Low-cost ways to save on lighting

Ask the Expert:
Mark Whitney, PGE lighting efficiency specialist

Mark Whitney, lighting efficiency specialist

Q. In the last issue of Energize you recommended lighting as a good place to start when cutting energy costs. But major upgrades aren’t in my budget this year. Are there any lighting changes I can make that will save energy but won’t cost much money?

A. Absolutely! There are lots of simple, low-cost and no-cost steps you can take with your lighting to save energy.

Try these steps at your business  

• Turn off lights in unoccupied areas and unnecessary lights at shutdown.
• Install occupancy sensors or simple timer switches in storage rooms, bathrooms and other rooms that are used infrequently.
• Remove lamps and ballasts in over-lit areas when appropriate.
• Keep light fixtures clean and dust-free to maintain light output & that can save you from turning on extra lights or adding lights.
• Use ENERGY STAR® compact fluorescent lights to replace incandescent bulbs. CFLs use about two-thirds less energy, last about 10 times as long and produce much less waste heat than incandescents. For a “color temperature” similar to incandescent bulbs, look for bulbs labeled “warm light” or that are marked with a 2700 K to 3000 K color temperature rating on the package or bulb base.

Find more ways to save on lighting and other technologies in our new energy-savings section online. Low-cost and no-cost solutions can be found under “Simple Fixes” in each section.

Do you have an energy question? Contact our Business Services Team.