Oakland, CA — Lighting has long been identified as the low-hanging fruit in efforts to make buildings greener. Retrofits that include replacing bulbs and fixtures and installing smart controls and management systems can provide swift returns on investments as well as continued savings.

But those upgrades represent just one element of a larger process that can yield even greater savings, better energy performance and enhanced worker productivity in commercial buildings.

"Smart facility managers are doing more than simply swapping out bulbs and fixtures," said GreenBiz.com Chairman and Executive Editor Joel Makower.

They're developing a more holistic understanding of lighting, said Makower. Applying that understanding to lighting upgrades and other strategic improvements is the key to amping up savings and building performance, according to GreenerBuildings.com Executive Editor Rob Watson and Philips Lighting's Environmental Marketing Manager Steve McGuire.

McGuire and Watson shared their insights on the subject today in the webcast "Bringing Building Efficiency to Light," moderated by Makower. (An archived version of the free, hour-long presentation will available for download for a year.)

Understanding the basic interactions between lighting other aspects of a building is at the heart of the process, said Watson, who is chairman, CEO and chief scientist of the EcoTech International Group, which helps clients around the world achieve cost-effective high performance green buildings.

For example, more efficient lighting produces less heat, which in turn can significantly reduce air conditioning demand, which then results in a smaller chiller retrofit and fewer fans and pumps -- all of which result in cost savings.

It's also important to be aware of the misconceptions about lighting that can stand in the way of savings, said Watson, dispelling five popular notions about lighting and energy savings.

In dashing the myths, Watson underscored several points. "More is definitely not better," he said. "And (as to point No. 2) saving energy is saving energy -- the question is how can we have a package of energy savings starting with lighting."

Applying integration principles from the onset -- in the design of retrofit projects and new buildings -- will go a long way toward accomplishing savings in cost and time, and maximizing efficiency, he said.

"Think before you act," Watson said. "Carpenters say, 'If you measure twice, you only cut once, but if you only measure once, you have to cut twice.'  It's much easier to solve problems on paper than in the field ...

"Reduce the load first through design, and then see what technology can do. Design technology out, not in -- technology will get you 40 to 60 percent of the way there, so I really want to emphasize the importance of design."

Considerations include glare, comfort, color, illuminance ratios, distribution and activities in the building. Are the occupants performing detail, creative or knowledge work? Are they mostly focused on their computer screens? All factor into lighting design.

For example, for knowledge work, daylight with outside views should flow through occupied spaces for better worker productivity and health, said Watson, pointing to the effectiveness of designs that couple task and ambient lighting.

All the components of a lighting system must work in concert -- "If you're taking out a T8 lamp driven by a T8 ballast, make sure a T8 lamp goes back in," Watson said -- and the lighting design must take into account the building envelope and windows, he said. Similarly, a window retrofit should take into account building orientation and available natural light.

"The envelope and windows work with lighting systems and all of that works with the HVAC," said Watson.

Next Page: The Value of Integration and Benchmarking