With proven energy savings of 60 percent and more, the decision to convert traditional incandescent and fluorescent lighting to digital LED is a no-brainer for building owners and facility managers.
But too few are truly maximizing the potential of LED lighting, as they fail to understand the much larger role LED lighting and controls can play in managing or enhancing the functionality of numerous other systems within the building.
Our latest white paper -- The Business Case for Future-proofing Your Building’s Lighting – tackles that timely topic, and more. It lays out the rationale for truly optimizing the LED investment by using that moment in time to include additional features that can turbocharge the effectiveness of the overall Building Management System (BMS) infrastructure.
What that means is this: For a minimal incremental investment in software controls and other scalable, distributed infrastructure, you will be able to reduce the cost of adding functionality in the future. It’s a new twist on the old “pay me now” or “pay me later” argument.
As the white paper details, a number of factors play into the decision to focus on future-proofing your infrastructure. One that has emerged in recent years involves changes in workspace configuration. Where we work needs to be dynamic to account for the ebb and flow in employee working hours and mobility; the move to more automated warehouse environments; and the increasing need for workplace connectivity. Implementing data-centric lighting systems can lay the groundwork for smarter workplace management.
While the advantages of future-proofing while upgrading to LED are many, facility managers must sometimes overcome obstacles to these projects. Many are rooted in misconceptions about what future-proofing really means.
As the white paper articulates, three common misconceptions can halt future-proofing initiatives before they get started. One of them involves the notion that piecemeal purchasing saves money. Actually, it rarely does. Taking a “pay as you go” approach instead of a broader strategy will make it more difficult – and, likely, expensive – to meet both present and future needs. Jump on the opportunity to leverage the energy savings from the LED upgrade to fund a more complete project.
So, are you convinced that future-proofing is the right strategy for your building … and your business? That’s a big step in the right direction – and the white paper can help kick-start that effort by laying out a step-by-step planning approach so you can future-proof the right way. That includes asking – and answering – key questions to make the “smartest” smart building decisions.
To learn more about how to make your building connected, click here. Scroll down to access the free white paper; just enter your email address and start reading!