Engineered Systems - November 2008 - (Page 52)

G INTELLIGENT LIGHTING GREEN INTELLIGENT BUILDINGS inhaled asbestos resides permanently inside the body. Before it was realized that the inhalation of asbestos could be disabling and even fatal, it was a de facto building material. Each time a ceiling in an older building is penetrated, the risk exists that asbestos is injected into the air, rendering installers vulnerable to serious health risks. If an older building owner wishes to install occupancy-based controls into an existing building, solutions exist that do not require that the installers subject themselves to asbestos. In the case of three-story office building, the health risks were averted by installing selfpowered occupancy sensors, self-powered light switches, and electrical load controllers. The installed energy-conserving controls allowed the building owner to reduce spending on lighting unoccupied rooms. When a room is unoccupied, the lights are automatically turned off. This provides integrators an easy and safe way to comply with new building standards such as California Title 24. This particular mandate requires that lights are manually turned on and automatically turned off when the room is no longer occupied. PAYBACK AND ROI According to the DOE, lighting represents 40% of the average commercial building’s electric bill. However, only 20% of existing U.S. commercial buildings feature modern lighting technology, while 80% continue to operate lighting systems installed before 1986. In the short term, installers will make a lot of money ridding existing buildings of their inefficiencies. In the long term, building owners and tenants will reap the rewards of occupying energy-efficient buildings. It is estimated that buildings owners will typically recoup the cost of installation in 2.3 years. GOVERNMENT REBATES The Energy Policy Act of 2005 created the Energy Efficient Commercial Buildings Deduc- tion, which allows building owners to deduct the entire cost of a lighting or building upgrade in the year the equipment is placed in service (subject to a cap). Building owners can reduce operating costs and increase profitability and competitiveness by investing in the highest levels of energy-efficient lighting. For information on how to collect rebates, contact EnOcean at (801) 943-3215. LEED® POINTS LEED® defines green design, promotes green design practices, and rewards organizations that adopt green design. LEED projects are certified according to the number of points achieved based on how green the building is. The USGBC predicts that by 2010, there will be 100,000 LEED-certified commercial buildings and 1 million certified homes. The rewards for the integrator are embedded inside the installation. A high number of LEED points translates into less energy consumed and lower utility spending. In terms that any building One One One Many m nterface of Accountability ty Input 119 at www.esmagazine.com/instantproductinfo Lighting control solutions designed to eliminate integration uncertainty. Like to know more, visit Lumisys on the web: www.AnyBAS.com 52G ES GREEN INTELLIGENT BUILDINGS ESM02084Lum.indd 1 November 2008 1/16/08 1:52:35 PM http://www.AnyBAS.com http://www.AnyBAS.com http://www.esmagazine.com/instantproductinfo

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Engineered Systems - November 2008

Engineered Systems - November 2008 Contents Editor’s Note HVAC Challenge Back2Basics Case In Point Commissioning Building Automation HVACR Designer Tips Show Me The Motor Money The IAQ Top 10 Putting A Damper on Tragedy Special: Lighting Controls Computers & Software Products Glossary Classifieds Advertiser Index Tomorrow’s Environment

Engineered Systems - November 2008

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