Description:
Lighting is often an area targeted for improvement in existing office buildings. Lighting upgrades can come in many forms, including light-emitting diodes (LEDs), high-efficiency fluorescents, or downsizing from T-12 fluorescent bulbs to T-8 or T-5 bulbs. Lighting accounts for 30-40% of commercial building energy consumption, and these technologies can reduce lighting energy usage from 35% (T-8 high efficiency fluorescent) to 75% (LED).
Special Considerations
- When replacing fluorescent tubes with higher-efficiency, longer-life LEDs, consider replacing the entire fixture to avoid incompatibilities between the bulb and the ballast which could degrade performance, shorten bulb life, or create a safety hazard. Alternatively, use an LED tube with an integrated driver.
- Consider bundling this upgrade with occupancy and/or daylight sensors for additional savings.
Estimates for this measure come from the Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency in Separate Tenant Spaces Feasibility Study.