Lighting Control
Convia, a Really Bright Solution
According to the US Department of Energy, lighting devours up to 44% of all electricity used in offices, stores, other commercial buildings, and about 20% of the electricity used nationwide. In a typical building with 50,000 square feet, about $45,000 is spent on lighting energy each year. Much of this energy is wasted, resulting in higher energy bills and needless air pollution. [1]
Convia spaces typically use less than 50% of the electricity required by even the most efficient energy baselines. Convia does this by employing sensors and personal controls to dim or turn off fluorescent lights, and makes it easy to deploy timed shut downs and demand response strategies.
Improving your lighting systems is one of the first steps towards increasing efficiency in your buildings — whether you are retrofitting existing buildings or designing new ones. As outlined in the Energy Star Building Upgrade Manual [2], a strategy that combines efficient lighting technologies, controls, and appropriate light levels is the most effective approach to meeting energy efficiency goals, including those required to qualify for the partial tax deduction.
Plug and Play Flexibility Light the Way
Convia Lighting Control was designed to combine innovation with ease-of-use. The Convia system utilizes “Convia Enabled” Wiremold components to distribute power throughout a space and eliminates the hardwiring between lights, switches, and sensors. Unlike traditional products that have limitations with respect to installation and functionality, Convia’s straightforward, “plug-and-play” system of controls is designed to grow with the needs of a space and can be instantly modified to meet a company’s lighting and electrical demands.
This ease of installation and reconfiguration allows owners or tenants to readily change the lighting in their physical space in moments, including turning off every single light in a building using just one switch. With no added lighting panels or expensive wiring schemes, programming the lighting control network established by the Convia system in a building couldn’t be easier. Traditionally this type of programming required specialized staff, but Convia replaced that model with one that allows an area to be changed on the fly by any authorized user in the space.
With the remote-controlled Convia Wand, users have the option to create associations between lights, switches, and sensors, simply by linking or unlinking components with the touch of a button. In addition, the Convia Global Gateway lets users program lights, switches, and sensors from the convenience of a PC. Scene controllers give users the freedom to recall their favorite settings as well as combinations of lighting and other devices as they prepare for meetings or client presentations.
Convia lighting controls enable sophisticated energy savings strategies to be implemented in a space at a fraction of the cost of traditional methods. Companies using Convia can deploy building-wide controls such as occupancy based lighting, daylight harvesting, demand response, load shedding, conditional switching and even the automatic shutoff of lights after-hours required by ASHRAE 90.1-2004, all of which allow facility managers to set limits on peak and overall consumption.
Cumulative Cost Effectiveness
Studies show that half of all new buildings fail to realize their full energy savings potential once they are commissioned. But with “ongoing commissioning,” Convia’s Energy Track reporting tool ensures your building will continue to perform well as time goes by.
According to Energy Star, every dollar invested in an energy efficiency upgrade can produce between $2 and $3 in increased asset value, which can make commercial properties more attractive to buyers and lenders. Improvements in lighting quality and employee comfort can also increase productivity in your upgraded buildings; in fact, revenue generated from increased productivity can be 10 times as high as the energy cost savings received from performing upgrades. [3]
Traditional lighting control systems require expensive service calls when changes are needed. Convia allows for quick and efficient reconfiguration, and can be easily adapted once occupancy takes place – no electrician required. Installations costs are lower than traditional lighting control products, and operating costs are lower thanks to the adaptability of the Convia system.
Typically, 70% to 80% of the electrical energy used by lighting ends up in the conditioned space as heat. Upgrading to energy efficient lighting can also reduce electrical and cooling loads by eliminating heat generated by the lighting system. [4]
LEED® Certification Opportunity
In addition to saving money on monthly energy bills, companies that employ light energy saving strategies may also qualify for Demand Response programs and federal, state, and local tax credits. Convia lighting control products provide the “high level of lighting system control for individual occupants and specific groups in multi-occupant spaces to promote the productivity, comfort and well-being of building occupants” specified by for LEED certification. [5] With a comprehensive suite of energy measures including open and closed-loop daylighting, central lighting management, automatic-off, automatic-on at 50% as well as Web-based individual and workgroup lighting control screens available for all zones on the Convia system. Each of these efforts can assist with acquiring the Energy & Atmosphere Credit 1.2 and Indoor Environmental Quality Credit 6.1 for LEED certification.
According to CoStar, LEED buildings command rent premiums of $11.24 per square foot over non-LEED buildings and have 3.8% higher occupancy. Energy Star buildings command rent premiums of $2.38 per square foot and have 3.6% higher occupancy. Energy Star buildings are selling at an average of $61 per square foot higher than their peers, while LEED buildings command a $171 per square foot premium.
Convia helps qualify a building for federal energy tax credits of up to $1.80 per square feet of a building, of which $0.60 is associated with reduced lighting consumption. Convia may also help a building qualify for local municipality energy credits where applicable. Lighting Control with Convia simply means more functionality, for less money, which makes Convia a really bright solution.
[1] ACEEE's Guide to Energy-Efficient Commercial Equipment Steven Nadel
[2] ENERGY STAR
[3] EnergyStar Buildings Manual, Supplemental Load Reductions
[4] EnergyStar Buildings Manual, Supplemental Load Reductions
[5] Convia and LEED Certification LEED Commercial Interiors (v.2-June 2005)
