This document provides general information and considerations involved in the design and application of dimming circuitry employed with specific ballasts and lamps in the HID family. Click here to download it free from the NEMA website.
Wireless Lighting Controls Offer Flexibility And Cost Savings in Commercial Buildings
Radio-frequency (RF) wireless communication is a significant emerging lighting control technology. In a typical hardwired lighting control system, control signals are sent using communication wires. In a wireless RF system, control devices communicate through the air using radio waves, eliminating the need for control wiring. The resulting advantages enable advanced lighting control with greater installation flexibility and lower labor installation cost, ideal for hard-to-wire applications non-accessible ceilings, hard ceilings, asbestos abasement issues, and brick and mortar existing buildings.
Wireless RF lighting control first became popularized in residential applications, with typical applications including home theater, kitchens and other common areas, master bedrooms and exterior and security lighting. In recent years, however, wireless RF lighting control has emerged as a viable alternative to hardwired controls in commercial building applications. What benefits does RF wireless communication provide?
The first benefit is flexibility. Wireless control devices can be placed where they are needed without limitation imposed by wiring, including areas that are difficult to wire. More flexibility is provided in unique applications. Electrical planning may be shortened. After installation, devices can be moved and the system expanded with relative ease.
The second benefit is labor and material cost savings, which may result in net installation savings after the typically higher product cost is figured. Wireless control eliminates the need for dedicated control wiring and associated switch legs, traveler wires and other raw materials. The system installs more quickly, producing labor savings. With no damage to walls or ceilings, and little to no disruption to business operations, wireless control lends itself well to existing building applications demanding the benefits of advanced lighting control.
The advantages of wireless control make these solutions particularly suitable for commercial building applications where the cost of running control wires is too costly or simply not possible, such as outdoor lighting, parking garages, warehouses and retrofits.
Lighting Controls Association Updates Education Express Course on LED Lighting Control
The Lighting Controls Association is pleased to announce that EE300: Lighting Control of LEDs, a key offering in the Association’s popular online Education Express distance education courses, has been updated.
Lighting Controls Association Publishes New Education Express Course on Wireless RF Lighting Control
EE301: Wireless RF Lighting Control, written by LCA Education Director Craig DiLouie, provides a basic understanding of wireless RF control, including functionality, benefits, power, networking, protocols, range, programming and integration issues.
2011 Construction Outlook: Delayed Recovery for Nonresidential Market
While activity for institutional projects should hover near 2010 levels, there is likely to be a modest decline in commercial construction in 2011, according to the AIA Consensus Construction Forecast Panel. Overall nonresidential construction spending is expected to decrease by 2% for the year. The Panel believes 2012 will produce stronger gains, however, with overall building construction rising about 5%, with growth twice the rate of the more cyclical commercial sector. This construction outlook reviews the year’s top line construction numbers, shows where leading construction and electrical industry indicators are trending, and provides a summary of the latest AIA Consensus Construction Forecast for 2011.
Electrical Contractor Publishes Feature Story on Lighting Controls
Electrical Contractor Magazine recently published a major story on lighting controls featuring LCA members Leviton, Lutron, OSRAM SYLVANIA and WattStopper, in addition to comments from Craig DiLouie representing the Lighting Controls Association. The article, titled “Take Control,” outlines control strategies that building owners and managers can deploy now to reduce energy costs and increase flexibility in existing building lighting systems.
Emergency Lighting and Control
Emergency lighting can constitute as much as 20 percent of a commercial building’s lighting load, according to research conducted by WattStopper, which points out, in a whitepaper titled, “Emergency Lighting and Control,” that special control approaches can be used to reduce this load and generate significant energy savings while satisfying life/safety demands and code requirements.
New York City Requires Lighting Upgrades in Largest Buildings
To help achieve the PlaNYC goal of a 30% reduction in greenhouse gases by the year 2030, on December 9, 2009, the New York City Council enacted ambitious legislation targeting energy consumption in buildings. Recognizing that 85% of the buildings that exist today will still be in use in 2030, the Council is focusing on existing buildings. New York’s 22,000 largest buildings, concentrated largely in Manhattan, account for roughly 45% of total floorspace and energy consumption, and were specifically targeted by the legislation to make the biggest impact for the smallest amount of government intervention.
ASHRAE Publishes 2010 Version of 90.1 Standard
The big news is that ASHRAE 90.1-2010 has been published. It represents a major leap in evolution of the energy standard; it’s basically almost an entirely new standard. Lighting controls play a starring role. Here is a summary of lighting control-related changes that caught my eye at first glance.
Are Performance-Based Models the Future of Commercial Building Energy Codes?
Code authorities are considering approaches to energy codes that are performance based instead of mainly prescriptive. In a performance-based code, the building would be designed so that it would operate within a target limit for energy consumption—using annual kWh/sq.ft. instead of W/sq.ft. as the primary metric.
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