Lutron Lighting Controls Support Daylight Harvesting Strategies Featured in GSA Study
Posted on Friday, October 17, 2014
Coopersburg, PA (October 17, 2014) – A recent energy study commissioned by the GSA Green Proving Ground Program and performed by Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory (LBNL) found that by implementing a daylight harvesting strategy, a commercial office building could achieve 27% energy savings and payback in as low as four years. This is good news considering that electric lighting accounts for the largest percentage of all electricity used in U.S. commercial office buildings.1
Daylight harvesting is an energy-saving strategy in which electric lights automatically dim in response to available daylight, thus reducing lighting energy by 20-60%.1 It’s one of the many strategies supported by products and solutions offered by Lutron Electronics, the leader in wireless light and shade control.
In the study, LBNL assessed 13 GSA building sites over a period of six weeks and five months. According to Mark Levi, Energy Program Manager, GSA, PBS, Pacific Rim Region, the use of timers and occupancy sensors at Cottage Way (one of the 13 sites), resulted in a reduced Energy Usage Index (EUI) that was way below the national average, and that an additional 39% was saved once daylight harvesting was added to the mix.1
“Daylight harvesting is a proven key energy-saving strategy, and through studies like this one, more buildings can meet the energy goals mandated by The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA),” said Brent Protzman, Ph.D, Manager of Energy Information & Analytics, Lutron Electronics. “A daylighting control system works best when combined with a full-building lighting control system which incorporates daylight harvesting, automated shading, occupancy sensing, light level tuning (reducing the maximum light output for spaces that are overlit) and personal dimming controls. By combining these strategies, buildings could reduce lighting usage by 60 percent or more.”
Lutron offers a variety of daylight harvesting strategies to help its customers save energy and meet their bottom-line goals. For example, AWeber Communications in Chalfont, Pennsylvania retrofitted its entire building with a Lutron lighting and shade control system that focuses on daylight harvesting. The system includes digitally addressable electronic dimming ballasts, Sivoia QS shades, wireless daylight sensors, wireless occupancy/vacancy sensors, and personal controls that automatically adjust electric light levels in response to available daylight, minimize glare, and enhance employee comfort. AWeber attributes 70% of its overall energy reduction directly to the lighting and shade retrofit.
Lutron offers solutions to accommodate the specific needs of any space. To design the ideal systems, a variety of factors are taken into consideration such as interior light, exterior light, interior design, occupant habits and comfort and more. Saving energy is typically the overarching goal, and Lutron products support daylight harvesting strategies save energy without sacrificing comfort or compromising occupancy productivity.
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