Do Occupancy Sensors Save Big Money?
I have written in the past about which sensors are for various applications, however a common question I hear is "how much electricity do they save?". In this article I will run through a common scenario and show the benefits of adding them to your lighting system.
Example Using T5 HO Fluorescent Highbay's:
Let's look at a production floor with 50 - 6 lamp, 340 Watt T5 highbay's.
- Burn time will be 3,120 hr. per year(12hr. per day)
- We will assume a utility rate of .10 cents per kwh.
- 50% of the area is heavy usage.
- 50% is low usage.
Energy Cost With No Occupancy Sensors
Normal operation with no sensors would be:
(50 X 340Watts (W)) / 1000 = 17kilowatt (Kw)
17 kw X 3120 hr per yr = 53,040 kilowatt/hour (Kwh)
53,040 kwh X .10 per kwh = $5,304.00 per year to run the lights.
Energy Costs With Occupancy Sensors Installed
Now lets look at it with occupancy sensors controlling 50% of the lights:
25 fixtures with no sensors = $2,652.00 per year (half of the above cost)
25 fixtures with sensors off 70% of the time = $557.00 (30% of the $2,652.00)
$2,652.00 + $557.00 = $3,209.00 per year.
The Difference?
Without - $5,304.00 Per Year
With - $3,209.00 Per Year
($5,304.00 - $3,209.00 = $2095.00)
Thats a $2,095.00 savings on your yearly cost of electricity!
Occupancy Sensors = Energy Savings:
In the example above I used Fluorescent highbays to prove a point. Many consider T5 highbays fixtures excellent upgrades to older Metal Halide lighting...and they are, but by utilizing occupancy sensors you can take those savings much farther.
Try our free occupancy sensor calculator to see how much money you could save!.
If your looking for a sure fire way to cut operating costs look no further than the lighting above you. With utility rebates and tax incentives there is no better time to invest in upgrading the lighting of your facility.
Give us a call and let us take the hassle and guess work out of upgrading your place of business. More questions about occupancy sensors? Put your question in the comment section below.
