In a recent LD+A energy column, Willard L. Warren, PE, LC points out that various glare metrics have come and gone, with CIE’s Unified Glare Rating (UGR) on the way. The IES Handbook, however, calls such predictors useful for groups but not for individuals. He poses the question: Is it more practical to simply provide dimmable task/ambient lighting system that’s individually controllable?

In A National Roadmap for Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings, DOE outlines its national goal to triple the energy efficiency and demand flexibility of buildings by 2030. A subsequent report, published in December 2019, specifically evaluates the potential for lighting and electronics (primarily consumer plus IT equipment) to optimize energy efficiency and comfort while providing services back to the grid. This article examines lighting’s potential to support grid interactivity, primarily in the form of networked lighting controls and automated demand response.

0-10V dimming wires, the wires used to communicate dimming intensity via a 10-volt signal, can be easily identified on wiring diagrams, installation instructions, and dimmable drivers by their colors: gray and violet (although violet is often referred to as purple). This will soon change, however, as new codes and guidelines take effect.

As it seeks to quantify the non-energy benefits of networked lighting and advanced building controls, the DesignLights Consortium (DLC) is seeking the input of facility managers for a short online survey. Results of this research will yield monetized estimates useful for product marketing, efficiency program incentive promotion, and facility management decision making.

Unless you’ve been living on a deserted South Pacific island prior to March 2020, you know that COVID has been the biggest issue facing mankind in the past year and a half.  You also know that lots of people, governments and industries have developed methodologies and technology to mitigate the effects and spread of COVID. What do these things mean for lighting control?

Lighting industry journalist and educator Craig DiLouie, LC, CLCP recently had the opportunity to interview David Buerer, Director of Product Management, Leviton Manufacturing Co., Inc. for an article about plug load control, which will be published in the October 2021 issue of tED Magazine, the official publication of the NAED. Transcript follows.

Most new construction projects have various forms of documentation, but construction documentation often falls into one of two categories: Drawings or Specifications.

In this article published by BUILDING OPERATING MANAGEMENT, building owners and managers are introduced to networked lighting control and shown examples of what pulling data from the system can do to solve business problems.

The Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) recently published ANSI/IES LP-12-21, IoT Connected Lighting. This 43-page Lighting Practice and American National Standard provides guidance for lighting professionals to consider and evaluate connected lighting and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions and applications.

Adoption of networked intelligent lighting control systems is uncertain, with some in the professional lighting community very positive, while others see it as not ready for prime time for themselves or their clients. Putting whether is a problem in definition aside, the question of where networked control is winning or losing is worthy to explore. [...]

BetterBricks recently published a video demonstrating the utility of luminaire-level lighting controls installed at the Pacific Tower, a historic building in Seattle.

Outcome-based commercial-building energy codes are an idea gaining new interest among policymakers in the United States. This type of energy code prescribes building energy budgets instead of a complex list of requirements. The first efforts started 10 years ago, and we are still years away from a model sure to gain significant adoption. Due to the concept’s potential benefits, however, it is possible, if not likely, that outcome-based codes will be a tool in future energy regulation.

A slight improvement in confidence boosted the National Electrical Manufacturers Association’s (NEMA) Electroindustry Business Confidence Index’s current conditions from a reading of 65.4 last month to 70 points in June.

Endeavor Business Media recently announced the launch of Smart Buildings Technology, a new brand dedicated to serving the ecosystem that brings integrated intelligence to new construction and existing commercial buildings. Comprising a digital magazine [launching June 21, 2021], website, newsletters, and online conference, [Smart Connect, November 17, 2021], Smart Buildings Technology covers the latest developments in communications systems, energy efficiency, IT/OT integration, intelligent building systems, occupant health  and safety, and more.

Lighting control design continues to evolve toward smaller control zones for flexibility, energy savings, and responsiveness. This is the topic of the most recent controls column that Charles Knuffke, Systems Vice President and Evangelist for Wattstopper and Chair of the Lighting Controls Association, contributed to LD+A Magazine.

Two of the best investments building owners and corporate tenants can make to improve employee well-being and energy efficiency are automated shading systems and modern LED lighting with advanced wireless controls, says Controlling Comfort and Energy in Offices, a new publication by the New Buildings Institute.

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) recently reported its Electroindustry Business Confidence Index (EBCI) dipped 24 points from a high-water mark in April to 65.4 in May 2021, a significant decline but still solidly in expansionary territory.

Trade Ally Network NW, sponsored by Bonneville Power Administration and its Northwest utilities, recently published a 15-minute online course about luminaire-level lighting controls (LLLC), focusing on retrofit opportunities.

In an article recently published by NEMA, Martin Mercier, Strategic Marketing Manager, Cooper Lighting Solutions talks about the ways in which lighting can contribute to the smart city. Lighting provides infrastructure for data collection, he notes. Standardization and an open ecosystem for partnerships will be key to realizing this opportunity.

In a recent article published by EC&M Magazine, Evergreen Consulting Group’s Tony Adams talks about the evolution of lighting control toward dimming, color tuning, discrete zoning, and application of multiple control strategies in the same space, focusing on luminaire-level lighting controls.

The Lighting Controls Association’s Education Express is the lighting industry’s leading online platform for free, instant, 24/7 education about lighting controls. The LCA is pleased to announce that a majority of courses now feature downloadable one-page summary sheets students can download, print, and use as a quick reference.

My blog post from April 1, 2020, entitled “Lessons Learned from Living Lab” describes a research project about retrofitting existing spaces with networked lighting control systems (NLCs). It contains recommendations for how to avoid typical of problems that may be encountered on an NLC install. This post will elaborate on some of those “lessons” and recommendations.

The California Lighting Technology Center (CLTC) recently released an updated Daylight Harvesting for Commercial Buildings guide. This publication provides guidance towards meeting and exceeding California’s 2019 energy code for daylight harvesting.

The U.S. Department of Energy has released a report on the initial performance and reliability of chromaticity sensors used for tunable LED lighting systems.

The Zhaga Steering Committee has approved the 3rd edition of the popular Book 18 specification for outdoor luminaires. The new edition allows for architectures combining an ANSI C136.41 dimming receptacle with a Zhaga receptacle next to the architectures already specified in Ed. 2.0. Additionally, Zhaga-D4i certification of hybrid luminaires as well as control devices with an ANSI interface have become available.

On May 19, 2021, BetterBricks, a commercial building resource from the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA), is bringing together experts from the University of Oregon and University of Washington to host a free webinar on the potential of lighting controls to improve human health and building efficiency.

In this video, the Lighting Practice’s Emad Hasan, IALD, LEED AP BD+C discusses the impact of energy codes on lighting and how lighting controls can save energy by reducing the amount of time light is used. Emad also explores the impact on occupants and the different ways lighting designers balance code requirements, occupant comfort, and impactful lighting solutions.

In this article contributed to LEDs Magazine, Lutron’s CRAIG CASEY outlines a specification primer for educating clients on critical concepts that merge dynamic solid-state lighting with controls to optimize wellbeing and enhance the light experience in the built environment. The right equipment and approach, he says, starts with the application needs.

Cybersecurity and privacy concerns in the smart home have the potential to worsen with device ownership and demand for gadgets growing. In building their solutions, industry participants should therefore treat cybersecurity protections as the norm. Looking past functionality and user experience, privacy also needs to be factored into the process. These were among the key recommendations of CABA’s Privacy and Cybersecurity in the Connected Home Landmark Research project, carried out by CABA member Frost & Sullivan.

The Lighting Controls Association (LCA) has published Part 3 of  EE302: A Year with a Networked Lighting Control System, a new learning module in its popular Education Express online education program.

For the tenth consecutive month, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) Electroindustry Business Conditions Index (EBCI) topped 50 points, indicating conditions conducive to growth. March’s reading of 80 built on an already robust 64.3 in February and was driven by two-thirds of survey respondents’ indicating better conditions.

Synapse Wireless has published guidance to achieving best practices and energy code compliance for parking garage lighting control. The guidance describes various relevant regulations and what strategies and equipment are required. “Parking garages can be a challenging environment for lighting designers. From seasonal outdoor daylight patterns, to underground levels, these spaces are a microcosm for [...]

Rebates remain a strong incentive for investing in energy-efficient lighting and controls. In 2021, significant opportunities are widely available for LED lighting and controls, including continuing availability of rebates for networked controls.

The Lighting Controls Association (LCA) has updated EE201: Daylight-Responsive Lighting Control, a popular course in its free, 24/7 Education Express program.

Learn from experts at McKinstry, Evergreen Consulting Group and the University of Washington’s Center for Integrated Design as they discuss the latest innovations and use cases for luminaire-level lighting controls and what they mean for the future of commercial lighting.

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) published the 2021 Electrical Standards & Products Guide (ESPG), a comprehensive guide that includes nearly 800 NEMA publications for electrical and medical imaging industries, as well as product categories and NEMA Member manufacturers of those products.

In January 2021, the International Code Council published the 2021 version of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), which has been updated every three years since 2000. This new version reduces lighting power allowances, expands mandatory controls requirements, and issues clarifications.

The California Energy Alliance (CEA) recently announced that it has been awarded funding via the California Energy Commission (CEC) solicitation GFO-20-303 for applied R&D and technology demonstration projects that advance innovative technologies for controlling plug load and exterior lighting energy use.

The DesignLights Consortium (DLC) has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking consultant services to develop a method for quantifying the financial value of non-energy benefits of advanced building controls. The deadline for RFP responses is March 1, 2021 and the DLC expects to award a contract for the work by March 12.