Energy bills are one of the largest expenses most businesses face, but they’re also among the easiest to control. Simply turning off the lights when no one is in the room can cut your electric bill by hundreds of dollars per year and reduce your company’s carbon footprint. While you might try reminding your employees to switch off the lights when they leave a room, having a lighting contractor install occupancy sensors is a more reliable approach.

What Are Occupancy Sensors?

You might have noticed small panels on light switches in a business’s bathroom, hallway, or office suite. These sometimes feature a subtle blinking light. The tiny devices use infrared light or ultrasonic sound waves to monitor a room.

If they detect a person moving in the room, they’ll automatically switch the lights on. When the area has been empty for a certain amount of time, the lights will be switched off.

What Are the Different Types of Sensors?

Passive

Manufacturers offer a variety of sensor designs, but they can all be defined according to their sensor technology. Passive occupancy sensors use infrared light, which is beamed out and reflected back to an electronic “eye.” If the beam is broken, the device knows someone is moving around.

Passive sensors work perfectly if someone is standing or shifting around, but they can’t see around corners or over partitions. If a worker is sitting at their desk in a cubicle, the sensor might decide the room is empty and leave them in the dark.

Active

Active monitoring sensors overcome this challenge by using hypersonic sound waves, much like the sonar that bats use to navigate. These devices emit a sound that bounces around the room and should return without a change in pitch. If a person in the room changes the “shape” of the sound, the sensor will keep the lights on, even if the individual isn’t in plain view. Lighting contractors typically recommend active sensors for large rooms, especially if they’re field with furniture, walls, and equipment.

For over a decade, J.R. Electrical has been one of Metro Atlanta’s premier lighting contractors. If you’re hoping to cut expenses and make your business more environmentally friendly, you can rely on their team for exceptional service and customized solutions using the most innovative products on the market. Visit their website for more on their commercial lighting services or call (770) 420-1530 to speak with one of the area’s best lighting contractors today.