LD+A—Researchers in California are developing a standard methodology for conducting field demonstrations to better inform energy codes and standards.
Authors: Cori Jackson, Konstantinos Papamichael, and Michael Siminovitch
LD+A— Core sunlighting is a practical, natural alternative for interior illumination deep within a building. Unlike other solar technologies, core sunlighting involves capturing sunlight at the building envelope, concentrating it, transporting it and regulating its release deep within the building at useful indoor lighting levels, typically only 1 percent of outdoor illumination. Significant electrical energy savings can be realized if the system incorporates automated electric lighting controls that substantially dim or completely turn off the electric lights.
LD+A – Multiple studies have demonstrated the significant energy savings that bi-level, occupancy-based lighting controls can achieve in outdoor applications. These controls maintain recommended illumination levels during occupied periods and automatically dim lights, reducing power by 50 percent or more, during vacant periods.
American Public Media's Marketplace program recently highlighted the California Advanced Lighting Controls Training Program (CALCTP) in a story on "Greening Construction Jobs for Energy Efficiency."
LD+A – Tubular fluorescent lamps comprise 80 percent of the lamp inventory in the commercial sector, or about 1.7 billion lamps, according to a U.S. Department of Energy report. As the lighting industry moves rapidly toward solid-state lighting, three main LED retrofit strategies have emerged for this very large segment of the market: tubular LED lamps, LED retrofit kits and dedicated LED luminaires.
LD+A – CLTC and Berkeley Lab partnered to test the ADR-readiness of commercially available networked lighting control systems. All three systems tested were configured for automated demand response (ADR) communications, and all three successfully accessed the demand response automation server (DRAS) to retrieve DR events.
LD+A – CLTC researchers incorporated passive infrared (PIR) occupancy sensors and networked controls into a test set of dimmable LED roadway fixtures. The adaptive street lighting system yielded energy savings 27 to 42 percent greater than when the fixtures operated at a static level. All occupants, 100 percent, were detected by the PIR occupancy sensor selected for field testing, whether they were traveling on foot, by bicycle, on a motorcycle, or in an automobile.
The New York Times – Parking garages are the third most frequent place for crime in the U.S. Security professionals agree that parking garage design influences the level of crime significantly. The easiest way to deter criminal activity in preexisting structures is by installing bright, white lights, coupled with occupancy sensor controls.
LD+A – As retail stores make efforts to improve their sustainability and energy efficiency, a growing number are considering making the switch to directional LED replacement lamps. Compared to traditional halogen or incandescent sources, LED alternatives are about 75 percent more energy efficient, on average, and they last up to 25 times longer, but efficiency and long life are not enough.
The Parking Professional – Michigan State University (MSU) has adopted a strong on-campus sustainability initiative. Adopting these standards for energy savings requires a challenging operating specification to follow, and MSU launched a major lighting overhaul in the parking garage at the Wharton Center last fall.
