Even with today’s efficiencies, lighting can still be a significant operating expense for commercial and industrial buildings. However, it’s also a critical factor for ambiance, establishing visual comfort, and maintaining the productivity of the occupants. In addition, implementing lighting controls through various strategies allows facility managers to tailor the lighting to meet the needs of specific spaces. Learn more about how today’s energy-efficient LED lighting can enhance your building’s performance and generate considerable benefits for your business when paired with networked lighting controls.
Introduction To Lighting Controls
Lighting controls are devices and complete systems that create operational flexibility into lighting to support energy management and occupant needs. These devices and systems accept an input, decide how to reduce the lighting, and control the load as an output. These inputs may be manual from human intervention or automatically based on time, occupancy, available light levels, or an energy management system. The results are typically switching, dimming, or control data. The unique combinations of inputs and outputs give us various lighting control strategies to deliver significant energy cost savings.
Lighting Control Strategies
Many projects incorporating LED lighting controls layer multiple strategies in the same space to satisfy energy codes and owner requirements. Each method is suited to addressing occupant comfort, visual needs, energy management, or all three. Here are a few specific examples of lighting control strategies that are frequently applied:
Occupancy and Vacancy Sensing
These simple sensors ensure that lights only operate when occupants are in a room. In addition to basic occupancy sensing, ultrasonic sensors detect sound, and infrared sensors detect heat and motion. Easily added to individual luminaires or the room itself, occupancy sensors are ideal for areas not constantly used, like conference rooms, storage areas, or restrooms. It’s also applied to parking lot applications, wall packs, and stairwell luminaires.
Astronomical Time Clock Scheduling
This strategy provides pre-programmed changes to a light’s levels based on the date and the time of day. A time clock schedule is suited to larger spaces that are regularly occupied and spaces that are occasionally occupied but must have lights remain on for safety and security purposes.
High End Trim and
Task Tuning
This lighting control strategy sets the maximum light level based on mandated requirements for a particular room or zone. In addition, task tuning analyzes the light needs in each space and dims various areas based on condition.
Building Management Systems (BMS)
A Building Management System allows LED lighting to be integrated and controlled along with heating, ventilation, and HVAC systems through specific protocols.
Energy Monitoring Platforms
This platform helps identify energy usage in a building and helps drive conservation efforts for even more cost savings.
Daylight
Harvesting
Daylight harvesting controls automatically adjust lights based on the available daylight coming into the room. As the sun rises and sets, the electric lights change to maintain predetermined light levels for the space. Daylight harvesting is best suited for areas adjacent to windows, under skylights, or wherever outside light is consistent.
Demand Response Programs
A demand response program automatically reduces lighting loads during peak electricity usage times or periods of high pricing. This program requires the ability to measure load at any point, accept a utility signal to start, stop, and measure a load shed event.
Personal Dimming Controls
Personal control gives occupants the ability to adjust the light output to their comfort level. Often found with dimming switches local to the room where the occupant is.
Networked Lighting Controls
Networked lighting controls (NLCs) bring together multiple LED luminaires and blend the different lighting control strategies based on the space requirements. By combining the LED lights, controls, connectivity, and data, these flexible systems can improve occupant comfort and space utilization. Networked lighting controls often include occupancy sensing, daylight harvesting, continuous dimming, and more.
Lighting Controls For Code Compliance
Lighting controls can assist commercial properties in meeting even the most stringent energy codes in the country. Why is energy code compliance substantial? Energy codes are minimum requirements for construction that focus on reducing overall energy consumption and reducing harmful effects on the environment. By incorporating lighting controls into the lighting design, not only do you meet the technical requirements defined by energy codes, but you deliver incentives back to the end-user while improving the quality of life. Here are some examples of codes, regulations, and designations that have become increasingly relevant across the United States:
Building Energy Efficiency Standards - California Title 24
California’s energy code reduces wasteful and unnecessary energy consumption in newly constructed (and existing) buildings. The California Energy Commission updates the Building Energy Efficiency Standards (Title 24, Parts 6 and 11) every three years.
International Energy Conservation Code (IECC)
Many state energy codes were based upon the IECC with amendments. The IECC addresses energy efficiency on several fronts, including cost, energy usage, use of natural resources, and the impact of energy usage on the environment.
State and Local Energy Codes
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, state and local energy codes represent a significant savings opportunity for property owners. For example, model energy codes for buildings are projected to save $138 billion in energy costs and avoid 900 MMT of avoided CO2 emissions cumulatively from 2010 to 2040. Noteworthy examples are California Title 24 and the New York City Energy Conservation Code (NYCECC).
DesignLights Consortium (DLC)
The DLC is a non-profit organization who promotes energy-efficient lighting and lighting controls in collaboration with utilities, manufacturers, lighting designers, federal, state, and local entities.
Lighting Controls Benefits
A well-designed lighting control system can improve the efficiency of buildings, deliver maximum energy savings, and provide long-term flexibility. Here are a few examples of benefits you could expect:
Long-Term Flexibility
Networked lighting control systems are adaptable for changes in the way spaces are used and can reduce costs associated with changing tenants. For example, lights can be re-zoned to a new layout, and settings can be adjusted to fit the new tenants.
Energy Cost Savings
LED lighting integrated with controls typically uses 25-75% less energy than non-controlled lights, thus reducing operating costs. A meta-analysis performed by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) reviewed 240 savings cases described in 88 papers and case studies and summarized the average savings achieved from all control types.
NA = not applicable; LBNL = Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. © E-Source; data from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Better Occupant Experience
Whether localized or controlled by the facility manager, lighting controls can create the right amount of light ideal for the space. That means occupants enjoy an efficient and productive environment that's focused on well-being.
Additional Benefits
Aside from cost savings, networked lighting controls enable additional benefits like asset tracking, space utilization, safety enhancements, and more data overall when connected to a building management system.
US LED Lighting Control Partners
US LED is proud to partner with the industry's most trusted lighting controls platforms to offer a complete portfolio of options that solve any lighting scenario. Because US LED lighting solutions are "controls agnostic," virtually any lighting control system can be specified at the time of order and integrated during assembly. US LED also creates lighting control layouts to accompany project submittals. For assistance with specifying lighting controls for your projects, click here.
Lighting Controls For The Modern World
Seamless Integration with US LED
LED Luminaires
Ordering "Casambi-Ready" US LED lighting solutions guarantees out-of-the-box compatibility and use them with other Casambi-ready network devices.
Sensors
The Casambi system is compatible with numerous marketplace sensors that can detect presence, motion, daylight, light levels, or air quality.
Switches
The Casambi system is compatible with various wireless switches, ranging from traditional wall-mounted push-button to battery-free wall switches or remote controls.
Other Devices
Casambi can be the core of an entire ecosystem of products, ranging from air purification, building automation, and other control systems - all 100% compatible with each other.
Synapse Wireless is an Internet of Things (IoT) company focused on improving customers' operational, financial, and environmental performance. Additionally, they provide energy management solutions to help companies advance their growth and sustainability goals.
Synapse works with US LED to provide intuitive, wireless Internet of Things (IoT) controls for indoor and outdoor lighting solutions. In addition, their SimplySnap Energy Insights platform is an easy-to-use Energy Management System that can wireless connect thousands of lights, HVAC units, and compressors to form an intelligent system that's scalable and secure.
IoT Controls Available With US LED Lighting Solutions
TL7 Synapse Twist Lock Lighting Controller
The TL7 is an intelligent wireless twist lock lighting controller with exceptional fault tolerance and a multitude of features. Each provides intelligent On/Off switching, dimming, highly accurate power metering, digital sensor input, and status monitoring of lighting fixtures.
CBSSW-450-002 Synapse Central Base Station
This Central Base Station site controller serves as the heart of your SimplySnap solution. This network edge appliance provides quick browser-based access and local control of smaller systems with hundreds of devices.
DIM10-220-F Synapse Bolt-On Controller With Internal Antenna
The DIM10-220-F provides real-time control with power monitoring to help meet California Title 24 and other energy regulations. It also includes a 24VDC sensor input and power supply to connect a sensor into the SimplySnap wireless solution.
SS450-002 Synapse Site Controller
The site controller serves as the heart of your SimplySnap solution. This network edge appliance provides quick browser-based access and local control of smaller systems with hundreds of devices. WiFi-enabled with four antennas.
McWong has produced superior lighting controls and related electrical power and protection components. With advanced design and manufacturing facilities, McWong offers extensive component choices for OEMs and robust solutions for contractors, ESCOs, and facility managers.
McWong works with US LED to provide wireless indoor Bluetooth sensors and controls for its indoor lighting solutions. In addition, their TruBlu™ control platform uses Bluetooth 5 compatibility for robust networking capabilities combined with Bluetooth qualification for all devices for enhanced interoperability. The TruBlu™ web portal offers a user-friendly interface for project design, commissioning, and operation post-installation.
Indoor Wireless Bluetooth Controls Available With US LED Lighting Solutions
PSC-ND-I-CM-DC-BLE-SR McWong Wireless PIR Ceiling Mount Sensor
This ceiling mount sensor uses digital PIR Motion Detector Architecture and passive infrared (PIR) technology for improved detection coverage for ceiling mount applications up to 12 ft.
PSC-WCM-450-BLE-SR McWong Wireless Line Voltage Fixture and Room Controller
The PSC-WCM-450-BLE-SR allows for 0-10V output to the LED driver and is made to fit into a Bluetooth mesh system. For input voltage of 100-277VAC, this unit is controlled wirelessly via Bluetooth Mesh, allowing for wireless dimming of LED lighting and seamless integration of software solutions. The small physical size allows this unit to be placed within the US LED product and comes with a threaded nipple for junction box mounting.