Why Your Building’s Generator Bill is Too High: The “Parking Lot” Problem

By Anthony Gemayel, Electrical Engineer Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes

It is the end of the month. The “Natoor” (Concierge) hands you the receipt for the “Building Service Charge” (Ojet el Binaye). You look at the number. It is $150. You look at the breakdown. The biggest line item is “Generator Diesel.”

You ask yourself: “Why are we burning so much diesel? The elevator is barely used at night.”

The answer is usually buried in the basement. Go down to your parking lot at 3:00 AM. Is it fully lit? Are there 50 fluorescent tubes buzzing away, lighting up an empty concrete floor?

If the answer is yes, you are burning money to light up a ghost town. At EMC Superled, we help building committees slash their energy bills by 90% using one simple technology.

The Definition: Microwave (Radar) Sensors

Microwave (Radar) Motion Sensors use continuous wave technology to detect movement.

• Old Tech (PIR): Detects body heat. Fails in hot parking lots (35°C+) and needs a direct line of sight.
• New Tech (Radar): Detects displacement. It can “see” through dust, plastic covers, and even thin walls. It detects a car engine or a walking person instantly, regardless of the temperature.

1. The “Ghost” Consumption Calculation

Let’s do the math for a typical Lebanese building with a 2-floor parking lot (approx. 50 lights).

Scenario A: The “Always On” Building

• Lights: 50 tubes x 18 Watts = 900 Watts.
• Hours: 24 hours/day.
• Daily Consumption: 21.6 kWh.

Scenario B: The EMC “Smart Sensor” Building

• Lights: 50 Radar Tubes.
• Active Hours: Actual movement is usually only ~2 hours/day.
• Standby Hours: 22 hours (at low power).
• Daily Consumption: ~3.5 kWh.

The Result: You save 18 kWh per day. In terms of generator diesel, that is massive. The ROI (Return on Investment) for upgrading to Radar Tubes is usually less than 60 days. After that, it is pure profit for the building fund.

2. The Fear of Darkness: “Corridor Function”

When I propose motion sensors to a building committee, one resident always says: “I don’t want the parking to be pitch black! It’s scary and unsafe.”

I agree. Total darkness is dangerous. That is why old-school sensors failed. They turned the lights OFF completely.

The EMC Solution: 20% Standby Mode Our Radar T8 Tubes have a dual-driver system.

1. No Motion: The light dims down to 20% brightness. The parking is visible, you can see your car, you feel safe. But you are consuming almost zero power (3 Watts).
2. Motion Detected: As soon as the garage door opens or you step out of the elevator, the lights jump to 100% brightness.

You get the safety of a lit parking lot with the savings of a dark one.

3. Why Old “PIR” Sensors Failed You

Many buildings tried motion sensors 10 years ago and hated them. They used PIR (Passive Infrared) sensors. PIR works by detecting the difference between a warm body and cool air.

The Problem in Lebanon: In August, your parking lot air temperature is 35°C. Your body temperature is 37°C. The PIR sensor can’t tell the difference. You wave your arms, and the light stays off.

Radar doesn’t care about heat. It uses the Doppler Effect. Whether it is August or January, if something moves, the light turns on.

Conclusion: Stop Burning Diesel for Ghosts

Upgrading your common area lighting is the single easiest way to lower the monthly bill for every resident. You don’t need to rewire the building. Our Radar Tubes fit into the exact same fixtures you have now.

For Building Committees: Send this article to your residents group chat. If you are ready to stop wasting money, call us. We offer a “Pilot Test”: We will install sensors in one section of your parking for free for a week. If you don’t see the difference, we take them back.

Contact EMC SUPERLED, LED Lighting Experts in Mtaileb Lebanon