In this era of leaner and meaner times, running a successful electrical contracting business may not be as easy as it was once. If you’re looking for ways to build your business, consider looking directly overhead. Lighting represents a significant business opportunity you can tap into. Since it also represents a major source of energy savings for business and homeowners alike, integrating lighting into your services mix can be a truly bright and rewarding idea.
Trends in Lighting Usage and Control
Regulatory pressures and the global move toward energy conservation continue to drive the proliferation of "green products" in virtually every sector of the economy. To reduce demand for energy, utility companies are employing demand side management programs (i.e., reducing supply requirements by curbing usage), some providing rebates to customers who replace energy-intensive systems with more efficient ones. Since every commercial, industrial, institutional and residential building has a lighting system in place, the market is pervasive. And, with lighting accounting for as much as half of all electrical energy consumption, it’s an expenditure that homeowners and commercial users are looking to reduce.
Demographics is yet another trend affecting the market for lighting products. Today consumers 60 and older comprise the single largest share of wealth and the largest buying segment in the marketplace. Research shows that these consumers are willing to pay a premium for products that improve their lifestyle. Convenient switching and dimming devices, lighting security products and home controls are prime examples.
Many of these devices feature a “universal design” that’s easy for people of all ages and abilities to use. Switches with concave rockers, for instance, can be turned on and off with a light tap of the rocker. These devices don’t require strength or manual dexterity to actuate like traditional toggle switches. Occupancy sensors, photo sensor control devices, and home automation devices offer "hands-free" control of home lighting. These products are an ideal solution for people with arthritis or other physically limiting disabilities.
Designer-Styled Switches
One way a homeowner can enhance their home’s décor without having to make a substantial investment in big-ticket items is to replace conventional toggle switches with more modern designer-style switches. Upgrading from a switch to a dimmer will enable the homeowner to custom-tailor light levels to specific task and mood lighting needs and save energy in addition. A dimmer can be installed in as little time as it takes to wire up a switch in most cases using wiring that's already in place. Attractive and stylish with features that may include soft start, gentle fade operation, LED indicators that show selected brightness levels, and preset levels that "remember" the last selected brightness level, dimmers offer tangible benefits that are apt to appeal to your residential customers. Installing higher-margin items like dimmers will also help you leverage more profit from the service call. 
Commercial customers stand to save even more by upgrading from switches to dimmers. Typically, the savings works as follows: lower lumen output by 20%, an 11% power savings results; lower it by 40%, a 22% savings results; and lower it by 60%, the saving rises to 35%. Based on a 300-watt load at 8 cents a kilowatt-hour over a 12-hour day, this would result in an annual savings of nearly $25 per luminaire.
Dimmers represent an ideal sell-up opportunity. Suggest to your customers that they install a dimmer rather than a switch where feasible, or that they replace existing switches with dimmers. Their customization features, ecological benefits and significant energy savings appeal to virtually everyone.
Occupancy Sensors
Many commercial spaces use lighting only a fraction of the day, yet the lights in these areas remain on all the time. Private offices, conference rooms, rooms where fax machines and photocopiers are located, even restrooms are obvious examples of energy waste. These areas are ideal for occupancy sensors.
Occupancy sensors can be categorized into two varieties. Infrared sensors that detect body heat and automatically turn the lights on in response and ultrasonic sensors that monitor sound wave patterns for changes in frequency triggered by motion and automatically turn lights on in response. Each variety is suited to specific applications and environments. Many models are available for indoor and outdoor use, some offering both technologies in the same device. Some models replace wall switches and are self-contained units; others mount on the ceiling and come with relays. Different models have different sensing ranges so it's best to be aware of all product types and the site-specific requirements to make sure you're installing the best product for your customer's needs.
For residential customers, outdoor motion sensors offer personal safety and security benefits. Residents can avoid fumbling for their keys in darkened areas when outdoor lighting is instantly available. Motion sensors also help ward off would-be intruders. Inside the home, occupancy sensors offer a convenient alternative to traditional on/off switches. Every home is a candidate for these devices, especially those with young children who are notorious for forgetting to shut lights off.
Scene Lighting Controls
Virtually every building interior can be enhanced with a lighting system that conforms to the way in which space is used at different times. Scene lighting control systems enable the control of various light sources in a room from a single, conveniently located keypad. In a residential dining room for example, Scene I can be set so that the chandelier goes on at 100% and the wall sconces and the track lights remain off. This corresponds to the requirements for breakfast. Scene II can be set to have track lights switch on at 50%, the chandelier at 50% and the wall sconces switched off to correspond to the requirements for lunch. Scene III can be set to have the chandelier switch on at 100%, the wall sconces at 50% and the track lights at 50% to correspond to the lighting needs for dinner. Scene IV can be set to another scene and so on and so forth.
Similarly, scene lighting controls can be used effectively in many commercial environments where there is a need for multiple lights sources to be pre-programmed and controlled simultaneously.
Electronic Timers
Electronic timer switches offer yet another retrofit alternative for existing wall switches. These devices offer the benefits of time-control light switching combined with energy-savings. Electronic timers are ideal for control of indoor and outdoor lighting, heat lamps, pool and spa pumps, and attic and exhaust fans. They provide a choice of time intervals at the push of a button and are more accurate and easier to use than mechanical dial-type devices. Some versions offer programmable ON/OFF schedules that give the home a “lived in” look when homeowners are away, adding peace of mind for homeowners traveling on business or pleasure.
Emergency Locator Switches
Ideal for virtually every home, an Emergency Locator Switch with standard ON/OFF positions and an illuminated position marked FLASH can be installed at the outside of the house by the front door light to flash outdoor lights ON and OFF at one second intervals. This alerts neighbors and helps emergency vehicles locate the house quickly in the event of a medical or other type of emergency.
Home Control Systems
The era of the intelligent home is upon us. Home control systems use programmable transmitters to send command signals to receiver modules, instructing them to turn lights on and off throughout a home. The commands can be actuated via telephone dial up, computer, or pre-programmed settings. Home control systems offer convenience, energy savings and security advantages. Many of these systems don't depend on dedicated wiring, which makes them quite affordable. An increasing number of homeowners are looking to home automation controls as a way to add value at moderate costs and increase convenience.
Promoting Your New Service Offerings
Once you've made the commitment to expand your services to include these offerings, you should publicize and promote them. Discuss your new offerings during a service call or sales meeting. Bring samples of the products and product literature with you. Send out notices, letters, brochures, and postcards, even surveys that include questions on energy usage to your prime target markets. You might even include information about new products and services with bills or monthly statements you send out.
Running an ad in local newspapers is an excellent way to obtain increased visibility and promote your new services. Consider offering an incentive like a free energy audit or 10% discount on your services. Installing these devices will help you increase profit margins and bottom-line performance, while providing your customers with the latest technology.
