By Paul Mans, Managing Director of CP Electronics
Saving energy is more important than ever and as far as I see it we have two options – we can either switch off the power completely and sit in darkness; or we can make the best use of the products which are available on the market.
Option one is not really a feasible solution so therefore we need to go with option two, and it is your job to know what is out there so that you can ensure that your customers are getting the best deal.
The need to control lighting, heating and ventilation in commercial and domestic buildings is a given because not only do we need to reduce the amount that we spend on energy, but we also need to reduce our carbon footprint and comply with legislation. The difficulty lies for many people with choosing the right products for the job which is why it is imperative to find a solution which provides the best return on investment.
For some people this can mean a full building management system, while for others the solution could be simple presence and absence detectors to ensure that lights are not left switched on all of the time. What you need to remember is that the installation of any type of control system can make a massive difference to the amount of energy which is being consumed so it pays for you to have a range of products available.
PIR sensors and microwave presence detectors are a great place to start because they are designed to reduce the amount of time lighting is left on unnecessarily, for example if an area is unoccupied or if there is sufficient natural light. Controlling lighting with a presence detector can save up to 60% of lighting energy costs because it monitors the detection zone for occupancy; if a person is sensed then the detector will automatically turn the lighting on. When the area is vacated, the lighting will turn off after a preset time delay. In addition they can be used to generate further savings through the control of heating and ventilation.
There is a vast range of products available and for your customers they will provide an easy solution to energy saving so it is definitely worth having some on your shelves. But energy saving should not stop there because lighting control systems are also growing in popularity on a daily basis.
In the past lighting control systems have proved to be quite complex and really only suitable for use by specialist installers. But things have moved on significantly and there is now a good range to suit every budget. The good news for you is that they are also now available as a modular solution and as a result the number of parts which will take up space in your warehouse has been reduced. For your customers, the ease of installation of these systems means that there are now many ranges which do not require the experience of a specialist. The fact that they are now very flexible also means that they can be adapted to suit many different applications.
Energy saving controls (such as our green-i range) is another area which is worth looking into because they are very popular in the domestic market. Up until very recently the use of PIRs in the home has been very minimal due to the cost involved, but the new ranges on the market are both stylish and easy to install and as a result offer a whole new area of business for you and your customers.
They basically provide a stylish way to introduce energy saving controls into the home with each switch containing a PIR sensor which is sensitive to movement allowing simple control of domestic lighting. So rather than buying expensive equipment the homeowner can simply control what they have already thus keeping household running costs to a minimum.
Every change in legislation is essentially a new opportunity for you to sell more products to your customers so rather than looking upon it as a chore you should embrace it.
Lighting control is no longer something which is only installed in the offices of large corporates – it is something which is being embraced by everyone from large corporates to small businesses and homeowners alike and as a result manufacturers like us have developed a range of products to suit. Your job is simply to take advantage of this trend and to make sure that you have a range of products on offer to suit every application.
