SUSTAINABILITY
the requirement to meet strict emergency lighting regulations within the certain sectors such as social housing, which call for ongoing monthly visits in order to conduct emergency tests.
WIRELESS LIGHTING
TECHNOLOGY Lights left on in empty rooms is just the tip of the iceberg. Everyone knows that energy conservation saves money, but often managers are overwhelmed with where to start on what can seem like an enormous project. Many of the lighting systems operational in commercial buildings are decades old, use inefficient and outdated light sources that consume high amounts of energy and are controlled by nothing more hi-tech than an on/off switch. As such, there are now huge opportunities to achieve substantial savings and meet sustainability targets, especially as wireless lighting control and LED lighting technologies advance in the age of the Internet of Things (IoT).
One of the simplest upgrades – and one which gives immediate savings – is switching to energy- efficient LED luminaries, which can deliver significant energy savings on electricity bills of up to 50%. However, the most cost-effective and efficient solution in commercial buildings is combining LED lights with wireless lighting controls. By pairing LEDs with innovative wireless control systems savings can reach as much as 75%.
In the past, companies have been deterred by the drawbacks of bringing in more controllable options, with cost, down time and the complex layout of buildings all playing a part. The latest generation of wireless lighting control technology, however, are transforming the way commercial facilities are lit. FMs, swayed by their simple retrofit capabilities, advanced control options and ease of use, are increasingly adopting wireless lighting controls across their estates.
Gone are the days of buildings being closed for days while the lights are changed; the latest retrofit solutions are
www.tomorrowsfm.com
easy to fit and can be done with minimal disruption to the working day, so they are no more difficult to install than they would be in new-build developments.
TUNE IN TO
WIRELESS Modern solutions such as Harvard Technology’s EyeNut system are already delivering weighty energy savings for facilities managers across the UK. The innovative cloud-based, remote access, wireless control solution for indoor lighting gives users the freedom to commission, configure and completely control lighting to maximise energy savings and reduce carbon emissions. What’s more, the solution enables multi- site control from a single hub – a key requirement for facilities managers charged with managing multiple buildings across an estate.
Through the solutions Graphic User Interface (GUI), usage patterns can be managed to enable the most effective energy saving strategy to be implemented. Luminaires can be switched or dimmed collectively, or individually, and scheduled to activate lighting when needed. Information on testing for audit tracking and energy hotspots can also be accessed.
An intuitive user dashboard allows managers to monitor the energy being used, to dim individual or groups of light fixtures and map energy consumption. It is now possible to manage 500 devices from one wireless gateway through a secure network.
The software can be accessed by computer, tablet or even smart phone, allowing users to commission and map their lighting as they wish, at the same time as monitoring the energy being used. It is also IOT enabled, so can be connected to an existing Smart Building Management System.
There is no limit to the number of gateways that can be used, or the number of devices that can be managed by the central hub, while the hub can control any number of sites, supporting access from more than one user.
EyeNut’s emergency functionality eradicates the need for monthly emergency on-site tests. Users can set up automatic scheduling of functional and duration tests and export results for audit tracking. The EyeNut Emergency Interface Adaptor allows emergency luminaires to be enabled for auto-testing, with results reported in the dashboard.
OUTDOOR CONTROL The benefits of technology need
not stop at the front door. The next generation of intuitive wireless control technology, such as Harvard Technology’s EyeNode system, allows indoor and outdoor lighting controls to be combined on the one user interface for the first time. This allows users to manage and monitor both indoor and outdoor lighting fixtures, which makes it ideal for organisations with multiple sites as well as colleges and universities, airports, ports, shopping centres and even holiday resorts.
Using ZigBee technology, an energy efficient way of creating personal area networks, EyeNode presents the user with data on real time energy usage, cost savings, energy hot-spots which are using more electricity than other areas, and even light failures across a number of buildings and locations.
If slashing energy bills and increasing control weren’t enough, such systems improve the quality of the actual lighting produced. Health and safety concerns about dim bulbs and flicker are banished, and testing can be carried out remotely, and even scheduled for a particular time of day via the system’s calendar, which further reduces maintenance costs. The smart dashboard gives a warning of any lamp failures so repairs can be made immediately.
A LESSON IN SAVINGS The EyeNut system from Harvard
Technology has already delivered impressive savings both in terms of money and energy for a number of blue chip clients, including Oxford Brookes University, the White Company, Skanska and EON.
www.harvardtechnology.com TOMORROW’S FM | 29
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