Commercial electricity is priced higher than the electricity that is used for the domestic purposes. In some cities the difference can be very stark that the prices are more than 3 times higher than the ordinary price. If you are in such a place and if your business is in the energy intensive industry, then you have to shell out a lot of money just for the utility bills. This can put a huge dent on the profitability of the business.
Many businesses will no longer be viable, unless they adopt the new technologies and change with the time. Adoption of energy efficient systems is one such important criteria to be relevant with time.
The solution for getting the maximum out of the commercial electricity is different for different sectors of the industry and you can adopt new technologies depending on your business.
Hospitality industry is one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy and the energy needs of this sector is also increasing exponentially. For example, in the yesteryears, a hotel room meant a nice room for lodging with adequate lighting and air conditioning. These days, as the standard of living of people increase, a hotel room translates to a well-lit reception or lounge area, a convenient lift for taking people up and down in the building, ambience lighting and main lighting in a room, refrigerator for the guests, water heaters, kettles, air purifiers, television sets and other appliances. All these have cause an exponential rise in the power needs of the industry. So, an easy way for the hospitality industry is to use energy efficient appliances at all places.
An office is a unique setup that is different from other places. If the office has many employees in it then each might need a separate light for themselves and it is not easy to reduce the number of lights or reduce the usage hours of the lights. In such a place, upgrading the old bulbs to the latest Ecova LED bulbs, LED panels and LED lights is an easier option.
Automation of the lights can also save a lot of energy as these lights can sense the ambience light and either switch off or switch on accordingly. Moreover, using LED panels can actually reduce the number of lights that needs to be switched on for a given area. LED bulbs are two to three times more efficient than the conventional lights. So it can cut your electricity bills by 40-60%.
The case of the manufacturing industries is different from other sectors but even in that place, there is a scope for reduction in the consumption of commercial electricity. One can always reduce the need for lighting by utilising the ambient light. However, if it is not possible in all the places. So, using cost effective and energy efficient solutions is the best option.
Using LED strips for lighting the corridors, replacing LED spotlights, LED grille lights can reduce the electricity consumption while not compromising on the amount of light. Additionally, usage of solar power and other renewable sources of energy on site can help in energy conservation.
Schools have a huge need for power and it ranges from lighting classrooms to running water heaters in hostels to cooking needs. A majority of the needs can be met out by installing solar power units in the school. Firstly, a photovoltaic plant that can store the energy in the battery packs can be used to meet out the electricity needs directly. Secondly, a photo thermal plant to meet out the heating needs of the school.
The photo-thermal plant will help to convert the light energy from the sun into heat energy that can be used to heat water for various purposes. It can be used as water heaters for bathing and other washing purposes. Other than that, kitchens have a huge need for hot water and the water from these solar heaters can be used to minimize the usage of electricity to heat the water.
The photovoltaic solar plant will help you to run the lights and fans in the school but since the power is stored in the battery, it is better to avoid wasteful uses of the electricity. LED lights use less than half the power needed for conventional lights and hence, they give a longer usage hours. Usage of LED tubes and LED strips can help you to minimise the electricity costs, even if you do not have a solar power plant and are entirely dependent on the grid power. As a matter of fact, they are highly beneficial if you are using the commercial electricity connection.
Lighting public places like parks and lawns is best done using the LED lights. Parks need only a minimum lighting and that too only for a limited number of hours in the evening and night. So, installing solar powered LED lights that are self-powered is beneficial. Too much of light spoils the ambience of the park, so it is better to use LED strips and LED panels at key locations.
If you have any other ideas to minimise the usage of commercial electricity, do write to us.
Lighting is important for any kind of a property regardless of the nature i.e. domestic, commercial or industrial. Lights create a pleasant atmosphere and it induces a sense of comfort. Although a perfect lighting is necessary for a household, there can be certain compromises and minor adjustments. People will not move out of their houses, if they do not get the perfect lighting. However, people move away from shopping malls, shops, hotels, restaurants and coffee shops if they do not get proper light. The case of lighting in an office building is far more important. Employees and workers cannot work to their potential, if they do not get proper lighting. As a result the productivity and hence profitability of the company falls.
On the other hand, these commercial establishments and structures cannot afford to overuse electricity as commercial electricity is much costlier than the power supply that we get for domestic uses. There is always a tradeoff and a delicate balance that the companies and establishments have to maintain. So, the managements must choose wisely and get the best result out of the given resources.
Many people and businesses do not understand the need to get a professional designer to design the lighting of the premises. They simply ask the electricians to place the housings and fixtures for the lights. However, optics, just like acoustics is an important field that determines the appeal of a place. Lights can create magic or make the whole place look tragic. While makeshift placing of lights can work for smaller places like houses, the need for a designer is very high in case of a commercial establishment.
Any amateur work might lead to wastage of commercial electricity, if there are too many lights that are unnecessary for the place. Similarly, it might reduce the aesthetic appeal of the place, if there are not enough lights in the arena. A professional can help you to design the perfect positions of lights that can maximise the usage of light and optimise the power consumption.
When constructing a commercial place, it is important to use the latest technological innovations in all fields including lighting technology. Newer technologies are more efficient while the newer designs are more effective and they give a contemporary look and feel.
An LED panel light is small, compact and more efficient that the bulb holders of the past. LED are at least 50% more effective than CFL bulbs and much better than the old incandescent lights. Instead of illuminating the whole pathway, LED strips can guide people across the path. Additionally, it conserves a lot of power too. The latest flat LED tubes are safer than the conventional cylindrical tubes lights. These do not break upon mild impact and they do not cause any pollution.
The recent technological innovations have been effective in many ways. Today, there is a possibility for automation in many of appliances and devices. Motors and water pumps can be automatically switched and switched off, once a desired level of water is achieved in the tank. This can help us to save both water and electricity. Similarly, automation of lights and air conditioners is possible and they can detect the presence of human beings inside a room or an area and either switch on or switch off accordingly. This can reduce the wastage of commercial electricity and help you to conserve the same.
This exercise might sound very simple but it can help you to maximise the usage and minimise the wastage. Identifying the wattage of every appliance and noting down the usage hours on a daily basis can help you to arrive at a figure at the end of each day. In an office, have a daily power usage calculation process and award the team that uses the least power at the end of each week. This tiny exercise can go a long way in reducing the power consumption.
Although, it is necessary to conserve the usage of commercial electricity, you also have to take into account of the untimely and eventual failure of the lighting systems. So, always be prepared and have redundancy in the lights. Always have extra fixtures and lights that can be switched on, if the mainstay light gets fused. Apart from these, it is also important to have emergency lights that can switch on during power failure. Using LED bulbs for these emergency lights can prolong the usage period as these have a very high efficiency. LED lights can function as emergency lights and provide better quality of light than the conventional bulbs.
These are some of the best guidelines to have a smooth functioning of the lights in a commercial place. Always follow them and have a worry-free
