Many people are working on inventions that push the efficiency
envelope in lighting, heating, computers, and more. But control
technologies may actually be more important--by only using what
we need, we can save huge amounts of energy with existing
systems, and control technologies help us take only what we
need. You may be good about turning off the lights when you
leave a room, but your office-mate might not be. Occupancy
sensors eliminate the need for anyone to remember. An excellent
paper by researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic quotes energy
savings of up to 43% for office environments, and 60% for some
other environments. Established companies such as Johnson
Controls and Lithonia have been selling these systems for years,
and a new startup called Adura Technologies will now provide
lighting control with no wiring, giving users a handheld remote
control. They report a "40% reduction in lighting energy use and
high user satisfaction" from the test installation. In addition
to occupancy sensors, daylight