Latest News

EverLast Lighting Honors Dr. Siminovitch

On Wednesday, June 12, CLTC Director Michael Siminovitch received EverLast Lighting's first Energy Innovation Award for CLTC’s research and development of adaptive lighting controls. The award also recognized CLTC’s use of induction lighting in energy efficiency projects and the center’s commitment to reducing energy use for lighting on University of California campuses. CLTC has helped reduce exterior lighting energy consumption by over 60 percent at UC Davis alone through the university’s Smart Lighting Initiative.

DOE Releases Model Specification for Adaptive Roadway Lighting Control Systems

The U.S. Department of Energy's Municipal Solid-State Street Lighting Consortium (MSSLC) has released its Model Specification for Adaptive Control and Remote Monitoring of LED Roadway Luminaires, Version 1.0. The specification was prepared by the MSSLC Adaptive Control and Remote Monitoring Committee. It is intended to help those cities and utilities adopting LED street lighting select control systems appropriate to their varied needs.

Circadian-Adaptive LED System to Light Honda Smart Home

CLTC affiliate American Honda Motor Co., Inc., celebrated completion of the Honda Smart Home US project with an open house event on March 25, 2014 at UC Davis West Village. The zero net energy (ZNE) home is a model for residential sustainability, demonstrating best-practice solutions. CLTC has partnered with Honda to develop a forward-thinking lighting design for the project.

Helping California Schools Make Smart Investments

The Smart Schools Symposium is a one-day event for school leaders and facility managers that will feature proven best practices for lighting, HVAC and water efficiency upgrades. The symposium is presented by Greenwise Joint Venture in partnership with CLTC, UC Davis and other supporting organizations, public agencies and private companies.

Highlights include:

Wall Pack Retrofit Yields 89% Energy Savings

Last June UC Davis replaced 101 static HPS and MH wall packs with adaptive LED wall packs by Philips, equipping them with outdoor motion sensors by WattStopper and networked controls from Lumewave. Along with streetlights and post-top luminaires, the wall packs were incorporated into the Adaptive Campus Control System at UC Davis, via an RF network that provides campus-wide lighting control.

The LED Revolution: Shedding Light on What Retailers Want

CLTC partnered with the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and the California Energy Commission to assess how incentive programs and education efforts might best serve retailers' transition to LEDs.

Title 24 Lighting Classes

CLTC has partnered with Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) to offer classes on lighting for retail and residential spaces. The classes are specifically designed to help contractors, engineers, designers, and other building professionals  meet—or exceed—California's Title 24 building energy efficiency standards. The courses will explore how to apply best practices in compliance with new and existing code requirements, and they will provide technology updates on energy-efficient lamps and ballasts, as well as advanced sensors and controls.

California Adopts Quality Standard for LED Lamps

The California Energy Commission has adopted a voluntary lighting quality specification for LED replacement lamps. The new standard requires LED lamps to meet certain performance criteria in order to qualify for utility incentive programs and rebates.

CALCTP Goes National

More than 1,800 electricians have graduated from the California Advanced Lighting Controls Training Program (CALCTP), a rigorous course of study that prepares electricians to install state-of-the-art lighting control solutions. Last year CALCTP was awarded a grant from the California Workforce Investment Board, and the program has proven to be so successful that it is now being adopted in other states as the National Advanced Lighting Controls Training Program (NALCTP).

Governor's Office Proposes Prop 39 Funds Go to Upgrading Schools

Last November, California voters passed Proposition 39, the California Clean Energy Jobs Act, ending a state tax break for multistate businesses and dedicating the anticipated revenue to energy efficiency projects and job creation in the clean energy sector. The Governor's office recently released 2013–2014 budget summary proposes to allocate all Prop 39 funds to K–12 schools and community colleges for efficiency upgrades and clean energy job training programs.

A Breakthrough in Daylighting Technology

After intensive R&D efforts in the lab at CLTC, a dual-loop photosensor is now commercially available. The LMLS-600 is the first lighting control device to combine open-loop and closed-loop photosensor technologies and the latest addition to WattStopper's Digital Lighting Management (DLM) system. The result makes daylight harvesting significantly more reliable, energy efficient and cost effective.