Top Banner

of 25

Welcome message from author
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
  • Dynamic SSL sets mood in luxury residence

    M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 4 SMART SUSTAINABLE L IGHTING www.illuminationinfocus.com

    1403IIF_C1 1 3/20/14 2:44 PM

  • OwneOwneOwneOwneOwneOwneOwneOwned and and and and and and and anddd

    ProdoProdProdProdddduceduceduceduceduceduceduceduceduced bb by: by: by:EvenEvenEvenEvents:tts:SuppSuppSupppporteorteorteorteorteorted byd byd byd byd by:

    HURRY - 75% of booth space already reserved!

    www.theledshow.com

    YOUR EXHIBIT SPACE NOWBOOK for 2014

    The LED Show 2013 had record-breaking attendance...* Over 3,600 attendees

    * Over 100 Exhibitors

    * 92% of attendees rated their overall success and satisfaction with this event as having met or exceeded their expectations

    CONTACTS:

    WORLDWIDE SALES:

    Tim Carli

    T: +1 650 946 3163E: [email protected]

    USA-EAST COAST SALES:

    Mary DonnellyT: +1 603 891 9118E: [email protected]

    EUROPE:

    Virginia WillisT: +44 1992 656 663E: [email protected]

    1403IIF_C2 2 3/20/14 2:44 PM

  • LED lamps poised for steep growthAt the Strategies in Light (SIL) 2014 conference held in Santa Clara, CA over February 25

    27, the Strategies Unlimited analyst team delivered research updates on both LED compo-

    nents and segments of the lighting market. Director of research Philip Smallwood focused

    on the LED lighting market in general and the replacement lamps market in particular. LED

    lamps are in the news constantly these days, and articles on that topic score highly with you

    the readers. Still, the lamps market is in the earliest of stages with sharp growth coming but

    socket saturation lurking.

    LED lamp sales in 2013 totaled $4.8B (billion). That fgure includes A-lamps, refector

    lamps such as PAR and BR bulbs, MR-16 lamps, and decorative products. It also includes

    LED-based replacements for linear fuorescent tubes. Smallwood projects the total to grow to

    $12.2B by 2018, a 21% compound annual growth rate (CAGR).

    Ironically, its the LED-based tubes that accounted for the second largest revenue to-

    tal in 2013 despite the fact that the product category in general gets poor marks for replicat-

    ing the light distribution of fuorescent tubes. But the tube sector is largely a business sec-

    tor, and businesses have moved to LED-based lighting more quickly than consumers. LED

    tube revenue was $1.2B in 2013 but Smallwood projects only 9% growth through 2018. I be-

    lieve LED-based troffers sold as fxture replacements or in-

    tegral upgrade kits will prove more popular, although there

    are plenty of manufacturers pursuing the tube strategy. In-

    deed, at SIL, startup Luxul Technology launched with plans

    to manufacture tubes in the US that can work with existing

    electronic ballasts.

    In the more conventional lamp space, it was surprising

    to learn that MR16 lamps led the A-lamp segment in 2013

    with the sectors generating $1.7B and $1B, respectively. The

    MR16 revenue was up sharply from well under $500 million

    the prior year. Smallwood said that in part the growth was due to a very large sales volume

    in Russia, although he also said those lamps were very low-cost products that also deliver

    low-quality light and relatively short lifetimes. The growth forecast is 13% through 2018, al-

    though the market will peak prior to that year as socket saturation hits.

    The A-lamp sector is set for the largest growth curve at 39% CAGR with revenue pro-

    jected at $5.2B in 2019. The market wont surge this year but will hit a steep slope beginning

    in 2015 and will still grow by almost $1B from 2017 to 2018.

    Much of the A-lamp growth will come from the residential market. Smallwood pegs A-

    lamp adoption as not even having reached the early adopter stage at this point. The potential

    market is enormous; however, LED lamps will change the market dynamics dramatically.

    Using a computational model based on homes and sockets per home, Smallwood said that

    the world has been consuming 1.1B A-lamps per year for residential usage. Yet there were

    only 14 million A-lamps sold in North America last year.

    Lamps manufacturers need to stake out their turf quickly. Smallwood warned that the

    available sockets will disappear quickly. And with LED product lifetimes, there wont be a re-

    placement required for years.

    Maury Wright, Editor

    [email protected]

    Editorial

    LED lamps

    will see sharp

    growth but

    socket

    saturation lurks

    1Illumination In Focus www.illuminationinfocus.com MARCH/APRIL 2014

    1403IIF_1 1 3/20/14 2:42 PM

  • MARCH/APRIL 2014 www.illuminationinfocus.com Illumination In Focus 2

    contents | features

    7

    5 17

    9

    15

    10

    8 | COVER STORY

    Tunable LEDs soothe or

    energize souls Design frm Tobias

    Link created LED lighting installations

    in a Zurich luxury residence, including

    auto-themed lighting in a garage and a

    soothing nature experience in the spa

    area. Maury Wright

    11 | CONFERENCE PREVIEW

    Light+Building exhibits

    reveal the latest in lighting

    and controls The intersection

    of art and light, adaptive controls

    technologies, indoor lighting that can

    enhance productivity, and better-

    controlled outdoor lighting will headline

    at Messe Frankfurt. Maury Wright

    15 | DC GRIDS

    Lighting systems

    leverage DC distribution

    for maximum effciency

    Minimizing power conversions can

    save energy in any electrical system,

    and LED lighting is a good match

    for a DC grid and also renewable

    energy such as solar power in green

    buildings. Maury Wright

    19 | RENOVATION

    Commercial LED retroft

    justifes project with

    market value increase

    Consider both long-term energy

    and maintenance savings and the

    impact of LED lighting projects on

    building market value to get a true

    look at the cost of major retrofts.

    Don McDougall, general manager,

    Solid State Capital Services (SSCS)

    1403IIF_2 2 3/20/14 2:43 PM

  • EDITORIAL 1

    LED lamps poised for steep growth

    MAURY WRIGHT

    LIGHTBEAT 4

    Soraa brings GaN-on-GaN LEDs

    to AR111 lamps, adds high-CCT

    MR16s

    Cree develops 23,000-lm LED

    high-bay luminaire

    GE supplies Intrinsx-based planar

    LED luminaires to US embassy in

    Finland

    departments | columns

    online

    MARCH/APRIL 2014 VOLUME 3 ISSUE 1

    www.illuminationinfocus.com

    cover story | 8Insta solid-state lighting paints dynamic colors on foors and ceilings in active locations within a home while subtle tunable lighting encourages rest and relaxation in other areas.

    A PennWell Publication

    TRENDING

    Philips Lighting says that US GSA will

    use SpaceWise; Cree and more controls

    news The US Green Proving Ground program

    will evaluate the SpaceWise LED luminaires

    and wireless controls while Xeleum announced

    the availability of its controls technology

    and Cree entered the controls market.

    illuminationinfocus.com/news/5/2/2

    Acuity lights Circuit of The Americas

    venue including ROAMview controls

    New Austin, Texas racetrack and events

    venue will get effcient metal halide lighting

    including adaptive controls with lights

    broken into 10 zones to support the

    range of events planned for the facility.

    illuminationinfocus.com/news/5/2/1

    SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT Christine Shaw

    & PUBLISHING DIRECTOR [email protected]

    EDITOR Maury Wright

    [email protected]

    ASSOCIATE Carrie Meadows

    EDITOR [email protected]

    CONTRIBUTING Caroline Hayes

    EDITOR [email protected]

    MARKETING MANAGER Kimberly Ayer

    PRESENTATION MANAGER Kelli Mylchreest

    PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Mari Rodriguez

    SENIOR ILLUSTRATOR Christopher Hipp

    AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT Debbie Bouley

    EDITORIAL OFFICES PennWell Corporation, Illumination in Focus 98 Spit Brook Road, LL-1 Nashua, NH 03062-5737 Tel: +1 603 891-0123 Fax: +1 603 891-0574 www.illuminationinfocus.com

    SALES OFFICES SALES MANAGER Kelly Barker (US EAST COAST) [email protected] Tel. +1 603 891 9186

    SALES MANAGER Allison OConnor (US WEST COAST) [email protected] Tel. +1 480 991 9109

    SALES MANAGER Jim Ajayi (EUROPE) [email protected] Tel. +44(0)1992656657

    SALES MANAGER Holger Gerisch (FRANCE/GERMANY/ [email protected] AUSTRIA/SWITZERLAND) Tel. +49 (0) 8856 8020 228

    SALES MANAGER Masaki Mori (JAPAN) [email protected] Tel: +81 3 3219 3641

    SALES MANAGER Mark Mak (CHINA & HONG KONG) [email protected] Tel: +852 2838 6298

    SALES MANAGER Monica Liu (TAIWAN) [email protected] Tel: +886 2 2396 5128 ext: 270

    SALES MANAGER Young Baek (KOREA) [email protected] Tel: +82 2 2273 4818

    SALES MANAGER Dan Aronovic (ISRAEL) [email protected]

    Tel: +39 972 9899 5813

    CORPORATE OFFICERS CHAIRMAN Frank T. Lauinger PRESIDENT AND CEO Robert F. Biolchini

    CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Mark C. Wilmoth

    TECHNOLOGY GROUP SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT Christine A. Shaw & PUBLISHING DIRECTOR

    SUBSCRIPTIONS: For subscription inquiries: Tel: +1 847 763-9540; Fax: +1 847 763-9607;

    e-mail: illuminationinfocus @halldata.com; web:

    illuminationinfocus.com/subscribe

    We make portions of our subscriber list available to carefully

    screened companies that offer products and services that may be

    important for your work. If you do not want to receive those offers

    and/or information via direct mail, please let us know by contacting

    us at List Services IIF, 98 Spit Brook Road LL-1, Nashua, NH 03062.

    Copyright 2014 PennWell Corp (ISSN 2156-633X). All rights

    reserved. Contents of this publication may not be reproduced in any

    form without prior written consent of Publishers.

    Photography: Tom Gundelwein

    1403IIF_3 3 3/20/14 2:43 PM

  • MARCH/APRIL 2014 www.illuminationinfocus.com Illumination In Focus 4

    Soraa brings GaN-on-GaN LEDs to AR111 lamps, adds high-CCT MR16sExpanding beyond its MR16 base, Soraa has announced

    the LED AR111 retrofit lamp family based on the com-

    panys gallium-nitride-on-gallium-nitride (GaN-on-GaN)

    LEDs that deliver uniform energy across the human visual

    spectrum and a CRI of 95. The lamps debuted in Febru-

    ary at the EuroShop retail-oriented trade fair in Dsseldorf,

    Germany. The company also added to its Vivid 2 MR16

    lamp family with 4000K- and 5000K-CCT lamps intended

    to displace ceramic metal halide (CMH) and halogen light-

    ing in gemstone and other high-end retail settings.

    The AR111 product introduction marks the first time

    that Soraa has offered a solid-state lighting (SSL) product

    outside of the MR16 form factor, but apparently we can ex-

    pect more from the company. This year, we will expand

    our portfolio beyond our award-winning MR16 GU5.3 and

    GU10 lamps to create a full line of 4-in. lamps powered by

    our GaN-on-GaN LED technology, said Nick Farraway, se-

    nior vice president, international at Soraa.

    The new AR111 SSL design brings energy-efficiency

    advantages to applications

    for the larger lamps, and im-

    proved lighting as well. At Eu-

    roShop, Soraa demonstrated a

    lamp with an 8 beam that delivers

    980 lm with center beam candle power

    (CBCP) of 27,500 cd. That performance is achieved with a

    CRI of 95 and a R9 score of 95 for saturated red colors. At

    80 CRI, Soraa will offer CBCP of 34,000 cd, performance it

    said is double that of the competition.

    Looking to the MR16 space, Soraa has added high-CCT

    products after finding success with warm-CCT products

    in applications such as hospitality. High-end retail applica-

    tions, however, warrant lighting nearer natural sunlight.

    Soraa said that the LED MR16s deliver the sunlight-like

    quality without the UV emissions or beam striations com-

    monly found with CMH and halogen lighting. And of course

    the LED lamps deliver significant energy savings. Soraa CEO

    Jeff Parker said, Now with our 4000K and 5000K products,

    you can bring the energizing feel of natural light indoors

    without sacrificing light quality and compatibility.

    The higher-CCT lamps are initially available in Soraas

    12V low-voltage product family. The 4000K and 5000K

    family still deliver CRI of 95 and an R9 value above 90.

    The company said that the products will find usage in a

    broad set of retail applications, with jewelry stores being a

    prime example of a setting where broad-spectrum white

    light and high CRI can drive greater sales volumes.

    MORE: illuminationinfocus.com/news/5/2/4

    R E TA I L L I G H T I N G

    lightbeat

    1403IIF_4 4 3/20/14 2:43 PM

  • H I G H - BAY L I G H T I N G

    5Illumination In Focus www.illuminationinfocus.com MARCH/APRIL 2014

    GE supplies Intrinsx-based planar LED luminaires to US embassy in FinlandGE Lighting has announced that the renovated Innovation Center on

    the grounds of the US embassy in Helsinki, Finland, installed planar GE

    Lumination EP Series LED luminaires suspended from office ceilings.

    The products use GEs Intrinsx light-guide technology to realize a near-

    transparent look in the off state while delivering both indirect ambient

    light and task light when powered on. The Lumination EP series is

    based on the Intrinsx technology that GE developed with intellectual

    property licensed from Rambus.

    The Innovation Center is home to numerous green and sustain-

    able building practices. The embassy has attempted to use products

    winning recognition in the Department of Energys Next Generation

    Luminaires program throughout the facility. The project is registered

    with the US Green Building Council with the goal of winning LEED

    (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Platinum status.

    The project including the office lighting is winning praise,

    however, for lighting quality in addition to energy savings. Looking

    at how we use resources more efficiently is not about sacrifice, said

    Bruce J. Oreck, the US Ambassador to Finland. There is nothing about

    this building or others like it that says weve had to cut corners, which

    makes it less comfortable or less pleasing. Weve achieved a better qual-

    ity of light, the fixtures are more durable and require less service, and

    at the same time they require 7080% less energy to me thats about

    smart thinking and not about sacrifice.

    More: illuminationinfocus.com/news/4/12/9

    5

    P L A NA R L I G H T I N G

    Cree develops 23,000-lm LED high-bay luminaireThe recently announced CXB High Bay

    LED luminaire is Crees first product in

    the high-bay sector that is targeted at

    warehouse, industrial, retail, gymna-

    sium, and convention-center applica-

    tions. Cree says that in one-for-one re-

    placement scenarios relative to HID or

    multi-lamp fluorescent fixtures, the new

    solid-state lighting (SSL) high bay will

    cut energy usage in half and require little

    or no maintenance for 70,000 hours.

    Cree chose to enter the high-bay sec-

    tor because of the opportunity in retro-

    fit projects. The US Department of En-

    ergy (DOE) has reported that there are

    67 million high-bay luminaires installed

    in the US alone. At this time less than

    1% of the installed fixtures are SSL prod-

    ucts with the majority being metal halide

    (MH), and the remainder fluorescent.

    Cree believes that its LED-based product

    will win out over the incumbents.

    Were coming into the market with

    the highest lumens-per-dollar product

    on the market today, said Greg Dixon,

    product portfolio manager at Cree. Cree

    expects the 23,000-lm fixture to sell for

    less than $400. The luminaire delivers

    efficacy of 100 lm/W. The CXB product

    looks very much like an MH high-bay

    with a 16-in. aluminum reflector. The

    product has a 4000K CCT and 70 CRI.

    Cree said the product is comparable to

    continued on p. 7

    1403IIF_5 5 3/20/14 2:43 PM

  • Providing you with the most comprehensive

    market studies in the LEDs, lighting, lasers,

    and photonics industries

    Strategies Unlimited offers the latest reports:

    The Market for High-Brightness LEDs in Lighting Applications:

    Market Review and Forecast 2014

    Outdoor Area and Street Lighting: Market Analysis and

    Forecast 2014

    The Worldwide Market for Lasers: Market Review and

    Forecast 2014

    Strategies Unlimited provides a unique blend of in-depth

    historical market knowledge and technical expertise, allowing

    them to deliver comprehensive market studies and far-reaching

    assessments into new applications and market directions.

    Join the many companies who use research from Strategies

    Unlimited as an integral part of their business decision-making

    processes.

    Tim Carli650.946.3163

    [email protected]

    strategies-u.com

    ORDER Your Report

    Today!

    1403IIF_6 6 3/20/14 2:43 PM

  • Solder and

    Fluxes for LEDs

    Learn more:

    http://indium.us/F312

    Flux

    Solder

    Paste

    Flux-Coated

    Preforms

    Thermal

    Interface

    NanoFoil

    2014 Indium Corporation

    ASIA CHINA EUROPE USA

    www.indium.com

    [email protected]

    Illumination In Focus www.illuminationinfocus.com

    400W MH fixtures or six-lamp T5/HO or T8 fluores-

    cent fixtures. Dixon said that the LED lamps can even

    be spaced at 1.4 times the density of standard 400W

    MH fixtures in new construction or in cases where a

    building owner wanted to minimize fixture count.

    To illustrate the capabilities of the product, Cree

    provided two prototypical comparative scenarios each

    involving 15 fixtures. In both cases the scenario in-

    cluded a 28-ft ceiling, but in one instance the target

    was 5060 fc and in the other the target was 2030

    fc. That resulted in 2017-ft and 3030-ft spacing,

    respectively. Cree compared the 230W CXB against

    400W MH, 400W pulse-start MH, 361W T5/HO,

    and 222W T8 fixtures. Note that the actual power

    consumption on the MH fixtures with a ballast is in

    the 450W to 455W range.

    The CXB fixture delivers 56.1 and 24.02 fc in the

    two target scenarios. That performance is better than

    the standard MH fixtures and within 26 fc of the

    pulse-start MH and T5 fixtures. The T8 fixture cant

    meet the minimum fc requirements.

    Cree followed up the photometric comparison

    with a ten-year financial analysis of such a 15-fixture

    installation. In the MH case, a building owner would

    need to replace 34 lamps over ten years, incurring

    $1500 in lamps and labor cost and the inconvenience

    of disturbing workflow. The LED fixtures would de-

    liver $19,000 in annual energy savings based on

    12 hours of use per day and the national average of

    $0.11/kWh in electrical cost. Cree says that payback

    occurs in three years. A similar comparison against

    T5/HO fixtures results in a four-year payback.

    MORE: illuminationinfocus.com/news/5/1/4

    1403IIF_7 7 3/20/14 2:43 PM

  • MARCH/APRIL 2014 www.illuminationinfocus.com Illumination In Focus 8

    Tunable LEDs soothe or energize soulsBy Maury Wright

    Design frm Tobias Link created LED lighting installations in a Zurich luxury residence, including auto-themed lighting in a garage and a soothing nature experience in the spa area.

    We most often discuss LED lighting rel-

    ative to energy savings, but solid-state

    lighting (SSL) technology enables proj-

    ects that couldnt be realized practically

    with legacy sources. Consider the Zu-

    rich, Switzerland private residence that

    graces our cover. The Tobias Link design

    frm utilized color-tunable LED-based

    products to enable an ambience and a

    theme matched to the uses of both a ga-

    rage/entertainment space and a pool/spa

    area. In this instance, controls are used

    to programmatically deliver the intended

    experience as opposed to boosting en-

    ergy effciency, although the use of LED

    lighting makes such a project feasible in

    terms of energy usage.

    The two areas of the residence use

    very similar lighting technologies, but

    the installations deliver dramatically

    different experiences. The garage area

    delivers an energetic vibe while the spa

    area is meant to soothe in all of the pro-

    gram choices.

    The garage area was designed both to

    accommodate the homeowners automo-

    biles and to serve sporadically as an ex-

    hibition space and to host events. Tobias

    Link delivered an auto-themed design

    in which ceiling light patterns resemble

    roadways or even a racetrack. The de-

    signer said that the system even directs

    autos into the appropriate places similar

    to the way taxiways direct airport traffc.

    The RGB (red, green, blue) enabled

    fxtures were installed on the low ceil-

    ing and in coves and deliver uniform

    yet dynamic lighting across the ceiling.

    The delivered intent was to make the

    ceiling appear paper thin, according

    to the designers.

    While the theme was meant to

    provide a Formula One vibe, the design

    actually mixes past and futuristic ele-

    ments. Tobias Link installed some his-

    toric luminaires to create synergy with

    some of the vintage autos in the home-

    owners collection of sports cars.

    Wellness area

    In the wellness area, the challenge was

    creating a nature-centric theme with

    a variety of programs that deliver spe-

    cifc scenarios, all of which are meant

    to invoke a soothing atmosphere. The

    wellness area includes shower rooms,

    changing rooms, and massage rooms.

    The open pool area includes a sauna/

    Design

    1403IIF_8 8 3/20/14 2:43 PM

  • 9Illumination In Focus www.illuminationinfocus.com MARCH/APRIL 2014

    Color-tunable

    LED-based lighting

    enables an auto-

    themed design

    in which ceiling

    patterns resemble

    roadways or

    racetracks in the

    garage, which

    is not only used

    to house the

    homeowners

    vehicles but also to

    entertain guests.

    Ima

    ge

    s c

    ou

    rte

    sy o

    f p

    ho

    tog

    rap

    he

    r To

    m G

    un

    de

    lwe

    in

    1403IIF_9 9 3/20/14 2:43 PM

  • MARCH/APRIL 2014 www.illuminationinfocus.com Illumination In Focus 10

    steam bath, a scented fountain, and an

    adventure shower that delivers a mix

    of water features, programmable scents,

    and programmed sound tracks.

    The indoor area looks out upon the

    Alps and that setting provided the im-

    petus for the nature theme. The primary

    component of the design concept is the

    wave-shaped sculpture located above

    the pool that was constructed with

    wood beams. RGB lighting installed on

    top of the beams delivers the dynamic

    light show indirectly with the ceiling as

    the canvas.

    The designers programmed the sys-

    tem to deliver four themes: heat of the

    lava stream, cool ocean current, fresh

    fowery meadow, and white light. The

    concept supports a cooler theme for a

    hot summer day or a warmer theme

    for a cold March/April night. The de-

    sign also uses unobtrusive vertical white

    light in niches that was carefully in-

    stalled not to infringe on the dynamic

    lighting while providing functional am-

    bient illumination.

    The Zurich project uses LEDLUX

    Linear LX fxtures from Insta Elektro

    GmbH. The linear fxtures can be con-

    fgured into continuous runs ranging

    from about 3m to 23m. Insta also of-

    fers fexible versions of the fxtures in

    lengths to 5m and that capability was

    key for the garage design.

    Tobias Link implemented the con-

    trol system as well as combining a range

    of technologies and products. The sys-

    tem uses the European Installation Bus

    to connect all the various components.

    The DMX protocol carries the control

    data. And equipment and software from

    Traxons E:Cue business unit (an Osram

    company) was used to control the light-

    ing system.

    The wellness area invokes a nature-inspired spa experience by using

    programmable RGB lighting that delivers light shows based on lava

    stream, ocean current, fower meadow, and white light themes.

    Ima

    ge

    s c

    ou

    rte

    sy o

    f p

    ho

    tog

    rap

    he

    r To

    m G

    un

    de

    lwe

    in

    1403IIF_10 10 3/20/14 2:43 PM

  • 11Illumination In Focus www.illuminationinfocus.com MARCH/APRIL 2014

    Light+Building exhibits reveal the latest in lighting and controls

    Preview

    The intersection of art and light, innovative adaptive controls technologies, indoor lighting that

    delivers superior quality that can enhance productivity, and more-effcient and better-controlled

    outdoor lighting will headline in the exhibition space at the mammoth Messe Frankfurt.

    By Maury Wright

    The Light+Building trade fair is scheduled for March 30

    through April 4, 2014 in Frankfurt, Germany. The theme for

    the year is Explore technology for life the best energy is

    the energy that is not consumed. Indeed, energy effciency is

    a prevalent requirement in the building industry and lighting

    is one of the largest consumers of energy in fnished commer-

    cial spaces. Sub-themes for the mega event include intelligent

    sustainability, smart powered buildings, and people and light.

    Upwards of 2500 exhibitors will show their latest wares

    at Light+Building. Some of the stands will feel like the size

    of a small village. And making your way around the halls

    will feel more like rush hour in New York City than a visit

    to a trade show. But the exhibit will reveal the very latest in

    lighting technology.

    Given the effciency theme, you can assume that LED-

    based lighting will be almost universal in the lighting exhib-

    its. But solid-state lighting (SSL) alone will not deliver the sav-

    ings needed by a growing world. Expect that the exhibitors

    will show the very latest in control technologies that can truly

    maximize the energy savings in lighting systems. Controls

    and LEDs will also deliver better lighting. The advantages

    range from better focused light and the right CCT for opti-

    mum worker productivity to tunable colors and white color

    temperatures to increase our wellbeing. Also expect the dra-

    matic as art and light meet. The products featured in the

    following pages deliver a preview of what can be expected

    at Messe Frankfurt.

    Cini&Nils ceiling-mounted FormLa

    confgurable elements

    FormLa looks like art, but Cini&Nils says that the

    confgurable ceiling version of the product is designed to

    contribute to human wellbeing. The health benefts come

    from confgurable forms that can span an entire ceiling,

    creating a relaxed environment with diffused indirect

    light. The company realized the product using individual

    geometric elements with the LED lighting installed as

    fexible strips that enable the artistic shapes.

    1403IIF_11 11 3/20/14 2:43 PM

  • MARCH/APRIL 2014 www.illuminationinfocus.com Illumination In Focus 12

    Zumtobel Sequence LED luminaire

    Targeting offce lighting, the Zumtobel Sequence

    linear product family can be pendant or surface

    mounted and is designed with an LED lighting

    distribution that the company says will empower

    employees productivity. Zumtobel offers the

    products in 1.2m and 2.1m versions with the light

    provided by rectangular modular LED arrays.

    Optics applied to each 63 array determine the

    light-distribution characteristics. Generally the

    outer modules on either end of a fxture are used

    to provide diffuse indirect-like ambient light while

    the inner modules deliver direct task light. The

    fxture also includes a DALI (digital addressable

    lighting interface) capable driver.

    Cree Edge High Output

    outdoor SSL family

    Cree is using its Light+Building presence

    to launch the Cree Edge High Output

    (HO) LED outdoor luminaire family to the

    European market. The 5000K CCT products

    are available with CRI as high as 90 and

    in outputs to 75,000 lm. The product was

    announced in North America last October and

    has been installed in color-critical applications

    such as auto dealer lots (illuminationinfocus.

    com/news/4/10/12). The Cree lighting

    products will share the exhibit area with LED

    and other enabling technologies. In particular,

    Cree will feature its LMH2 SSL module with

    Sunset Dimming.

    GlacialLight AR111 Square gimbal housing kit

    Designed to host the companys AR111 LED retroft lamps, the square housing includes

    a double-gimbal mechanical design that can enable downlight installations with the

    adjustments possible on two axes. The 190190130-mm housing is built from steel

    with aluminum trim and weighs 470g. GlacialLight said the housing is designed for use in

    hotel, restaurant, and residential applications, and is designed to replace halogen lighting.

    The Vega Series AR111 LED lamps come in a variety of beam patterns and GlacialLight

    designed the housing for those bulbs, although the housing could be used with most any

    AR111 retroft lamp.

    1403IIF_12 12 3/20/14 2:43 PM

  • 13Illumination In Focus www.illuminationinfocus.com MARCH/APRIL 2014

    GE Lighting Evolve LED scalable area light

    In area lighting, its become increasingly important to both

    provide outstanding vertical illuminance to support people

    or object recognition while also delivering uniform horizontal

    illuminance on the ground or parking surface. The GE

    Lighting Evolve LED scalable area light is designed for just

    such performance while also minimizing glare based on an

    architecture that combines lens and refector optics with LED

    sources. In a parking area scenario, the design supports 5:1

    pole spacing with light output packages ranging to 35,000 lm.

    The refector based design, however, eliminates light spill behind

    the pole when required.

    Lutron Quantum and

    EcoSystem controls

    Lutrons Light+Building exhibit will be focused

    on the companys adaptive control technologies

    built around the EcoSystem wired network and

    the Quantum Total Light Management System.

    EcoSystem is an enhanced version of DALI that

    Lutron supports with drivers, luminaires, sensors,

    and control systems; and compatible luminaires

    are offered by lighting vendors such as Cree and

    GE Lighting.

    Verbatim Natural Vision

    LED candle lamps

    Candelabra-style LED retroft lamps have been

    problematic in general due to space constraints, and

    even such products that have used legacy sources

    have lacked the charm of real candles. Verbatim is

    addressing that issue with a new multi-emitter RGB LED

    integrated into the companys Natural Vision VxRGB LED

    lamps. The LED combination allows the lamps to deliver

    the 1900K CCT common to a candle fame. The 2.5W

    candelabra products are designed for use in chandeliers

    or even table settings. Verbatim will also demonstrate the

    technology in MR16 retroft lamps. The RGB emitters will

    allow such products to deliver CRI as high as 97.

    Megaman wireless controls and

    LED lighting

    The Light+Building Megaman exhibit will be

    focused on rolling out smart lighting and

    controls technology to support its broad

    range of LED retroft lamps and fxtures that

    use those lamps. Leading up to the event,

    the company wouldnt detail the control

    offering but said it would support installations

    ranging from Bluetooth control of lamps with

    a smartphone to comprehensive wireless

    networks that enable building-level controls.

    Specifcally, the company said it supports

    installations such as the conference room

    pictured nearby. The featured luminaires in the

    exhibit will be the Solid LED pendants from

    New Zealand designer David Trubridge with

    Megaman dimmable 6W PAR16 GU1O lamps

    in the sockets.

    1403IIF_13 13 3/20/14 2:43 PM

  • MARCH/APRIL 2014 www.illuminationinfocus.com Illumination In Focus 14

    Targetti in-grade Keplero

    outdoor LED fxture

    Designed to deliver dramatic uplight for architectural

    features such as in the striking residence pictured,

    the Targetti Keplero in-grade fxtures are available in

    Zoom and Gimbal models. The Zoom version includes

    a mechanical adjustment in the fxture that allows the

    luminaire to produce four different beam distributions

    from one LED source. Indeed, the luminaire can produce

    soft, food, medium-wide food, and wide food patterns

    using a mechanical design that delivers three degrees

    of freedom. Ultimately the Zoom can deliver patterns as

    wide as 20 as well as the ability to adjust the direction

    of the beam virtually parallel to the grade in which the

    fxture is mounted. The Gimbal unit can be specifed

    with different LED light engines with four LEDs that can

    deliver spot, super-spot, food, and even rectangular

    beam patterns.

    ETAP LED luminaires and

    emergency lighting

    ETAP Lighting will demonstrate a variety of product

    types at Light+Building including the slim linear LEDA

    pendant fxtures that can be confgured in a variety

    of patterns including crisscross. But the emergency

    SSL-based products are sure to garner interest. For

    example, the company will introduce the new tiny Mini

    LED module pictured that measures 20 mm in diameter.

    The LED module is meant to be recessed in the ceiling,

    virtually disappearing among other ceiling lighting

    products. Yet the module can deliver the functional light

    needed in an offce during an emergency. ETAP will also

    demonstrate new K4 emergency lighting panels based

    on OLED technology. Lighting controls and tunable LED

    technology for human-centric lighting will round out the

    demonstrations.

    Osram ARKTIKA-P LED linear

    pendant luminaire

    The ARKTIKA-P pendant luminaire uses low-power Duris E3

    LEDs from Osram Opto Semiconductors to achieve glare-free

    offce lighting intended to optimize productivity for workers using computers

    for extended periods. The unique design places the LEDs into hexagonal refective

    cavities that control the wide beam distribution from the emitters. The tiny LEDs also enable

    an aesthetically-pleasing look with the fxture less than 8 mm deep. At Light+Building, Osram will also

    demonstrate an LED A-lamp that appears to have a flament and looks nearly identical to an incandescent

    bulb. The LED Superstar lamp could virtually pass for an incandescent even with a clear diffuser globe. OLED

    panels and PrevaLED fexible LED strips will also be featured in the exhibit.

    1403IIF_14 14 3/20/14 2:43 PM

  • FIG. 1. LED lighting powered

    directly from a DC grid run

    through a drop-ceiling frame

    helps boost effciency at the

    room or building level.

    15Illumination In Focus www.illuminationinfocus.com MARCH/APRIL 2014

    Minimizing power

    conversions can save energy in

    any electrical system, and

    LED lighting is a good match for a DC grid and

    also renewable energy such as

    solar power in green buildings.

    By Maury Wright

    Lighting systems leverage DC distribution for maximum effciencyDriven by energy cost, the lighting in-

    dustry sector has been on an energy-ef-

    fciency mission, going back more than

    half a century to the broad deployment

    of fuorescent lighting in commercial

    settings, and gaining in earnest in the

    1980s with the development of the com-

    pact fuorescent lamp (CFL). Increas-

    ingly, however, its become clear that

    minimizing energy usage goes far be-

    yond the light source. Indeed, we have

    regularly covered controls that can

    compound savings through occupancy

    sensing and dimming. The opportu-

    nity for better effciency also extends to

    the power grid both inside and outside

    of buildings and to renewable sources

    such as solar. Lets discuss how DC-grid

    technology can deliver signifcant en-

    ergy savings, especially when combined

    with inherently effcient LED sources.

    The broad topic of DC versus AC

    grids is beyond our scope here, but if

    we look inside a commercial building

    DC grid

    1403IIF_15 15 3/20/14 2:43 PM

  • AC branch power

    DC ceilinggrid

    Occupancy anddaylight sensors

    HVACactuator

    AV devicesand security

    IT wirelessaccess devicePower supply

    Lights

    Roomcontrols

    Optional on-site DC power

    MARCH/APRIL 2014 www.illuminationinfocus.com Illumination In Focus 16

    the opportunities for DC distribution

    become clear (Fig. 1). There are two pri-

    mary reasons that now may be the time

    for DC power distribution in buildings.

    First, we can minimize the number of

    lossy power conversions with a DC grid.

    Second, renewable sources such as solar

    panels produce DC power. And despite

    the relatively low conversion effciency

    of solar panels, they can power effcient

    LED fxtures.

    Energy losses

    Power conversions inherently result in

    power lost as heat. Conversions happen

    in AC/DC power supplies that also may

    convert voltage level, and in DC/DC

    power supplies that only convert volt-

    age level. Note that the so-called driver

    used in LED lighting is simply a con-

    stant-current power supply. Generally

    more conversions equate to greater en-

    ergy lost, and larger level changes are

    less effcient than smaller level changes.

    Today, the bulk of our devices that

    require power in homes and businesses

    need DC power. Nicole Bopp, direc-

    tor of marketing at Nextek Power Sys-

    tems, said that ultimately 80% of the

    watts used in the home power DC

    loads. Indeed, mobile phones to PCs

    to fat-panel TVs could be powered di-

    rectly by DC. In commercial buildings,

    you can add the power-hogging IT data

    centers to the list. All of these DC de-

    vices require power-wasting converters

    to operate.

    Legacy lighting, however, has been

    able to operate directly from the AC

    line. But that lighting has been itself

    ineffcient and the reason that light-

    ing consumes somewhere around 30%

    of the total energy used in the United

    States. LEDs promise to slash the en-

    ergy use attributable to lighting in gen-

    eral and DC power distribution can en-

    hance overall effciency.

    EMerge Alliance

    There is an organization promoting DC

    power distribution in the US called the

    EMerge Alliance (www.emerge

    alliance.org) that is sup-

    ported by large companies rang-

    ing from lighting manufacturers to

    major players in the IT sector. The or-

    ganization has been primarily focused

    on DC distribution for data centers and

    lighting in commercial buildings. Brian

    Patterson of Armstrong World Indus-

    tries and chair of the EMerge Alliance

    said that those applications would de-

    liver the most in energy savings with

    a transition to DC distribution. More

    recently, the EMerge Alliance also an-

    nounced that it will push adoption of

    DC distribution for homes and small

    businesses to support applications such

    as rooftop solar, LED lighting, and elec-

    tric vehicle charging.

    The EMerge Alliance

    has gained signifcant

    momentum in the lighting

    industry and has had a

    major presence at Lightfair

    International (LFI)

    for several years. This

    past spring at LFI, the

    organization announced

    that it had reached 100

    member companies

    (http://bit.ly/1hafUPG).

    There are compliant

    products available from

    industry leaders such as

    Acuity Brands, Osram

    Sylvania, Philips, and

    many more. You can

    fnd a complete list of

    registered products on the

    FIG. 2. The EMerge Alliance

    has developed standards for

    DC power technology for both

    lighting systems and IT data

    centers.

    1403IIF_16 16 3/20/14 2:43 PM

  • 17Illumination In Focus www.illuminationinfocus.com MARCH/APRIL 2014

    FIG. 3. A growing number of

    fxtures offer EMerge compliance,

    including this Acuity Brands

    troffer fxture.

    alliance website (http://bit.ly/1fS7EHj).

    In a typical scenario based on

    EMerge standards, a single power sup-

    ply might power as many as 100 LED-

    based fxtures via a 24V DC bus (Fig.

    2). The power supply can accept an AC

    input in a typical commercial space

    that is already wired for AC, or a DC

    input when there is an enterprise DC

    grid or power from a solar system.

    Nextek has a product with dual inputs

    that can operate from solar when that

    power is available and seamlessly swap

    to AC when the sun goes down.

    In this article we wont dig deeper

    into the details of how a DC grid oper-

    ates, but you can fnd more of that in-

    formation in a feature article that ran

    last summer in LEDs Magazine (http://

    bit.ly/1mlBLom). Here we will concen-

    trate on the advantages of DC, the po-

    tential of solar power, and some actual

    product and deployment examples.

    DC advantages

    The advantages of a DC grid certainly

    start with the aforementioned effciency

    gained through fewer power conver-

    sions, although there are also signif-

    cant logistic advantages. The Class-2

    low-voltage wiring that connects fx-

    tures is far simpler in installations rela-

    tive to AC systems where conduit must

    be run to each fxture. Indeed, in a DC

    scenario, a building owner could mod-

    ify room lighting without the need for

    an electrician.

    The 24V bus can even be run di-

    rectly in a drop-ceiling grid frame. For

    example, Armstrong offers the DC

    FlexZone system in both the Suprafne

    T-bar and Silhouette product lines. The

    main beams carry the DC bus power

    and are used with standard cross tees

    and other drop-ceiling accessories. A

    simple connector and short cable at-

    tach to the main beam then connect to

    the lighting fxture. In such an installa-

    tion, fxtures can be easily moved and

    rearranged to match changes in an of-

    fce space.

    Luminaires can be

    mounted directly on the

    FlexZone frame. For ex-

    ample, spotlights can be

    mounted to the grid almost

    as if it were a track fx-

    ture (Fig. 4). JLC-Tech of-

    fers a series of different T-

    bar LED products that are

    linear in nature and essen-

    tially become part of the

    grid. Fig. 1 depicts such an

    installation at the offces of

    AWeber Communications

    in Chalfont, Pennsylvania

    (http://bit.ly/1aFackK).

    The system also supports

    standard recessed trof-

    fer fxtures including both

    LED-based products and

    fuorescent fxtures. Fig. 3 depicts an

    Acuity troffer that is compatible with

    EMerge standards and FlexZone ceil-

    ings. The effciency advantages of a DC

    grid also apply to fuorescent instal-

    lations, but fewer fuorescent fxtures

    can be powered by an EMerge power

    channel because generally fuorescent

    fxtures require more power than do

    LED fxtures.

    Renewable energy

    Proponents argue that DC grid tech-

    nology offers suffcient advantages

    that a transition to DC is warranted at

    some level purely based on the previ-

    ously discussed elimination of lossy

    power conversions and the logis-

    tics advantages. Ultimately, however,

    the good match between renewable

    sources and a DC grid might be the

    piece of the puzzle that leads to broad

    deployment. When it comes to light-

    ing, LED technology is a key piece of

    that puzzle as well.

    While its commonplace across the

    US and in many places around the

    globe to see solar panels on roofs and

    wind turbines in both urban and rural

    areas, renewable sources are far from

    a perfect solution to energy issues. En-

    ergy sources such as wind and solar

    are diffuse, and therefore we need large

    FIG. 4. The Armstrong FlexZone DC grid

    ceiling allows direct attachment of luminaires.

    1403IIF_17 17 3/20/14 2:43 PM

  • MARCH/APRIL 2014 www.illuminationinfocus.com Illumination In Focus 18

    areas to capture suffcient energy. Cap-

    turing and storing such energy remains

    more expensive than using fossil fuels.

    There is a very good article on the chal-

    lenges on The Energy Collective website

    (http://bit.ly/1mvW99a).

    Still, as prices for products such as

    solar panels drop, it becomes increas-

    ingly more realistic to use roof-top solar

    locally to power a home or commercial

    building. In the case of solar, the chal-

    lenge remains effciency. Panels today

    are still limited to effciency ratings be-

    low 15%.

    But its the mating of a renewable

    source with energy-effcient technolo-

    gies that can pay off at the building level.

    Terry Walsh, president and CEO of

    lighting manufacturer Tempo Industries,

    refers to LED lighting technology as

    symbiotic and enabling when used with

    other clean tech technologies.

    At The LED Show in August 2013,

    Walsh said, LEDs breathe life into so-

    lar. His point was that LED lighting

    is effcient enough to be powered by

    localized solar energy, especially when

    combined with controls. In such cases

    with controls, Walsh more recently

    said a solid-state lighting (SSL) instal-

    lation can deliver 8090% energy sav-

    ings compared to legacy lighting sys-

    tems. He added, It is reasonable and

    achievable to potentially see a park-

    ing garage, for instance, drop its power

    requirements enough to go off grid.

    The DC grid adds to the renewable

    potential.

    LEED platinum example

    Given the advantages weve discussed,

    its a fair question to ask why there

    arent readily-available examples of

    real-life installations, and why broad

    deployment hasnt begun. In the case

    of EMerge-compliant products, 2013

    marked the frst time there were truly

    suffcient numbers of lighting, power

    supply, and accessory products to sup-

    port a commercial-scale project with

    diverse lighting needs.

    Still, at least one major project came

    on line in 2013 that uses a DC grid

    and solar technology along with a host

    of other green practices. In early 2013,

    PNC Bank opened a new branch of-

    fce in Fort Lauderdale, Florida that the

    company said exceeds LEED (Lead-

    ership in Energy and Environmental

    FIG. 5. A PNC Bank branch achieved net-zero energy usage by combining

    energy-saving technologies including LED fxtures, adaptive controls, solar

    power, and a DC grid.

    FIG. 6. The PNC branch includes 211 solar panels mounted on the main

    building and other structures.

    continued on page 23

    1403IIF_18 18 3/20/14 2:43 PM

  • 19Illumination In Focus www.illuminationinfocus.com MARCH/APRIL 2014

    Consider both long-term

    energy and maintenance

    savings and the impact of LED

    lighting projects on building

    market value to get a true look at the cost of major retrofts.

    Commercial LED retroft justifes project with market value increaseDon McDougall, general manager,

    Solid State Capital Services (SSCS)

    The prime barrier to broader deploy-

    ment of LED-based lighting remains

    high upfront costs despite the energy

    and maintenance savings that a retro-

    ft can deliver over many years. There

    are a growing number of fnancing

    options for lighting projects, but still

    building owners struggle to justify ma-

    jor renovations. Lighting manufactur-

    ers, designers/specifers, and build-

    ing owners, however, must understand

    that solid-state lighting (SSL) retrofts

    are not akin to legacy lighting projects.

    High-quality LED lighting can deliver

    real capital improvement, measurable

    in building market value that can jus-

    tify many projects.

    Solid State Capital services (SSCS)

    completed a project for one of the larg-

    est property owners in Los Angeles

    County. The lighting retroft that they

    completed cost them $60,000. The en-

    ergy savings and other benefts gave

    this project a 30-month payback or re-

    turn on investment (ROI). This client

    arranged to pay for the lighting and in-

    stallation over time and so the proj-

    ect was effectively cash-fow positive

    the frst year. The savings exceeded the

    amortized costs.

    The above story is becoming rela-

    tively commonplace in the lighting in-

    dustry as LED-based products improve

    in quality and drop in price. The most

    important beneft to this client was the

    increase in market value to the prop-

    erty. The savings in energy usage were

    so pronounced that the propertys mar-

    ket value was increased by $426,000.

    The capital improvement view

    All too often an LED lighting retroft

    is seen as an expenditure or a mainte-

    nance issue. In fact, such a project is

    a capital improvement that increases

    the market value of the property. Like

    with any capital project, building own-

    ers should use quality products to en-

    sure that they realize the highest return

    on investment (ROI). Ironically, spend-

    ing more money upfront can be a good

    thing. Cheap products equal poor ROI.

    Consider the previous example: The

    energy usage for the lighting has been

    cut by almost 80%. That energy re-

    duction equates to $40,000 per year

    Renovation

    1403IIF_19 19 3/20/14 2:43 PM

  • MARCH/APRIL 2014 www.illuminationinfocus.com Illumination In Focus 20

    in reduced operating costs. What is

    $40,000 per year worth when you cal-

    culate the discounted cash fow of the

    property? Everyone calculates market

    values in their own way, based on their

    own concerns about risk and reward

    and the never-ending debate about cap

    and discount rates. This client calcu-

    lated the increase in value at $426,000.

    In any such projects, the building

    owner will have to consider local is-

    sues such as utility rates and local reg-

    ulatory concerns. For example, in Cal-

    ifornia, the California Public Utilities

    Commission (CPUC) recently approved

    an increase in utility rates and that data

    must be factored into longer-term sav-

    ings. California is also faced with look-

    ing at higher than average energy costs

    to meet mandated green energy usage.

    Add this to the fact that the State is de-

    commissioning one if not two major

    nuclear plants and you can see the rea-

    sons for the increased utility rates and

    the reason for sizeable increases in

    market value for renovated property.

    Restaurant example

    Lets contemplate some other real exam-

    ples that SSCS has worked on. A chain

    of 40 family-style restaurants completed

    a similar LED retroft. While each store

    gained only a little more than $120,000

    in value, the increase in value to the

    chain as a whole was in excess of $4.8

    million. Fig. 1 depicts the breakdown in

    savings for the restaurant chain attribut-

    able to the lighting retroft.

    Single-property owners and lessees

    can also beneft. A warehouse distri-

    bution company in Hawaii installed a

    cutting-edge LED fxture from Tempo

    Industries that is a linear replacement

    for fuorescent lighting. The annual

    savings was $79,000 per year. Remem-

    ber Hawaii has an energy rate of $0.37/

    kWh. But the increase in benefts had

    to be discounted as the lease only has

    another 10 years to go. That said, the

    initial beneft to this client is $650,000

    in market value for the company, and

    an enhancement to the property to be

    used to barter when the lease comes up

    for renewal.

    This last example is interesting in

    that the company assisting in set-

    ting up and selecting the new light-

    ing chose the Tempo C7 CliP (Confgu-

    rable Lighting Platform) system (Fig. 2).

    Parking garage retrofts, such as

    this project using luminaires from

    Acuitys Tersen brand, can increase

    the capital value of real estate and

    help justify the expense of an LED

    lighting project.

    1403IIF_20 20 3/20/14 2:43 PM

  • Energy

    HVAC

    Material Labor

    Chain restaurant

    The raceway housingincludes multipleindustry standardmounting options

    Racewayhousing

    Light engine withintegrated driver -Hangers simplify

    maintenance

    21Illumination In Focus www.illuminationinfocus.com MARCH/APRIL 2014

    FIG. 1. A breakdown of the savings

    for a restaurant chain attributable

    to an LED lighting retroft.

    Tempo just announced new products

    in the CliP family that are designed to

    deliver L90 lifetime (90% of initial lu-

    mens) of 86,000 hours. That equates to

    ten years of continuous usage. Tempo

    said that the intent with product life is

    to match and even deliver longer-than-

    typical-interval building retrofts with

    normal usage patterns.

    The point about the 86,000-hour

    rated life is how maintenance savings

    also impact building value. The ability

    to reduce the lighting maintenance cost

    effectively to zero for the next 20 years

    in an active work environment was one

    of the selling points in the Hawaii proj-

    ect and factored heavily into the build-

    ing value.

    Calculating market value

    So how do you calculate the increase in

    value to a property due to the increase

    in cash fow from an LED lighting ret-

    roft? There are two methods one

    of them easy, the other more complex.

    SSCS prefers to run a DCF (Discounted

    Cash Flow) model on the increased in-

    come stream. This takes some work

    and some knowledge of the property

    owners plans for the property and

    aversion to risk.

    The easy method is to simply take

    the annual savings and multiply it by a

    rate of return. There are a lot of fancy

    names for how you do this, but lets

    just keep it simple. The number is gen-

    erally between a factor of 6 and 10. So

    $10,000 in savings per year can mean

    $60,000 to $100,000 in increased mar-

    ket value.

    You can argue that this is too simple

    an explanation or that the range is too

    broad. The fact is that most property

    owners have a number in their heads

    that they expect to use. We feel the

    DCF is more accurate, but sometimes

    you just need a place to start. Our

    thought is that anything that is a 10X

    multiple is probably too big an increase,

    but everyone calculates the value dif-

    ferently; when you remember that util-

    ity costs are not likely to drop anytime

    soon, the decision can be more com-

    plex than it frst seems.

    There are many other elements that

    can help justify an SSL retroft and

    that can impact market value. For ex-

    ample, SSCS provides EPAct (Energy

    Policy Act) certifcations, 1245/1250

    depreciation calculations, abandon-

    ment cost tax accounting, and ROI as-

    sistance. We also work with clients

    utility providers to maximize the utility

    rebate. Maximizing such rebates can be

    more challenging that you might think.

    Characterizing savings

    We should also address determination

    of the savings in a project. Knowing that

    savings can create an increase in mar-

    ket value is great, but how do you proj-

    ect your savings? The savings come from

    several sources as we have discussed ca-

    sually throughout the article, including

    the inclusion of the example charts for

    different business types.

    Energy savings is sometimes the only

    calculation that is considered. Energy

    usage can be very important. But fo-

    cusing solely on energy is a mistake. In

    some cases energy is not even the pri-

    mary source of savings.

    Nevertheless, lets consider projec-

    tion of energy savings. You simply take

    the usages of your current fxtures and

    compare those to the proposed new sys-

    tem. That comparison provides a real-

    istic look at a one-year projection. Then

    FIG. 2. Tempo Industries CliP lighting products are designed to deliver L90

    lifetime (90% of initial lumens) of 86,000 hours, with the possibility to deliver

    longer-than-typical-interval building retrofts with normal usage patterns.

    1403IIF_21 21 3/20/14 2:44 PM

  • Energy

    HVAC

    Material

    Labor

    Gaming foor

    Energy

    HVAC

    Material

    Labor

    Auto dealer

    MARCH/APRIL 2014 www.illuminationinfocus.com Illumination In Focus 22

    we look historically at the increase in the

    cost of power for the location at hand.

    The historical look requires both a na-

    tional and regional evaluation. For ex-

    ample, we have used a 4% infation

    rate in cases. But the move away from

    coal and the mandated switch to green

    sources will move this number up

    in some states to double digits. Where

    we can show support for a different in-

    fation rate, we use those numbers.

    Building owners should also con-

    sider controls. But you may not know

    what ya got or dont have, and what

    you are going to get in the future. LEDs

    dont suffer degradation from the inte-

    gration of controls like fuorescents do

    where dimmed light levels dont deliver

    commensurate energy savings. Build-

    ing or facility owners must calculate

    their own numbers and double-check

    the savings touted by lighting vendors

    under consideration.

    Moreover, the impact on controls

    varies greatly by application. For a

    parking garage with 24/7 usage, the

    percentage of savings can exceed 90%

    of the initial energy cost, relative to a

    non-LED system without controls.

    The impact of LEDs on the HVAC

    system should also be fgured in. Fluo-

    rescent lights give off more heat than

    you may recognize. Remove the fuo-

    rescents and you lose that extra heat.

    How much can LEDs impact an

    HVAC bill? Optimally a building will

    realize 33% of the energy savings as a

    beneft. That is, for every watt you save

    in lighting you save an additional one-

    third of a watt in reduced HVAC draw.

    The best candidates for this full bonus

    are facilities that use a lot of energy for

    their AC. Some facilities may not have

    HVAC for instance, a parking garage

    or open warehouse. In these cases there

    would be zero HVAC bonus savings.

    Still, building owners can calculate the

    HVAC energy bonus, and it is real and

    tangible. Dont forget to include it in

    your calculation.

    Maintenance savings

    Last, we will address the complex

    topic of maintenance savings. LED

    lighting systems last longer than

    fuorescents and so owners save in

    two areas: the cost of the replacement

    lamps and the labor cost of replacing

    the bulbs and ballasts.

    There is more to the cost of replac-

    ing bulbs than just these two compo-

    nents. Consider a casino where chang-

    ing out a single lamp can cost $5,000

    or more. The casino must add in the

    cost of bringing in a lift, cording off the

    area, readjusting security, and the loss

    of revenue as people stop playing slots

    to watch the exciting bulb replacement.

    Casinos track the revenue of each slot

    and game over time. The costs of re-

    placing lamps are well documented.

    Fig. 3 depicts the casino savings break-

    down. Some casinos will consider the

    $5,000 cost to be conservative. Many

    other businesses also suffer unexpect-

    edly high maintenance costs.

    Some businesses proactively manage

    the maintenance process. An upscale

    automotive dealership will use group re-

    lamping to control the costs. Dozens of

    cars need to be removed from the show-

    room and then brought back in, so the

    cost can be signifcant. A $3,000 charge

    per re-lamping is not unexpected and

    you may see this done more than twice

    per year with the lighting playing a criti-

    cal role in highlighting the vehicles for

    customers. Fig. 4 depicts the savings

    breakdown for auto dealers.

    Labor costs are also almost always

    an issue. Some companies will swear

    to you that they just use existing staff

    and that there are no real additional

    costs incurred except the lamps. One

    facilities director for a set of restaurants

    made this claim loudly in front of man-

    agement, that there was no added cost

    for lighting maintenance, but he still

    absorbed thousands of dollars in over-

    time every single month. The director

    pointed out that the overtime was not

    lighting related. He pointed out that

    the crew handled the re-lamping dur-

    ing the day. That work, however, left

    FIG. 3. A breakdown of the savings

    for a casino attributable to an LED

    lighting retroft.

    FIG. 4. A breakdown of the savings

    for an automotive dealership

    attributable to an LED lighting

    retroft.

    1403IIF_C3 3 3/20/14 2:49 PM

  • 23Illumination In Focus www.illuminationinfocus.com MARCH/APRIL 2014

    cleanup tasks for which the restaurants

    paid overtime to cover.

    Calculating the labor cost for a lamp

    replacement often involves asking ques-

    tions about how labor is used and how

    management calculates their cost. One

    of our clients used contract union la-

    bor at $120 an hour to do their lamp

    replacements. For this client even rou-

    tine lamp replacements were expensive.

    One site manager we worked with used

    the maintenance budget to cover atten-

    dance at conventions.

    So for this portion of the savings

    there is no simple calculation that you

    can use; you need to understand how

    labor is used and how it works. You

    also have to spend the time with the

    property owner and facilities manager

    to get honest answers that you can use

    to prepare your calculations.

    SSCS has reviewed multiple projects

    where the energy savings are only 50%

    of the total savings and less than that

    on a few rare exceptions one being

    a paint booth for ships superstructures.

    The additive benefts of savings are im-

    pressive when you know where to look

    and how to add them up.

    Still, remember that savings are

    more than a factor in determining ROI.

    The primary factor in justifying ret-

    rofts will remain the market value of

    buildings and other facilities. Each in-

    crease in savings adds to the market

    value of the property, and the total net

    worth of a project.

    Design) Platinum requirements (Fig.

    5). The branch was designed as a net-

    zero building, meaning that it generates

    more electricity than it uses.

    The PNC branch uses many of the

    technologies weve discussed in this ar-

    ticle and in other recent Illumination in

    Focus features. The company has said

    that the solar panels visible in Fig. 6

    feed a DC ceiling grid to power the in-

    door lighting. The bank has not men-

    tioned the EMerge Alliance but Paul

    Savage, CEO of Nextek, said the branch

    uses the DC FlexZone powered by

    Nextek EMerge-compliant Power Serve

    Modules (PSMs) and that other fxtures

    connect directly over low-voltage wir-

    ing to the PSMs.

    Daylight harvesting also plays a key

    role in the energy effciency achieved

    by PNC. As we covered in a feature last

    April, daylighting can reduce the reli-

    ance on artifcial lighting during day-

    time hours (http://bit.ly/1igGhXN). In

    the PNC case, sensors dim or extinguish

    lights when daylight is plentiful.

    Other building systems

    The bank building design also plays a

    part in the daylighting and in minimiz-

    ing energy used by the HVAC system. A

    solar shade thats evident in Fig. 5 re-

    fects some sunlight during the hottest

    time of the day to reduce the energy

    used for cooling. Still, the shade allows

    suffcient daylight to pass, minimizing

    the need for artifcial lighting.

    PNC also used adaptive controls for

    occupancy. Sensors that detect vacant

    spaces can trigger both lights and com-

    puter monitors to shut off. The bank

    branch has many other green features

    including a ventilation system that re-

    covers energy and a vertical plant wall

    that helps cool the building.

    PNC has yet to reveal any details about

    how much the individual elements such

    as the DC grid add to energy effciency.

    But the bank has revealed projections for

    the 4900-ft2 building. PNC expects the

    design to produce 84,000 kWh each year

    while consuming 70,000 kWh. The dif-

    ference is enough to power a 1600-ft2

    home according to PNC. PNC said the

    branch uses 50% less energy than a typi-

    cal bank branch of comparable size.

    DC proponents can make the case

    that we would be better off with a DC

    grid as the basis of our entire electrical

    system. But that horse has proverbially

    left the barn. Still, new buildings will

    be able to adopt DC as the primary grid

    going forward. The key to broad accep-

    tance, however, is the ability for build-

    ings to use a hybrid approach, and that

    has guided the efforts of the EMerge Al-

    liance since inception. The standards

    have been crafted such that DC tech-

    nology can be adopted at the room to

    building level, and that makes it per-

    fectly suitable for retroft scenarios. We

    expect to see much broader DC usage in

    2014 and will bring you coverage of case

    studies as they emerge.

    Calculating the labor cost for

    lamp replacement involves how labor

    is used and how management

    calculates their cost.

    continued from page 18

    1403IIF_C4 4 3/20/14 2:49 PM

    Table of ContentsfeaturesCOVER STORYTunable LEDs soothe or energize souls

    CONFERENCE PREVIEWLight+Building exhibit sreveal the latest in lighting and controls

    DC GRIDSLighting system sleverage DC distribution for maximum effciency

    RENOVATIONCommercial LED retroft justifes project with market value increase

    departments | columnsEDITORIALLED lamps poised for steep growth

    LIGHTBEATSoraa brings GaN-on-GaN LEDsto AR111 lamps, adds high-CCT MR16sCree develops 23,000-lm LED high-bay luminaireGE supplies Intrinsx-based planar LED luminaires to US embassy in Finland