Advanced lighting control systems (ALCS) utilize electronic circuits with a programmable logic controller to automatically adjust lighting levels.  Program a number of variables and light requirements to get the lighting just perfect. This helps in providing the right amount of light where and when it is needed, hence improving energy efficiency and savings.

Advanced lighting control systems provide benefits like automatic scheduling and dimming. Turn lights off based on room occupancy and level of daylight. In so doing, the ALCS adjusts the light levels to match the requirements at any particular time. For example, when a room is empty, lights dim or go off completely. This saves on utility costs.

The sensors communicate with the lighting control system through wired or wireless connections. In some applications, sensors are integrated into the lighting control. While the wired network requires hand wiring of all the devices, the wireless communications use radio frequencies. Therefore several benefits exist over the wired network.

Wireless technology eliminates the need for wiring and is, therefore, cheaper, easy to implement and modify. It provides more flexibility while reducing the planning time for the electrical system. Wireless lighting controls are ideal for hard-to-reach lights. These include places where there are non-accessible or hard ceilings, basements, and other expensive or hard-to-wire areas.

The controller automatically adjusts the level of illumination based on one or a combination of the following variables.

The controls utilize room occupancy or proximity sensors to check for activity in the room or target area. If there is no activity, the controls automatically switch off or dim the lights. The system will then turn the lights to full brightness when room occupancy sensors detect someone within a defined space.

Different lighting levels are required based on the activity. In some applications such as warehouses, there is no need to keep all the lights on when areas are not in use. The lighting control systems will either turn off or dim most of the lights. Some advanced systems provide just enough light in the open spaces. Yet, more light becomes available near shelves where a worker might be picking up or replacing items.

Additional light is required during office hours when people are working. However, this isn’t necessary during the lunch break, or when offices are being cleaned. A combination of controls may be used here. Take advantage of daylight, dim or completely turning off the lights when more natural light filters into the room.

The programmable controls can be used to switch individual or groups of lights depending on time of day. These programs run 7 days a week. Consequently, there’s a separate schedule for weekdays, weekends, and holidays. In an office setup, a timer ensures that all lights, apart from security lights, are turned off at night, during the weekends and on holidays.

Instead of using the lamp at its maximum rating when new, the controls dim the light in certain cases. This reduces the normal wear and tear. As the lamp ages, its level of illumination will decrease. However, instead of the light level going down, the control will decrease the dimming level and maintain the required level of light.

So instead of powering the light at 100% and wasting energy with excess light that is not required, the controller ensures light is powered at a lower percentage. This ensures that required light is provided, but at a lower power consumption.

Factors considered when implementing a lighting system include the need for flexibility, facility size, floor plans, facility use, daylight hours, and building codes. Other considerations include the cost-effectiveness of the system, the ease of use, visual performance and comfort.

In addition to controlling the lights, the advanced lighting control systems help in determining the occupancy patterns. Moreover, the operating status of part or whole sections and the entire system’s performance is monitored. This provides business owners with an opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of the installation and make adjustments.

Any business knows that productivity is key to growth, let alone staying afloat. Whether you are talking about a production line, a traveling salesperson, and yes even your office space; productivity is going to be the main driving factor which will allow your business to not only stay in business, but also experience growth year over year, month over month.

Here we are going to describe 23 ways to improve office productivity which will in turn allow you to realize higher profits, more output, and less money being wasted to lost productivity.

First on the list? Improving office productivity through computer applications:

Science proves that taking more breaks allows us to be more productive.

How does that work if we technically will have less “work time” by taking all these breaks?

It gives us time to collect our thoughts, time to let our mind roam, and even some time to talk and bounce ideas off of others.

So, instead of making employees hate working because you limit them to one break a day; let them take a short one every hour or two and watch the ideas and productivity outputs increase!

Not only should you be organizing your desk, but also the entire office.

A cleared out area allows for a clear mind to work at much higher levels of clarity. Whether you have a cubical office design or a more open concept; requiring all areas of the office to be clear on either a weekly or daily basis should be a must.

Sure, not everyone likes to clear. But, if you give employees 10-15 minutes to clean their area at the end of every day I’m sure most people will be happy to do so (especially if you explain it is part of your initiative to improve productivity in the office)!

Some people have a habit of checking their email every 10 minutes while they are waiting for someone important to get back to them.

In reality, the likelihood of them replying back right away even if you get back to them quick is slim. On top of that, it seems down right desperate.

By implementing 2-3 time periods (again, depending on the department) that people should check their email; you will end the constant refreshing of email pages by a lot of your work force. This allows people to get back to work and pay much more attention to their work at hand.

There can be multiple things wrong with your lighting system that might be throwing off people in the office.

First of all, if you have fluorescent lights then you might just have a few (or a lot) of lights in your office that flicker or even worse, buzz. This can cause eye stress, annoyance, and a general distraction.

On top of that, you may have either an under-lit or over-lit office. Both are bad, and it’s up to you to find the optimal light output for your office. This can be done by surveying employees on your lighting system and going from there.

Lastly, low quality light can be an issue. An easy way to not only improve the quality of light but also get rid of flickering and buzzing light issues is by upgrading your reduce your energy usage by up to 30% or so. Sounds like a win-win situation here!

Not only will they help with productivity, but they will also clean the air of toxins which will keep the air fresh and not-so-stuffy.

Stop making it so difficult to get around. Make it easy to get to the bathroom, to the trash, or even to an outlet.

Time is money, and if people are having to spend time just to get to the most basic things you aren’t setting up your office for success (literally).

Using office design to increase productivity can be difficult, sure. But it doesn’t have to be all that complex. You could even get some people together to brainstorm what could be done to best optimize the space you have to best serve efficiency in the office. So while there will never be the “best office design for productivity” hack or tip (due to all offices being different), you can always use some general guidelines and common sense to help you out.

Wherever the noise may be coming from, while it may not effect everyone it may be effecting some people.

Now, this can be an easy fix if the noise is coming from within the office. To solve this issue, all you need to do is address the area of concern and fix it. But, what if the noise is coming externally on a frequent basis?

Well, you can do either of two things. Firstly, you can try to address or confront the external noise producer and see if there is anyway for it to stop at least during your time of work. If that doesn’t work, then you might need to install sound proofing technology into your walls. This can get pricey sure, but you’ve got to weight the benefits of having less noise in the office versus the cost it is going to be to make the upgrade.

Although you might think that you won’t be able to get everything in if you shorten meetings, you would be mistaken!

In fact, having shorter meetings make them much more focused and thus; more productive. Even if you have two meetings over one a week because they are shorter, it is much better to have two 10 minute meetings over one 30 minute one that lacks purpose.

On top of that, do you really need to have a meeting? Or, are you just holding meetings to “have a meeting?” If it is the latter, try scheduling meetings only when they are needed, rather just out of habit.

Looking for ways to motivate the office into getting stuff done? 43Folders.com and it’s a simple concept: work for ten minutes, break for 2, then repeat this 5 times (or an hour).

You might say, “are you mad?! No way I’ll let my employees take a break every 10 minutes.” But here it out…

Maybe you shouldn’t implement this tactic specifically, but make a variation that works for your needs but still allows for productivity to be most optimal. And yes, there will be times when extreme concentration is required for more than 10-20 minutes, and obviously this doesn’t have to be a “set in stone” type deal. Instead, make it a generally accepted practice to partake in such method of break and work balancing.

(We already talked about more breaks in #3, but we thought this hack was worthy of its own).

Have you ever listed a job listing opportunity with one of the qualifications as “multitasking?” If so, you’ve got it all wrong. In fact, you should be listing a qualifications as “the ability to be laser focused on one thing at a time.”

Multitasking Parkinson’s law” in short says that we will fill whatever time is allotted to complete a given task.

Why do you think people with a 3 month deadline to get a presentation done still find themselves struggling to get it ready to go last minute? Because they will fill the entire time they are given to finish it. This goes with any task, and if you shorten the time allotted to finish tasks you will see more getting done because people will work to fill the allotted time given.

This of course can be used too far and not given enough time to get things done with all the proper due diligence required. Finding a good balance of long enough but not TOO long will be difficult, but start looking into deadlines and what exactly defines how far out they get set and start thinking about setting shorter (yet still doable) deadlines.

Studies show that standing will not only improve health, but it will also improve productivity. Focus goes up and thus more work can get done.

call center workers showed that pollution in the office reduced productivity levels. As you can imagine, pollution is a major issue in a lot of places, especially in bigger cities.

As a homeowner, you tend to notice electrical issues like flickers, breaker flips and outages. But keeping an eye on your electrical meter is important too! Without the occasional peek, you could find yourself with higher than average bills, or even a completely unexpected shut off.

The certified electricians at Kolb Electric naturally have spent loads of time with electrical meters, and we’ve got plenty of good information to share this week. Follow along to learn about issues that may arise with your meter, what they mean, and whether or not they indicate a faulty electric meter.

Hard to find a problem if you can’t find the meter, right? Electric meters are most commonly located on an outer wall; usually near where your power line runs. In some homes, particularly older ones, the meter might be found in the basement or a utility closet.

If you live in an apartment, the meter is almost always found near your building (or on it) in a cluster. The cluster houses meters for every unit, and all of them should be clearly labelled with the apartment number on them.

Do be aware that the chances of your meter being outright faulty are fairly low. The machines have exceptionally long lifespans, and are built to endure. It’s more likely you have one of many other electrical concerns, however, it is always best to check with a certified professional electrician if you have any questions or problems. While uncommon, a faulty meter is a pretty big issue, and you don’t want to leave it to chance. Just don’t be surprised if the issue turns out to be something else!

Whether you’re worried about your meter, or you’ve got any number of other electrical problems, the experts at Kolb can help! We provide our consumers with only the absolute best, both in service and skill, and we’re confident in our ability to meet your unique needs. Contact Kolb today to learn more!

Did you know the lighting in your office could be making you feel sick?

Feeling unmotivated and lethargic, suffering from headaches or eyestrain? There are some simple steps you can take to energize the work environment to combat stress and elevate mood by choosing the best lamp for your desk or task lighting needs. 

Healthful illumination is key to an environment partnered with increased productivity and job satisfaction.  The trend today is to improve upon what you already have rather than investing in new construction.  Upgrading your office with affordable and energy-efficient lighting is an investment that leads to outstanding visual improvements and a more healthful work environment.

Employ the Right Lamps for Greater Health Benefits:

Top Picks for Office Lighting:

-Quoizel’s “Zen” collection includes floor and table lamps with Mystic Black finishes and Rattan shades for corporate casual decor.