When you are out and about with your family how many times do you see lighting that’s been left on within the grounds of a building, the car park or even the building itself? It is amazing how many times I have seen this. Maybe it is just me with my energy management radar, but I seem to think that this is very common.
Nine times out of ten this is caused due to an issue with the lighting control. Over my many years of energy management, I find the reason for this issue is usually because of this weakest possible link, the ‘external light sensor’.
The lights may be coming on too early and going off late or actually just staying on.
The picture below is a typical external light sensor which you may see sited on a clear wall space, (possibly on a north facing wall).
- Make sure the external sensor has been placed on your PPM schedule and ensure the unit is operating efficiently every day.
- Make sure the plastic case is kept clean, as if the case gets dirty it will sense darker periods earlier and hold the lights on longer.
- Make sure the unit has been sited correctly and is not in a shaded area./
- Ensure there are no trees or shrub areas over-growing the unit, which again stops the light levels being monitored correctly.
- If the unit is faulty, ensure it is corrected immediately.
Finally, there are new technologies available in the marketplace that can control your external lighting with ‘Dusk to Dawn’ technology that plots the sun with satellite navigation. This will always guarantee your lights are off when not required.
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