Building Energy Use: Modeling and Analysis of Lighting Systems—A Case Study

Aron Powers () and Messiha Saad ()
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Aron Powers: School of Engineering & Applied Sciences, Washington State University, 2710 Crimson Way, Richland, WA 99354, USA
Messiha Saad: School of Engineering & Applied Sciences, Washington State University, 2710 Crimson Way, Richland, WA 99354, USA

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 20, 1-17

Abstract: Understanding how energy is used and where it can be saved in an existing building is critical not only from a cost and environmental standpoint, but for legal compliance as well, as the United States and the rest of the world increasingly have set tighter restrictions on energy usage and carbon emissions. Energy savings can be achieved from installing LED lights and occupancy sensors; however, the exact savings and impact of each method can vary depending on the building in question. The objective of this case study is to perform analysis of the lighting systems in Washington State University Tri-Cities’ Floyd & East buildings to determine energy savings potential. Lighting systems in each building were broken into several groups based on their operational patterns and then numerically modeled with the aid of Python. The results of this case study shows that 60% energy savings, totaling 350 MWh in a year, can be achieved by retrofitting fluorescent lights with LEDs and occupancy sensors. This energy savings translates to a reduction of 62.4 t of CO 2 emissions per year. The results of our cost-analysis in this model shows that the LED light retrofit has a break-even point at 15 months of operation.

Keywords: energy analysis; lighting; energy modeling; building energy; university; energy retrofit (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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