Lighting Controls Association

The Lighting Controls Authority

Design Firm Sets Green Example for Clients with Watt Stopper Lighting Controls

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Principals and associates at The Lighting Practice, a design firm based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have long advocated sustainable design, and have recently had the opportunity to take their own advice. While planning a move that was completed in June 2007, they designed tenant improvements incorporating energy saving lighting controls that exceeded code requirements and let them demonstrate best practices to customers.

Associate Principal Julie Panassow and Lighting Designer Pomme Suchato were responsible for lighting the new space, and they selected a lighting control panel, occupancy sensors and daylighting controls from Watt Stopper/Legrand to achieve their goals. They succeeded in reducing the firm’s demand for energy, and set a green example for clients.

Congress Extends Commercial Buildings Deduction to 2013

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The Energy Policy Act (EPAct) of 2005 created the Commercial Buildings Deduction (CBD), which established an accelerated tax deduction rewarding investment in energy-efficient interior lighting, HVAC/hot water systems and building envelope. Initially set to expire December 31, 2007 and then December 31, 2008, the CBD was recently extended by Congress to expire in five years: December 31, 2013.

Watt Stopper Controls Provide Convenience, Safety and Energy Savings in ADA Home

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When interior designer Katy Mellon, Allied Member ASID, undertook designing the complete remodel of a 1968 tract home in San Diego, California, she embarked on an eye-opening learning experience. The prime goal was to create a safe, efficient, attractive and accessible home for her son, Nathaniel Ladendorf. Ladendorf is disabled from a spinal cord injury and needs wheelchair access to all areas of his residence. Mellon also had to meet California Title 24 requirements, but did not want to compromise her design scheme in order to do so.

Lighting controls, including Watt Stopper/Legrand’s Miro controls and residential occupancy and vacancy sensors, played an important role in the successful completion of the project. Ladendorf moved into his home in December 2007 and Mellon says, “Every time I see Nathaniel come into his house and touch just one switch to light up his safe haven, I experience great peace of mind.”

Universal Lighting Technologies Helps Ganahl Lumber Company Slash Its Energy Costs with DCL®

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Founded in 1884, Ganahl Lumber Company is California’s oldest lumber retailer. Today, Ganahl operates eight stores in Orange County. Ganahl was selected by its utility provider as an ideal candidate for DCL technology in 2005. Ganahl agreed to install a complete DCL system in its 20,000 sq. ft. retail and office facility in Costa Mesa, California. The installation was performed by Energy Controls & Concepts, Inc. (ECC), an industry leader in the analysis, development, and management of lighting efficiency projects. DCL (or Demand Control Lighting) allows Ganahl to reduce lighting levels throughout the building with a single command. The DCL control unit communicates with the building’s lighting ballasts at the circuit level in order to reduce power anywhere from 1 percent to 50 percent. The result is significant energy and financial savings.

Research Demonstrates Controls Can Help Reduce School Average Power Density to About Half of ASHRAE 2004/2007

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NYSERDA sponsored a demonstration project featuring a new Integrated Classroom Lighting System (ICLS) created by Finelite, Inc., a fixture manufacturer, installed as a retrofit into 28 existing classrooms at seven schools and universities. The Lighting Research Center (LRC) assessed teacher and student satisfaction. The result is a design template demonstrated to satisfy audio-visual needs and improve teacher and student satisfaction while reducing lighting power density to an average 0.73W/sq.ft., nearly 50% less than ASHRAE 90.1-2004/2007. Although Finelite optimized the design into an engineered system integrating the company’s light fixtures with state-of-the-art lighting control strategies, the template, if properly designed, can be treated as open source with suitable products from a wide range of manufacturers.

Nashville Nonprofit Health Clinic Saves Energy, Reduces Costs with Square D® Wall Switch Occupancy Sensors

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The Siloam Family Health Center in Nashville, Tenn., has employed an energy cost-savings strategy using Square D® Wall Switch Occupancy Sensors from Schneider Electric, allowing allocation of more budget to maximizing patient care. The sensors, which use passive infrared (PIR) technology to detect occupancy, requires a button press to activate lighting in occupied rooms much like a standard light switch. If lights are accidentally left on when the room is vacated, the sensor automatically turns them off after a preset time delay. Forty sensors were co-donated by Schneider Electric’s three Middle Tennessee locations — Nashville, La Vergne and Smyrna — in December 2007, as part of the facilities’ Mission for the Community initiative.

Study: Controls Combine to Deliver Large, Persistent Energy Savings and Improved Occupant Satisfaction in Open Office

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What are the benefits of combining advanced lighting control strategies in the same space? Are the energy-saving benefits of lighting controls persistent over time? Can advanced lighting controls be successfully applied to open offices given concerns about jurisdiction conflicts, lighting uniformity, etc.? Can they enhance worker satisfaction? A new office lighting field study addresses these questions. Involving about 90 workers in a real-world open-office environment, the one-year study determined that occupancy sensing, daylight harvesting and individual occupant dimming control worked together in the building to produce average energy savings of 47% while correlating with higher occupant environmental and job satisfaction. The study demonstrates that sophisticated lighting control strategies can be combined successfully to generate persistent, large energy savings in open-plan offices while improving occupant satisfaction with their jobs and workspace.

Purdue University Cuts Costs Dramatically with Universal’s AddressPro Dimming System

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Founded in 1869, the main campus of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, is home to approximately 39,000 students. The statewide university system includes five campuses, numerous teaching and research sites, and a system-wide enrollment of approximately 69,000 students. For 30 years, Purdue University has provided its instructors with the ability to dim the lighting in their classrooms.