Green Incentives and Regulations
Lighting controlsLighting is one of the main culprits when it comes to energy usage and costs in commercial buildings, being responsible for up to 40% of the total electricity cost. Introducing lighting controls such as occupancy sensors, daylight harvesting, and scheduling, has been proven to deliver sustained lighting energy savings of up to 70%. Not only does this save money, but reducing energy use also reduces the overall demand for energy generation. Advanced lighting controls also allow customers to manage their own energy demand throughout the day, dynamically reducing peak demand constraints on utilities. Rebates and incentivesMany governments are offering incentives to promote green building and retrofits, and to stimulate the building industry after the recent economic downturn. In the US, refer to the DOE’s Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE) for details about available incentives. Some utilities also provide credits for lighting control solutions that support demand side load-shedding. A lighting control solution can be configured to automatically react to demand response events from utilities, and adjust lighting to pre-set acceptable levels to take advantage of cost savings. In addition, many countries have begun certifying and offering incentives for green design. One of the leading certifications is LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). Within the US, LEED is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings, and many state and local governments offer incentives for LEED-certified projects. Wireless lighting controls from Daintree contribute in three of the five LEED impact categories, potentially providing dozens of points towards LEED certification. You can find out more at www.usgbc.org/leed. Government regulationsGovernments around the world have introduced regulations and initiatives aimed at making buildings greener and more sustainable. These include lighting control and scheduling standards and codes for both new buildings and retrofits (such as Title 24, EPAct and ASHRAE 90.1). Codes are being updated regularly to become more stringent, and all are advocating the use of some form of automated lighting control. While these are still guidelines and recommendations in many places, they are gradually making their way into mandatory building requirements. Daintree facilitates compliance with the most stringent building codes, and is active in the development of California's next-generation lighting control standards. Find out more about these codes:
Daintree makes it possibleDaintree-based control systems allow you to capture the high end of potential lighting energy savings, take advantage of advanced utility programs, and reach LEED and other building certifications. Our products have been designed to meet the most stringent standards, and we are active in the efforts to build greater energy savings into regulatory and incentive programs.
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Wireless lighting control offers a clear and easily attainable path for buildings to improve long-term sustainability, facilitate compliance with a variety of government regulations, and qualify for rebates available from utilities and government bodies. 
