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In recent years, lighting automation has experienced a rapid growth in technology development to comply with stricter guidelines mandated by state and local governments. As a result of these prevailing energy codes becoming more widely enforced, and with energy costs on the rise, the design and implementation of lighting controls has advanced significantly providing cost-effective solutions, along with easier installation for the electrical contractor. Trends that stand out among the pack are those that simplify lighting controls and enhance reliability.

According to Greg Bennorth, market specifications manager, Universal Lighting Technologies, lighting control for energy management is now possible without the need for ballast control wires. This emerging technology allows building owners and managers to reduce the power level to every ballast in a building or multiple buildings at a single command, either manually or via automated controls such as a scheduling program.

"Dramatic energy savings can be achieved by reducing power levels to avoid peak hour utility rates or by integrating common energy management hardware such as occupancy sensors or photocells," Bennorth notes. "Since there is no need for additional control wiring, this is a cost-effective solution for retrofit or new construction projects."

Another focus in energy management lighting controls is the shift towards improving the precision of both daylight and occupancy sensors, as well as further advances in distributing the intelligence of devices as opposed to centralized control, explains Ken Walma, general manager, Cooper Controls N.A..

"Control decisions have gone from the central panel all the way to individual fixture level with digital ballasts. With the prices of digital ballasts becoming less expensive, the use of daylighting and distributed control is becoming a more viable option," cites Walma.

Known to boost energy savings by up to 40 percent, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection agency (EPA), daylighting controls will be of greater use in commercial building in regard to future energy standards.

Eddie Hickerson, lighting control product specialist, Square D, explains that daylighting controls use a light-level sensor to measure interior light levels and a dimmer to dim artificial lighting when natural light is present. As the contribution of natural light (sun) increases, the artificial (electric) lighting is dimmed to maintain a minimum level of illumination. As natural light levels fall, artificial light levels are increased to maintain illumination levels.