Energy efficiency is not only important for large corporations but also for small businesses. It offers numerous benefits, including cost savings, environmental responsibility, competitiveness, compliance, and long-term stability, making it a smart investment for small businesses looking to thrive in today's business landscape.

Here are 5 ways to improve your business energy efficiency:

1. Automated Digital Timeclock

A digital timeclock will allow you to control when your exterior lights come on and shut off. You can also program it to automatically adjust for daylight savings time and changes in business hours. Once programmed, the digital timeclock will be completely self-sustaining. It will even come with a battery back up to keep its memory in case of a power loss. If you have already implemented better technology and LED lighting, automated digital timeclocks will maximize your facility’s efficiency.

2. Implement Photocells with Outdoor LED Lighting

Photocells are a simple way to control exterior lighting. This product will turn your exterior lights on at dusk and shut them off at dawn. We often see photocells being used for LED parking lot lighting for car dealerships or any LED parking lot lighting. Depending on circuitry, you can control each light separately, or control them as one from the breaker panel.

3. Occupancy Sensor Switch

This simple cost efficient swap of a light switch will insure interior lighting isn’t left on and burning energy while your business is vacant. Why do I use the word vacant and not closed? An occupancy sensor switch senses motion in the office. It can be programmed to turn lights off after no motion is detected for 5 to 15 minutes. This means lighting would shut off even when you go to lunch. This will also solve the long dark walk to turn the lights on when opening your business.

4. Retrofit Your Exterior Lighting to LED Lighting

Exterior lighting is the second highest energy cost after heating and cooling. Most exterior lights are High intensity discharge lamps or HID. For exterior lights these fixtures can range from 100 watt to 1500 watt bulbs. That’s not including the ballast factor. What is the solution? LED lighting is the leading luminary technology to maximize lighting and increase business energy efficiency. After a retro fit has been installed, a business can see anywhere from 65% to 85% energy reduction. This happens while also increasing light levels up to a third. This would make even Mr. Edison shake his head in disbelief.

5. Retrofit your Interior lighting to LED lighting

Interior lighting may not use as much energy as the exterior lighting. So why even bother with a LED retro fit? Energy savings is based on two major variables, the wattage of the fixture and how many hours the fixture runs a year. A typical office energizes its lights about 2400 hours a year. Not to mention the safety lights (commonly referred to as night lights) which run 24 hours a day 365 days a year. The high hours of operation in interior lights have given it the potential to have a very low return on investment or ROI.

Thomas Edison once said “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that didn’t work.” I may not have failed 10,000 times. But I have succeeded several times improving business energy efficiency in a business utilizing these 5 tips. Thanks for all work Mr. Edison, I’ll take it from here.

There are many advantages to LED Lighting which you may learn about on either our website, or through our catalog that you may download below.