Because it consumes such a large portion of the country’s energy, lighting has emerged as a priority for energy efficiency efforts. Such efforts can reduce carbon emissions and save our environment.

One of the best and simplest ways to save energy is to use dimmers and other devices that manage daylight and electrical light, generally referred to as light control. No one knows this better than Lutron, the company that invented the first solid-state dimmer and pioneered the lighting control industry.

Lutron products range from dimmers and wireless occupancy sensors, to automated shade systems and sophisticated whole home and whole building  light management systems. You’ll find them in the most architecturally and environmentally advanced buildings from Boston to Beijing.

Each year, Lutron estimates its dimmers save a total of 9.2 billion kWh. That is the equivalent output of one large coal or nuclear-powered power plant, or about US$1 billion in energy costs. “Dimming your lights even 20% saves nearly 20% in energy,” says Dr. Ian Rowbottom, principal application engineer at Lutron. “Dimming them more, saves even more.”

Before this time, dimming lights was mostly a theatrical affair, and the equipment used was inefficient and unattractive, predominately bulky rheostats and autotransformers. From that first dimmer came decades of innovation. These innovations have advanced the state of technology and expanded the energy efficiency achievable with light controls.

The science behind a typical dimmer is relatively simple and has not changed dramatically. An electronic dimmer component, called a triac, actually turns the light on and off very rapidly - 120 times per second. When the light is off, no energy is being used. The longer the triac is off, i.e. the more the lights are dimmed, the lower the light output, and the greater the energy savings.

Indeed, the humble dimmer switch is truly an effective energy saving device. A single Lutron dimmer costs about $16, and saves an average of $7 per year. It pays for itself in 26 months. A single commercial dimmer* saves an average $85 per year, based on a typical investment of $100. That means the dimmer pays for itself in just over a year.

The New York Times Building uses light level “tuning” (setting target light levels for every workspace) and occupancy sensors to turn lights off when spaces are vacant. It also takes advantage of daylight harvesting that is automatically dimming lights when enough daylight is present. Daylight is controlled using automated window shades, with the system adjusting electrical light levels so the right amount of light is always present.

Thanks to the system, The New York Times Building is saving 70% of its lighting electricity, resulting in energy savings of $600,000 annually, or $30,000 per year on each of the 20 floors where the system is operational. The reduced use of energy prevents the equivalent of 3,300 tons of carbon emissions each year.

But you don’t have to be in New York to see Lutron in action. Our dimmers and systems are everywhere.

When you walk into a hotel or a high-end retail store, Lutron dimmers help create an ideal setting and save energy “without compromising ambiance,” notes Michael Jouaneh, a Lutron marketing manager. What’s most impressive is the cumulative impact of dimmers: taken together, Lutron dimmers save enough energy each year to light 4.5 million homes for 12 months.

Installing 1 dimmer in every US home in place of a standard light switch would save US$816 million in electricity annually, and reduce carbon dioxide by 4.3 billion pounds per year, according to Lutron research. That’s equivalent to taking 370,000 cars off the road.

Furthermore, saving energy needn’t be expensive or involve major investments in infrastructure. Lutron dimmers for home use start at less than US$8. More advanced systems – whole home and whole building systems – produce significant energy savings that allow the systems to pay for themselves in relatively brief periods of time.

The New York Times Building light control system paid for itself in less than a year, according to Glenn Hughes, energy consultant and director of construction for The New York Times Company during the design, installation, and commissioning of the structure.

Much of the recent discussion around energy efficiency and lighting has focused on lighting sources that save electricity, like compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) and LEDs. Lutron provides various models of controls specifically designed for use with incandescent, halogen, fluorescent, LEDs, and dimmable CFLs. And they all save more energy when dimmed.

The Lutron mission to save energy continues each day as we pioneer new technologies for homes and businesses to reduce electricity use and enrich the quality of life. In so doing, we are helping secure our energy future and preserve the environment.