LIGHT AND HEALTH software can use LLLC sensor data to adjust thermal setpoints after installation by local contractors. A similarly innovative approach to integration is offered by Jeff Burns of building automation controls manufacturer Magnum First. The company can perform the site audit and system design, pre-program and bundle the material for each room, and work with local energy service companies to perform the installation. Magnum First acts as the controls manufacturer, distributor, and the integrator, returning to the site to commission the systems. By bridging between lighting and mechanical expertise “silos,” integration service providers can limit the number of people to call when equipment eventually requires updating.
Modularity Several people advised against installing a lighting control system that will need to be torn out when integrating in the future. Kenny Seeton of California State University, Dominguez Hills recommends choosing lighting controls that work well with BACnet, as well as standardizing across the campus to enable growth over time. Doug White expressed a similar perspective which he characterized as “crawl-walk-run.” Because many of his clients need to gradually add spaces to a larger building management ecosystem, he favors lighting controls such as LLLCs that enable a modular approach to eventual integration.
Future of Integration Increasing electric vehicle charging and building electrification will place greater demands, not only on the electrical grid,
but also on the building’s electrical infrastructure. Energy management from these types of systems support future building needs. Greenhouse gas emissions may be limited by the state or municipality, or even the company’s shareholders. More clients have decarbonization goals and will need detailed energy analytics to support accountability for energy use, and integrated systems can enable these types of insights. LLLCs allow flexibility in the future, both in terms of space changes and limiting future costs in labor and material. By integrating building systems, facilities can use lighting controls to support electrical demand management. Chris Wolgamott of Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance explained that by using LLLC occupancy data, building owners will be able to predict their needs more precisely, shifting power use away from peak hours to times of lower power demand. Jeff Burns gave an example: during times of peak summer power demand, his firm programmed a large grocery chain to pre-chill the building during low demand periods, then coast through peak demand period. With trends toward increasing electrification, this sort of demand management will help the utility maintain service and reduce customers’ utility bills. Artificial intelligence with integrated building systems offers opportunities to recognize the occupants’ habits, and preemptively turn up the heat before the occupants typically start arriving, thus overcoming concerns about thermal inertia and occupant comfort. By using weather forecast data, these systems will be able to learn what portions of the building will likely overheat, and preemptively adjust the cooling to maintain occupant comfort. By predicting occupancy patterns, LLLCs will play an increasingly important role in future energy management in our built environment. ■
The author wishes to thank all the interviewees for sharing their insight and unique approaches to integrating these systems. Also thanked are the Lighting Energy Partnership sponsors: Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, BC Hydro, and Eversource. References 1 California Energy Commission. California Building Efficiency Standards. California Energy Commission, Sacramento, 2024. [Available at https://www.energy.ca.gov/ programs-and-topics/programs/building-energy-efficiency-standards]. 2 ASHRAE 90.1-2019 and 2022 – Energy Standard for Sites and Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings. American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and AirConditioning Engineers, Peachtree Corners, GA, 2022. [Available at https://www.ashrae.org/technical-resources/bookstore/standard-90-1].
Slipstream Group. Integrated Controls Package for High Performance Interior Retrofit. Report number DOE-Slipstream-EE0008190; DE-FOA-00015182021. Slipstream Group, Madison, WI, 2021. [Available at https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1889908].
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4 Pacific Northwest National Labs. Lighting System Integration with HVAC and Plug Loads: Tinker Air Force Base. Pacific Northwest National Labs, Richland, WA, 2021. [Available at https://integratedlightingcampaign.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2021-02/EED_1063_BROCH_ESTCPbrand.pdf].
New Buildings Institute. Retrofit Technology Case Study: California State University Dominguez Hills – James L. Welch Hall, Portland, OR. 2021. [Available at https:// newbuildings.org/resource/california-state-university-dominguez-hills-james-l-welch-hall/].
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6 Pacific Northwest National Labs. LED Lighting and Controls Guidance for Federal Agencies. Pacific Northwest National Labs, Richland, WA, 2024. [Available at https://www.gsa.gov/climate-action-and-sustainability/center-for-emerging-building-technologies/completed-assessments/lighting/led-and-controls-guidance].
Hinkle N, Mead R, Kirlin B. Hot Mess or Cool Tech? Secrets to Success for Advanced Building Controls Integration. In “Proceedings of the 2022 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings, Panel 3 – Commercial Buildings: Technologies, Design, Operations, and Industry Trends, Asilomar, CA, 21-26 August 2022. American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, Washington, DC, 2022. [Available at https://www.aceee.org/2022-buildings-summer-study].
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8 Construction Specifications Institute. MasterFormat. Construction Specifications Institute, Alexandria, VA, 2024. [Available at https://www.csiresources.org/ standards/masterformat].
Benya JR. About IES Publication LP-16-22; Documenting Control Intent Narratives and Sequences of Operations. designing lighting, October/November, 2024. [Available at https://designinglighting.com/2024/10/15/october-november-2024/].
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