Lighting Control for Existing Buildings

As building owners shift their resources from new construction to upgrading existing buildings, lighting will be a target for energy-efficiency improvements because they’re profitable: The average lighting upgrade generates a payback of 2.2 years and a 45-percent return on investment, according to the Energy Cost Savings Council.

According to the New Buildings Institute, advanced lighting controls can reduce lighting energy consumption by 50 percent in existing buildings, and by at least 35 percent in new construction. In an existing building, the most profitable control opportunities come from upgrading existing controls and ballasts with minimal rewiring.

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