By Lighting Controls Association, on April 27, 2012
The new 11-story, 422,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art Mount Sinai Center for Science and Medicine located on Madison Avenue in New York City is being designed to unite clinicians, scientists, educators and their colleagues in an interactive space while expanding Mount Sinai’s research and treatment programs. With high aspirations for collaboration in this joint clinical research and ambulatory care cancer center, Mount Sinai has designed education spaces, lounges and computer facilities, basic science research space, the Mount Sinai Brain Institute and Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, the Center for Translational and Molecular Imaging, the Cancer Center and a multistory lobby to maximize the organization’s ability to provide an appealing location for specialty outpatient care and clinical research. As a result, Mount Sinai selected GE’s lighting control products when designing and constructing the new building.
Brazill Brothers will be providing a GE LonWorks®-enabled ProSys LM Lighting Control System™ for the Mount Sinai Center for Science and Medicine. The ProSys LM Lighting Control System is composed of a network of relay panels and occupant control switches lined by a 4-wire dataline to form a reconfigurable, “softwired” switching platform that links occupant switches to relays and relays to lighting groups or zones. A network of ProSys LM panels can accept a virtually unlimited number of intelligent devices such as panels, switches or LonWorks-enabled lighting systems, ensuring seamless integration into building automation systems and reducing expansion costs over time.
GE ProSys panels installed on each floor of the medical center will work together to control lighting in various zones of the building, insuring that the diverse needs of different sections of the building are being met at all times, whether a laboratory or lounge. Built-in timers will provide easily customizable, automatic-timing functionality, allowing for lighting on/off scheduling for every day of the week and 32 holidays, as well as integration with daylight harvesting technology for maximum illumination efficiency. A web-based, front-end user interface will also allow for technicians to easily configure lighting schedules and monitor performance based on live usage reporting through a standard web browser, ultimately ensuring consistency and electricity savings throughout the medical center.
With the Mount Sinai Center for Science and Medicine scheduled for completion in 2013, GE Lighting, in conjunction with Brazill Brothers, will remain an important contributor to Mount Sinai as lighting systems are tailored to create an inviting location to visit and work over the next several years.
By Lighting Controls Association, on April 25, 2012
WattStopper recently announced two appointments to its executive management team. Jim Young will join the company as Vice President of Sales and Marketing while Shireen Zekanoski becomes the Vice President of Operations and Engineering.
Young joins WattStopper from a series of senior positions with Acuity Brands®, most recently as Vice President and General Manager of the company’s specialty group, encompassing Winona Lighting, Peerless®, Healthcare Lighting®, Hydrel®, and Mark® Architectural Lighting brands. Prior to that, he held executive-level positions with Peerless Lighting for seven years. A graduate of Sonoma State University with a degree in planning and energy management, Young is a member of IESNA and IALD.
Zekanoski has held numerous senior positions with Silicon Valley companies over the past ten years, including NeoPhotonics, Apple, Celerity, and 3Com. Most recently, Zekanoski served as Vice President of Global Operations for Santur Corporation (acquired by NeoPhotonics) in San Jose. Prior to that, Zekanoski held various positions with increasing responsibility at Apple Computer where she led the NPI Program for the Portables Operations division and managed the business operations for one of the company’s fastest paced product lines, the iPod.
By Lighting Controls Association, on April 23, 2012
Lutron Electronics recently announced that Joel Spira, its Founder, Owner and Director of Research, has been inducted into the Lehigh County Bicentennial Hall of Fame. The induction took place on Saturday, March 10, in conjunction with the Lehigh County Bicentennial celebration in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
The Lehigh County has been home to Lutron since 1961, when Spira started the business in Emmaus, Pennsylvania. He relocated the business to Coopersburg in 1970 and to this day, runs the company’s global operations from the same campus he built more than 40 years ago.
“Joel Spira was a clear choice for the inaugural class of the Lehigh County Hall of Fame,” said Lehigh County Executive Don Cunningham, chairman of the Lehigh County Bicentennial Committee, which created the Hall of Fame. “He is already in the equivalent of the United States “Hall of Fame” with his papers and designs of the first dimmer switch in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C., right next to the work of Thomas Edison. Mr. Spira is an American treasure and we are proud that he calls Lehigh County home and that he chose to build Lutron Electronics, Inc. here,” said Cunningham.
“It’s an honor to be recognized as an inaugural Hall of Fame inductee,” said Spira. “I’ve called this area home for more than 50 years – both personally and professionally – and find it to be one of the most charming areas to raise a family and to enjoy the sights and sounds of the community.”
Other Bicentennial Hall of Fame inductees, all with ties to Lehigh County, include Former Chrysler Corporation CEO, Lee Iacocca; Marley & Me author John Grogan; Superbowl Champions Dan Koppen and Matt Millen; and a host of other athletes, celebrities and notable personalities.
For more information about Lutron Electronics Co., visit www.lutron.com.
By Lighting Controls Association, on April 20, 2012
Universal Lighting Technologies’ LevelPro incorporates true parallel lamp technology with starting under 700 milliseconds. Combined with dual lamp technology and high efficiency operation (complies with CEE and NEMA Premium) LevelPro offers a highly effective choice for your light level switching needs.
By Lighting Controls Association, on April 18, 2012
WattStopper has launched “Switch to Digital,” a new program focused on providing complete Digital Lighting Management (DLM) solutions for contractors as they begin to encounter complex new energy code requirements. The program includes two new prepackaged lighting control kits with all the DLM components needed to provide advanced code-compliant lighting control for rooms with one or two lighting loads. The easy-to-install DLM occupancy-based controls automatically self-configure to provide the most energy efficient sequence of operation as soon as the components are plugged together. Contractors can now reduce installation time and eliminate labor risk on commercial lighting retrofit and new construction projects with these innovative, off-the-shelf control solutions available from electrical distributors nationwide.
Dubbed “Switch to Digital” to highlight the benefits of DLM, WattStopper’s new program includes the two “room in a box” kits, as well as a brochure, videos, and a toolbag demo. These tools help contractors recognize the practical advantages of selecting digital lighting controls that are easy to use, yet capable of automatically providing more complex, code-mandated sequences of operation. Each DLM kit comprises a room controller, dual technology ceiling mount occupancy sensor, a switch for manual control and two pre-terminated cables. Contractors simply plug the controls together using the two cables, which eliminate the need for time-consuming low voltage wiring connections. Once the controls are installed, patented Plug n’ Go automatic configuration ensures that they work right out of the box, without any setup or commissioning.
The single load kit, the LMKT-101, automatically configures for manual-on/automatic-off control, providing 20-30% greater energy savings than automatic on/off and compliance with provisions of the latest code revisions including ASHRAE 90.1-2010. The two load bi-level kit, the LMKT-102, defaults to automatic-on/automatic-off for one load, and manual-on/automatic-off for the second load. This sequence of operation further increases savings, reducing energy use by 52% more than traditional automatic on/off controls and is compliant with requirements in California Title-24, IECC 2012 and ASHRAE 90.1-2010.
Additional components are also available to customize and expand DLM kits to meet the control objectives of more complex applications. A handheld wireless configuration tool permits convenient, ladder-free adjustment, and additional digital room controllers, sensors, switches and cables may be incorporated to control extra loads.
By combining superior energy savings and predictable installation, Digital Lighting Management provides the fastest, easiest and best commercial lighting control solutions for contractors and building owners alike. WattStopper’s Switch to Digital solutions provide superior ROI when compared to automatic on/off controls, and traditional analog controls that typically take twice as long to install.
Utility and regional energy efficiency organization rebates and incentives have been a major driver in demand for energy-efficient lighting and controls since the early 1990s. Today, more than $6 billion in commercial lighting rebates and other incentives are offered by utilities and energy efficiency organizations covering some 80% of the United States.
Currently, rebates and incentives are surging. In 2011, energy efficiency incentive programs totaled $6.8 billion, a 26% increase over 2010 ($5.4 billion), and a 55% increase over 2009 ($4.4 billion), according to the Consortium for Energy Efficiency. Utilities and energy efficiency organizations offer these incentives as a least-cost resource planning strategy based on the understanding that it is more cost-effective to reward customers for reducing demand than to expand supply with costly new power plants.
This animated graphic reveals the strong growth in rebate coverage in the United States since 2009:
Lighting has always played a strong role in utility rebates and incentives. More recently, lighting controls have begun to play a much larger part. In fact, the number of rebate programs available for lighting controls has almost tripled since 2009, covering occupancy and vacancy sensors, photosensors, daylight dimming systems and automatic time-based controls, says Leendert Jan Enthoven, president of BriteSwitch, LLC, a company that facilitates rebate claims for commercial end-users.
He adds that rebates and other incentives covering lighting controls are available in 47 out of the 50 states. The specific types of controls that qualify for rebates vary by program. The most popular control rebate is for occupancy sensors; out of all the control rebates and incentives available, 50% are for remote-mounted occupancy sensors, followed by wallbox occupancy sensors with 23% and fixture-mounted with 14%, according to BriteSwitch.
Average rebates for these and other control solutions is shown in the below table. The average rebate for a wall switch-mounted occupancy sensor is 2012, for example, is $23 in retrofits and $16 in new construction. Since 2009, the rebate amounts per lighting control have remained relatively constant. The rebates are typically either a set dollar amount per type of control, as shown, or per connected watt.
Table. Lighting control rebate and incentive programs in 2012. Source: BriteSwitch, LLC National Rebate and Incentive Database, March 2012.
Control Technology
Average Rebate
Retrofit
New Construction
Remote Mounted Occupancy Sensors
$34
$26
Wall-box Occupancy Sensors
$23
$16
Photocells
$23
$21
Fixture Mounted Occupancy Sensors
$20
$28
Daylight Dimming Systems
$46
$41
“Overall, rebates for lighting controls are more flexible than rebates for lighting products that most people are familiar with,” says Enthoven. “While the programs will outline the general types of controls—wallbox sensor, fixture-mounted sensor, dimming system—they rarely state specifications or performance criteria required for a system. It is more important how you use the control. Programs may have a requirement on how many watts or fixtures are controlled by a certain control. They may also have restrictions on where these sensors can be used, and often do not provide rebates if installed in areas not recommended by local building codes and IES guidelines.”
He cautions any organization applying for rebates to carefully examine program requirements such as design specifics, pre-approval requirements, inspections, expiration dates, rebate minimums and so on.
“Rebates and incentives for controls are out there and available for a large variety of products and projects,” Enthoven concludes. “It is a missed opportunity not to utilize these programs. The incentives can cover a significant portion of the cost of the controls, and when part of a larger lighting retrofit, can amount to a significant reduction in cost.”
Leviton’s LevNet RF™ line of wireless energy management devices integrates Leviton’s design and performance with EnOcean’s wireless control technology. With no wires to run, the family of LevNet RF devices reduces labor and material costs and takes only minutes to configure. Once installed, LevNet RF devices can be used in virtually any commercial retrofit environment to control energy consumption and reduce carbon emissions.
LevNet RF wireless control devices meet a wide range of application requirements in addition to occupancy detection. Devices can be used for single-pole On/Off switching, multi-location switching, HVAC control, motor control and more. The family of products includes: 1) Wireless Sensors and Companion Wall Switch and Remote Receivers; 2) Remote Switches for Lighting and Temperature Control; 3) SLT Circuit Interlock and 4-Channel Transmitters; 4) 3- and 5-Way Line Voltage Relay Receivers; 5) Plug-In Dimmer and ON/OFF Relay Receivers; and, 6) 2-, 3- and 4-Channel Room Receivers, 2-Channel Shade Controller, and 4-and 8-Channel Relay Receivers. Accessories such as an RS-232 Signal Box Data Interface and Signal Strength Meter extend the functionality of the devices.
LevNet RF self-powered transmitters do not require external power and there are no batteries or components to replace or maintain. Devices are interoperable and can interact with other devices on the LevNet RF wireless network.
Ideally suited to achieve energy savings in hospitality applications, the LevNet RF Key Card Switch signals a room’s electrical and HVAC controllers to automatically turn lights off and set-back the HVAC system when guests leave their rooms. It turns lighting back on and adjusts temperature controls when guests re-enter using the Key Card. Levnet RF’s innovative Wireless Thermostat receives signals from transmitting devices such as LevNet RF occupancy sensors or the LevNet RF Card Switch and adjusts temperature controls when occupancy is detected.
LevNet RF occupancy sensors use artificial light and switch products use kinetic energy to power themselves, further adding to energy savings. LevNet RF transmitters and receivers can send and receive signals from 50-150 feet in range. Products come with a 3-Year Limited Warranty, and have a performance lifespan of over 20 years. All devices are NAFTA- and Buy America Act compliant.
For more information about Leviton Manufacturing Co., Inc., visit www.leviton.com.
By Lighting Controls Association, on April 11, 2012
This short video, produced by the Lighting Controls Association at the 2011 LIGHTFAIR event, introduces the building industry to a new outdoor lighting controller by GE Lighting Controls. The new controller provides both ON/OFF and dimming to save energy and, due to cooler operation, may also extend LED service life.
By Lighting Controls Association, on April 9, 2012
OSRAM SYLVANIA has introduced GreenBus II, a new, two-wire communication platform for supplying data and power to the ENCELIUM Energy Management System from OSRAM. The new communication network integrates lighting control and energy management into one complete, programmable architecture.
This next generation bus system dramatically raises the capability to deliver power to sensors on the bus while increasing the number of nodes supported by a single ENCELIUM Energy Control Unit. GreenBus II includes enhanced troubleshooting features over the GreenBus I architecture, such as the ability for the system to detect and locate field bus communication faults via the ENCELIUM Polaris 3D™ software.
The ENCELIUM Energy Management System is unique in that it can integrate control of either DALI dimming ballasts or 0-10V analog dimming ballasts within the same platform. Where DALI ballasts are preferred, the system utilizes an ENCELIUM DALI Bridge as a gateway between the ENCELIUM GreenBus II field bus and the DALI ballasts. The DALI Bridge also allows for the mixing of Class 2 and Class 1 wiring within the same lighting system. Where analog ballasts are preferred, the system utilizes a Luminaire Control Module (LCM), which provides for addressable control (dimming or switching) of each device. The LCM is also able to control LED fixtures and dim 0-10V LED drivers.
The system also utilizes a Sensor Interface Module (SIM) to integrate standard occupancy and photo sensors into the ENCELIUM GreenBus II communication network. Each SIM is automatically addressed as soon as it is connected to an ENCELIUM Energy Control Unit (ECU) and adjusts itself to the type of sensor it is wired to, establishing two-way communication between the ECU and itself.
With the GreenBus II communication network and Polaris 3D software, the ENCELIUM Energy Management System offers unprecedented flexibility and control of a building’s lighting usage.
For more information about Encelium Technologies, visit www.encelium.com.
For more information about OSRAM Sylvania, visit www.sylvania.com.
By Lighting Controls Association, on April 6, 2012
Retrofitting an energy-saving control system into a conference room, classroom, common area, or stairwell has never been easier or more cost effective. Lutron Electronics is pleased to introduce updates to its Energi TriPak™ family of energy-saving products including stairwell retrofit solutions and simple energy retrofit packages for small commercial spaces.
The flexible Energi TriPak product family allows users to select a mix of components to best meet the needs of their space and save energy. New energy retrofit packages allow contractors to order one model number that includes all the components necessary for a simple, dual voltage switching solution with occupancy sensing. Each package includes a Maestro Wireless switch with Claro faceplate and either a wireless, ceiling-mount occupancy/vacancy sensor, or wireless, ceiling-mount vacancy-only sensor.
Stairwell retrofit solutions help buildings meet code and still save energy in every stairwell by reducing lights to minimum levels when the stairwell is unoccupied, and immediately turning lights on when the stairwells become occupied. Retrofit fixtures communicate seamlessly with all Energi TriPak components.
These retrofit-friendly products communicate wirelessly via Lutron’s reliable Clear Connect Radio Frequency technology, making it an ideal solution for retrofit applications.
For more information about Lutron Electronics Co., visit www.lutron.com.
The new 11-story, 422,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art Mount Sinai Center for Science and Medicine located on Madison Avenue in New York City is being designed to unite clinicians, scientists, educators and their colleagues in an interactive space while expanding Mount Sinai’s research and treatment programs. With high aspirations for collaboration in this joint clinical research and ambulatory care cancer center, Mount Sinai has designed education spaces, lounges and computer facilities, basic science research space, the Mount Sinai Brain Institute and Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, the Center for Translational and Molecular Imaging, the Cancer Center and a multistory lobby to maximize the organization’s ability to provide an appealing location for specialty outpatient care and clinical research. As a result, Mount Sinai selected GE’s lighting control products when designing and constructing the new building.
Universal Lighting Technologies’ 
OSRAM SYLVANIA has introduced 
Retrofitting an energy-saving control system into a conference room, classroom, common area, or stairwell has never been easier or more cost effective. 
