Advanced lighting controls and exterior tactics for better illumination

To achieve the goals of sustainability and high performance, stakeholders in new construction and renovation projects must rein in energy consumption. Interior illumination represents a large fraction of building sector energy use, and lighting overall accounts for 19% of electricity consumed nationwide, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

With this in mind, project designers, contractors, facility managers, and end-users must understand why illumination is so energy intensive, and what to do about it. This course presents detailed information about lighting control strategies that contribute to energy efficient buildings and occupant well-being, as well as tips for lighting building exteriors effectively and efficiently.

After reading this article, you should be able to:

Describe the challenges for delivering sustainable, efficient lighting design in commercial projects, enhancing occupant well-being and saving resources.
Discuss illumination technologies available to project stakeholders, including benefits, drawbacks, and major recent advances.
List considerations for meeting applicable codes and voluntary green standards.
Compare current lighting design strategies and techniques, with particular attention to exterior lighting and lighting control systems that promote safety, security, energy-efficiency, and occupant well-being.

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We offer the following recommendations in the hope that they will help step up the pace of high-performance building reconstruction in the U.S. and Canada. We consulted many experts for advice, but these recommendations are solely the responsibility of the editors of Building Design+Construction. We welcome your comments. Please send them to Robert Cassidy, Editorial Director: rcassidy@sgcmail.com.