Incandescent bulbs and new generation halogen bulbs give light almost immediately when switched on. CFLs take time to achieve full brightness (and can take much longer in very cold temperatures).
Efficient workplace lighting works on 3 levels
Get the design and energy efficient lighting right in your business for positive...
Economic benefits
Lighting is the second biggest electricity cost (around 30-50% of your bill) in the New Zealand commercial sector, next to space heating/cooling.1 What's more, lighting contributes to electricity consumption indirectly, by increasing cooling requirements in the building (ie. the need for air-conditioning). So it makes sense that energy efficient lighting is one of the most cost effective options available for reducing energy costs in your building.
1 EECA
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Design benefits
Good lighting design is not just a matter of aesthetics. It’s about having the right light where it is required to meet your legal, business and staff needs. It is also about not overlighting and spending more than you need to. This is important to realise whether you are a developer or a tenant.
As a developer, this can provide a clear competitive edge in trying to sell or rent spaces (and perhaps charge a premium) by working with lighting designers and engineers to ensure correct and energy efficient use of light. If you are building from new, lighting is one of the most cost-effective efficiency measures you can choose with the payback of installing energy efficient lighting and good design can be as little as 2-2.5 years.
And as a building occupier and the one who is going to be paying the electricity bills, did you know that installing efficient lighting provides one of the best paybacks of any energy efficiency investments? Take a good look at your lighting to identify where you can achieve lower running costs, not to mention increased productivity and feelings of staff wellbeing.
Environmental benefits
We all have a responsibility to reduce our energy use and associated CO2 emissions to lessen the impact on our environment.
For commercial building owners and operators, choosing energy efficient lighting strategies can aid ISO 14001 compliance and improve energy ratings in Green Star NZ. It can also help differentiate your business in the market (increasing numbers of consumers are becoming more selective about who they buy from) and reduce your carbon footprint (as well as the potential costs associated with this).
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Achieve the right solution with quality and colour of light
Remember that more light is not necessarily better. The quality and colour of the light as well as the design are important in achieving the right lighting solution.