Demonstrations & project technology briefs.
As part of its Smart Lighting Initiative, UC Davis undertook a campus-wide exterior lighting retrofit that involved installing over 1,500 network-controlled LED streetlights, area lights, post-tops, and wall packs. The “ultra-smart” lighting system has reduced the campus's exterior lighting energy use by 86% (1,231,758kWh annually), saving at least $120,900 in annual energy and maintenance costs.
This business case explores various lighting control options for LED retrofits of street and area lighting, along with funding and financing sources. It provides a general economic analysis of the costs and benefits associated with street/area retrofits and new-construction installations of post-top luminaires. The scenarios presented in this business case analysis have the potential to reduce lighting energy use and carbon emissions 72–93%, in areas with an average occupancy rate of 20%.
In 2013, UC Santa Barbara partnered with the SPEED team to demonstrate network controlled LED lighting for streetlights and post-top fixtures. These exterior fixtures were purchased with dimming power supplies and equipped with radio frequency (RF) control modules. The post-top fixtures were also equipped with occupancy sensors. These lighting controls allowed all the units to be incorporated into an adaptive mesh network control system that optimized the fixtures’ energy efficiency and gave the campus unprecedented control of its lighting.
In 2013 the SPEED team collaborated with UC San Francisco to demonstrate three lighting retrofits of fluorescent fixtures. Three control systems, each with different system architectures, were installed in three different UCSF corridors. All three systems utilize occupancy controls, but each one provides a different level of control, different programming capabilities, and energy and maintenance monitoring features. The demonstrations produced energy savings of 53–68%, based on occupancy rates of 12–16%.
In 2014, NorthBay VacaValley Hospital became one of the first U.S. health care facilities to install an energy-efficient, ultra-smart outdoor LED lighting system. The award-winning project was so successful that the NorthBay Healthcare group is now considering expanding the VacaValley system and retrofitting the outdoor lighting at other sites.
The combination of occupancy controls, a bi-level generator, and an induction source produces an energy-efficient luminaire with exceptionally long life, good color quality, and dynamic light level response based on actual usage. The bi-level controls contribute additional savings that are directly proportional to automotive and pedestrian traffic patterns. Bi-level luminaires reduce to 50% power on vacancy and increase to 100% power on occupancy.
An overview of SPEED Lighting Technologies at UC Santa Barbara.
This business case describes four adaptive lighting systems. All four cut energy use and electricity costs by over 70%. Large-scale upgrades generally yield the best results, and they qualify for the biggest incentives.
In the summer of 2010 the California Lighting Technology Center (CLTC) and Philips Hadco produced an adaptive solution that combined a dimmable LED source and a mounting collar equipped with occupancy sensors. The collar provides 360-degree occupancy sensor coverage. This demonstration involved whole-head replacement of the existing luminaires, but results could also be achieved with a retrofit kit. The new luminaires feature good color quality, improved efficiency and a longer lifespan.
The California Lighting Technology Center (CLTC) partnered with Finelite, Inc. and Adura Technologies to develop and demonstrate a unique, wireless task/ambient office lighting solution ideally suited for the retrofit market. The system consists of two key elements: a task/ambient lighting system and advanced, wireless lighting controls. The combination provides substantially reduced energy use, improved lighting quality, and personal lighting control for individual work spaces, without the need for any additional wiring or rewiring of existing luminaires or lighting circuits.
