Getting Smarter Lighting Controls into Existing Buildings
Interoperability, Easy Commissioning, Flexibility, Reliability and Scalability for Wireless Lighting Controls The benefits of lighting controls in energy conservation are well documented. Avoiding over-lighting provides savings of up to 70% through reduced energy usage and its associated costs. Lighting controls can also enable participation in load shedding and utility demand-response programs, avoiding costly peak-energy charges and in some cases qualifying the building owner for financial incentives. Lighting controls represent a significant opportunity for cost savings, especially in older buildings, which have a relatively low penetration of advanced controls. One of the key reasons for such low penetration is very high number of control points that advanced lighting controls need to manage (for example, a significantly larger number than in HVAC systems). Until recently, as the number of control points increased, so too did the complexity of lighting control systems. But now, the application of wireless networking technology and management concepts to the lighting control market is enabling unprecedented levels of control that can be delivered with simple installation, commissioning and management. Implementing lighting controls in new construction can be straightforward, since these controls can be included in building design. But what about the existing stock of commercial buildings? A solution is needed that doesn’t require extensive re-wiring in order to gain the cost savings benefits of lighting controls. |
May 4, 2010 — This month's issue of Automated Buildings contains an article written by Jason Choong, Daintree's Chief Solution Architect and VP Product Management. 