Automated lighting controls

[jbelectrical]

A few of us here at an MEP office in Florida are beginning to panic in an attempt to address a change in the Florida Building Code 2004.

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Interior lighting in buildings larger than 5,000 ft shall be controlled with an automatic control device to shut offbuilding lighting in all spaces. This automatic means shall basically be a programmable timer system, occupancy sensors, or other control methods.

All exterior lighting shall be controlled by a photosensor or astronomical time switch that is capable of automatically turning off the exterior lighting when sufficient daylight or when the lighting is no longer required.
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The exterior lighting controls are not a problem at all. By default, we design exterior lighting systems to be switched through a photocell or timeclock of some sort. Interior lighting controls, however, are a completely different story, from my understanding.

In buidlings where using hundreds of occupancy sensors isn't feasible, what do you do? Do any lighting control manufacturers have a system in which:

1. Lighting can turned on manually by personnel

and

2. Lighting can be switched off via a control panel

I imagine that someone out there manufactures a "smart" switch capable of interfacing with a control panel. I don't know. I have so little experience doing this.

If anyone has any input regarding lighting efficiency and controls, I'd really appreciate it.

 

[jraef]

There are plenty of methods for remote lighting control, it has been done for years (the old GE RR-7 lighting relay system comes to mind). The problem is on your statement #2. If a system is going to turn it off automatically, will that include turning it off even if someone is still there? There may be some life/safety issues involved.

So if you have to have an occupancy sensor anyway, why not just use that to turn off the lights? What makes occupancy sensors infeasible? Cost? They are not that expensive. The simplest ones just replace the wall switch for a few dollars more.

Eng-Tips: Help for your job, not for your homework Read faq731-376

 

[ewbdale]

Purity,
There are some building management companies that has a software package that will allow you to program the lighting functions.

I've wrote programs to do this type of lighting solution myself in two Juvenile Detention Centers in Virginia. Because the price of those building management package were
outrageous.

Ernie

http://rasp-controls.com/

 

[ewbdale]

Purity,
Check out this link

http://www.hi-s.com/products/ps4094-01.pdf

Ernie

http://rasp-controls.com/

 

[Noway2]

The building I work in uses motion detector switches installed instead of standard light switches. This way when a room is no longer occupied for more than a few minutes, the lights are shut off automatically. The switches also have a button on them, that lets a person turn the lights on. I have also seen similar arangemnts based on sound activated detectors.

The control panel part does sound like a bit of a complication, but be sure that you are not misinterpreting or over interpreting its meaning. It may be something as simple as there being a control location where the power can be removed from all or most of the lights via a switch. This switch, would in turn control something like a power contactor that would cut power or restore power to all the lights at once.

 

[BJC]

purity
Welcome to California ( and Oregon and Washington)
Call your Wattstopper rep. They have good literature and equipment. The literature they have is good at explaining what you can do and how it works. The other vendors ( lithonia etc ) have the same stuff but seem to want to keep it secret enough that they have to be involved all the time.

 

[jraef]

The building I work in uses motion detector switches installed instead of standard light switches...

Yes, that's what I was referring to as Occupancy Sensors, which for some reason the OP seems to rule out. I'd still like to know why.

Eng-Tips: Help for your job, not for your homework Read faq731-376

 

[EEJaime]

This has been standard design in California for many years now. There are many systems out there which come preprogrammed or are easily field programmed. My favorite for flexibility, cost, and ease of specification is made by Lighting Control and Design. Look at

http://www.lightingcontrols.com

it will give you all the information you need. As I said, there are many other sources, Lightolier Controls, Prescolite Controls, Lutron Controls, they all have websites and have systems configured for any size facility.

 

[IRstuff]

This sort of thing has been retrofitted into old buildings, c. 1960's, using a combination of motion sensors and a touch-tone programmable controller through the phone system.

TTFN

 

[BJC]

IF your going into lighting controls become famaliar with DALI. Digital automated lighting interface. Were finally getting it here, it's been in Europe for a while.
In Dali system all the ballasts are indivually addressable and contorlled by computer. The system lets you install 64 fixtures in a loop, all you need is two wires for power and a twisted pair for control. The control options are endless. You can do everything from harvest daylight to turning on only the lights you need to get to your desk ( you interface the lighting control with the access control system so it knows when you carded in).
One thing you will find is that some of the established manufacturers that have their own system are not very helpfull when you say DALI. The reason is that DALI will probably be the end of systems like Reloc ( Lithonias system ). SOme of the more popular relay based control systems are also on the way out.
DALI ballast are electronic and dimmable. The cost are comming down. The installation cost and logistics are much cheaper than something like a reloc system.

http://www.buildings.com/Articles/detail.asp?ArticleID=1870

 

[zeitghost]

There's nothing quite like sitting on the lavatory when the light turns itself off... )

Then waving over the top of the cubicle door to turn it back on again... )

 

[itsmoked]

zeitghost; Are you saying you need light to do your duty??



We had an occupancy sensor put into our office rest room. It was rather amazing... The lights would go out and I am not kidding, you could move only the tip of your little finger and they would go back on. It was like there was an optical standing wave that the tinyest motion could disturb.

 

[jbelectrical]

jraef,

The decision to go against using solely occupancy sensors in certain buildings has been made by my boss, the lead electrical engineer and the owner of the company. He has the final word in these matters, although he is always open to better ideas.

I only get to hear bits and pieces of what's going on, but now the electrical designers and engineers are attempting to figure out a way to switch lights and have them automatically shut off after 4 hours, should maintenance personnel ever need to enter the building after-hours.

For the time being, I'm just thankful that all of the projects that I'm assigned are either a.)Under 5,000 square feet or b.) Residential occupancies exempt from that particular part of the energy code.

 

[jbelectrical]

If anyone is still interested, I just attended a lighting control seminar yesterday that addressed the original problem. Great timing, huh? One of the local lighting sales reps delivered a presentation alongside with Leviton, and from my understanding, all of the above issues are as good as solved.

We're using Leviton programmable lighting relay panels and low-voltage wall switches from

http://www.sentryswitchllc.com/.

The Leviton relay panel can be programmed to perform sweeps at specified intervals and shut off any switches that may have been left on. The Florida Building Code also outlines a requirement for a manual override switch for a period no greater than 4 hours. This switch *also* has that capability. Of course, we'll still use occupancy sensors, as well.

 

[zeitghost]

<zeitghost; Are you saying you need light to do your duty??>

Nah.

Just the paperwork... )

 

[BJC]

itsmoked
There may be an invention in this. A paper disenser with a couple of LED lights. They could be powered by the unwinding motion of the disensor.

 

[itsmoked]

oooh I don't know ... The tree huggers would flip out.. Unless you could wind it back AND forth.[flush]

 

[waross]

How about lighting the LEDs with a fuel cell powered by bio-gas? The tree huggers will probably promote it, even if it doesn't work.

 

[zeitghost]

I can certainly supply lots & lots of biogas... )