Visual comfort is not the only reason for reducing ambient light levels, there are also significant savings that can be achieved by reducing the overall power usage. The tables below illustrate the savings earned by specifying 40 Foot Candles (FC) versus the old standard of 100 FC. The money saved from reducing overhead lights could be used for individual task lighting.

     

# of Fixtures Needed	4
# of Lamps Needed	16
Total Fixture Cost (Avg. $200)	$800.00
Hours Per Year (8/day)	2,080
Watts Per Sq. Ft.	2.56
Total Power Load	0.512kW
Energy Cost Per Year ($0.12/KWH)	$127.80
Energy Cost + Fixture Cost	$927.80