In July of 2008, we updated our building's outdoor lighting and parking lot lighting control system. Our original system utilized analogue timers that required manual updates throughout the seasons to compensate for the changing daylight hours. Failure to make these adjustments on a regular basis would lead to premature or late activation of the outdoor lighting system.

The new lighting control system utilizes outdoor photo-sensors to automatically detect the loss of natural light and engage the outdoor lighting and parking lot lighting. The digital controller then turns the outdoor lights on for a pre-determined amount of time before shutting them off for the remainder of the evening. The new system gives us greater control over the amount of energy we dedicate to light the exterior of our building and parking lot. Cutting the lights in the middle of the night also provides the added bonus of reducing our contribution to ambient light pollution in our region.

Estimated Power Reduction: 468 kWh per month (50%)
Estimated Cost Savings: $163 per month
Estimated Payback Period: 6 Month