The technology allows you to pre-set the times and duration that lighting is in operation, set up different ‘scenes’ or combinations of luminaires that are in operation and control colour temperature and output levels meaning that staff not only experience the highest levels of visual comfort but that power is only used where and when it is needed. The technology is also highly functional and be controlled easily by app, remote control, motion or eco systems such as Hey Google, Apple Siri shortcuts on iOS 12, Samsung SmartThings or Amazon Alexa. Suitable for both internal and external lighting
circuits, it can be used to operate any type of domestic or commercial space; from kitchens and bathrooms to offices, meeting rooms, warehouses, and even external areas such as building façades, car parks or walkways. Aside from smart technology itself, fittings with motion or presence/absence detection sensors also play a huge role in smart occupancy systems. Suitable for all applications, they too ensure that lights are only in operation when the space is in use. Smart technology-enabled daylight harvesting systems are another great solution that can also be used to optimise energy savings, allowing buildings to take full advantage of any natural lighting available, reducing and increasing the artificial lighting as and when it is needed. Extremely versatile, it is ideal for workplaces where lighting requirements are changeable as, rather than having to illuminate entire rooms or floors, the technology allows individual fittings to be operated in isolation meaning that if required, just a single individual work station can be lit, saving energy use. When it comes to providing insight and
information on building use, advances in equipment mean that many commercial smart lighting solutions now come with dashboard controls. A building manager’s best friend, the dashboards can accurately measure lighting energy usage across all spaces – from individual offices to a portfolio of buildings – and in real time, allowing building managers to monitor and optimise their lighting installations. This helps to reduce unnecessary use, whilst also highlighting spaces that are unused and either no longer needed or do not require regular services such as cleaning or heating - reducing additional operational costs. Smart occupancy systems will ensure that businesses are operating in tune with the movement of its people and, as it doesn’t look as though this hybrid approach to working is set to change any time soon, it is undoubtedly an essential technology for commercial buildings.
14 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER OCTOBER 2022 Read the latest at:
www.bsee.co.uk
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