At the start of the new year, it’s common for companies to develop plans for improving operational efficiency. Business owners might evaluate staffing needs or process improvements, but one often overlooked area is energy usage. Cutting down on the amount of energy needed to run your business gives you extra funds each month to improve other areas. To learn the role that lighting control plays in energy-efficient operations for Texas companies, read on.

Stop Lighting Unused Rooms

How often do your boardrooms, conference rooms, or even bathrooms stay completely lit up when not in use? Yes, you can impose a “last one out turns everything off” rule, but there’s no way you can ensure that the rule is actually followed. For lean operations, use motion sensors to automatically turn off the lights (and power down electronics for even more energy savings) after a set period of time. Then, when someone enters the room or area again, the lights can brighten immediately without any effort on their part.

SEE ALSO: It’s Time to Upgrade Your Boardroom’s Audio Video System

Fight against Solar Heat Gain

The hot Texas sun is responsible for many large AC bills, a fact that many businesses simply accept as a necessary expense. But with smart shading solutions, you can mitigate one of the main factors that contributes to high air conditioning costs: solar heat gain. Especially for buildings with lots of large windows, the sun essentially bakes each area, causing the temperature to rise significantly.

By investing in a commercial automation system with lighting control and motorized shades, you can protect your building from the sun’s hottest rays. Subtle sensors keep track of the light and temperature in each room. If the temperature next to a window rises beyond a certain threshold, heat-blocking shades automatically lower in the room. To keep the area well-lit for use by your employees, the overhead lights immediately brighten as the shades go down. Then, as the day starts to cool down, the shades can respond by opening back up.

Find a Happy Medium

Your lights don’t always have to stay at one extreme: super bright or completely off. Automatic dimmers can save thousands each year simply by lowering the brightness in rooms that are already well lit by natural sunlight. Beyond improving energy efficiency, dimmers can also actually improve employee productivity. Studies show that lighting levels can significantly impact mood, so you can set up your lights to automatically increase brightness when workers enter the post-lunch slump, for example.

Make 2017 the year that your business thrives and grows. To learn more about how lighting control and other commercial automation technologies can help, contact us today.