Daylight savings is coming to an end, meaning less natural light and a higher demand for lighting control will be in season. Many homeowners and facility managers may find their energy consumption increases during the fall and winter months, which is why Legrand’s Building Control Systems division has put together a guide to help homeowners and facility managers make simple changes to reduce their energy footprint and save on electricity bills.

Occupancy and vacancy sensors and timers: Less daylight means lights are being turned on more often and left on longer. Installing occupancy and vacancy sensors in commercial spaces such as conference rooms, hallways, and other office spaces ensure that lights aren’t left on when no one is around. In commercial spaces, automatic timers are a great solution for spaces where people often forget to turn off lights like closets and storage rooms. 

Vacancy sensors can also give peace-of-mind to homeowners by ensuring bathroom, garage, or bedroom lights aren’t left on all day while they’re away. Motion sensor lights are helpful for homeowners in outdoor applications for security and safety, especially as it gets darker earlier in the day. The added benefit is that homeowners don’t have to worry about turning them off at the end of the night.

Using lighting controls such as motion sensors, dimmers, and automatic timers is one of the easiest ways to save energy – resulting in extra energy savings of +30 percent.

Dimmers: Another great way to save money on energy consumption this winter is to use dimmers throughout your home and office spaces. Adding dimmers to interior lighting is a very easy and affordable improvement project that gives occupants a choice in lighting levels, which saves energy as full light is often not necessary. The contrast between the dark sky outside and full light inside can be a harsh transition on our bodies. With dimmers, there is the opportunity to use partial-light settings while the sun is rising and setting, and to continue to use partial light throughout the evening as our bodies prepare for bed.

Smart shading: When we set our clocks back an hour, don’t forget to also reset the smart shading system. Adjust shading systems to work alongside other lighting controls in a commercial or residential space. Many systems allow group programming, so west facing windows and east facing windows can be programmed to work with the sun, making the shift in daylight hours simple and easy for everyone. Astronomical based timers in some systems can automatically make necessary adjustments with the move from Daylight savings time to Standard time and then back again without skipping a beat.

Human Centric Lighting: Daylight savings was created to reduce energy consumption by harvesting more daylight hours and to help us all enjoy more daylight hours as the seasons change. When we have less daylight, technology can fill in the gap. Human Centric Lighting (HCL) solutions can help recreate the dynamic color temperature of natural sunlight while maintaining a high level of quality and consistency. HCL can be used for both commercial and residential spaces to deliver the highest quality of tunable lighting to maximize visual comfort and potentially help people feel more alert, healthier and happier – no matter the season.