Thinking Outside the Laboratory: A Broad Approach to Smart Lighting Strategies
Kelly Cunningham, California Lighting Technology Center
Lighting intensity in laboratories is up to twice the lighting intensity in a typical office space, according to the Labs21 Best Practice Guide "Efficient Electric Lighting in Laboratories" (759 KB, 10 pp), and while some of this energy use can be trimmed by implementing adaptive lighting controls in the laboratory, significant savings can be achieved through building-wide implementation of adaptive lighting controls, particularly in secondary spaces such as corridors and stairwells. Adaptive lighting provides an excellent solution in areas where occupancy is intermittent, yet minimum light levels must be maintained for safety, security, and compliance with building codes. Lighting remains in low-power mode (30 to 50 percent) when spaces are vacant, then brightens to full-output mode when occupied.
Significant energy savings can be gained by applying adaptive lighting strategies beyond the laboratory. A lighting audit conducted in 2009 at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) found that laboratories consume more than 13 percent of all the electricity used for campus lighting. That same survey found that corridors consume 25 percent of the energy used for lighting on the UC Davis campus. Inspired by these findings, engineers at the California Lighting Technology Center (CLTC) conducted a case study of adaptive corridor lighting in Bainer Hall on the UC Davis campus, and, indeed, the Bainer Hall installation produced an average energy savings of 73 percent.
Bi-level (low/high) lighting installations in parking lots and garages consistently yield average energy savings of 40 to 60 percent, and several CLTC case studies have demonstrated higher energy savings. End-user feedback on adaptive lighting installations is largely positive, too, for both interior and exterior applications.
Incorporating adaptive lighting controls building-wide maximizes energy savings, and this comprehensive approach can make installation significantly more cost-effective and payback periods significantly shorter (versus a limited or piecemeal approach). Lighting is also ideally suited to shed load during peak demand events, and the more easily lighting outside the laboratory can respond, the less laboratory spaces are affected.
This presentation will address the ways that adaptive lighting can achieve deep energy savings for buildings that house laboratories and research facilities without compromising safety, security, or comfort.
Kelly Cunningham is the outreach director at CLTC. Ms. Cunningham's responsibilities include providing information about CLTC and energy-efficient lighting technologies to the lighting industry, project partners, and the public through online and printed publications, tours, events, and reporting. Ms. Cunningham feels passionately about working for organizations that promote sustainable behavior change and encourage consumers at all levels to use less energy and think more about how their actions impact the planet. Ms. Cunningham graduated from North Carolina State University in 2008 with a master's degree in design. Prior to that, Ms. Cunningham held positions in various aspects of brand management, advertising, and design.