Here are 15 examples of LED lighting in application, with a brief description of the controls strategy used to achieve the desired results.
U.S. Department of Energy Issues New Lamp Efficiency Rules
In July 2009, the Department of Energy issued new energy efficiency standards for commercial general-service fluorescent lamps and incandescent (and halogen) reflector lamps. The new rules take effect July 14, 2012 and will basically eliminate products with the lowest efficiency and lowest cost. In the case of fluorescent lamps, equivalent-performance products are readily available, such as T8 lamps, and the market is expected to shift to that and other technologies. In the case of incandescent reflector lamps, only a few equivalent-performance products are readily available that comply, such as infrared-coated halogen lamps, and manufacturers are expected to develop new substitutes.
Energy Act Outlaws Many Incandescent Reflector Lamps
While general-service incandescent lamps have received the most attention in media coverage of the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007, with provisions beginning to take effect in 2012, many popular incandescent reflector lamps are being outlawed this month.
Line-Voltage Occupancy Sensors Provide Individual Fixture Control Option in Hi-Bay Lighting Retrofits
An additional 30-80 percent energy savings using occupancy sensors and 10-30 percent savings using daylighting controls can be achieved in a hi-bay fluorescent upgrade.
Integrating Lighting and Building Control
Building automation systems (BAS) provide automatic control of electrical loads, such as HVAC, lighting and electric motors, and functions not related to energy management, such as security and fire safety systems. Energy management systems (EMS) provide automatic control of electrical loads to manage energy consumption either as a stand-alone system or as part of a BAS. While EMS may be capable of provide automatic switching of large blocks of lighting loads, only a fraction of installed EMS actually control lighting, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (2003). EMS that control HVAC are installed in about 5.6% of commercial buildings representing 24% of commercial floorspace—most commonly >100,000 sq.ft. office and education buildings—while EMS that control lighting are installed in 1.3% of buildings covering 7.4% of floorspace.
New DOE Web Tool Lights the Way Beyond 90.1 for Retail Buildings
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Commercial Lighting Solutions (CLS) program, a component of Commercial Building Energy Alliances, seeks to stimulate adoption of advanced lighting technologies and design practices by making them available to the broader lighting specification community, not just the leaders in the field. The result is an extraordinary interactive web tool that enables any lighting decision-maker to save 30% more energy than the ASHRAE 90.1-2004 standard energy code without sacrificing lighting quality that users need from lighting systems.
CLTC Study Demonstrates Major Energy Savings for Bilevel Occupancy Sensors
All energy codes require that general lighting be automatically turned OFF when it’s not used. Further, IECC says that if an occupancy sensor is used in an enclosed space such as a private office, light level reduction controls are not needed, suggesting an either/or choice. What if bilevel switching was combined with occupancy sensor functionality? Would this produce higher energy savings in a private office than bilevel switching or occupancy sensing alone. And: What combination of manual initiative and automation would produce the highest energy savings while also satisfying workers? The California Lighting Technology Center (CLTC) organized a study in eight private offices at the University of California – Davis in 2008 to attempt to generate useful data related to these questions.
Department of Energy Names ASHRAE 90.1-2004 as New National Energy Standard
ASHRAE/IES 90.1 Energy-Efficient Design of New Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings was first published in 1975 and updated in 1980, 1989, 1999, 2001, 2004 and 2007. After 2001, the intention is to update the Standard every three years. Applicability: Today, most states have adopted either 90.1 or the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) as their […]
What’s New for Lighting in the IECC 2009 Model Energy Code
IECC 2009 contains a number of changes impacting lighting for commercial buildings, including:
• Forced choice of compliance with entirety of IECC or 90.1
• Required circuiting for independent control of lighting in “daylight zones”
• Revision of additional retail display allowances
• Added exemptions to interior lighting wattage that must be counted for compliance
• Splitting the exterior power allowance using a system of outdoor lighting zones
• Clarifications and practical application language changes
2007 Energy Law Eliminates Sale of Probe-Start Metal Halide Fixtures
The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 contains significant provisions affecting the sale of metal halide lighting fixtures. Starting in 2009, 150-500W metal halide lighting fixtures must contain ballasts that operate at a certain level of efficiency, virtually eliminating probe-start lamps and ballasts from new fixtures. This provision of the 2007 Energy Act essentially makes a Federal standard of efficiency requirements already enacted in California, New York, Arizona, Oregon, Rhode Island and Washington.