Evaluating Energy Efficiency of Lighting in UCLA Campus Staircases

Energy use has shown an upward trend as global population grows and demand for infrastructure increases. An increase in energy consumption is a major concern because greenhouse gases released during electricity production contributes to climate change. Lighting accounts for one fourth of total energy usage in buildings. While many studies focus on reducing lighting energy use in classrooms and office spaces, there is limited information on energy use in staircases, which are used intermittently but constantly lit. This study aims to compile data regarding current lighting in staircases, analyze trends of energy efficiency in nine buildings on UCLA campus, and suggest possible improvements. A walk-through lighting audit in each building was conducted to count the number of light bulbs, review the presence of motion sensors and measure the percentage of outside light reaching the staircases. The daily average energy use per stairwell of the buildings in the study ranged from 0.67 to 4.04 kWh. Most buildings had sensors in some or all staircases but Life Sciences building and La Kretz building had none. Seven out of nine buildings had windows but most did not have a significant amount of natural light coming in, except for the Botany building. After conducting this study, some recommendations we suggested to reduce energy use in campus lighting include switching to LEDs, installing motion sensors, and utilizing natural light efficiently. If these changes are made, UCLA can be one step closer to Sustainable LA Grand Challenges goals of 100% renewable energy by 2050.