A business owner who is considering leasing an office space in a commercial building should take into consideration the energy efficiency of the interior lighting of the space to be leased. The business owner should look for or try to incorporate the green concept in the interior lighting system, a concept which incorporates the newest technology in lighting that eliminates pollution and minimizes energy consumption.
The business owner who is intending to lease an office space could negotiate with the building owner to install an energy-efficient interior lighting system or make the retrofit himself before they move in after getting a substantial reduction in rent, or at least getting some rent credit.
The use of energy-efficient lighting system in buildings and offices is the result of the growing consciousness that the Earth’s resources are becoming scarce and less sustainable. Without a conscious effort to minimize consumption of resources, there will come a point when the planet cannot sustain our needs anymore. The efforts for sustainable consumption of resources will go a long way in the preservation of the planet for the future generations.
Energy-efficient lights consume less power. It also involves the use of efficient technology so as not to disrupt the balance of the heat load capacity in an enclosed space. The use of less power will translate into a smaller power bill for the business, with the savings realized from such lower bill being used for other operating expenses of the business.
In order for the business owner and the building owner to have a full understanding of energy efficiency in interior lighting, a basic knowledge of the different types of lighting should come handy. The following are the most common types of indoor lighting for buildings and offices:
Incandescent bulb – It was the lighting standard for many years and it will forever remind us of the great mind of Thomas Edison. The tungsten-based incandescent bulb, however, is a great energy waster and people are moving away from it in a very accelerated pace. Incandescent bulb is not recommended anymore for interior lighting.
Halogen and xenon lamps – A halogen lamp is a type of incandescent lamp with tungsten filament, just like the ordinary incandescent bulb, with inert gas and a little amount of halogen, either iodine or bromine. Xenon lamps are more energy-efficient than halogen because they have lower temperature and better quality light. Halogen and xenon lamps give more light from lesser watts but they are far from being energy-efficient.
Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) – It has become the industry standard after CFL introduced improvements over the incandescent light bulb. CFL uses spiral glass chambers filled with gas and ballasts. CFL typically uses a third or less of energy than the normal consumption of an incandescent light bulb. For example, a 23 watt CFL produces the equivalent light of a 100-watt incandescent light bulb. It maintains a cooler temperature when turned on compared with an incandescent light bulb. The main complaint about CFL is the warm up time. It takes a while before the CFL gives off its full lighting power after it is turned on. Another objection to CFL is that it cannot be used for a dimmer switching system.
Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) – Considered to be more superior than CFLs in lumen output, efficiency, and dimming, LED is a semi-conductor source of light. When the light emitting diode is turned on, electrons recombine with electron holes within the device, releasing energy in the form of photons. The color of the light emitted is the result of the energy of the photon that produced the effect called electroluminescence. LEDs improved technology has given rise to light bulbs that are extremely energy-efficient. LEDs use only between 10 to 20 percent of the energy needed by the traditional incandescent light bulbs.
Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs) – OLEDs are manufactured from flexible organic materials. While it is still in the early stage of development, OLED technology presents a great promise in energy-efficient lighting. Currently, OLED technology is already used in technological applications such as TVs and other flexible screens.
In addition to the different types of lighting season, the business owner, and the building owner, can save a lot in terms of energy consumption if they can incorporate natural daylight in the illumination of office spaces. The installation of windows and skylights in strategic places can minimize the need for artificial lighting that consumes energy.
Finally, the use of solar panels that will provide energy to the artificial lighting fixtures in an office is the ultimate way of going green in interior lighting.
Business owners who will lease office spaces at the Kennedy Office Center will find out the office buildings are more energy efficient and cost effective because of the use of T8 lighting throughout the four buildings of the office center. T8 lighting has continued to grow in popularity and is now considered to be the standing in building construction.
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