Special Edition August 2016

Special Edition | August 2016 | www.lightexpress.in

>> ENERGY EFFICIENT LIGHTING & DESIGN MAGAZINE

LIGHTING EFFICIENCY!

g n i l l o TS! r t n Co LIGH LED

7 Trends in LIGHTING CONTROL! Roadway LIGHTING! Connected LIGHTING TRENDS!

Visible Light COMMUNICATION! Outdoor Lighting CONTROL! Wireless LIGHTING!

Special Edition | August 2016 | www.lightexpress.in Founder Editor-in-Chief Late Mr. Kanwar NS Managing Editor Reny Singh Editors Amrita Singh Sarvjit Kanwar

ENERGY EFFICIENT LIGHTING & DESIGN MAGAZINE Registeration No.GOVT. OF INDIA | DELENG/2014/57785

China Correspondent & Reporters Ying Wei-Beijing Bao Tian Tian - Shanghai Xing Guang Li - Guangzhou Assistant Editor/Correspondent Vishwapreet

Trends in Lighting Technology 2015 is a fairly tough year for most LED manufacturers. Although the market needs of LED lighting are still rising largely, and replacing traditional lighting in a large number of applications, but the average unit price decline of 30% to 40% due to oversupply and competition. Many manufacturers are facing a loss, even gradually out of the market.

Estimated this year’s global high-brightness LED market value amounted can be around 14.52 billion dollars. The annual rate of growth is only 2%; 2016 there will be only 14.95 billion dollars, increase of 3%. The number of LED lighting using sustainable growth driven by demand in the next, but the high efficiency of the LED will reduce the use of LED pieces, plus depreciation pressures, therefore look to the future of five years, the annual compound growth rate of the LED industry will not be 10% or more as the past years.

With LEDs comprehensively in the mainstream, the next frontier in lighting is controls.

Call it smart, call it connected, call it what you like – the point is that your lights can be controlled. Dimmers and sensors have been around for donkey’s years, but the challenge now is to make them more sophisticated, get them to communicate with other devices and make sure people use them. Energy saving is only the start of the potential benefits – connected lighting also promises to make us safer and pave the way for…

Backlight and lighting market demand not as good as expected this year. The average price of LED chip and package fell sharply in the second half more rendering style diving down. Some of them have even come to the material cost price level.

Manufacturers are facing losses dilemma. LED still faces continued pressure to cut prices shortly, but the price has been close to the basic costs of many manufacturers.

We can imaging that more and more manufacturers will be out of the market, and the decline pace of price will be gradually reduced.

Secretary & Legal Advisor K.Surinder Circulation Surekha Gogna Production, Design & Degital Media Rakesh Sharma Marketing & Sales Lina Catherine Amy Lan Anna Mi Technical Advisors Alex Van Bienen/Lily - Nederlands Public Relations Director (UK) Mike Steele Advisor Internet Sukhbir Singh International Advisor (Australia) Andrew S. McCourt Germany Representatives Julia Rittershofer Steffen Schnaderbeck India (Head Office) D 182 PR House, Anand Vihar, New Delhi 110 092 INDIA Tel: +91 11 22141542 | 4309 4482 Fax: +91 11 22160635 info@lightexpress.in www.lightexpress.in

C-star: China's most international retail show Online booth application has officially launched!

With the perfect ending to C-star 2016, we will be continuing on the same path in 2017 and strengthen C-star's position as the professional retail platform in the Chinese market.

Exhibitors and visitors praised the exhibition as the first-choice platform for the retail industry

In May 2016, C-star - Shanghai's International Trade Fair for Solutions and Trends all about Retail, concluded its second edition with significant growth on show results. It attracted huge attention from industry peers and become the most international trade fair in the Chinese retail industry only in its second year.

C-star 2017: Set for growth and success.

C-star 2017 is aiming to match that, and top it! Preparations for C-star 2017 are now full underway. Thanks to the extremely positive feedback from exhibitors and visitors alike and the great demand, C-star is

expanding into two exhibition halls.

This gives even more exhibitors even bigger opportunities to do business with even more trade visitors.

This year, C-star exceeded everyone's expectations: 180 exhibitors from 18 countries and regions increased by 11% and 7,616 visitors from 77 countries and regions reaching a 33% increase from its debut.

Leading brands showcased their latest solutions, technologies, products and services. Trade visitors – retail experts and decision-makers – were impressed and excited by the show and its vast supporting events.

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This year, C-star has clearly structured into four areas for Shopfitting, lighting and design; Retail Technology; Visual Merchandising, marketing and event construction. It is perfectly suited to the Chinese retail market.

Preparation for the next edition has already started. Exhibitors can now use C-star online booth application system. Please log on http://www.cstar-expo.com/register.html and fill in your company information. Please

print, sign, and chop the application form after online submission and send the scanned copy to us by email or fax. For more information, please contact the C-star team below: Ms. Ningxin Wu Tel: +86 21-6169 8386 Fax: +86 21-6169 8301 Email: WuN@messe-duesseldorf.de Ms. Marieke Bossek Tel: +86 21-6169 8309 Fax: +86 21-6169 8301 Email: Marieke.Bossek@mds.cn Ms. Sherry Wang Tel: +86 21-6169 8321 Fax: +86 21-6169 8301 Email: Sherry.Wang@mds.cn Ms. Connie Yang Tel: +86 21-6169 8326 Fax: +86 21-6169 8301 Email: Connie.yang@mds.cn

The Middle East’s premier Exhibition, Conference & Awards for Lighting Design and Technology

31 October – 2 November 2016 Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Witness the ideas, products and intelligence that are shaping the future of the lighting industry at Light Middle East.

Pre-register to visit now at www.lightME.net/register1

Platinum Sponsor

Silver Sponsors:

Gold Sponsors:

The Ins And Outs Of Safety

IMPROPER LED RETROFIT INSTALLATIONS CAN BE HAZARDOUS?

By Mark C. Ode

A

discussion ensued about the growing number of improperly installed and uncertified light-emitting diode (LED) retrofit lighting kits. In fact, Underwriters Laboratories (UL) just issued a public notice to warn of these dangers. The notice can be found in the newsroom at www.ul.com.

Article 410.6 in the 2014 National Electrical Code (NEC) requires LED retrofit kits to be listed for installation in luminaires. Article 600.3 requires fixed, mobile or portable electric signs, section signs, outline lighting and LED retrofit kits for signs, regardless of voltage, to be listed, provided with installation instructions and installed in conformance with that listing, unless otherwise approved by special permission in writing by the authority having jurisdiction Having discussed the NEC installation and listing requirements, the IAEI group was then shown pictures of improper LED-retrofit-kit jobs. Many of these installations were an attempt to upgrade or retrofit existing luminaires to create more energy-efficient lighting.

Instead, some of these installations resulted in potential fire or shock hazards.

How could an installation, meant to

modernize and provide higher efficiency lighting, go so terribly wrong? Surely an electrical contractor (EC) would not knowingly create a fire or shock hazard. So where did the installers go wrong, and what happened to the electrical inspections designed to ensure electrical safety.

field installation in listed luminaires, office furnishing luminaires or portable luminaires. These products have been investigated to determine that, when installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, the conversion continues to comply with the listing requirements for a complete luminaire.

replacement and/or upgrade of existing LED luminaire components, such as LED drivers, LED arrays, and other required parts, for complete luminaires. The retrofit installation may require modifications to the luminaire in accordance with the installation instructions provided with the retrofit kits.”

Many of these installations may not have been installed by ECs. Instead, they may have been installed by bigbox-store contractors who specialize in retrofits, and they may have occurred without the issuance of electrical permits.

Conversion kits can include reflector kits and other devices to enhance luminaire operation after the installation of the LED units. Reflector kits are intended to add or replace the reflectors originally installed in fluorescent luminaires and may also involve relocation, removal or replacement of wiring, lampholders and ballasts. The wiring, lampholders, ballasts, LED units and power supplies must still be enclosed inside the luminaire housing in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions as well as with the listing and labeling instructions.

The retrofit kits may be intended for specific luminaire models identified in the installation instructions or one or more generic-type luminaires that meet specific criteria identified in the installation-kit instructions. In addition, the retrofit kits may be offered by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), or by manufacturers engaged in producing retrofit kits for the general market.

Many electric utilities have pushed to replace incandescent and fluorescent luminaires with LED lighting.

Rebates and tax incentives are often offered to commercial and industrial customers to encourage these changes. Unfortunately, the retrofitkit installation is often done without permits or inspections. Electric utility companies should be encouraged to require permit information as part of the completed rebate and tax submittals to ensure proper inspection of the retrofits has occurred.

Many ECs may not know about listed retrofit kits for incandescent and fluorescent luminaires, recess cans, exit signs, emergency lights and others. A typical LED-retrofit-kit luminaire conversion consists of parts or assemblies intended for

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The following information is located on page 228 in the 2016 UL White Book as it relates to LED luminaire retrofit kits in Category IFAR: “These kits consist of LED light sources, installation instructions, subassemblies (LED drivers, or other parts where appropriate), luminaire marking labels, and assembly aids (where appropriate) to facilitate the replacement of the existing light sources for complete luminaires.

The kits may also consist of the

A luminaire that is modified so it can no longer accept non-LED lamps has a label—provided by the retrofit kit manufacturer—affixed to the luminaire. It must be visible during relamping and indicate the luminaire has been modified and can no longer operate the originally intended lamp(s). In addition, the luminaire markings must identify the replacement LED lamp type and model to be used together with the manufacturer’s name and ordering information.

Remember, retrofit kits are required to be listed and must be installed based on the installation instructions included in the kit.

Guzhen Lighting Fair Wins Authentication from UFI and International Lighting Event Gets Fully Upgraded

View of the Guzhen Lighting Fair 2015 (Autumn)

O

ver the past 18 years, China (Guzhen) Interna tional Lighting Fair (hereinafter referred to as the Guzhen Lighting Fair) has spared no effort in serving the lighting industry and has been committed to building a one-stop, efficient platform for industry exchange and trading. This Guzhen Lighting Fair will make new appearances along the upstream and downstream of the whole

lighting industry chain with the “Guzhen Lighting Manufacturing & Supply Expo 2016” and the “Guzhen Lighting Business Services Expo 2016.” The three concurrent fairs are to be held from October 22 to October 26, 2016, in Zhongshan Guzhen Convention and Exhibition Centre. The convention will focus on export sales in combination with domestic sales. It will uphold the spirit of innovation of people in the lighting business and drive the people in the industry to explore lighting with new thinking, fuel lighting import and export trade and promote industry innovation with joined hands.

As a gold business card of the capital of lights and an important window for integrating the international lighting market, over the past

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17 years, Guzhen Lighting Fair has received a total of nearly 80,000 overseas merchants and visitors. It has been committed to providing even more efficient services for professional visitors and exhibition brand enterprises across the globe and has constantly increased lighting export turnover in Guzhen and even the whole of China. It has also inspired lighting industry potential in overseas markets. The statistics show that the Lighting Fair 2015 (Autumn) has attracted a total of 68,194 buyers from 112 countries and regions, including 3,419 overseas buyers. Over 90% of overseas buyers expressed satisfaction with the quality and scope of the exhibition. While witnessing the continuous increase in world market share in China’s lighting industry, the Guzhen Lighting

Fair has also led many of China’s lighting companies to advance to the international forefront with quality as the core. Recently, the Guzhen Lighting Fair obtained authentication from the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI) and has officially become a member. It is understood that UFI is a globally recognized authoritative exhibition industry organization founded in Milan, Italy in 1925 with offices in Paris, France, Hong Kong, China, and Sharjah, Africa. At present, UFI has over 690 member organizations in 83 countries and regions, including leading exhibitions and leaders in various sectors worldwide, holding more than 4,500 international exhibitions each year. Gaining UFI certification is said to be very difficult. There are strict requirements and complex approval procedures concerning the scale and history of the exhibition, the proportion of foreign exhibitors and foreign visitors and so on. It is regarded as a sign of

high-quality trade fairs. To date, among the tens of thousands of exhibitions in China, only about 100 exhibitions have passed UFI certification. The successful joining in of UFI is a symbol of quality and standards. It marks the affirmation of the Lighting Fair by the Global Association of the Exhibition and its ascension to the world’s top international exhibitions.

After joining UFI, the global promotion of the Guzhen Lighting Fair will be more efficient and more conducive for professional buyers and business enterprises from around the world in having an indepth understanding of the relevant information. The Guzhen Lighting Fair will learn from the experiences of renowned exhibition institutions in a comprehensive and in-depth manner. It will adopt Guzhen’s and China’s lighting markets as its base, seek truth from facts and create a world-class exhibition with local characteristics while absorbing the advantages of famous exhibitions and integrating its own features; the fair will carry out in-depth cooperation and exchanges with the world’s leading exhibition agencies and share cooperation resources with them. It will also introduce international lighting trend forces to settle in and further promote China’s lighting trade development.

hope that the Lighting Fair can and will break through the challenge.”

Along with the constant improvements and growth, the 2016 Fair will focus more on services for overseas visitors so that they can enjoy more tailored professional services while purchasing and visiting. This Guzhen Lighting Fair offers intimate services for overseas visitors, including visa application, hotel reservation, pick up services to and from the airport and so on. The Fair has also set up a

resting area on the exhibition site for overseas buyers and provides them with complimentary lunches. It is worth mentioning that this Lighting Fair will further expand the scale of overseas buyers and efficiently promote trading.

Authority highlights quality. Adhering to the tenet of the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI), the Guzhen Lighting Fair will continue to provide superior services and a convenient trade platform for exhibitors and visitors, integrating the latest and most comprehensive merchants database in China’s largest lighting cluster – the Capital of Lights, Guzhen and keep close contact and cooperation with chambers of commerce of all industries, global exhibitions and famous media. The Fair will also have a complete understanding of the lighting market and business environment in China and devote itself to creating a first-class exhibition.

Just as Deng Jianyan, general manager of Zhongshan Guzhen Lighting Fair Co., Ltd. – the sponsor of Guzhen Lighting Fair – says: “Although the greatest challenge for the Lighting Fair currently is how to attract more overseas exhibitors, we have successfully joined UFI, which has proved the strength of the exhibition and the exhibition effect of the Lighting Fair is indisputable.

We are also leveraging the UFI platform to constantly mine overseas markets and make special efforts for publicity in overseas markets, and at the same time carry out deepened exchange and cooperation with overseas lighting organizations. We lightexpress | Special Edition - August 2016 | 9

China (Guzhen) International Lighting Fair October 22-26, 2016

Part of Exhibitors and products

1. Lux Luminance Group Co.,Limited Zhongshan Marburg Lighting was Established in 2010, focusing on lighting development, production and sales. Adhere to the market demand-oriented, for the purpose of “Customer first , excellent quality� to light up the happiness homes, explore the wonderful life, advancing Win-Win cooperation with you!

2. CONIS LIGHTING CO.,LTD The company was founded in 2008, is specialized in the manufacturing, research and development of iron ceiling lamp. We always adhere to the technology and design innovation, leading the fashion trend of household. We'll make unremitting efforts in product development to constantly develop high quality products catering to domestic consumption habits.

3. ZHONGSHAN HONGSHING METAL LIGHTING MANUFACTORY Our factory established in 2008.We introducing tens of the CNC machine to start produce the LED aluminum accessories. At the same time we have the accessories design dept. and research hundreds of new kinds of LED accessories. At present we have 7000 meter square factory match with the driver producing line, LED assembly line and the product life test dept., punching dept. and so on. More than 10 sets CNC machine. We have more than twenty of our product to get the patent. From the accessories that the finished product are producing by our factory. It is well to control the quality and the produce time.

4. XUYU OPTOELECTRONICS(SHENZHEN)CO.,LTD. XUYU OPTOELECTRONICS(SHENZHEN)CO.,LTD. Was founded in 2010,with registered capital of RMB 60 million. We are a high quality LED manufacturer integrating R&D,Production,Distribution and service.

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5. Marburg Zhongshan Marburg Lighting was Established in 2010, it is located in the "China Lighting Capital"---Guzhen . We are focus on lighting development, production and sales. Adhere to the market demand-oriented, for the purpose of “Customer first , excellent quality� to light up the happiness homes, explore the wonderful life, advancing Win-Win cooperation with you!

6. XINHAO LIGHTING The company was founded in 2008, is specialized in the manufacturing, research and development of iron ceiling lamp. We always adhere to the technology and design innovation, leading the fashion trend of household. We'll make unremitting efforts in product development to constantly develop high quality products catering to domestic consumption habits.

7. Zhongshan KBANG Science and Technology Lighting Co.,Ltd Our major products are the LED Strip lights, LED Tube lights, LED Panel lights, COB Ceiling lights and Downlights. They are widely used in City lighting, Commercial shops, Shopping malls, Offices, Hotels, Clubs, Museums, Public facilities and other fields. Nowadays, we have the professional production lines and advanced equipment. And our products are exported to most of the countries all around the world.

8. JIYUXING LIGHTING (ZHONGSHAN) CO.,LIMITED Our factory is specialized in applying, esearching and developing of LED housing and finished products, including COB downlight, ceiling light, track light, spotlight, LED panel lights, surface panel lights, floodlight, wallwasher and high bay. As one of the most professional lighting factories, we have the best engineers and product developing team.

lightexpress | Special Edition - August 2016 | 11

LIGHTING CONTROLS ASSOCIATION LAUNCHES NEW COURSE ON CENTRALIZED INTELLIGENT LIGHTING CONTROL

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12 | Special Edition - August 2016 | lightexpress

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Visible Light Communication communication.

The basis of the technology, conceived by Professor Harald Haas of the University of Edinburgh, involves switching LEDs ON and OFF within nanoseconds at a very high frequency. Haas demonstrated the technology at a TED Global talk in 2011 and went on to co-found PureLiFi, a Li-Fi technology OEM for LED manufacturers.

V

isible light communication (VLC) is a wireless method that uses light emitted by LEDs to deliver networked, mobile, high-speed communication similar to Wi-Fi, leading to the term Li-Fi. It can be used as standalone solution or in a supplementary role to radiofrequency (RF) or cellular network

As the visible light spectrum is 10,000 times larger than the radio frequency spectrum, VLC is regarded as a solution to RF bandwidth limitations. Industry has generated very high data transmission rates, making it competitive.

Though the signal cannot penetrate obstructions such as walls, a direct line of sight is not required as long as long as light is reflected from other surfaces. The LED lighting must

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be ON for the signal to transmit but can be dimmed to very low levels.

VLC has an advantage over Wi-Fi in that transmission does not cause electromagnetic interference.

Applications are broad, but one application has attracted key interest by major lighting manufacturers Acuity Brands, GE and Philips. That is to say, big box retail.

Lighting has long been considered the “silent salesperson” in retail because it facilitates wayfinding and can be used to attract shoppers to key merchandise. VLC introduces a new way to connect retailers and their customers to enhance the shopping experience and improve value.

According to Deloitte Consulting LLP, in 2012, more than 60% of mobile shoppers used smart phones while in the store, and 85% of consumers

were using retailers’ native apps or websites during shopping trips. In the solutions being demonstrated

by Acuity, GE and Philips, the LED luminaires provide a communication point with shoppers using mobile phones (or camera-enabled tablets) loaded with an app, appealing to a ready market. With VLC, the store’s luminaires communicate with shoppers in two primary ways.

First, VLC provides indoor GPS-like location-positioning functionality that enables wayfinding. Shoppers looking for particular items in their shopping list can be guided straight to them. Second, the owner can deliver targeted information to its customers. As a shopper passes a product section in an aisle, for example, their phone can receive coupons, recipes and other information.

Philips’ “connected lighting system,”

demonstrated earlier this year at EuroShop and LIGHTFAIR, consists of LED luminaires in a dense network that provides illumination while also functioning as a positioning grid.

Each luminaire is identifiable and able to communicate its position to an app on a shopper’s smart device.

“The beauty of the system is that retailers do not have to invest in additional infrastructure to house, power and support location beacons for indoor positioning,” says Gerben van der Lugt of Philips.

“The light fixtures themselves can communicate this information by virtue of their presence everywhere in the store.”

GE partnered with ByteLight to demonstrate “LED infrastructure” that will be available in the next generation of GE LED luminaires. The technology uses a combination of

VLC and Bluetooth for communication. The lighting can communicate with smart phones and tablets with a camera.

“GE Lighting’s next generation of LEDs not only will save energy and maintenance costs, they will be a strategic enabler to combining big data with location to deliver a more engaging shopping experience that increases customer loyalty and value,” says Jaime Irick, general manager of North America Professional Solutions, GE Lighting.

GE's retail-oriented LED infrastructure using VLC to connect retailers with their customers.

GE’s retail-oriented LED infrastructure using VLC to connect retailers with their customers.

Acuity Brands partnered with Qualcomm Technologies to

develop a solution based on its eldoLED driver platform. Lumicast determines a mobile user’s location within 10 centimeters, as well as the user’s orientation within the aisle.

Like GE and Philips, Acuity is currently engaging top retailers to conduct proof of concept testing.

“This new technology allows LED lighting to be an asset for retailers, not only because of the productivity gains, energy savings and environment improvements it provides, but also because of its emerging capacity for enhancing and changing in-store customer experiences,” says Steve Lydecker, senior vice president for Acuity Brands Lighting.

“Guiding the shopper through the store based on the shopper’s actual position, visible light communication technology opens the door for retailers to more effectively engage and influence consumers on the retail floor.”

VLC is an exciting development and represents a potential shift in the chief value conversation about retail lighting from light/dollar to how the lighting system can more directly support sales. Based on VLC’s success in big box, more commercial building applications will likely follow. There is also strong potential to incorporate other devices within the LED luminaires, such as sensors, that can be used to capture traffic and buying activity throughout the store, providing valuable analytics for retailers.

lightexpress | Special Edition - August 2016 | 17

Outdoor Lighting Controls: The State of the Art

O

utdoor lighting controls is undergoing a minirevolution that offers new design and selling opportunities while challenging electrical professionals to stay on top of technological change.

Traditionally, outdoor lighting control was relatively simple. A typical scheme featured a controller providing automatic ON/OFF based on time of day (using an astronomical time switch) or daylight (photosensor). The luminaires were typically controlled at the circuit level

with no individual luminaire control.

Commercial building energy codes imposing requirements for more advanced sequence of operations, coupled with greater controllability of LED lighting, have resulted in outdoor lighting control design becoming more sophisticated.

Energy codes and outdoor lighting control ASHRAE/IES 90.1-2010, the national energy standard, requires all outdoor lighting be controlled by a photosensor. Building façade and

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landscape lighting must be controlled by a time switch that turns the lights OFF at some point during the night.

The energy standard also requires all outdoor lighting power—other than building façade and landscape lighting, but including advertising signage—be reduced by at least 30% after normal business operations based on a schedule or occupancy.

Parking garage lighting power must be reduced by at least 30% based

on occupancy, with control zones limited to 3,600 sq.ft. Daylight harvesting and separate control for daylight transition areas (i.e., entrances and exits) must be implemented.

These simple requirements, created to save energy, have had a big impact on the world of outdoor lighting control, increasing demand for sensors, individual luminaire control and controllability. This in turn has increased demand for good design and commissioning.

While not all states have adopted an

energy code at least as stringent as ASHRAE/IES 90.1-2010, the products and experience developed around compliance provide ready-to-go solutions for other states as well as existing buildings.

Control options Today’s product offering from manufacturers offers electrical professionals a spread of choices for outdoor lighting control with distinct capabilities.

A lowest-cost solution for outdoor lighting may include circuit-level, contactor-based switching of luminaires grouped in functionally appropriate control zones, each with its own schedule and/or photosensor as needed. The lighting would be controlled at a panel. If the lighting is dimmable,

control wiring must be run the luminaires.

A more robust solution might include luminaires with attached control devices that provide individual multi-level occupancyand daylight-based luminaire control. The photosensor activates the lighting, while the occupancy sensor raises/lower light output and electrical input based on occupancy. In a parking lot, for example, this solution would be appropriate for area lighting, while signage and security lighting could be operated dusk to dawn using a photosensor of a limited time of night using a schedule.

Outdoor lighting control is trending toward individual multilevel control.

At the Collection Auto Group Fort Mitchell dealership, the lights dim to

10 percent of light output at night (schedule) but automatically ramp up to full output if a vehicle approaches (occupancy sensing).

Image courtesy of GE Lighting.

Outdoor lighting control is trending toward individual multilevel control.

At the Collection Auto Group Fort Mitchell dealership, the lights dim to 10 percent of light output at night (schedule) but automatically ramp up to full output if a vehicle approaches (occupancy sensing).

Image courtesy of GE Lighting.

The most advanced solution in terms of capabilities is an integrated wireless control system that provides ON/OFF and dimming implementing daylight-, occupancyand time-based strategies. In a parking lot, for example, the area lighting could be zoned and controlled as individual luminaires or groups, while the signage lighting

could be controlled on a schedule and security lighting dimmed as individual luminaires or groups.

Occupancy-based multi-level outdoor lighting control is a relatively new phenomenon. Currently, options are limited to passiveinfrared (PIR) detection. These options may expand in the future to include options for digital imaging (non-recording video), which offers more precise detection in the dynamic outdoor environment.

While the LED continues to displace other light sources in many applications including outdoor lighting, it will not eliminate the need for control; in fact, it facilitates the adoption of greater flexibility.

Intelligent multilevel control is well suited to LED lighting due to the inherent controllability of the digital

lightexpress | Special Edition - August 2016 | 19

LED source.

Wireless lighting control Wireless control demand and technology continues to advance at a rapid rate due to its advantages of allowing devices to communicate without costly installation of wiring. It offers further advantages of twoway communication and individual luminaire control.

Two-way communication creates two distinct capabilities. Operators can calibrate/recalibrate the system, change schedules and distribute commands from a central point.

Many wireless control solutions incorporate intelligence enabling the capture of performance data that can be reported to a central point for maintenance, performance and security purposes. Systems such as these are supported by a webbased interface that enables

operators to remotely visualize realtime performance, set schedules, zone luminaires in groups, and generate custom reports that can optimize management of outdoor lighting as an asset. Some offer GPSlocation capability allowing operators to understand what is happening at each control point and where that point is, which can be highly useful for maintenance of street, public space and large area lighting.

Because it’s a relatively young technology, it’s unclear as to what the best and most reliable methods are at this point. ZigBee, 6LoWPAN, proprietary and cellular approaches are all on in various stages of implementation.

What’s best for your application?

Selecting the optimal solution involves evaluating necessary control

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sequence of operations, need for multilevel control, configurability and information needs for predictive maintenance, energy analysis and security. The selected control solution should be able to reliably deliver the desired feature set.

During their decision-making, electrical professionals should consider outdoor lighting control not as an isolated system but part of the total building lighting control system. With the integration of luminaires and controls, the traditional view of these as two separate items is changing to one that regards lighting as a system. In existing building lighting upgrades, controls should

be considered as part of a lighting and control solution supported by utility rebates that recognize controls as well as lighting. With intelligence, communication and the ability to collect data, today’s lighting can be viewed as systems that deliver sensing, decision-making, control and prediction. Electrical professionals involved in the selection and delivery of outdoor lighting controls should stay educated on what’s new and how it works to continue offering the best value to clients.

EXPLOSIVE GROWTH FOR DISTRIBUTED ENERGY RESOURCES ON THE WAY

By William Atkinson

E

nergy consumer demand for distributed-energy resources (DER) is growing for a number of reasons—unexpected utility power outages, planned rolling blackouts, power quality problems, increases in power costs, etc.

Customers have always wanted reliable, high-quality, reasonably priced power. Until recently, though, they had to cross their fingers that their local utilities would provide all of these. Now, with the increasing availability and cost-effectiveness of DER, more customers—industrial, commercial, governmental and residential alike—are taking power generation and even storage into their own hands. DER can include natural gas (used in generators,

turbines and microturbines); hydrogen (used in fuel cells); and combined heat and power (known as CHP, which uses waste heat from the generation to provide on-site heat).

However, other DER technologies are of particular interest to electrical contractors (ECs): renewablegeneration sources, such as solar and wind; large-scale battery storage; and microgrids, which are often some combination of natural gas, hydrogen, CHP, solar, wind and battery storage.

In the past, the only people who could design, install and maintain power generation for customers were the engineers and electricians

who worked for utilities. Now, with the growing popularity of DER generation and storage, ECs have the opportunity to help customers of all sizes and types design, install and maintain DER generation and storage resources.?

At the Grid Edge Live 2015 conference, Steve McBee, president and CEO of NRG Home, a division of Philadelphia-based utility NRG, said, “The fundamental takeaway is the extent to which technology has destroyed long-standing, centralized, provider-driven service models and replaced them with decentralized, demand-driven service models that have empowered customers in ways that are totally unprecedented.”

How large is the opportunity? A December 2014 report, “Global Distributed Generation Deployment Forecast,” published by Navigant Research, stated that the global market for distributed generation is expanding rapidly. While distributed generation was providing 87,300 megawatts (MW) of power per year in 2014, Navigant projects that to grow to 165,500 MW by 2023.

Advances in distributed generation Part of the state’s mandate would allow aggregators of distributed generation the opportunity to sell into the independent system operator (ISO) electricity marketplace, which was the first time this was allowed in the United States.

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In addition, the results of a new survey of 500 energy industry representatives (utility executives, regulators, distributed energy providers, etc.), conducted by GTM Squared, a research arm of Greentech Media, suggest that ongoing regulatory proceedings designed to properly value DER will be critical in helping it gain traction.

As industry stakeholders focus efforts on regulation and valuation of DER, growth is expected to continue, paving the way for ECs to expand their work in this area.

Microgrids A recent Navigant Research report, “Direct Current Distribution Networks,” examined the opportunity for direct current (DC) distribution networks, such as microgrids, in four key market segments—off-grid/ bad grid telecommunications, data centers, commercial building grids and off-grid military applications.

Each revolves around different market assumptions, dynamics and drivers. While large, centralized power plants are expected to continue playing a role in providing alternating current (AC) power to the wholesale macrogrid (the nation’s interconnected electric transmission grid), there is, according to Navigant, increasing momentum at the electric service distribution level to diversify power offerings and pursue solutions incorporating a growing proportion of DC power. Navigant expects that global DC distribution network implementation revenue will grow from $2.8 billion in 2015 to $5.1 billion in 2024.

Solar Recent decreases in the installed costs of residential and nonresidential solar photovoltaics (PV) bode well for ECs, since the decreases make the technology more attractive to more customers. Each year, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory publishes the report “Tracking the Sun,” which identifies trends in solar PV. In past years, the report has included residential, nonresidential and utility-scale PV trends. This year, however, utilityscale PV trends were spun off into a 22 | Special Edition - August 2016 | lightexpress

separate report, “Tracking the Sun VIII: The Installed Price of Residential and Non-Residential Photovoltaic Systems in the United States.”

According to the report, the overarching trend is that “installed prices” continue to decline rapidly.

The national median installed price in 2014 for residential systems declined year-over-year by $0.40 per watt (a 9 percent decline). The national median installed price for nonresidential systems under 500 kilowatts (kW) declined year-overyear by $0.40 per watt (a 10 percent decline). The national median installed price for nonresidential systems over 500 kW declined yearover-year by $0.70 per watt (a 21 percent decline).

“Preliminary data for the first half of 2015 indicate that installed price declines have persisted into 2015 and are on pace to match those witnessed in recent years,” the report said.

Battery storage The growth in large-scale batteries is expanding rapidly and the most popular type is lithium-ion. The batteries store energy for use when the generation capacity temporarily comes to a halt (such as when the equipment breaks down or requires maintenance) or weakens (as can be the case with the instability of solar and generation).

According to “State of the Electric Utility 2015,” published by Utility Dive, U.S. energy storage capacity grew 40 percent from 2013 to 2014 and is expected to grow almost another 300 percent from 2014 to 2015 to 220 MW. Lithium-ion batteries represent about 70 percent of the storage market, with the remaining 30 percent being composed of flywheels, flow batteries, and sodium chemistries.

Ravi Manghani, an energy storage analyst with GTM Research, was

quoted in the Utility Dive report: “Broadly speaking, we expect lithium ion to be the biggest battery technology deployed through 2019,” he said.

According to “Batteries Charge Up For the Electric Grid,” a September 2015 report by Moody’s Investors Services, many lithium-ion batterystorage applications could become economically viable by the end of the decade, as long as prices continue to fall. These applications include peak-shaving for commercial and industrial customers, grid storage to integrate renewables, and fast-response ancillary services.

And, according to a recent GTM Research report, the solar-plusstorage market is expected to reach $1 billion by 2018, and the U.S. energy-storage market in total will reach $1.5 billion.

On the residential side, Tesla’s Powerwall battery, introduced in early 2015, will likely change how homeowners view electric power.

The new line of stationary, rechargeable ?lithium-ion batteries for homes and small commercial buildings is designed to store energy so that it can be used when energy is unavailable (during a grid power outage) or less expensive (with solar-panel-storage applications).

The moderately priced Powerwall units do not include installation or the required DC-AC inverter. Tesla plans to create a network of certified installers.

DER on the commercial side Commercial, governmental and retail customers are quickly embracing DER. In 2015, for example, Walmart broke ground on its 300th solarpower project, expanding its PV output to 100 MW across 14 states.

“What we have found over time is that, once we’re successful with onsite solar at one location or state, opportunities begin to open up in other states,” said David Ozment,

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senior director of energy, Walmart.

“We literally work across the United States to try to make solar work in that particular capacity.”

DER on the residential side According to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), zeronet-energy (ZNE) homes, which would focus heavily on solar-plusstorage, could become the new norm for homes in that state in the coming years. The CPUC and the California Energy Commission (CEC) have launched a “New Residential Zero Net Energy Action Plan,” with the goal of building a self-sustaining energy market, such that all new homes in the state would be ZNE by 2020. ZNE facilities are defined as those that produce as much energy as they consume, usually through a mix of high-efficiency design; clean, on-site generation (such as solar); and energy storage (such as batteries). The state expects to see more than 10,000 new ZNE homes by 2017 and substantially more by 2019 and 2020.

Industry response The electrical contracting industry is becoming more aware of DER’s potential as a source of work. In early 2015, for example, construction began on the Renewable Energy Training Field (RETF) a 250acre, on-site facility. It is designed to provide training to electricians and provide support to ECs for renewable smart-grid applications, including industrial, commercial, municipal and residential applications of solar and wind.

The facility opened in September 2015. It features a 100-kW bidirectional inverter that charges a 45 kilowatt-hour (kWh) lithium-ion battery system and a 45 kWh leadacid battery, a 45-kW fixed-tilt ground-mount PV system that simulates a utility installation, an 18kW solar carport with four electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, a 10kW roof-mounted solar-power system with monitoring, a 5-kW Bergey wind turbine, a 4-kW solarpower system on a standing-seam metal roof, a 4-kW solar-power

system on a composite shingle roof, and a 3-kW solar-power system with a dual-axis tracker and Enphase microinverters. It also features a 100foot cell tower for climbing and mounting antennae, a 75-foot miniature turbine and a 60-foot tower to practice working with wind turbines.

Individual contractors are getting involved, too. One example is PDE Total Energy Solutions, Santa Fe Springs, Calif., formerly Pacific Data Electric, which first got involved in battery storage in 1992 and then added expertise in renewable energy and microgrids in 2010.

Currently, microgrids represent the largest share of the company’s business relating to these three specialty areas. (PDE has installed 10 microgrids and is in the pricing/ planning stages of even more for three additional clients/prospects.)

“Grid-connected microgrids are the future of energy design,” said Dan Henrich, PDE president. “Advancements in technology and connectivity are enabling energy users and producers to take an active role in the energy marketplace.”

Whether producing or consuming electricity, according to Henrich, the availability of real-time data, combined with third-party intelligence, helps to optimize energy production. There are challenges, however.

“The equipment is new, and Technology Readiness Level is not always ready for mass deployment,” Henrich said.

For example, some PDE system designs, such as those for a Caribbean desalination plant microgrid, are the first of their kind in the world.

“Lessons are learned, and engineering challenges are realized after deployment,” he said.

Second, advanced control systems with complex algorithms must be predictive and be analyzed for performance. “Once an analysis is done, engineers and programmers

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must make parameter changes to constantly optimize the microgrid,” Henrich said. A third challenge is a shortage of controls engineers and technicians with deep expertise in power electronics, batteries and integration. “There is a need for government policies to better support the free-market conditions allowing distributed energy to flourish,” he said. “Netmetering policies and compensation need to improve.”

The future of DER “DER is on the rise,” Henrich said. “As more consumers, businesses and utilities increase DER, consumers and utilities can both benefit by reduced peak energy needs. All of this points to additional opportunities for the electrical construction industry.” Sprig Electric, San Jose, Calif., is also getting involved in DER. “Since renewable-energy produces power, it will always be a strong part of the mix,” said Michael Clifton, engineering/operations manager for Sprig Electric’s Energy Efficiency Division.

Clifton anticipates that solar/wind, battery storage, and microgrids will be a part of the mix, as each can be of benefit in different areas. Clifton, like Henrich, also sees some complications. “One of the challenges is working in a stable environment of costs and incentives,” Clifton said. “Unpredictable incentives make long-term planning difficult and risky.

Workers can be trained as a technology ramps up.” However, he said it is important to be able to have a steady flow of work in order to use this trained workforce.

Marketing is another challenge.

“Getting the word out that we now have a new expertise under our belt takes some time,” Clifton said. “We are engaged in reaching out to our longterm clients and customers, and educating them that we can now offer solar/storage technologies, in addition to our usual palette of electrical, data, and service work. “[ECs] are being asked to install these new technologies at an ever-increasing rate. Having a good understanding of these technologies is essential to being successful,” he said.

www.siemens.com/buildingautomation

VTTI Tests On-Demand Roadway Lighting

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ehicles are expected to play a big part in the Internet of Things. By 2020, 250 million connected vehicles will be on the road, creating new services and driving capabilities, according to Gartner, Inc. Infotainment is high in demand, though other capabilities are enabled, including crash warning, traffic violation warning and relaying weather, traffic and other data.

Vehicles share basic safety information, including their position, heading and speed.

Another capability is adaptive lighting that responds to these signals, resulting in potential for “on demand” roadway lighting systems that save energy by operating only when needed. Low-traffic roadways are considered a major application for this approach, notably roadways with low night-time traffic levels and rural roadways with no roadway lighting and high accident rates.

The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) recently put this idea to the test on the Virginia Smart Road, creating a responsive roadway lighting system now ready for a wide range of human-factors and other testing. The project won a 2015 Lighting Control Innovation Award of Merit as part of the Illuminating Engineering Society’s Illumination Awards. The Lighting Control Innovation Award is sponsored by the Lighting Controls Association.

The Smart Road Project The Virginia Smart Road is a 2.2-mile stretch of road that serves as a closed test-bed for new transportation technologies. Scientists and product developers have conducted more than 20,000 hours of testing on the road since it opened.

lighting connected via a wireless mesh network. LED lighting is instantON, with negligible wear and tear on the system during activation.

VTTI envisioned a customized lighting control scheme in which roadway luminaires are turned ON in front of a moving vehicle and OFF once the vehicle has passed, without affecting driving performance.

VTTI recognized dimming and response to weather and traffic conditions as additional capabilities but considered these outside the scope of the project.

The on-demand control system The Smart Road on-demand lighting control scheme marries LED roadway luminaires, connectedvehicle technology and DSRC wireless communication. It consists of a lighting controller, or processor, receiving inputs from both vehicles and luminaires, and then acting upon luminaires using custom programming.

The vehicle continuously broadcasts its GPS location, speed and heading information. Roadside receivers pick up this information and pass it on to the lighting controller. Meanwhile, luminaire status (ON/OFF) is fed to these receivers or directly to the lighting controller. As for luminaire location, it’s stored in memory.

The lighting controller decides how far in advance of the vehicle to turn a luminaire ON and how far behind it to turn the luminaire OFF. This decisionmaking is based on a sophisticated algorithm that accounts for vehicle information and other variables such as pavement type, friction distance required to stop, and potentially visibility conditions.

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Communication occurs using dedicated short-wave communication (DSRC); VTTI already had DSRC-enabled vehicle and receiver stations being used on the Smart Road. VTTI identified DSRC at 5.9 GHz as the most reliable, effective and efficient technology. However, it has a limited range of 3,280 feet.

authors concluded: “The on-demand roadway lighting system developed by VTTI is working as designed and is ready for human-factors experimentation.

The system can turn luminaires ON and OFF with good performance. The latency is low enough to be unnoticeable to the vehicle operator at speeds up to 55 MPH.”

Another option is cellular, which has a longer range (2.5-3.7 miles), though it has an end-to-end latency of 1.5 to 3.5 seconds (compared to less than 100 milliseconds for DSRC). The vehicle broadcasts via cell phone to base transceiver stations, which relays the signal to a traffic management center.

What’s next

Besides these two options, VTTI recognized that other communication pathways could be used. VTTI acknowledged its DSRC-based approach requires a centrally managed system that may not be possible on roadways lacking required infrastructure. Many new roadway luminaires have individually addressable wireless controllers, which may allow a distributed scheme.

In “An Experimental On-Demand Roadway Lighting System,” a paper by Matthew E. Palmer, Ronald Ribbons PhD and Arash Jahangiri of VTTI, the

On-demand roadway lighting has the potential to produce significant energy savings while respecting traffic safety. VTTI considers its on-demand roadway lighting system to be superior to typical motion-based technologies because it is dynamic and can be tuned to the vehicle.

The researchers intend to conduct human-factors experiments and refine the system by potentially enabling the algorithm to run on multiple servers, testing at speeds higher than 55 MPH, incorporating variable luminaire spacing, addressing driver age, including motorcycles and heavy trucks, and adding dimming and response to weather factors.

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Wireless Lighting Control Comes of Age

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ypical automatic lighting control applications involve an input device, such as a photosensor, interacting with a power controller, such as a switch.

In some cases, these components may be integrated into the same device, as in the case of a wall-box occupancy sensor. In other cases, the components are installed separately, as in the case of a ceiling-mount occupancy sensor and a wall switch.

buildings without changing existing wiring or adding new dedicated control wiring. This is particularly advantageous in outdoor lighting and in indoor spaces featuring hard ceilings. The latest commercial building energy codes require automatic shutoff for retrofits in which 10+ percent of the connected lighting load is replaced.

Wireless offers an option that is potentially less costly, simpler and less disruptive.

For these separately installed components to interact, the input device must send a control signal to the controller, which then controls the load. The predominant traditional approach is to send a control signal along dedicated low-voltage wiring.

A more recent approach, which is emerging as a popular option particularly for lighting upgrades in existing buildings, is to communicate using radio waves—radiofrequency (RF) wireless control.

It can also simplify installation in new construction, promoted by the added benefit of being able to more easily move sensors and thereby fine-tune control performance during both commissioning and ongoing building operations.

The value proposition is short and sweet—using radio waves instead of wiring eliminates wiring, with multiple potential benefits.

“The primary benefit of wireless RF lighting controls is that they can be retrofitted into a space at any time and can be easily scaled as needs change,” says Eric Lind, Vice President-Global Specifications, Lutron Electronics Co., Inc. “Existing buildings can now take advantage of energy savings and occupant benefits associated with wireless lighting controls without the need for a total building makeover.”

The result is a potentially lower cost for introducing automatic lighting control strategies into existing

RF wireless controls consist of actuators and input devices. The actuator is the power controller, a relay-based device that provides ON/OFF switching and 0-10VDC fullrange dimming. The actuator features an embedded wireless receiver that accepts radio signals within range from transmitters in wireless input devices, which may be occupancy/ vacancy sensors, photosensors and switch stations. It then acts upon those signals within its set rules.

The input device may be powered by an internal battery or by harvesting energy (based on EnOcean’s technology) from ambient light, temperature differential or mechanical energy produced by flipping a switch. If the device is batteryoperated, it should feature a highquality battery that provides reliability and long service life. It should also be matched to the most efficient devices to maximize the amount of time before a battery charge is

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required. The actuator is typically installed in or on a luminaire or in a junction box. The input devices are installed wherever they’re needed. During setup, all devices are discovered and added to a programmable network, where they’re grouped and given assignments. Setup methods vary by manufacturer and include pushbutton programming, bar code scanning, mobile app setup, database generation and others.

says Mike Crane, Senior Product Manager, Hubbell Building Automation, Inc. “With the creation of robust and reliable radio-based technologies like ZigBee, EnOcean and SNAP, developing and providing commercial solutions is now possible. Although the technology has been around for a while and the demand is increasing, we are still at the very early stages of adoption within the commercial market.”

“Wireless RF lighting control primarily got its start in the residential market,”

Some new LED luminaires are available with onboard sensors and RF wireless

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controllers with push-button commissioning, providing a simple path to energy savings and energy code compliance. Image courtesy of Cree.

Some new LED luminaires are available with onboard sensors and RF wireless controllers with pushbutton commissioning, providing a simple path to energy savings and energy code compliance. Image courtesy of Cree.

Some manufacturers have developed niche solutions around specific applications such as parking garages, outdoor lighting, hotel card switches, plug-load controls and others. Some specialize in indoor versus outdoor lighting. As the technology continues to develop and gain acceptance, manufacturers are expected to begin to increasingly offer one-stop shopping covering a wide range of indoor and outdoor applications. Leading this trend are LED luminaire manufacturers that have begun to offer complete systems featuring luminaires with integral wireless control and push-button setup for simplified commissioning. This provides intelligent individual luminaire control, streamlines the amount of equipment required, and offers confidence that all elements of the wireless LED lighting system are compatible and will work together properly.

in large rooms and even buildings.

Each control device is individually addressable in the network, allowing group and potentially individual luminaire control. Solutions can be scaled from single rooms to entire buildings, with building-level control achieved by connecting rooms to a building network via wireless access points with a software interface.

Because communication is twoway, the potential exists for energy measurement and power monitoring. In fact, many systems now include actuators and/or control modules that feature a Hall Effect sensor, which senses current and allows generation of current, voltage, energy, kVAh, lamp burn time and other parameters for retrieval and analysis.

RF wireless lighting control networks typically use a self-healing mesh or star topology. In a self-healing mesh network, data flows between devices to communicate between a gateway and a given control point. If a device fails, the signal flow automatically reroutes through other devices (“self healing”), which increases reliability. In a star topology, signals from all wireless devices are transmitted directly to and from a series of gateways that form the backbone of the network.

The relatively low signal traffic volume may increase reliability and speed.

“LED luminaires with integrated RF lighting controls and sensors are helping specifiers and installers eliminate extra design work and redundant equipment, while maximizing energy savings,” says Tom Hinds, Product Portfolio Manager, Lighting, Cree, Inc. “Integrated solutions attack not only the wasted electrical energy in buildings but the costs typically associated with designing and installing lighting controls. Advances in automating commissioning and simplifying the process help systems get set up correctly and quicker.”

For devices to communicate, they require design in accordance with a common protocol. Popular protocols include ZigBee, Xbee, EnOcean, Bluetooth, Bluetooth LE and the Synapse Network Appliance Protocol (SNAP). A number of systems are also offered that use proprietary protocols, many of which are similar to ZigBee. The wireless controls can be integrated with wired lighting and building automation systems using either gateways (for translating from one protocol to another) or by sharing a common protocol.

Devices can be tied together to form a network for control of lighting

Crane says security is not a significant issue, as multiple security

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measures are taken to prevent hacker intrusion and interference from other wireless signals. He does advise that a sufficient number of devices be installed within range to ensure good communication. “One of the challenges with wireless lighting controls is making sure that devices are within radio range of the

other devices in the wireless network,” he says. “If a device is out of range then there exists the possibility that the device will never be able to communicate with other devices. This is typically addressed in applications by having the wireless devices act as message repeaters and by adding additional

wireless device/repeaters to the network. This ensures that a message sent within a network can reach all the devices within network.”

included with the product) be saved, as these facilitate commissioning and, as needed, later re-commissioning.

A related concern is the characteristics of the application; spaces with many reflective materials, such as machine rooms, can be challenging for wireless communication because these materials can block or inhibit radio signals.

“RF wireless lighting controls will change the way you view lighting and will increase your bottom line,” says Hinds.

Crane further advises that addresses for devices placed in a network (typically printed on a sticker attached to the product or on a set of stickers

“Energy efficiency will continue to be a top priority for cutting costs, and with energy representing 30 percent of the typical office building’s costs, LED lighting with RF lighting controls will get you there.”

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Seven Trends in LED Lighting Control

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energy codes adopted in most states. Additional control strategies include task tuning, demand response and color tuning.

By type of input, the four basic lighting control strategies are manual control (manual), occupancy sensing (occupancy), scheduling (time of day) and daylight harvesting (daylight contribution to light levels).

These strategies are commonly deployed in commercial buildings due to mandatory requirements in

Driven primarily by demand for energy savings, energy codes and utility rebates, lighting controls are making gains in the installed base, though the numbers suggest a significant retrofit opportunity.

According to the Department of Energy’s Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS), in that year, occupancy sensors controlled lighting in 15 percent of buildings and 41 percent of all commercial floorspace. Timebased scheduling controls, 17

ighting controls are systems and devices used to modify the output of light sources.

The input may be manual or automatic and the output switching, dimming or color tuning. Manual controls are typically used to support visual needs, automatic controls for energy management.

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percent of buildings and 35 percent of floorspace. Multilevel and dimmable lighting, 6 percent of buildings and 17 percent of floorspace. And daylight harvesting, 2 percent of buildings and 7 percent of floorspace. The installed base of automatic lighting controls is therefore growing but largely concentrated among larger buildings.

Enter solid-state lighting. LED lighting is proving to be a game-changer in the lighting world, and controls are no exception. While LED is currently pegged at about 3 percent of the installed base of lighting in the United States, adoption is rapidly

>>> growing. This is resulting in displacement of traditional light sources. In the case of lighting controls, however, LED may promote adoption—of more advanced control solutions in new construction and controls generally in existing construction.

LEDs are highly controllable. They are dimmable, with dimmable drivers being available standard or as a standard option with most luminaires. Power is reduced essentially in a linear relationship with light level. Dimming may increase source life. Frequent switching does not appreciably reduce lamp life.

And the digital nature of LED devices

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makes them inherently compatible with intelligent lighting controls.

“LEDs, paired with a driver or power supply, can be easily turned ON and OFF and dimmed,” says Audwin Cash, VP Acuity Control Solutions, Acuity Brands Lighting. “Paired with digital control systems, LEDs take advantage of daylight harvesting, occupancy control and personal lighting control more cost-effectively than any other light source.”

The challenge is choosing a highquality product to minimize the possibility of flicker and other performance issues; ensuring compatibility between the lighting system and the controls; and navigating choice as the realm of lighting control steadily becomes more sophisticated. Manufacturers point to seven predominant and emerging trends are shaping opportunities and adoption of lighting controls.

Economical controllability. Ensuring

dimming performance in fluorescent and high-intensity discharge (HID) luminaires typically required a dimmable ballast that imposed a cost premium. Today, dimmable LED luminaires are available at price points that are competitive with standard ON/OFF and bi-level luminaires.

says Ethan Biery, Design and Development Leader, Lutron Electronics. “These technologies are not only prone to compatibility problems and interference, they don’t deliver the features and benefits that many building managers are expecting from modern lighting designs.”

Intelligent lighting. The majority of LED luminaires are dimmable. When evaluating a control solution, one must always ask what method or protocol the devices use to communicate. The most common method is 0-10V. As LED sources are digital devices, however, they are readily compatible with digital controls. This has created significant opportunities for intelligent LED lighting that offers an extensive array of features.

He adds, “Today’s dynamic environments demand flexibility.

While code compliance may necessitate only the most basic control schemes, progressive specifiers will provide their clients with digital control solutions that accommodate greater flexibility and configurability.”

“Large-scale installations of LEDs, especially in commercial spaces, often demonstrate the weakness of existing analog control technologies such as phase control and 0-10V,”

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Wireless technology. Wireless sensors and LED lighting, both luminaires and lamps, are now widely available. This extends applications, facilitates adoption of intelligent lighting, and can make retrofits involving more sophisticated control schemes easier to implement. “Everything is going wireless,

and so is lighting controls,” Cash says. “Today, it is more common to see even the most standard control system operated through phones and tablets.”

Color tuning. A growing number of LED products allow control of the shade of white light output, from full-range white light color temperature modulation to dim-to-warm control. This has opened new applications for LED lighting, but with extraordinary potential as interest grows in the relationship between lighting and health.

“While vivid RGB color-changing for ‘architainment’ may be applicable for some specific application—retail, for instance— this use of LEDs will probably be limited,” says Charles Knuffke, VP of Systems and Evangelist, WattStopper. “However, if convincing research can be provided that there are significant health and/or productivity enhances with tunable-white ‘human-centric lighting,’ we’ll be seeing significant

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demand for this type of lighting in many spaces—in hospital, education and commercial applications.”

that can connect and communicate with multiple device types within buildings.

Integration with luminaires. A growing number of LED luminaire manufacturers are now offering integrated controls. This can simplify control implementation across the process while providing a path to increasing adoption of lighting controls in existing buildings.

“The next challenges are going to be about data—specifically, about getting, sharing and making visual information about occupancy and power consumption information,” Knuffke says. “Think about it—every building out there has lighting of some sort installed in it. If you wanted to build an infrastructure to communicate data about how the building is being used, the most logical path to start with is the lighting system.”

“Integrated control packages take the guesswork out of installing control systems,” Cash says.

“Because they are installed at the factory, compatibility is guaranteed, and additional onsite installation time is no longer needed, resulting in lower cost.”

Commissioning. Basic elements of the commissioning process are now required by the latest generation of commercial building energy codes.

This will help ensure that installed controls perform in accordance with owner requirements and the design intent. Manufacturers are focusing on making their control systems easier to set up, adjust and use.

“For the controls industry, we are seeing a rapid increase in demand for tools to make programming and networking of control systems easier,” Cash says. “As is often the case, once some controllability is added, customers want to take full advantage of their lighting system and need the tools to leverage all the benefits the technology can provide.” Internet of Things. This emerging trend may create demand for sophisticated control systems

Advice for distributors Manufacturers offer three major pieces of advice for electrical distributors seeking to maximize sales of lighting controls.

Make controls a priority. “Start by asking customers what products and control systems they are currently using, and learn everything you can about these systems,” Knuffke advises. “Make sure to stock the more commonly used components so if project needs change, no one has to wait for new components to be shipped out from the manufacturer.”

He says that with controls becoming more complex and changing so rapidly, progressive distributors are appointing product specialists with responsibility to work with manufacturers and their reps and then offer training to their customers. “There’s a huge opportunity to become more valuable to your customers—end-

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users and contractors—by becoming recognized for product skills and educational programs,” he says.

driver and fixture. Successful distributors must be able to offer their customers solutions, not just products.”

Learn about controls and products.

“Distributors need to become wellversed in the mandated energy codes and use that knowledge to select easy-to-install-and-program solutions that allow contractors to meet code and get off a site quickly,” Cash says. Distributors may also benefit from staying on top of advancing technology so as to serve emerging markets and opportunities for more-advanced solutions.

He adds that distributors should understand what controls work best with a given LED product, ensure compatibility between all products, and choose LED and control manufacturers and products they trust.

He adds that distributors should evaluate maintaining “system stock,” components that support integrated control solutions. These include network components such as gateways, routers, wall stations, sensors and so on. “This may mean slower-turning inventory will be required to allow the volume or bulk inventory to move at all,” Cash adds.

“We’re also having to learn entire new ways of comparing products,” Knuffke notes. “In the past, incandescent lamps were rated according to their wattage, not lumen output. LEDs have completely changed the way we will be talking about lighting, and whenever there is confusion, there is an opportunity for education.”

For example, he says, driver selection is critical yet often underappreciated, as it’s the driver design that determines the best possible dimming performance, from flicker potential to what control protocol is needed. Poor-quality drivers will perform poorly during dimming. A low-quality control will certain impair dimming performance, but even the highest-quality control can’t change the inherent capability of the driver.

“LED loads and controls are more sophisticated than their fluorescent or incandescent predecessors, and there is widespread differentiation in quality and performance across different products,” Biery points out.

“The wrong recommendation or product combination can lead to end-user disappointment, expensive callbacks or the loss of repeat business.”

Final word

Promote quality products from reputable manufacturers. “Distributors must realize that LED lighting is not as simple as selling a bunch of separate parts,” Biery says. “Good LED designs consist of the control,

“There’s so much to learn about LEDs, if you haven’t already started learning about them—or plan to immediately—you’re going to be left behind,” Knuffke says.

Revolution in Controlling the LED

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ith efficacy and service life steadily increasing and costs declining by about 18 percent each year (Memoori, 2014), the LED revolution continues to develop at a rapid pace. LED’s inherent compatibility with digital control, aided by other trends, is setting the stage for the next LED revolution: smart lighting control.

Many LED products are sold with dimming capability regardless of how the owner plans to control them. Drivers and controls are easily integrated. With smart lighting control, luminaires themselves can become addressable nodes in a network, transforming lighting from dumb, fixed-output systems into intelligent, highly flexible systems.

That, and a networking platform incorporating other building functions.

The primary driver is energy consumption with a bonus that dimming LEDs can extend service life by reducing lumen depreciation and delaying color shift. As more states adopt a commercial building energy code based on the ASHRAE/IES 90.1-2010 energy standard, demand will continue to increase for controllable lighting.

Besides these requirements, there is evidence owners and specifiers want more controllability. The Sylvania 2010 Commercial Lighting Survey found that 42% of its facility manager, lighting designer and other decision-maker respondents considered easier dimming and control of LEDs a major benefit.

The smart lighting trend started with conventional lighting. Digital hardwired lighting control provides the benefits of individual luminaire addressability, control zoning and rezoning using software, instant setup and remote calibration, and two-way communication providing performance analytics. The advent of digital wireless control simplifies design and installation, facilitates

penetration of sophisticated lighting control options in existing construction, and extends control to plug loads. The miniaturization of control devices enables integration of sensors and controllers within each luminaire. Finally, easier color control of LED lighting provides a new dimension of lighting control, which is white light color tuning; the applications for this capability, currently limited, may explode based on developing research into lighting’s relationship to health.

These trends, coupled with inherent compatibility with digital LED devices, laid the groundwork for greater adoption of intelligent lighting control as demand for LED lighting continues to accelerate.

They are being tied together into complete solutions featuring luminaires and controls as well as standalone control solutions.

Let’s look at some recently introduced solutions as examples, starting with Cree’s SmartCast Technology, available with select Cree luminaires or other luminaires with dimmable drivers, and Philips Lighting’s SpaceWise Technology, currently available as an option for the company’s DuaLED luminaires targeting open office applications.

Both feature luminaire-integrated occupancy and daylight sensing, two-way wireless mesh communication, and push-button setup with a handheld remote. These solutions offer a potentially simple, costeffective path to energy code compliance and energy savings of 50-70 percent compared to conventional uncontrolled T8 luminaires.

Acuity Controls’ XPoint and xCella wireless control solutions offer options as a standalone system or ability to work with other controls to enable implementation of a wireless or hybrid/wireless system offering integration with building management systems and monitoring and analytics software. While XPoint was

developed lighting management and building applications, xCella targets room-based lighting, HVAC and plug loads, with the potential for networking between rooms.

Cooper Lighting’s LumaWatt solution, designed as a control platform for roadway, parking and outdoor area LED luminaires, features integral and/ or remote sensors, scheduling, power metering and maintenance diagnostics.

Control solutions such as these bring the best of lighting control and LED illumination together in a way that maximizes energy savings, facilitates asset management, and simplifies implementation. But the best may be yet to come.

LED lighting has been called the “Trojan Horse” of the Internet of Things, and we’re at the frontier of this extraordinary revolution. The Internet of Things consists of uniquely identifiable objects represented within a network similar to the Internet. Digital lighting control networks already satisfy this definition but reflect only a fraction of the true potential to add value.

What makes the LED luminaire a Trojan Horse is it offers the ability to serve as infrastructure for additional onboard equipment and sensors that can collect and share temperature, occupancy and other data, opening a wide range of new applications. The real potential is to expand lighting’s value proposition from energy savings and longevity toward data and the business value that data can unlock.

stalls and enhance security.

Roadway and street lighting could collect traffic, temperature and pollution information. The list goes on. The result is lighting that collects local data useful for strategic management and accumulates big data that fuels strategic ideas.

Besides collecting information, LED lighting can also be designed to enable communication with users.

This could be as simple as incorporating public address capability in public spaces and as sophisticated as using visible light to talk to user mobile phones and camera-enabled tablets using downloaded apps.

Acuity, GE and Philips are all demonstrating visible light communication solutions, which will allow owners such as big box retail stores to communicate with shoppers for wayfinding and targeted messaging.

Smart LED lighting takes the conversation about light from providing desired light levels for the lowest cost toward the benefits of total control. Lighting that generates big data, expands capabilities and adds business value in new ways.

Lighting control is ready to play; the next stage in the game is integration—LED lighting as infrastructure, a platform.

We’re in the most exciting period in the history of the lighting industry, and the revolution is just getting started.

What might this look like? In a commercial building, occupancy sensing (which could be video) embedded in LED luminaires could enhance security and building and resource management by monitoring internal traffic and spatial occupancy. In retail stores, sensors could track everything happening on store floors. In parking lots, sensors could guide visitors to open parking lightexpress | Special Edition - August 2016 | 43

Lutron’s Ethan Biery on Controlling LED Lighting

BY LIGHTING CONTROLS ASSOCIATION

L

ighting industry journalist Craig DiLouie recently interviewed Ethan Biery, Design and Development Leader, Lutron Electronics about controlling LEDs. DiLouie: How are LED sources different from traditional sources in terms of their controllability and their behavior?

Biery: As a light source, LEDs are easy to dim by simply regulating the amount of current the driver delivers to the LED modules. Like other light sources, dimming LEDs saves energy, but unlike other light sources LEDs have a very rapid response to any changes in current.

The physics of fluorescent and incandescent lamps result in some “filtering” in the light output, which may mask any instability in the input.

This filtering does not take place with LEDs, so instability in the power output by the driver is immediately translated to instability in the light output from the LED module, which is perceived as flicker. Proper selection of compatible drivers and controls (and control protocols) is critical to minimize the chance of flicker.

DiLouie: What opportunities (and problems) occur as a result of how controllable LED sources are dimmed, and how they behave while controlled?

Biery: An LED source is a system that consists of the control, driver, and LED module. The intrinsic potential for instability in LED module light output amplifies the importance of using quality controls and drivers, and differentiates products

designed to deliver high-performance dimming. This is also what makes compatibility between drivers, lamps and controls such a big deal. Providing performance that is “good enough” for incandescent or fluorescent loads can be disastrous for a project where LED lighting is used and the occupant expects the same quality light output.

DiLouie: What are the top three technology trends impacting control of LED sources?

Biery: Digital control: Large-scale installations of LEDs, especially in commercial spaces, often demonstrate the weakness of existing analog control technologies, such as phase control and 0-10V. These technologies are not only prone to compatibility problems and interference, but they don’t deliver the features and benefits that many building managers are expecting from modern lighting designs.

Wireless technology: Wireless sensors and wireless LED lighting controls (whether fixtures or bulbs) are now widely available. As the cost of LED technology decreases, instances of successful, large-scale wireless control installations increase. Well-designed and reliable wireless fixture and control solutions provide simple design and installation, and a comfortable, efficient environment.

Color tuning: Color tuning is the ability to change the color temperature of white light sources from “warm” (reddish) to “cool” (bluish).

This is a feature that many manufac-

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turers are beginning to incorporate into their products. Incandescent bulbs inherently deliver a more orange color when dimmed low, and building occupants have become accustomed to this color shift. In addition, recent studies support claims that different color temperatures can be more beneficial to space occupants depending on the task or time of day.

Control systems, luminaires, and user interfaces will become more sophisticated so they can deliver color tuning to give users manual or automatic control over color temperature.

DiLouie: LED luminaires are now frequently installed in new construction, where energy codes mandate a broad palette of lighting controls. How will

this impact development of more sophisticated LED products and controls?

Biery: Advanced LED technology and more stringent energy codes are not strictly related, but as technologies improve, the regulatory bodies that develop energy and building codes can create stronger energy mandates.

As LEDs become more common in both residential and commercial installations, users will continue to expect better performance. It is also important to keep in mind that lighting is a building system that is critical to the safety of the occupants. Reliable, easy-to-use control systems must be top-of-mind in any new product development, and this balance becomes more challenging to achieve as products and systems become more

lightexpress | Special Edition - August 2016 | 45

complex. LEDs are also installed based on their long product life, and building managers will expect manufacturers to be capable of supporting their products for the duration of the product’s life.

DiLouie: A number of luminaire manufacturers now offer integrated control packages. Is this having an appreciable effect on the lighting controls industry? What will we see in the industry, long term?

DiLouie: What should specifiers be doing to go beyond code and take advantage of the controllability of LEDs?

Biery: Fixture manufacturers who actively promote integrated control solutions are still a relatively new phenomenon. Traditionally, many have resisted branching out beyond their established fixtures. However, as control systems become more sophisticated, customers are realizing that compatible, welldesigned systems can deliver better performance than individuallyselected components. It is inevitable that forward-looking fixture manufacturers will offer more integrated solutions. When fixture and control manufacturers actively collaborate to offer the best mix of drivers, fixtures, and controls, the customer benefits, and those manufacturers enhance their market position. As manufacturers, distributors, and contractors, our goal is to add value and provide the best solution to each customer, for each project.

Biery: Today’s dynamic environments demand flexibility – users expect more from office spaces, classrooms, and other locations where they live, work, and play.

While code compliance may necessitate only the most basic control schemes, progressive specifiers will provide their clients with digital control solutions that accommodate greater flexibility and configurability. Legacy analog and 010V control schemes will not meet the requirements of today’s sophisticated customer.

DiLouie: LED lamps and to an extent luminaires are being retrofitted into existing buildings. Controls, however, are often left out of conventional lighting retrofits. Has LED penetration into the existing construction market created new opportunities for lighting controls?

Biery: Customers are much more aware of the capabilities and conveniences that controls can provide. Connected home control and “smart controls”, including wireless controls that communicate via smart phones and other smart devices, are now part of the widely promoted Internet of Things.

Furthermore, the cost of “controllable” LED lighting continues to be less of a factor, and wireless control makes installation easier than ever.

These factors drive adoption of and demand for smart lighting control in both new and existing homes and businesses, and forward thinking manufacturers are working to give consumers what they want and need.

DiLouie: LED lighting presents such a small load that the economic argument for lighting controls is more likely to be challenged.

Assuming that LED is the source of the future, what energy-saving control strategies are considered essential and therefore likely to endure?

Biery: From an energy perspective, it is true that LED sources use less energy. But it is also true that, as with incandescent sources, LEDs save proportionally more energy as lights are dimmed. Energy is a very real 21st century concern, and any energy savings that can be achieved are desirable. LED control solutions will continue to deliver the basic, enduring, and essential lighting control strategies such as occupancy sensing, daylight sensing, and timeclock control.

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Beyond energy savings, lighting control of any source significantly improves comfort for space occupants. We are learning that the benefits of a comfortable, productive space often outweigh savings from energy reduction strategies alone. The costs associated with a typical office employee on a persquare-foot basis are orders of magnitude higher than the costs associated with lighting. Improving that employee’s comfort and productivity even a little bit, by providing them the right amount of light for the task at hand, will continue to gain attention from architects, lighting designers, and facility managers.

DiLouie: With LEDs, lighting controls can go far beyond energy savings.

Lighting controls can respond to individual occupants and completely transform a workspace. What are these capabilities, and how would you characterize demand for them?

Biery: An enormous number of “what if” possibilities and new technologies are being developed.

Some, such as the ability for occupancy sensors to count the number of occupants in a space, are not specifically related to LED technology, but are creating buzz in the market as a result of better dataprocessing capability and the availability of more sophisticated, lower-cost sensors. Other innovations, such as the ability to transmit information through high-frequency light modulation (called VLC, or Visible Light Communication), take advantage of some of the unique characteristics of LED lighting. These sorts of applications are still at the cutting edge of product development, and it will likely be several more years before widespread adoption is realized. However, technologies such as “tunable white,” where the control system has the ability to adjust both the intensity and color temperature of the light, are already generating market demand. Expect to see more

fixtures and control systems that offer this capability in the next few years.

DiLouie: What should distributors be doing right now to maximize the value they offer to their customers when lighting controls are included in a project?

Biery: Distributors must realize that LED lighting is not as simple as selling a bunch of separate parts. Good LED designs consist of the control, driver, and fixture. Successful

distributors must be able to offer their customers solutions, not just products. That means being knowledgeable about what controls work best for a given LED product (for example, what specific wallbox controls are recommended for use with a particular screw-in LED lamp), and becoming more educated about the products they’re selling.

LED loads and controls are more sophisticated than their fluorescent or incandescent predecessors, and there is widespread differentiation in quality and performance across different products. The wrong recommendation or product combination can lead to end-user disappointment, expensive callbacks, or the loss of repeat business.

DiLouie: If you could tell the entire electrical industry just one thing about controlling LED lighting, what would it be?

Biery: The specification of the driver used in a given LED product is perhaps

the most underappreciated, yes most critical aspect of any LED system. The design of a driver (whether in the base of a screw-in lamp or as a separate component in a fixture) determines the best possible dimming performance: how low the lights will go, whether they’ll be flicker free, and what control protocol is necessary. When paired with the proper control, the driver can meet its design expectations. However, even the best dimmer cannot overcome the performance shortcomings of a poorly designed driver. Our experience shows that improper driver selection, or last-minute driver substitutions.

DiLouie: Is there anything else you’d like to add about this topic?

Biery: What customers really want are products that are innovative, simple to specify and use, reliable, and backed with world-class customer service.

Manufacturers that can meet these needs will be the manufacturers of choice.

lightexpress | Special Edition - August 2016 | 47

The worldwide standard for home and building control

Web visualization for display and operation of KNX plants IP Control Center – control of lighting, solar protection, heating, ventilation and air conditioning via web-compatible end devices

Ease of operation thanks to straightforward, full-graphic visualization The IP Control Center is a visualization controller of compact design. It features a freely configurable user interface, offering intuitive operation and display of KNX devices. Lighting, solar protection, heating, ventilation and air conditioning can be displayed via web-compatible end devices such as PCs, laptops, smart phones or tablets – matched to user profiles with different access authorities. To handle comprehensive building and room functions, up to 1250 KNX objects are available. In addition, there are powerful application modules for scene control, scheduler programs, alarm reporting and logic functions for use in connection with central control. These modules can be easily matched to holiday schedules, user needs, occupancy times, etc., and can be changed at any time.

Web editor for flexible and intuitive engineering Engineering is straightforward via ETS and the web editor, which is preinstalled for display by any browser. So, no extra software is required. Using the web editor, a wide choice of symbols and operating elements can be arranged per drag-anddrop. The user interface can be configured to meet individual needs by embedding own elements or elements provided by an extensive library. There is a choice of six different styles.

Efficient maintenance and commissioning via KNX interface The built-in KNX interface facilitates commissioning of KNX plant. Using an extra router, KNX plant can be maintained from a remote location.

Highlights ■

Ease of operation thanks to full-graphic and individually configurable user interface

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Convenient remote control via web-compatible end devices such as tablets or smart phones

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Straightforward and intuitive engineering via web editor without additional software

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Cost benefit thanks to builtin commissioning interface to KNX plants

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Reduced effort owing to remote maintenance and remote commissioning

www.siemens.com/ip-control-center

www.siemens.com/synco

Improved energy efficiency and a user-friendly HVAC control system Playhouse Theatre, Durban/South Africa

The Playhouse Company is the premier theatre organization in the city of Durban, South Africa.

Siemens provided advanced HVAC equipment to modernize the existing electro-mechanical control system of the Playhouse Theatre.

Durban‘s Playhouse complex links the city‘s present with its past. The current theatre facade preserves two of the city‘s most famous landmarks, the glamorous Prince‘s Theatre, which originated in 1926, and the grand, Tudor-styled Playhouse, which opened its doors to public in 1935.

Nowadays, these two celebrated enter-

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tainment venues are a state-of-the-art, multi-venue theatre complex that faithfully preserved many of the buildings‘ original characteristics and architectural features. The building automation and control system had to be upgraded and adapted to the new and increased demands.

Playhouse Theatre, Durban The existing HVAC system included: – An electro-mechanical control system – 3 chillers and chilled water pumps – 1 fresh air plant – 17 air handling units Upgrading to the communicative Synco™ 700 system The existing control system was updated with the communicating Synco 700 system. Control panels equipped with RMU universal controllers were installed for the air conditioning systems. They provide accurate climate control, according to operator requirements, effected by the use of three-port cooling valves, and modulating dampers.

Effective control The production of chilled water is regulated through the use of an RMS705 modular controller which, according to demand, sequences the respective plant to achieve the required water temperature. Chillers and chilled water pumps are duty rotated to ensure equal usage.

Siemens Switzerland Ltd Industry Sector Building Technologies Division International Headquarters Gubelstrasse 22 6301 Zug Switzerland Tel +41 41 724 24 24

Energy efficiency and usability The system was designed to enable the supervision and the remote control of air conditioning systems, provide more operating convenience and simple yet effective energy savings.

Commissioning was carried out through a PC installed with ACS service and operating software, permitting the programming and parameterization of the controllers including the control loop setting and testing.

Reliable operation The system provides centralized control and monitoring using the ACS graphical operating station.

Alarms generated by the controllers are visualized by alarm windows on the ACS operator station and are signaled locally by a red indicator on the operator unit.

Highlights Precise climate control for increased comfort Enhanced efficiency due to demand-controlled production of chilled water Cost-savings thanks to more effective use of energy Remote control and centralized supervision for enhanced operating convenience Fast and easy commissioning and testing with ACS

Future renovation plans The customer is highly satisfied with the Synco 700 system. A more extensive renovation phase is planned with further products from Siemens.

The information in this document contains general descriptions of technical options available, which do not always have to be present in individual cases. The required features should therefore be specified in each individual case at the time of closing the contract. © Siemens Switzerland Ltd, 2011

lightexpress | Special Edition - August 2016 | 51

www.siemens.com/synco

Energy and cost savings thanks to advanced HVAC controls Émile Blanchet School, Dampmart/France

Émile Blanchet School is a primary school in Dampmart, a small town near Paris. The school’s heating plant was upgraded a few years ago. To lower energy costs, town authorities now decided to retrofit the plant’s control system.

Émile Blanchet School is accommodated in an old building and operates as a primary school.

After examining a number of options, the decision was made to optimize the school building’s energy consumption.

Not many people live in Dampmart. Town authorities decided to look for ways aimed at reducing costs to prevent budget cuts.

Since money was tight, authorities tried to find solutions that would offer considerable savings without having to make major investments.

A major part of the school’s HVAC system was fairly old and not in good condition.

Only the heating boilers were replaced a few years ago. Now, thanks to a number of major changes to the school’s HVAC system, dramatic energy and thus cost savings were achieved.

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Émile Blanchet School, Dampmart The former plant was only able to provide heating control depending on the outside temperature. No time schedules were available. When selecting the new control system, great importance was attached to time switch functions and straightforward, location-independent operation.

Lower energy consumption thanks to time schedules The school’s HVAC plant was equipped with Synco™ 700 controllers from Siemens.

They offer 24-hour, 7-day, and 365-day time schedules – a very important feature for schools with greatly varying room occupancy. Also, the time schedules now in use are extremely easy to handle. Even the janitor can effortlessly make settings or match programs, especially since the menus presented by the Synco devices are in the national language.

Better control thanks to temperature sensors in the classrooms The new Synco controllers collect the temperatures acquired by a number of sensors in the classrooms. This way,

Siemens Switzerland Ltd Industry Sector Building Technologies Division International Headquarters Gubelstrasse 22 6301 Zug Switzerland Tel +41 41 724 24 24

the system is able to control the heating plant depending on the current room temperatures. This affords enhanced temperature control and ensures that excessive heating will be prevented.

Convenient monitoring from any location A Web server was installed to offer locationindependent operation of the HVAC system. Hence, the plant can be controlled and monitored any time from any computer in the town hall, for instance. This means that to make changes to the time schedules, or to readjust setpoints, it is no longer necessary to do this on site, thus saving time and costs.

Highlights Time schedules with 24-hour, 7-day, and 365-day settings for efficient HVAC control Convenient, menu-driven operation in the national language Energy efficiency thanks to time schedules and better room temperature control Location-independent operation and monitoring of the plant for more flexibility and cost efficiency Reduction of CO2 emissions Short payback period

Saving energy and costs Due to the new Synco 700 control system and other upgrading measures, energy savings amounted to 80,000 kWh in the first year, representing CO2 emission reductions of 17 tons.

Thanks to the energy cost reduction, the payback period for the products supplied

by Siemens was no more than six months.

The information in this document contains general descriptions of technical options available, which do not always have to be present in individual cases. The required features should therefore be specified in each individual case at the time of closing the contract. © Siemens Switzerland Ltd, 2011

lightexpress | Special Edition - August 2016 | 53

Connected Lighting Trend As we mentioned in these Postings a few weeks ago, the biggest takeaway from this year’s LIGHTFAIR® International was the prevalence of connected products, and the fact that sensors and controls seemed to be everywhere the eye could see.

A

ll of this was evidence of the sea change that’s taking place within the field of lighting, courtesy of SSL. Whereas lighting has been viewed since Edison’s day as a relatively onedimensional commodity that illuminates spaces, the advent of SSL has created growing recognition within the industry that lighting can fulfill a multiplicity of functions and doesn’t have to be static and unchanging.

While it’s clear from what we saw at LIGHTFAIR that manufacturers are already embracing this idea and are starting to design their products accordingly, it’s not yet clear whether building owners and lighting designers will be as enthusiastic about those products.

Infrastructure changes do not happen overnight. Conventional

lighting is typically static and unchanging — not by choice, but because of its technological limitations. But SSL is not subject to many of those limitations, such as warmup time — which is opening up whole new dimensions to lighting that were unimaginable a few years back.

Unlike other lighting technologies, SSL can be designed so that it’s controllable across multiple characteristics — not just lumen output, but also CCT, chromaticity, and even beam angle. SSL’s microelectronic nature makes it not only physically possible, but also economically feasible, to integrate sensors, intelligence, network interfaces, and other functionality that can boost overall energy efficiency and offer a range of other potential benefits and services as

well. There’s widespread agreement that SSL — driven by maintenance and energy savings — will eventually become the dominant technology for most lighting applications.

Concurrently, lighting could even become the platform for the Internet of Things, which offers a way to connect a wide range of electronic devices to communication networks and is expected to make possible an unprecedented exchange of data. That data exchange will facilitate the development of higherperforming algorithms, which could enable better device and system performance as well as data-driven energy management of lighting and other building systems. And SSL fits into that picture like a piece to a jigsaw puzzle: light sources are ubiquitous in the built environment, making it possible to build out a dense web of data collection points by integrating sensors into those sources.

Of course, there are a number of hurdles that need to be overcome for solid-state lighting to fulfill its potential in this regard — most of them centering on incorporating it, along with control technologies, into the built environment. But given the challenges SSL has met to date, it’s likely to only be a matter of time

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before we see these things happening on a wide scale. Solidstate lighting is still at a relatively early stage of its development, with the best yet to come. It wasn’t long ago that telephones were strictly for talking, whereas today they’re sophisticated minicomputers. If you take a step back and look at what’s happening across the industry, you’ll see that lighting, too, is becoming vastly different from what it was before — and that even the catchphrase “it’s not your grandfather’s lightbulb anymore” has taken on whole new layers of meaning.

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