Integrated Lighting Control Systems: An Innovative "Green" Solution for Reducing Building Energy Costs and Creating A Sustainable Property

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August 18, 2009

Excessive and wasteful energy use is inherent to virtually every commercial property. These centers of commerce and entertainment contribute more to global warming than cars, trucks, and buses combined. As a result, demand for sustainable, healthy buildings is on the rise and a leading priority for today’s commercial building owners, managers, developers, and tenants. According to the Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration, lighting is one of the areas of highest energy use. On average, lighting accounts for approximately one-quarter of a building’s overall electricity use, rivaled only by HVAC and office equipment.

With that in mind, more and more building owners, managers and developers are considering intelligent lighting control systems. These state-of-the-art systems not only reduce costs and demonstrate an overall commitment to being environmentally friendly, this smart technology contributes toward enhanced building values, higher tenant retention rates and overall end-user satisfaction.

At the forefront of the intelligent lighting movement is Encelium Technologies’ Energy Control System. Known as ECS, the system uses the collaborative power of addressable networking technology in conjunction with advanced control hardware and software. This automated system also has the capability to integrate with the HVAC, security and irrigation systems.

The Encelium Technologies system integrates six energy management strategies that offer building owners and managers unprecedented digital control. These include daylight harvesting to account for natural lighting, personal control in which each person controls his or her own workspace light levels from a desktop computer, occupancy control, smart-time scheduling to switch or dim lights where occupancy sensors are not appropriate, task tuning to eliminate excessive lighting and variable load shedding. 

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Daylight Harvesting Serves as Key Component of Energy Conservation
With daylight harvesting, photosensors are utilized to detect adequate levels of natural light indoors and have the system electronically dim or turn off lights. Designed effectively, the daylight harvesting component will go virtually unnoticed by occupants while providing impressive energy and lighting-related cost savings.
  
The design process focuses on a range of elements including:

  • selecting the control method (dimming vs. switching)
  • choosing the degree of automation (manual vs. automated)
  • selecting the control method (open loop, which measures only incoming daylight vs. closed loop, which measures combination of daylight and electrical lighting)
  • deciding on the photosensor
  • establishing control zones and set-points
  • placing photosensors and controls
  • integrating the daylighting controls with other controls

Lighting control specialists work closely with building owners, managers and developers in creating the entire lighting control system, including the daylight harvesting component, as each property differs in regard to design and implementation.

Clear Benefits of Installing an Intelligent Lighting Control System
One of the most attractive benefits associated with the installation of a state-of-the-art lighting system is a significant return on investment, for both new and existing buildings. Most appealing is how soon building owners and managers realize actual cost savings. For example, ECS installation costs range from $3.00 and $3.50 per square foot for existing space. Designed to reduce lighting-related energy costs by 50 to 75 percent, the projected savings of 75 cents to $1.25 per square foot per year means that the installation cost is amortized in less than three years.

Not only is the system designed to reduce energy costs by more than half, it eases the way for buildings to earn LEED certification, contributing between 12 and 22 of the points needed for certification. In addition, it facilitates a building’s compliance with energy standards such as ASHRAE 90.1-2010, EPAct, Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, International Energy Conservation Code, and various utility rebate programs.

The Rogers Centre, home to Major League Baseball’s Toronto Blue Jays and numerous other entertainment and sporting events, is an ideal example of the benefit to both an entity’s bottom line and the environment when installing an intelligent lighting system. The complex has approximately 7,000 light fixtures dispersed throughout the 1.4 million- square-foot facility. 

The Centre’s ECS installation realized savings of 77 percent related to energy consumption, a 39 percent reduction in energy demand and a saving of 76 percent for energy costs. In terms of dollars, this translates into approximately $300,000 saved per year. With regard to the environment, the property has reduced its energy use by 3,731,000 KWh annually, taking enough energy off of the grid to power over 400 homes in Toronto.

While today’s systems are proven, reliable, solid, robust and durable, applications and programs are continually being enhanced to provide more hands-on customer control and flexibility. One example is the integration of Encelium’s ECS with Tridium’s Niagara AX Driver, which allows facility owners and managers to integrate HVAC and other imbedded energy-using devices into the lighting system. This synergy yields even greater cost savings due to the reduction of overall energy consumption building-wide.

There is no doubt the benefits associated with green building practices is without bounds. From the potential to save energy and reduce costs, to promoting a more productive work environment and occupant comfort, the value-add is far-reaching. While the initial motivation to implement an advanced lighting control system is driven by savings, many generations to come will reap the rewards of a better, greener tomorrow.

Gary Meshberg, LEED AP, LC is the director of sales for Encelium Technologies, a technology development company specializing in integrated lighting control systems for commercial buildings. Founded in 2001, the company stands at the forefront of meeting today's energy challenges through its energy-efficient, state-of-the-art product, the Energy Control SystemTM (ECS). This innovative system has been installed at more than 14 million square feet of commercial space, approximately 150 projects, across North America and Europe.

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