Lighting Energy Usage and Consumption in Commercial Buildings
If you own or rent a commercial building, you will be undoubtedly aware your lighting expenditure accounts for a substantial proportion of your total energy consumption. It’s estimated that UK businesses spend up to 20% of their total energy cost on lighting.
It is little wonder then that energy efficiency solutions in commercial lighting have been embraced by companies across the nation. As of 2021, the sale of UK produced standard lighting electrical equipment has declined with a large growth in energy efficient alternatives.
What do you need to know about commercial building lighting energy consumption and how can you reduce costs for your business? This guide explains everything you need to know.
An Introduction to Commercial Lighting
To get a complete overview, let’s look at the UK commercial energy market as it stands.
It will be no surprise that energy prices are increasing across the board, primarily because of the War in Ukraine and the current economic situation which is putting extreme pressure on businesses.
According to latest research conducted by Smarter Business UK the electricity costs for single premises businesses are:
| Size of Business | Electricity Consumption | Average Annual Cost |
| Microbusiness | 5000 – 15,000kWh per year | £650-£1800 |
| Small Business | 15,000 – 30,000 kWh per year | £1900-£2900 |
| Medium Business | 30,000 – 50,000 kWh per year | £3300-£5000 |
For larger businesses with multiple premises these costs can rise exponentially. It is worth noting you could make initial savings on your energy cost by simply switching energy providers.
Once you have found the cheapest energy tariff for your company, you should look at energy efficiency lighting to reduce expenditure further.
Factors that Impact Energy Consumption
There are two main factors that impact energy consumption in commercial buildings. The size of each building and the type of lighting equipment you have installed.
There are ways to reduce the lighting portion of total energy consumption from the abovementioned 20% to 5% or less.
Commercial Building Size
A variable you will have little control over unless you move premises is your commercial building size. A large commercial building will have higher consumption than a smaller commercial building with the same function.
The size of commercial premises in the UK is also increasing with new build premises having higher energy consumption requirements compared to older/existing commercial spaces.
The tricky aspect of this is most new build commercial premises are built in a more energy efficient way compared to older buildings so the total energy consumption can be the same between both types.
Regardless of the age of your commercial building, if you have a larger building you will need to be more cautious about energy consumption as even a slight mistake in your energy network can prove costly.
Commercial Building Lighting
Many commercial premises in the UK still rely on antiquated energy systems and the bulk of those buildings still use old lighting technology.
There are three main types of lighting used in commercial buildings across the UK:
- Incandescent Lighting,
- Standard Fluorescent Lighting,
- Compact Fluorescent Lighting (CFL).
Occasionally you will find premises using halogen lighting.
Newer lighting technologies such as High Intensity Discharge (HID) and Light-Emitting Diode (LED) are becoming increasingly popular as companies look to scale back energy consumption.
Which is Better HID or LED?
HID and LED lighting solutions are newer lighting technologies that have different applications. You will often find HID lighting in large or open spaces such as commercial forecourts, warehouses or in street lighting.
LED lighting is often used in small to medium enclosed spaces.
With that said, LED lighting is both more efficient and emits brighter light making it the go to option for most commercial buildings. HID lighting has its purposes, but the lighting degrades over time and the lifespan of a HID bulb is 15,000 hours compared to an LED bulb’s 30,000 hours.
LED bulbs are more durable and can survive falls etc. HID lighting is more fragile and can break easily, especially in a busy commercial setting.
Lastly, HID lighting is known to cause damage to eyesight as it doesn’t emit light in a natural way. LEDs in contrast are considered safe as they emit light on a natural light pattern.
Overall, you should pick LED lighting unless there is a specific function where a HID light would be better.
How to Reduce Energy Consumption in Commercial Buildings
To reduce energy consumption from lighting the simplest and cheapest option is to replace legacy lighting technology with LED lighting and install a smart meter. LED lighting reduces energy consumption by 90% when compared to standard incandescent lighting.
The switch of lighting solution alone can save a medium business up to £1000 annually. When you consider the low cost of LED lightbulbs, it is a switch well worth implementing.
Alongside your LED lighting you should actively manage energy consumption using a smart meter. Smart meters can optimise energy usage across your business network, allowing you to set up lighting timers or reduce consumption during peak times.
Lastly, there are also technologies available such as lighting sensors that can activate lighting when a room is in use and switch off when lighting isn’t. These technologies can also react to the amount of natural light in your commercial space, dimming and brightening lighting when required.
Other Energy Efficiency Solutions for Commercial Buildings
Lighting is a piece of a larger energy consumption pie. Commercial buildings can reduce their energy consumption significantly using self-generated energy and other energy efficiency solutions.
If you have a commercial building that can fully integrate all energy solutions, you could reduce your energy expenditure to zero. Believe it or not there are businesses in the UK using solar panels and heat pumps to generate enough energy to power all their business needs.
What’s more, these businesses are even selling excess energy to the grid, transforming a burdensome energy consumption problem into a new avenue for revenue.
Sana MEP offers FREE, no obligation consultations to all businesses in the UK. Contact us to book your consultation and see how we can transform the energy demand of your business today.
