Clanton & Associates has announced the results of a six-month study analyzing the value and energy savings of lighting control systems and technologies in standard commercial office retrofit projects. The overall findings are significant, showing that wireless lighting control systems offer greater energy and cost savings compared to conventional localized and centralized lighting control system options.
“The value of advanced lighting controls is unmistakable, especially considering the ever-increasing energy efficiency mandates as well as ongoing initiatives to cut energy costs,” says Dane Sanders, professional engineer, principal and LEED accredited professional at Clanton & Associates. “Among controls systems, the research clearly shows that wireless controls offer significantly lower life-cycle and energy costs, and we are continuing to see the costs of wireless technology rapidly decrease.”
The study, titled “Wireless Lighting Control: A Life Cycle Cost Evaluation of Multiple Lighting Control Strategies,” modeled lighting retrofits for six controls scenarios in two sample office retrofit projects. Some of the more significant findings of the study are as follows:
- Wireless controls solutions available today deliver up to 25% lower lifetime costs than comparable wired systems, while also providing significantly lower initial equipment and installation costs.
- Advanced controls strategies such as daylighting, occupancy-based control and high-end trim dimming provide lower life-cycle costs and result in up to 49% less energy usage than basic, code-compliant (ASHRAE 90.1 2007) lighting controls.
- The full wireless controls scenario resulted in the lowest net present cost among all controls scenarios studied, as well as the lowest ongoing energy usage.
- The basic wireless controls scenario resulted in the fastest payback among all scenarios studied.
Addressable, networked lighting control systems (wired & wireless) offer more features for the same or less life cycle cost as the other lighting control systems evaluated.
A complete report featuring key findings and methodology results of the study is available free of charge at www.daintree.net/wireless-study
