Benefits of Motion Sensors

Two weeks ago I wrote an article on energy saving importance and tips for the home, and left out a very important item: motion sensors. Many residences have outdoor motion sensors, commonly placed above their garage doors and outside the front of their homes. This is an ideal option for your outdoor light fixture because it will only turn on when it senses movement; hence the reason it is a great energy-saver for the outside of your home. Over the years, many companies have been installing motion sensors indoors, also known as occupancy sensors, in different rooms of office buildings to reduce energy consumption. Common areas in commercial buildings that have occupancy sensors installed are supply closets, file rooms, bathrooms, conference rooms, and any other type of room that has irregular patterns of activity where light isn’t needed throughout the entire day. The lights in these rooms are also more prone to being left on when the room is unoccupied, which makes occupancy sensors essential, and could provide a business with energy savings between 35-45%.

 

Motion sensors are also great for convenience. With motion sensors, you don’t have to worry again about forgetting to turn off a light when you are done taking out the garbage at night. With motion sensors, you don’t have to worry again about remembering to turn on the light before you take the dog on a nice hour-long walk right before dusk. When you get home from your walk and it is pitch-black out, not to fret! The motion sensor light will turn on as soon as it senses you walking up the pathway towards your front door. Walking into your garage with multiple items in your hands and can’t grab the switch? Not a problem with an occupancy sensor. Just enter the garage, and let there be light!

 

motion sensors

motion sensor light

 

As mentioned, it’s common for homes to have motion sensors for outdoor light fixtures around the front of the home and for garage door lighting. But what about inside your home? It’s probably more practical to use a CFL or LED lightbulb in low to medium traffic rooms than to have occupancy sensors installed, but in some cases it may be worth it. Occupancy sensors are great options for rooms that are more prone to the light being left on by accident, such as closets, garages, sheds, bathrooms, crawl spaces, attics, etc. The lights in these types of rooms can be left on for hours or even days, wasting energy away. It all depends on how often lights are left on in different areas of your house. More so a convenience factor than an energy-saver for inside the home, it’s certain that with an occupancy sensor installed by KB Electric LLC, you won’t have to ask yourself on the plane ride to your two-week vacation destination, “Did I remember to turn the light off in the master bathroom?”