• About LCA
  • Join LCA
  • Contact Us

Lighting Controls Association

The Lighting Controls Authority

University of California San Diego Wins 2017 IES Lighting Control Innovation Award

08/22/2018 by Lighting Controls Association Leave a Comment

The Lighting Control Innovation Award was created in 2011 as part of the Illuminating Engineering Society’s Illumination Awards program, which recognizes professionalism, ingenuity and originality in lighting design. LCA is proud to sponsor the Lighting Control Innovation Award, which recognizes projects that exemplify the effective use of lighting controls in nonresidential applications.

This month, we will explore an innovative installation of lighting controls at the University of California San Diego, Altman Clinical and Translational Research Institute in La Jolla, CA. Design by Francis Krahe & Associates, Inc. Photography by Nick Merrick and Pete Eckert. Lighting controls by Lutron Electronics.

The research building on the campus encompasses 359,000 sq.ft. of offices, state-of-the-art laboratories and clinical space, housing a multitude of distinct research endeavors. The design of the research building presented a unique opportunity to create an outstanding and memorable building while striving to reach Net Zero energy consumption.

The Institute applies innovative lighting technologies to provide the light users need for productivity within minimum energy consumption, while creating a comfortable and attractive research space. The University strives to exceed the minimum lighting performance measures by no less than 20% to achieve the aggressive energy and carbon emissions savings goals.

To successfully meet the university’s objective of high energy efficiency, the lighting systems are designed with highly efficient lamps and reflector systems utilized to maximize efficiency and reduce glare or veiling reflections. The intensity of light is accurately tailored to the task requirements of the users, with little or no excess capacity. Innovative control systems are employed to maximize the benefits of day light, occupancy, and time of day use.

The central system automatically turns off lights in unoccupied spaces, dims lights when sunlight is available, drops shades when the sun is too bright, retracts shades when the sun light is comfortable. All manually dimmed fixtures are calculated with a 10% reduction factor. The facility’s high-performance building systems achieved LEED Gold® certification and outperform energy efficiency standards by at least 20%. Light systems are integrated within the architectural form and character.

Our approach to these critical design issues was to develop solutions that form a comprehensive scheme to unite various spaces within the building, creating a consistent light character and quality. The solutions integrated light within the form and structure of the space clearly communicating the relationship between function and lighting, to the overall architecture.

The building is a state of the art, high-performance building that achieved LEED Gold® certification, outperforming energy efficiency standards by at least 20%.

Campus Guidelines stipulate Campus-wide initiatives for energy savings and integration of daylight resulting in building-wide lighting power density of 1.1 W/sf maximum.

Multi-scene pre-set control that ties into AV and shade control 50% to 70% reduction in the room ambient lighting generates substantial energy savings.

Task lights are integrated at lab bench tops and work stations to directly provide illumination for reading and other more visually critical tasks.

All light fixtures controlled via a daylight dimming system are calculated with the following reduction factor:

Primary Daylight Side-lit Area 25%
Secondary Daylight Side-lit Area 20%

Reflectors and lens design maximize the light projected from the fixture while controlling the brightness to reduce glare or distracting reflections.

T5HO fluorescent and LED lamps are utilized to meet illuminance criteria, maximize efficacy and support LPD reduction throughout building.

Exterior lighting complies with Campus Guidelines to prevent interference with nearby astronomical observatory. Sources that are not Low Pressure Sodium automatically turn off after 11:00pm.

Offices and laboratories are provided 20-30FC average, with energy consumption below code:

Private offices: 0.65W/SF + 0.2W/SF allowance
Open Offices: 0.35W/SF + 0.2W/SF allowance

Occupancy/ Vacancy Sensing/ Daylight-Responsive Dimming/ Scene/Personal Control/ Green-Glance Facilities Interface/ Demand-Response Dimming/ Maintenance Alerts/ Reconfigurable zones without rewiring/Wireless/Wired Sensor Options were all control system characteristics

Filed Under: Award Winning Projects, Education, Lutron Electronics Co.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Casambi
Cooper Lighting Solutions
GE Lighting
Eaton Corporation
EiKO
IR TEC
JDRF Electromag
WattStopper
Leviton Manufacturing Co., Inc.
Lutron
MaxLite
McWong International
Acuity nLight
PLC-Multipoint, Inc.
RAB Lighting
SENSORWORX
Synapse Wireless
TogglediQ

Topics

  • Color Control
  • Commissioning
  • Connected/Networked/Digital Control
  • Construction and Economy
  • Daylight-Responsive Control
  • Demand Response
  • Design
  • Dimming
  • Education and Tools
  • Energy Codes
  • Fundamentals
  • Integration
  • Internet of Things
  • LED Control
  • Market Research
  • Occupancy Sensors
  • Personal Control
  • Research Studies
  • Rules and Regulations
  • Standards
  • Utility Rebates/Incentives
  • Wireless Control

Products

  • Award Winning Products
  • Devices, Systems, Software
  • Networked Controls
  • Residential

Projects

  • Award Winning Projects
  • Education
  • Healthcare
  • Hospitality
  • House of Worship
  • Industrial
  • Office
  • Public Spaces
  • Residential
  • Retail
  • Retrofits

Members

  • Acuity Brands
  • Avi-On
  • Barron Lighting Group
  • Casambi
  • Cooper Lighting Solutions
  • Current
  • Eaton
  • EiKO
  • Intermatic
  • IR-TEC America
  • JDRF Electromag
  • LEDVANCE
  • Legrand
  • Leviton Manufacturing Co., Inc.
  • LiteTrace
  • Lutron Electronics Co.
  • MaxLite
  • mwConnect
  • PLC-Multipoint, Inc.
  • RAB Lighting
  • SATCO
  • SENSORWORX
  • Synapse Wireless
  • Toggled IQ

Services

  • NEMA Academy
  • LCA TV
  • Podcast
  • Articles
  • Resources
  • Awards
  • Subscribe

©2025 Lighting Controls Association, a Council of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) • Disclaimer • Log in