11 minute read
Wireless Controls Meet Energy Goals
by IdeaSoil
Since 1972, when Pepperdine University first introduced its water-reclamation program, the university has embraced sustainable practices and environmental stewardship.
Wireless lighting controls contribute to a university’s sustainable practices and environmental stewardship, while cutting installation and energy costs.
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On the beautiful Pepperdine University campus in Malibu, CA, sustainable design is not a new idea. Since 1972, when the school first introduced its water-reclamation program, the university has embraced sustainable practices and environmental stewardship. A testament to the university’s commitment, it was recently named one of The Top Green Colleges in North America for the second time by the Princeton Review, a publisher of college- and test-preparation guides.
When the opportunity arose to implement a major lighting retrofit on the university’s Drescher Graduate Campus, Les Thomas, manager of energy services, used Lutron Electronics Co., Coopersburg, PA, wireless controls to maximize energy efficiency while ensuring that Pepperdine remained a comfortable, productive place for faculty, students, and staff.
Working with Southern California Edison’s (SCE) Private Schools and Colleges Audit and Retrofit Program and its contractors, Thomas implemented a wireless-control solution designed to reduce labor and installation costs. By complying with program guidelines, the costs were 100% covered by available SCE incentives.
CHALLENGE SCE’s Private School Program provides private institutions with services to implement cost-effective, energy-efficient measures to permanently reduce their electricity usage. The program implementer, FCI Management Inc., Long Beach, CA, performed preliminary program services to identify Pepperdine as a qualifying customer, including an energy survey and a summary of the identified energy-efficiency measures for the school.
In addition to a fixture retrofit, two control opportunities were identified: • Install occupancy sensors to turn off lights in unoccupied offices and classrooms • Reduce HVAC costs in unoccupied classrooms by leveraging the lighting occupancy sensors in a cost-effective way.
The original plan anticipated installation of a wired system, but the installation and material costs exceeded budget requirements and did not ensure satisfactory results.
Thomas tested samples of Lutron Energi TriPak wireless-sensor solutions against other occupancy-sensor options and determined that the Lutron products were flexible and easy to install. He also knew a wireless solution would reduce labor and material costs, and could be implemented within the university’s aggressive time frame.
SOLUTION Working with FCI, Thomas proposed a lighting-control solution that included Lutron wireless occupancy sensors, switches, and relay modules in each area to ensure lights are turned off when the space is empty. In many rooms, the company’s wireless wall switches provide three-way control with no additional wiring required.
He also recognized the opportunity to reduce energy used by the HVAC system. To capture this opportunity, wireless contact closure modules (CCOs) were installed with the remote VAV (variable air volume) boxes that regulate air supply in each classroom. The CCO modules communicate directly with the same wireless occupancy sensors that control lighting.
Now, when the classrooms become unoccupied, lighting and cooling loads turn off automatically. The wireless CCO modules communicate with the wireless occupancy sensors through ceilings and walls, making it possible for the contractor to deliver an integrated solution within budget.
FCI turned to Positive Energy, Glendora, CA, a company with 20 years of experience with Lutron products, to install the wireless-control solutions. Positive Energy was able to install the entire retrofit project, including all the controls, over two weekends, minimizing disruption to campus operations.
“Tasks that add time, like hunting down junction boxes, add cost and eat up budget allocation. They can be job killers, but wireless controls solved that problem,” said Rob Pieroth from Positive Energy.
Positive Energy’s Steven Yamasaki explained that the wireless sensors also provided greater flexibility during the installation, “Depending on how each room was configured, we were able to choose between a wall-mount or a ceiling-mount sensor, with the same functionality and setup.”
RESULTS Encouraged by the results, Pepperdine is already working on a proposal for the school’s lower campus. Project stakeholders estimate that the occupancy controls throughout the retrofit are reducing lighting energy usage by 20% to 30%. In addition, by integrating the
Top. A ceiling-mounted occupancy sensor detects a person’s presence as soon as he or she enters the public area.
Bottom. Occupancy sensors in classrooms turn air-conditioning units and lights off when the room is empty, reducing HVAC costs by 14%.
Inset. The lighting-control solution included Lutron wireless occupancy sensors, both ceiling and wall-mounted, switches, and relay modules in each area to ensure lights are turned off when a space is empty.
The Lighting Landscape: Errigo, Ford, and Leonard
Lighting is one of the largest energy consumers in the commercial-facility world. Led by LEDs, the lighting landscape has changed dramatically in the past three or four years. In this Commercial Conversation, a panel of experts talks about lighting technology, how it’s changed, how it will change, and the overall impact of this change on energy usage and lighting quality.
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VAV boxes wirelessly to the occupancy sensors, the solution is reducing overall HVAC energy usage in the classrooms by an additional 14%.
“Following established best-practices, SCE computes the cost-effectiveness of all energy-efficiency programs. The results of our cost-benefit analysis confirm that the Pepperdine project is cost-effective,” reported Fiela Gutierrez of Solaris Technical, Monrovia, CA, a program-management firm that helps SCE administer the Private School Program by analyzing proposals to determine whether the installation will meet program criteria.
Thomas also emphasized the importance of the energy retrofit: “Pepperdine’s centralized building-management system allows us to easily evaluate when lights are on and off and where the HVAC use is affected. The occupancy sensors are doing their job to lower costs and reduce energy waste.”
He also knows the systems are maintaining a comfortable work/ study environment, “Generally, if I’m not getting any negative feedback, I know everyone is happy. If the lights were turning off when people were in the space, or students were cold in the classrooms, I would definitely know. Any time we can strike the perfect balance, we know we’ve made the best choice.”
CBP
DATA CACHE
Want more information? The resources below are linked in our digital magazine at cbpmagazine.com/digital/apr2014.
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Listen to the Commercial Conversation Listen to the Commercial Conversation podcast, “The Lighting Landscape,” in podcast, “The Lighting Landscape,” in which a panel of experts discusses lighting technology and its impact on energy.
Watch a video that compares Lutron Watch a video that compares Lutron wireless controls with conventional wireless controls with conventional wired systems: http://www.youtube. comwatch?v=yVRtHgLLzk&feature= c4-overview&list=UUg6-uCpq6xnxb BzlZjK5bFw.
EDITORS’ CHOICE
Touchscreen lighting control
Fresco touchscreen:
• Provides intuitive lighting control • Manages as many as 36 zones or connects to manage 288 zones • Bluetooth equipped
Fresco touchscreen provides intuitive control of traditional, color-changing, tunable-white, and moving fi xtures to create visual impact in high-performance spaces. Users manage key lighting aspects including intensity, color, color temperature energy, and position. e unit manages as many as 36 zones or connects to as many as seven additional stations to control as many as 288 zones. Bluetooth equipped, the controller provides a reported seamless experience on mobile devices, allowing control from anywhere in a room. Fresco controls lighting through traditional line-voltage dimmed circuits, switching, 0 to 10 V, DALI, nLight technology, and DMX/RDM. Available dimming and switching cabinets and DMX/RDM networking equipment can be used to manage digital and traditional sources.
Axion Controls, Acuity Brands Inc., Atlanta
DATA CACHE
Want more information? The resources below are linked in our digital magazine at cbpmagazine.com/digital/apr2014.
Circle 80 on the Reader Service Card.
Watch a video about the Fresco system. Outdoor LEDs ProPoint small fl oodlight and PermaLED area light outdoor low-profi le luminaires are DLC qualifi ed. ProPoint SFL has applications in lighting building facades, security, signage, and landscapes. Available in 15- and 30-W versions, the luminaire has an effi cacy of 90 lumens/W. For applications including parking lots, street lighting, and pathway lighting, the PermaLED is available in 90, 140, and 200 W with either a photosensor or a motion and photocontrol sensor. The area light is available in 4,000 and 5,000 K.
Osram Sylvania, Danvers, MA Circle 81
LED fl oodlights with interchangeable optics Varieta series LED fl oodlights for exterior applications have interchangeable optics. The line is available in output from 2,100 to 19,100 lumens; 12 beam distributions using interchangeable optics; fi ve sizes; three color temperatures; and a variety of media options. All optics and media are concealed inside the fi xture to keep exterior graze, wash, highlight, or accent lighting unaffected by weather or outdoor debris. LED modules are completely sealed between the primary optics and the heat sink. Zero- to 10-V dimming is standard. Finishes include black, green, classic bronze, and white. Options include wall mount, pole mount, and ground plate.
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Decorative glass pendants Crinkle fused glass pendants are crafted with hot glass, sculpted into contemporary lighting designs. An inverted pendant in aquamarine features a tropical-island hue. Innovative shapes evoke a lofty look of fl ight in mid-air. Wall fi xtures and ceiling pendants are available. Custom styles, sizes, colors, and energy-effi cient lamping options are also available.
Meyda Custom Lighting, Yorkville, NY Circle 83
LED controls Nova T 0- to 10-V dimmer is available with direct control of ballasts and drivers without a separate power pack. A “no visible heat sink” design is said to offer improved performance. Other controls available include the Maestro Wireless C-L dimmer for lamps and mixed loads on the same circuit; PowPak dimming module for the Energi TriPak control system; and Hi-lume A series UL-listed driver provided on a junction box for installation.
Lutron Electronics Co. Inc., Coopersburg, PA Circle 84
Mini-CFL lamps Neolite miniature CFL lamps have T2 glass spiral tops and micro ballasts. Available as replacements for 40-, 60-, 75-, and 100-W incandescents, the lamps are as much as 8% shorter than previous versions. Available Kelvin temperatures include 2,700, 4,100, and 5,000.
Litetronics, Alsip, IL Circle 85
Surface-mount spotlight TR700 S spotlight is a surface-mountable LED that provides illumination without a track or cut-out. A mounting place and fl ying lead fl ex allow installation and wiring onto surfaces including marble, stone, concrete, and composites. The 10 1/2-W light has a brightness of 720 lumens.
Brightgreen, Collingwood, Australia Circle 87
Sculptured sconce
Sensu sconce is an art-glass wall luminaire shaped as a traditional Japanese folding fan. Measuring 16- in. wide, 12-in. high, and 4-in. deep, it accommodates as much as 100 W using incandescent, halogen, CFL, or LED lamps. More than 40 colors are available.
Derek Marshall Lighting, Sandwich, NH Circle 88
LED trim AC LED 6-in. trim has a 120-V AC source and uses an integrated board without any electronics. The modular approach provides an encapsulated fi xture that is said to unite performance, cost, and safety benefi ts. The unit is dimmable to 10% and has a 3,000-K color temperature.
Progress Lighting, Greenville, SC Circle 86
Recessed TV boxes Pass & Seymour recessed TV boxes are said to provide snug-to-wall placement for a range of applications. Used with fl at-screen TVs, the units reduce clutter associated with a variety of cabling. The steel electrical boxes accept conduit and all products reportedly fi t in a standard 2x4 wall cavity. Model TV2MW has a bracket that allows face or side mounting.
Legrand, Syracuse, NY Circle 89
Motor-control products MS-T series contactors and motor-control products from 10 to 32 A are made of thermo-plastic material and comply with RoHS regulations. The series now includes a terminal cover as standard. Smart wiring provides optional streamline terminals for reported improved wiring and workability.
