Improve switching of lights by occupants

Switching off lights is a cheap and simple energy conservation measure. The most effective way of insuring that lights are switched off is to assign the responsibility for ensuring that lights are switched off at the end of the day to one person in each work area.

Improve switching of lights by cleaners and security staff

Cleaners in particular are known for a tendency to light up the whole building and then turn off lights progressively as they clean each area of the building. This is a highly wasteful activity, particularly in large buildings. Make sure cleaners light up the building on a floor-by-floor basis only.

Improve zoning of switching

• Matching use patterns.Having just one switch to control the lights on a whole floor can be very inefficient, particularly after hours when there might only be one or two people in the building. Matching the switching arrangements to individual use zones in the building will be much more efficient.
• Matching daylight availability.Matching the switching groups to daylight availability means that you can turn off the lights that aren't needed during daylight hours, while leaving the lights on in parts of the building that aren't naturally lit. This will reduce the hours of operation compared with a system that has just one switch for a whole floor.
• Improving accessibility.Switches are often a long way from the lights they control, or aren't labelled. Moving and labelling the switches to make them more accessible will ultimately lead to energy savings.

Improve maintenance of controls

Automating lighting controls are only useful while they are working well. Experience shows that the probability of occupant interference with automatic lighting controls is also quite high. It is important to regularly check such controls and ensure that they are working effectively.

Introduce automated occupancy control

Automated occupancy control systems use movement sensors to determine whether to switch the lights on. Introducing automated occupancy control can sometimes lead to energy savings through reduced hours of operation. Care is required to ensure that the controls work for, rather than against, the occupants ' needs.

Introduce automated daylight control

Daylight controls can conserve energy by reducing the hours of lighting operation. Automated control systems contain light sensors that shut down some or all of the lights in an area when the light levels are high enough. If lights are fitted with dimmable electronic ballasts, the lights can also be dimmed according to the ambient conditions. It is definitely preferable to use a continuously variable system rather than a switching system for adjusting light levels, as occupants tend to be irritated by lights turning on and off.