Why?
Depending on the size and type of your organisation lighting and small appliances might actually add up to a substantial part of your energy bill and thus carbon emissions. With so many efficient and brilliant options out there to light your space in the right way, there is no need to waste more energy than necessary.
How?
There are two major ways to reduce your lighting demand: Improvements to your building/unit/office and behaviour change.
Built improvements
Improvement to your building/unit can be as little or as big as they need to be. Some of it will have to be done by the owner of the building, some of it can be done by tenants.
Energy efficient lighting
This is the most obvious and most effective step you can take to reduce your energy demand from lighting. LEDs are the most effective way to light your space, whilst giving you amazing flexibility. The Energy Saving Trust provides more information on this topic on their website.
Light it right
Modern light installations like LEDs can be dimmed, coloured, used for spots and background lighting, possibilities are endless. You can work with a professional to design a lighting concept that works best for your space, but is most energy efficient at the same time. Keeping in mind that not every corner of your space will need the same level of lighting all of the time. You might want to work with dimmers or a reduced number of light sources for night-time lighting to keep the space save. Timers and motion detectors can also help to only use energy on lighting when it is actually needed.
Behaviour change
Fostering the right behaviour in your staff, members or even customers will help you safe energy and money. A first and basic action can be to work with staff to identify areas where lights can be turned off during the working hours and agreeing the right process (e.g. include it in the locking-up process at the end of the day). Staff and members who use the site regularly will also be able to identify areas where lights are needed or not. this level of engagement will make it much more likely for them to follow the instructions once they are issued.
