7 Step Do-It-Yourself Lighting Audit
March 9, 2018
Use these 7 steps to get started on your Lighting Audit
A lighting audit is an important step in determining which lighting fixtures need replacing or updating. Conducting a lighting audit can help you implement cost-effective changes to benefit your business or facility, and give you a better handle on an expected project cost and return on investment. Plus, it will provide you a baseline of what is already in your facility, identifying potential installation conditions if any issues were to arise.
Download the lighting audit checklist tool to fill out when doing a walk-through of your facility.
7 Step Do-It-Yourself Lighting Audit
Step 1: Identify the location or area type, such as an office space or warehouse.
Step 2: Determine the fixture type.
Step 3: Record lighting fixture attributes and make notes of any special conditions.
Lighting Audit Checklist: Fill out the fixture information using the “Fixture Sheet”; afterwards you can use that info in the “7 Step Lighting Audit” tab to do your calculations (ie. quantity, Input watts, burn hours).
- Quantity
- Watts
- Hours per week each fixture is being used
- Additional notes such as controls, wiring, window skylights, condition of poles, mounting height, special hours, etc.
Step 4: Calculate your approximate Annual Burn Hours.
Lighting Audit Checklist: Use the “7 Step Lighting Audit” tab to fill out the hours, days, and week information; it will automatically calculate Annual Burn Hours.
Step 5: Determine each fixture’s Kilowatt (kW) rate.
Lighting Audit Checklist: In the “7 Step Lighting Audit” tab this will automatically calculate the kW rate.
Step 6: Calculate your Kilowatt per Hour (kWh) rate based on your recent utility bills.
Lighting Audit Checklist: In the “7 Step Lighting Audit” tab, enter your utility info and it will automatically calculate you kWh rate.
Step 7: Calculate your existing annual energy expense for your fixture(s).
Lighting Audit Checklist: In the “7 Step Lighting Audit” tab this will automatically calculate.
Once you have all this information you have established your baseline for the cost of running your facility on its current lighting set-up. This information can now be used internally or with a Lighting Consultant to calculate the potential savings of a new system, or highlight older fixtures that should be replaced or upgraded.
Buckles-Smith Electric, partnering with 16500, offers free lighting audits to help you collect and analyze information on your existing lighting system, and then provide you with a proposal for a new system and potential savings.