No other system in a building relies on such rudimentary controls as the manual on/off light switch. Lighting controls can provide tremendous benefits, savings, and convenience. "Facility managers need to think of the long-term cost - return on investment. Too often a really good decision gets shot down because it looks like it is going to add to the upfront cost of the project," advises Borden. The productivity gain may be a difficult thing on which to base payback analysis - but energy savings won't be.
With correct application(see Figure 1, page 44), installation, maintenance, and attention, lighting controls will reap intended benefits. "You don't take your information systems for granted. You don't take your cash accounting systems, security, and HVAC systems for granted. There is a big tendency with lighting controls to think, 'I bought this lighting controls system and installed it so I never have to think about it again.' It's really no different than any of the other systems," concludes Baselici.
Jana J. Madsen ([email protected]) is senior associate editor at Buildings magazine.
For more information on lighting controls, visit the Lighting Controls Association website (www.alcp.com).
