What Is Easiest Path to Energy Efficiency?

Lighting is the first step on the path toward a greener future, or at least it is the biggest step that property owners are taking. According to research from JLL, 46% of property owners spend capital on new lighting when working to create more energy efficient buildings. It makes sense that most green dollars are spent here. Lighting accounts for 17% of all electricity consumption. We sat down with Carrie Gillis, senior project manager at JLL, to talk about the capital investment into green buildings and why lighting is topping the list.

GlobeSt.com: Why is so much capital for green improvements spent on lighting?

Carrie Gillis: Lighting consumes approximately 50 percent of a building’s electrical load, which translates to high electricity costs year over year. Many building owners and tenants are opting to install energy efficient LED lighting, and in most cases this is now required by code. Here in California, any new building projects and retrofits are subject to Title 24 (aka California Building Code), and while it may cost slightly more upfront to comply, in the long run, studies have shown generally reasonable payback periods of two to three years. Surveys have shown that green improvements on a scale of “not at all important” to “very important” leans heavily towards “very important” for building owners. Owners want to protect their asset and green improvements such as lighting retrofit projects, provide that added “boost” of value as opposed to not making the investment.