Occupancy sensor savings notes
Occupancy sensor savings compares full-load lighting energy with a reduced-output unoccupied share for the same load and period.
Sensor saving sequence
Describe one lighting group, then split the time into occupied and unoccupied parts.
- 1Name the group
Pick the room, row or common area controlled by the sensor.
- 2Enter full load
Count the connected watts for that group.
- 3Set the time shares
Enter occupied percent and retained output.
- 4Enter the schedule
Add hours per day and days per year.
- 5Read the saving
Keep the reduced-output case beside the full-load case.
Application estimate fit
Match the search phrase to one lighting load, period and assumption set before reading the result.
| Search phrasing | Calculator case | Carry forward |
|---|---|---|
| Occupancy sensor savings | One lighting group with occupied and unoccupied time shares. | Annual kWh saved and annual cost saved. |
| Office control note | A desk row, corridor, toilet or shared space with part-day presence. | Occupied share, unoccupied output and operating hours. |
| Retail back-of-house | A load that still runs lightly when no one is present. | Sensor coverage and retained light level. |
| Common area control | A space where the control state changes the average load more than the fittings do. | Normal hours and sensor state kept visible. |
Reading the result
Each output belongs to a bounded lighting energy estimate and should travel with its assumptions.
| Output | Technical meaning | Review item |
|---|---|---|
| Annual kWh saved | Baseline kWh minus controlled kWh. | Keep the same load and hours in both sides. |
| Annual cost saved | Saved kWh multiplied by the entered rate. | Use the same rate for the saving note. |
| Baseline kWh | Full-load energy for the entered period. | This is the no-control reference case. |
| Controlled kWh | Energy after occupied and unoccupied shares are applied. | This is the reduced-output estimate. |
Assumptions that stay visible
Small changes in load, hours, rate or factor can move the result, so the assumptions stay beside the number.
| Assumption | Why it matters | Where it belongs |
|---|---|---|
| Occupied share | Affects how much of the period stays at full load. | Keep the occupied percentage visible. |
| Unoccupied output | Affects the remaining lighting load when no one is present. | A low retained output can still use energy. |
| Load basis | Connected watts should match the same lighting group. | Do not blend unrelated areas. |
| Energy rate | The saving value changes when the entered rate changes. | Keep the cents/kWh assumption next to the result. |
controlled lighting group before the number
A useful occupancy sensor savings estimate begins with the exact controlled lighting group, not a whole-site average. The same building can include reception lights, display lights, warehouse aisles, amenity rooms and exterior signs that all run for different hours. Naming the group keeps the load, hours and money value tied to one visible lighting job.
That boundary also makes later revision easier. If the fittings, scene level or operating period changes, the row can be revised without rebuilding unrelated areas. Write the space name, fitting family and control group beside the result so another person can check the same case later.
Connected load remains the anchor
Energy and cost estimates move when connected load changes. Count the fittings or enter the load that belongs to the named group, then keep the wattage basis visible. Complete fitting input watts are stronger than a bare lamp value because drivers, control gear and luminaire packages can change the actual load.
The connected-load note does not prove the light level is suitable. A lower load can still be too dim, glary or uneven, while a higher load may support a harder task. Keep lux, beam, colour and measured-light pages nearby when the lighting quality also needs checking.
Hours carry much of the movement
Hours per day and days per year can move the annual result more than a small wattage change. Seven-day corridors, hospitality scenes, office task rows, seasonal stores and after-hours security lights may all have different operating patterns even when the fittings look similar.
Enter the hours for the same lighting group named in the result. If the group has a normal scene and an after-hours scene, split those cases rather than hiding both in one average. A tidy input line with hours, days and control state is easier to revise than a single unexplained total.
Controls change energy without changing installed load
Sensor coverage and retained output can reduce energy by shortening operating time or lowering average output. Occupancy sensing, daylight dimming, timeclocks, scene presets and holiday shutdowns all change the energy case while the installed wattage may remain the same.
Keep full connected load and controlled operation visible as different ideas. That separation lets a user compare the installed capacity, the normal operating case and the reduced-energy case without implying that the electrical installation has changed.
Rates and factors are user-entered assumptions
The entered energy rate belongs beside the result because it can change while the lighting kWh stays fixed. A rate comparison, carbon estimate or simple payback note is only as current as the entered cents per kWh, emissions factor or annual saving value.
For Australian lighting notes, keep the rate date, account basis or factor source in the project file if the result will be reused. This page keeps the arithmetic transparent; it does not choose an electricity plan, account structure, rebate or finance outcome.
Read comparisons as bounded arithmetic
Full load versus controlled load is helpful when the two cases share the same lighting group and schedule basis. Rate A and Rate B, old hours and new hours, or full output and dimmed output should describe the same load before the numbers are compared.
A comparison can show the size of a difference, but it does not decide whether the lighting change is appropriate. Light level, comfort, controls, maintenance access and site operating needs still need their own notes when they affect the decision.
Monthly, annual and period values are different
Monthly values are useful for a short period or a local cost note. Annual values are useful for longer operating schedules, carbon factors and simple payback. After-hours and shutdown values describe only the named period, not the whole lighting account.
Keep the period wording in the result. A monthly cost, an annual kWh value and a holiday shutdown saving should not be compared until the period, hours and days have been made consistent.
Australian energy estimate limits
occupancy sensor savings pages on AuLumens are planning estimates for lighting load, kWh, user-entered cost rates, carbon factors or simple payback. They do not model demand items, metered account totals, rebates, tax treatment, electrical design, emergency lighting or certification.
It is a planning estimate, not a control specification or wiring note. Keep account-specific charges, landlord agreements, emissions reporting basis and electrical installation details in the appropriate site file. The value of the lighting estimate is that it records the load, period and assumptions before those wider checks begin.
A concise calculation note
A readable note includes the lighting group, connected load, operating period, output state, user-entered rate or factor, and whether the result is monthly, annual or limited to a named period. For split cases, include both sides of the comparison.
Keep daylight dimming and timeclock pages nearby when the control layer also changes hours. That context makes the result practical. Another person can change the hours, revise the rate, adjust the control state or compare the result with measured energy data without guessing how the original number was produced.