Deciding to invest in energy-efficiency is a decision that every company or business must come by on their own. Oftentimes, an investment in energy-efficiency will yield more than a return on investment. Let’s look at 9 signs that could be telling you it’s time to consider investing in LED Lighting:

1) You pay too much in utility costs every month. We have said it over and over, but cutting the watts you use can cut the amount it costs you to light your facility. This being said, your utility bill will always reflect your usage and if you start saving energy today by updating your lighting system you’ll be saving already when utility costs inevitably rise.

2) Your business is looking for instant ways to reduce overhead. It’s not quite as simple as flipping a switch, you have to plan your project, but every day after that when you turn on the lights and get to work you’ll be saving energy!

3) Your maintenance budget is out of whack. Does your facility have dozens of different bulb-types throughout? Do you have parking lot, auditorium, or atrium areas that are difficult to reach without a lift, increasing your maintenance spending every time one lamp needs to be replaced? Maybe your maintenance staff spends an inordinate amount of time attending to burned out lamps or failing ballasts. You can streamline the products used in your facility, schedule regular re-lamps, and dramatically improve your maintenance budget with a lighting upgrade.

4) If you’re honest, your lighting looks ugly or outdated. Mis-matched bulbs in the same room, or fixture, making those handful of yellowish lights look bad when the rest are bright white. Maybe your parking lot or exterior lighting uses high pressure sodium lamps. Those are the lamps that give off orangish light. Both of these scenarios mean you could be more efficient.

5) Someone from a lighting/electrical/utility company stopped by and said they could save you money. These statements aren’t always a scam, and sometimes a simple visual inspection by a lighting professional can let them know you have room to improve, efficiency-wise. 

6) Your local utility company is offering a rebate for LED lighting upgrades. The utility company wants you to save energy. 

7) You don’t want to touch your lighting system again for 10 years. We’re not saying you’ll absolutely never have to touch your lighting system, and we’re not saying it’s 100% maintenance-free, but we ARE saying that a lot of quality LED products – bulbs and fixtures – are coming to market with warranties of five or even 10 years. That says something about the anticipated longevity of these products. How much would you save if you didn’t have to replace a bulb or fixture for 5 years or longer?

8) Your business process changes frequently and you need a nimble system. Are you a property manager with a lot of turn-over, or a manufacturing facility that has to re-organize your space with some frequency? Good lighting design can promote job safety and help reduce inefficiencies in your production. And property managers, quality lighting design and efficiency can help you lease your spaces and keep tenants longer.

9) You’re building a new facility. This is a perfect time to evaluate your business needs and consider investing in energy-efficiency from the top down. Lighting can be a simple and cost effective way to trim your environmental impact, and ‘going LED’ might be the solution that makes the most sense for you and your business by keeping your overhead costs lower from the start.