Efficient lighting design begins with daylighting; electric lighting should then be designed to maximize savings from daylighting. Because lamp, ballast and light fixture efficiencies keep improving each year, it is possible to design high-quality lighting systems with lower and lower wattage densities. More efficient plug-load and hard-wired equipment is also now available, due in part to the Energy Star program.
Lighting uses over 20% of the electricity on campus. The College strives to use energy-efficient lighting via the following strategies:
- Incandescent lights are not used unless required in a historic structure or in specialty areas such as a museum or art building.
- Lighting controls are used to regulate lighting levels according to the amount of natural daylight entering the building.
- Corridors and public spaces are designed to allow for generous amounts of natural daylight to flood the spaces.
- Occupancy motion sensors are used to control lighting.
- Proper lighting zoning allows distinct areas within rooms to be switched on or off to match the needs of occupants.