02 Sep 2024
Imagine this scenario: A customer who has recently signed up on your website arrives at your self-storage facility late in the evening. They are juggling boxes in one hand and trying to turn on the lights in the hallway with the other. The area is dimly lit, and when they finally make it inside the unit, the pull chain breaks. Now, left stumbling through the darkness, they feel frustrated, uneasy, and regretful about their choice of storage facility for their belongings.
This is a common scenario that self-storage facility owners and third-party management strive to avoid. They aim to create a safe, secure, convenient, and inviting environment for their customers. However, one often overlooked aspect of this experience is lighting. How your facility is lit and controlled can significantly influence how customers perceive and interact with your space.
Continue reading to discover how self-storage facilities use lighting controls to transform the customer experience and reduce costs, ultimately giving them a competitive edge in the marketplace.
For decades, lighting for self-storage facilities has depended on simplistic, manually operated controls to prevent unnecessary electricity usage and customer abuse. However, with technological advancements, more sophisticated lighting controls are now available. These modern solutions offer convenience, significantly enhance the customer experience, and improve operational efficiency.
### Traditional Lighting Controls
Traditional lighting controls, such as astronomical time clocks and twist-timers, have been the go-to in self-storage lighting. However, their inflexibility often leads to unnecessary energy consumption and inconvenient lighting disruptions. This can result in safety concerns and an increased risk of misuse or vandalism, failing to meet customers' needs. Moreover, these timers typically control multiple hallways or bank units simultaneously, contributing to a facility's ongoing energy inefficiency.
Pull chains offer a simple solution for turning on storage unit lighting. Still, they require customers to manually activate the lights, which can be inconvenient when carrying items or working in dimly lit areas. Additionally, the wear and tear on these chains often leads to maintenance issues, resulting in missing or broken chains and further inconveniencing customers and staff.
While LED lighting reduces operating costs for self-storage facilities, occupancy sensors represent a significant upgrade from traditional controls. These sensors exponentially boost operational efficiency and ensure that areas are only lit when needed. The automatic nature of these sensors means that customers are no longer left fumbling in the dark or wasting time with manual controls, creating a seamless, more pleasant experience on-site.
The most commonly installed sensor types and mounting styles in self-storage facilities include:
Passive Infrared (PIR) Sensors: PIR sensors don't look for movement specifically but instead measure changes in infrared light emitted from body heat when people are present. Because of its versatility, this is the most widely used sensor in self-storage facilities and is typically installed every 40 feet in hallways.
Ultrasonic Sensors: Ultrasonic sensors are highly volumetric, emitting high-frequency sound waves into spaces and detecting occupancy based on changes in that frequency back to the sensor. Most ultrasonic sensors are used with lighting inside stairwells and other obstructed areas with no direct line of sight.
Dual-Tech Sensors: Commonly used where spaces have limited motion or the line of sight is obstructed, these sensors combine PIR and ultrasonic technologies into one sensor.
Ceiling-Mounted Sensors: Two-way ceiling-mounted sensors are suitable for self-storage hallways, while 360-degree sensors are great for open areas like entrances or vestibules.
Corner-Mounted Sensors: With a typical range of up to 65 feet, these sensors are perfect for long hallways with multiple access rows.
Wall-Mounted Sensors: These sensors are primarily used in smaller areas with less frequent occupancy, such as restrooms, breakrooms, or smaller offices.
Taking it a step further, individual storage unit lights equipped with sensors allow for precise control over lighting within each storage unit. These lights activate only when a specific unit is accessed, offering customers a tailored lighting experience that enhances both security and convenience. This targeted approach not only improves the customer experience but also drastically reduces unnecessary energy usage.
The shift to modern lighting controls brings with it a host of benefits that go beyond mere convenience. By embracing these advancements, self-storage facilities can offer a superior customer experience while reducing costs.
Providing easy access to units and good visibility throughout the facility is vital for leaving a positive impression on customers, leading to repeat business and referrals and driving sustained success.
Safety and Convenience: At its core, better lighting means a safer environment. Well-lit spaces deter criminal behavior and minimize the risk of accidents, instilling a sense of safety in customers as they access their storage units. Moreover, the convenience of automatic lighting ensures hassle-free navigation for customers at any time, day or night, eliminating concerns about locating or using light switches.
Aesthetics: Upgrading to modern lighting solutions and controls will enhance your facility's overall aesthetics. A well-lit, modern-looking space can increase your facility's appeal and attract potential customers. This aesthetic improvement can distinguish your facility from competitors, especially those still using outdated lighting systems and controls.
Environmentally-Friendly: Unlike fluorescent lamps, LED lights do not contain hazardous materials, making them a safer and more eco-friendly choice. By implementing LED lighting and controls, self-storage facilities can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and minimize their carbon footprint. This proactive approach positively impacts customers and demonstrates a dedication to sustainability
Lower Energy Consumption: One of the most significant advantages of lighting controls in self-storage facilities is reducing energy usage. When combined with controls, LED lighting significantly reduces wasted energy by ensuring that lights are only on when needed, leading to lower utility bills. These savings can substantially impact your bottom line in an industry with tight margins.
Eliminate Maintenance: Less frequent use of lighting systems means less wear and tear, eliminating maintenance costs associated with replacements and prolonging the lifespan of your system.
Going beyond LED lighting upgrades with controls presents a crucial challenge for self-storage operators – identifying the most effective projects to cut costs and boost operational efficiency. By prioritizing energy management and sustainability, facilities can deploy advanced lighting controls and Operational Efficiency Solutions (OES) to enhance return on investment.
This approach will empower self-storage facility managers to centrally monitor and assess the impact of their energy efficiency initiatives across all properties, ensuring the attainment of their environmental objectives.
Beyond lighting controls, what do comprehensive centralized controls and automation entail? Let's explore the following solutions:
Energy Management Systems (EMS): The Energy Management System (EMS) is a versatile solution implemented at a single site or multiple locations within a property portfolio to consolidate and control assets using a user-friendly graphical interface. The software collects data from connected systems such as LED lighting and HVAC, empowering management to make real-time adjustments through internet-connected devices. With EMS, users can access a comprehensive overview of facility performance, gain insights across multiple facilities, schedule run times, and exercise complete control to optimize energy usage for enhanced savings and occupant well-being.
HVAC Optimization: Upgrading HVAC equipment is essential for self-storage facilities to achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness. HVAC controls can optimize daily operations to unlock significant energy-saving potential. As a result, the HVAC system can adapt more efficiently to demand, ensuring operational cost savings without compromising tenant comfort.
Lighting controls are more than just a functional aspect of your self-storage facility—they're crucial in creating a positive customer experience and optimizing operational efficiency. By replacing outdated controls with advanced solutions like ultrasonic sensors and storage unit lights with sensors, you can offer your customers a safer, more convenient, and aesthetically pleasing environment. These upgrades also bring significant energy savings, making it a financially sound decision.
Keeping up with self-storage lighting control trends is crucial to stay competitive in the industry. Whether you want to enhance your facility's lighting systems or embrace smart technology for energy efficiency, now is the time to take action. Contact US LED today to learn how switching to LED lighting and implementing advanced lighting controls can revolutionize your facility.
Get more information at www.usled.com.
Norman Kirby is the Director of Marketing for US LED, a full-service provider of LED lighting and turnkey installation for self-storage facilities throughout the United States since 2001. Thanks to decades of engineering expertise, US LED continuously offers ultra-long-life lighting that approaches or exceeds 200,000-Hour L70 lifetimes, backed by an industry-leading Ten-Year Warranty. Additionally, much of the product portfolio is assembled in Houston, Texas. For more information, email inquiries at customerservice@usled.com or contact Norman at nkirby@usled.com.
