Solar power and energy efficiency lighting are generally touted as two alternative solutions to our energy and environmental crises. However, rather than being in competition with one another, both renewable energy solutions combined are very beneficial for your business. The two of them working together will not only increase energy efficiency, but save money on your bills as well.
Solar and LED lighting are the perfect combination, kind of like butter on toast. They work well with each other while complimenting their best attributes. Solar Energy and energy efficient LED lighting, while 2 separate applications, both can see your business maximise your renewable energy output. You might not think lights aren’t as important or as exciting as solar, but they can work together to reduce your energy costs. With more and more businesses realising the savings potential, it’s no wonder why solar has seen such a strong uptake around the world. However, in order to reap the full benefits of solar, you must first reduce your energy consumption. That’s where LED lighting comes into play.
It’s no secret that solar energy is a tremendous help with reducing your company’s energy bills and creating a “greener” environment. A solar array relies solely on free, clean energy supplied by the sun, instead on having to solely rely on expensive fossil fuel energy. However, just because you’re subscribed to solar doesn’t mean you’re exactly maximising your energy savings. The advantages of solar power would be completely nullified if they were combined with inefficient, money-wasting and environmentally harmful lighting technologies. Your company wouldn’t be meeting its carbon targets and you would also be wasting potential financial savings. You can get more out of your solar panel system if you lower your energy consumption first with energy-efficient LED lighting. Depending on your monthly spend and usage, the combination of the two services could save you thousands of euros.
LEDs are the most energy efficient lighting technology available today. Using LED lights in place of less efficient lighting sources reduces the amount of energy consumed from your panels, which allows you to use your solar panel’s power for other purposes or for a longer length of time. LEDs are the most cost effective, produce visibility and don’t cause any pollution.
Another benefit is the DC power of LED lighting. The old standard of using CFL or other types of lamps in solar lighting applications always needed a converter to run the light. This causes a loss in power and the solar had to make up for it by being larger and having extra battery storage. Since LEDs run directly from DC power, and your solar panels are creating DC power, there is no need for a converter or extra power to make up for the loss. The solar panel system can operate more efficiently while providing better lighting at a lower wattage at the best lumen per watt ratio
To save money, the goal of your business should be to reduce your emissions output as much as possible. In addition to their cost saving benefits, LED lights reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase your solar output. LED lights not only maximise savings because they also last longer than alternative light sources. LEDs have one of the longest lifespans of any type of light and can last more than 50,000 hours. This is 42 times longer than incandescent bulbs and 13 times longer than halogen bulbs. Their longer life spans will reduce bulb replacement and maintenance costs. Along with their long life expectancy, LEDs use a fraction of the power needed for one incandescent bulb and a third less power than compact fluorescent bulbs. The lower power consumption provides better light patterns for the same size solar power system, which in turn lowers the cost due to fewer poles needing to be installed. When the sun isn’t shining, you can count on your LED’s to keep your energy expenditure down.
With UrbanVolt’s “As a Service” model there is no upfront cost, enabling your business to easily access affordable clean energy. Energy efficiency multiplies your solar and lighting savings. A combination of Solar energy and LED lighting at your facility is a great way to maximise your savings, and spend that money on what you do best, growing your business. Get in touch if you’re interested!