Energy Efficient Digital Lighting - Easy to use or not?

How easy is it to truly adapt this energy efficient lighting system to a school’s existing building automation system? Can a school use this system with its portable/relocatable modular classrooms?

WattStopper Digital Lighting Management Snags 2011 BOM Top Product Award

SANTA CLARA, CA March 2011 – WattStopper is proud to announce it has received a 2011 Building Operating Management Top Product Award for its innovative Digital Lighting Management (DLM) product line.

An all-digital suite of plug-together lighting controls, DLM automatically configures to the most energy efficient sequence of operation based on installed components. The result is that DLM meets and exceeds energy code requirements, saves more energy than conventional controls, and provides an unprecedented return on investment for both new construction and retrofit projects.

With DLM, each room or space in a building has its own control network where the installer simply connects room controllers, occupancy sensors, switches and photocells as needed. Plug n’ Go technology then recognizes what is connected and automatically configures the space to the most energy efficient operation. For instance, advanced controls strategies such as automatic-on of 50% of lighting with manual-on of the remaining 50% automatically configure when appropriate DLM components are connected. Other DLM innovations include LCD screens on occupancy sensors for ease of setup, as well as a handheld bidirectional configuration tool that provides ladder-free system setup or adjustment. Because DLM uses Cat 5e RJ45 cables to connect components, time-consuming installation activities, such as interpreting wiring diagrams, setting DIP switches, and terminating low voltage wires, are eliminated. This speeds up installation and eliminates the potential for wiring errors.

DLM also offers integration of plug load control, allowing building owners to further leverage code-compliant occupancy sensors and realize greater savings. Most recently, the company expanded the DLM offering with components that allow quick and easy networking of room-based controls and lighting control panels for centralized monitoring, control and programming.

The Building Operating Management Top Products Awards are 100% reader-selected and recognize the most popular manufacturers and suppliers of the year, as determined by building and facility executives who participated in a national survey. Award winners are featured in the January 2011 issue.

WattStopper (www.wattstopper.com), a Legrand group brand, is a leading manufacturer of energy efficient lighting controls for commercial and residential use. We help customers find convenient ways to save energy, meet green initiatives, and comply with energy codes with our comprehensive range of products, programs, and services. Legrand (www.legrandelectric.com ), located in Limoges, France, is the world specialist in products and systems for electrical installations and information networks, offering solutions for use in residential, commercial and industrial buildings.

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BOM Product of the Year DLM Press Release

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Clean Burn Furnaces - Company Saves $25,000

Barr Truck Group Saves $25,000 In Just One Winter With Clean Burn Furnaces

LANCASTER, PA  --  Barr Truck Group saved $25,000 on heating bills this past winter by converting the used motor oil collected at their two Maryland service facilities into free heat. More than 39,000 square feet of shop space spread between Salisbury and Delmar locations is heated with Clean Burn waste oil furnaces.

“We operate 37 service bays across our two locations and generate thousands of gallons of waste oil,” says Dave Barrett, Machine Shop Manager. “Having a system that recycles that oil while saving us money is a huge advantage to our business.”

As part of the dealer network for the Navistar, Freightliner, Carrier Transicold, and Isuzu brands, Barr Truck has access to tap a nationwide recommendation pool. When research on a new heating system began, the case for Clean Burn was clear. “Once we decided to use our waste oil for heat, we really started to do our homework on the best system,” explains Barrett. “Clean Burn was recommended across the board by the other truck dealers we talked to.”

The conversion from fuel oil heat was made at their Salisbury location in 2008 with the installation of three CB-5000 units. The Delmar location converted from propane heat with a CB-5000 installed in 2008 and a CB-3500 installed in 2009.

The furnaces were installed and are now serviced by Eco Heating Systems, the Authorized Distributor for Clean Burn products in Maryland and Southern Delaware. “They’re a great group to work with,” Barrett says of the relationship with Eco Heating Systems. “The service and support we get from having a local distributor like that is really what sets Clean Burn apart.”

Barr Truck Group recycled more than 8,000 gallons of waste oil in their Clean Burn furnaces last winter alone.

“We know we can count on our Clean Burns,” says Barrett. “The reliability and available support from our distributor allows us to focus on running our business and not worrying about our furnaces.”

For more information on Barr Truck Group visit www.barrtruck.com. For additional details on waste oil heating products available in Maryland and Southern Delaware, visit www.ecowasteoilheaters.com.

There are over 80,000 Clean Burn functional furnaces and boilers located throughout the world that burn millions of gallons of waste oil each year on-site, at the point of generation. This volume of waste oil would otherwise be transported on highway systems and pose a considerable risk to spills and/or contamination to the environment.
 

Clean Burn is an ENERGY STAR® partner. The company holds numerous industry certifications and works with the U.S. government, the Environmental Protection Agency and various associations to help coordinate the establishment of standards and regulations related to heat recovery and recycling efforts involving used motor oils. For more information on Clean Burn, visit www.cleanburn.com or call 1-800-331-0183.

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PHOTOGRAPHY: For images of Clean Burn products visit the MEDIA ROOM at www.cleanburn.com.  

 

This blog post was approved by www.iGreenBuild.com.

 

LED Lighting Awards

EvoLucia's Aimed LED Lighting Honored with Next Generation Luminaires Lighting Design Award for Street/Area Lighting

[SARASOTA, FL: March 21, 2011] The U.S. Department of Energy, along with its partners the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) and the Illuminating Engineering Society(IES), has announced the winners of the 2010 Next Generation Luminaires™ Solid State Lighting Design Competition including EvoLucia's Aimed LED Lighting among the 37 profiled winners. EvoLucia is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sunovia Energy Technologies, Inc.

The competition drew 368 total entries, though only 138 entries from 61 companies qualified for adjudication. All four of those chosen as "Best in Class" were selected from the indoor lighting market.

After thoroughly evaluating five of EvoLucia's Cobrahead (SCHX5 LED)units, looking for those products with the lowest glare, highest efficiency, best thermal management, highest uniformity and most efficient optics, the judges applauded the glare control, uniformity and efficacy of the SCHX5 LED. EvoLucia's SCHX5 LED was one of the remaining 33 entries that were selected to be a product that the judging panel would recommend to lighting specifiers. There was only one other honoree in the roadway light category selected from all the entries. EvoLucia's SCHX5 LED was the only outdoor roadway/parking luminaire in this category that was recognized with an award.

The EvoLucia product profiled by the judges was the Cobrahead or SCHX5 LED street/area light which employs EvoLucia's patent pending Aimed Optics™ technology to efficiently direct light to a targeted area. The SCHX5 performs with an industry-high Fitted Target Efficacy score of 57 to put the most foot-candles on the ground, in the pattern required, with the best uniformity, using the fewest LEDs and the least power consumed.

Bob Fugerer, Chief Technology Officer of Sunovia, stated "The entire team at EvoLucia applauds the DOE, IALD and IES for advancing the awareness and market-acceptance of innovative LED lighting technologies that are worthy of specification by lighting designers. There is no question that LEDs are setting new standards for general illumination lighting. We are delighted that the distinguished judging panel has recognized the pace-setting efficiencies in energy and light utilization that our Aimed Optics™ technology has made possible in nextgeneration LED roadway and parking area luminaire design."

EvoLucia Aimed LED Lighting is not only more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly than many other light sources, it is also much more effective. Through EvoLucia's patent pending Aimed Optics™ technology, less overall light is needed if the light is correctly focused on the target area, which allows for more efficient lighting solutions.

Links: www.evolucialighting.comwww.sunoviaenergy.com

Sunovia Energy Technologieswas founded in 2007 to provide energy-efficient and sustainable energy solutions by commercializing advances in clean technology. The subsidiary EvoLucia Lighting, Inc. markets LED Lighting for roadways, public spaces and other outdoor site applications, using patent-pending Aimed Optics™ technology providing more energy-efficient, environmentally friendly, and effective aimed lighting than other light sources.
　
Simply put, "aimed LED lighting" is the method of providing exactly the light that's needed, where it's needed. EvoLucia optimizes utilization of LEDs to put the most foot-candles on the ground, in the pattern required, with the best uniformity, using the fewest LEDs and the least power consumed.
It is this capability of "Aimed Optics" that ideally enables EvoLucia's luminaires to meet and exceed the Dept. of Energy's Fitted Target Efficacy (FTE) Energy Star criteria for solid-state lighting (SSL) luminaires.
　
EvoLucia: Aimed Light. Better Light. Energy Lite.

This blog post was approved by www.iGreenBuild.com

Lead Paint Hazards and Older Windows - Poison Prevention Week

- March 20-26 National Poison Prevention Week -

          PARKERSBURG, W. VA. - If your home was built before 1978 and you still have the original windows, it’s time to seriously consider replacing your windows --- especially if you have young children or a pregnant person living at home. During National Poison Prevention Week  --- March 20-26, 2011 --- homeowners are urged to evaluate their windows and make healthy living changes. 

          According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the routine opening and closing of windows in homes built prior to 1978 can disturb lead-based paint around the windows, causing paint dust and chips to be released into the air. These lead particles are so potentially dangerous that the EPA now requires contractors to be trained and certified before they can perform any renovation, repair or painting projects that may have previously applied lead-based paint. 

          “Research indicates that the everyday activity of opening and closing windows creates friction that then allows invisible lead dust to enter the air,” says Rick Nevin, a consultant to the National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH). “Young children, who crawl on the floor where the lead dust has settled, can be especially at risk. Toddlers put their hands in their mouths … and after playing on the floor near a window, they can easily transfer the lead dust into their mouths. The ingested lead travels through the bloodstream to a child’s developing brain, causing many types of neurobehavioral damage.” 

          According to Nevin, one of the most important long-term investments a homeowner can make for the overall safety of a family is to replace older windows, using the EPA-approved lead safe renovation guidelines. “Replacing older windows is one of the best ways to reduce lead risks,” says Nevin. “Make sure to use only a contractor that is certified in lead-safe work practices and strongly consider the use of ENERGY STAR® qualified windows, like the vinyl replacement windows offered by Simonton Windows®. These windows are a healthy choice for replacing older single-pane units. They’re energy-efficient and a good value for the investment.”

         “At Simonton, we advocate that replacing older windows coated with lead-based paint with vinyl windows is a sensible step for homeowners who want to create a healthier home environment,” says Gary Pember with Simonton Windows. “We believe Rick’s research substantiates the replacement of all windows coated with lead based paint as a way to dramatically help reduce lead dust within that home.”

          Nevin explains that, according to his research funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH), homeowners need to understand there are four key steps to completing a “lead-safe window replacement strategy” for the home. “First, they advise replacing all single-pane windows with ENERGY STAR qualified windows,” says Nevin. “Second, stabilize any significantly deteriorated paint. Third, perform specialized cleaning to remove any lead-contaminated dust. And finally, perform dust wipe tests to confirm the absence of lead dust hazards after the clean up.” Research results can be obtained at www.ricknevin.com/windows.

         Celebrating its 65^th year of quality manufacturing operations in 2011, Simonton Windows produces ENERGY STAR® qualified replacement and new construction windows and doors, including a line of impact-resistant products. Simonton ranked “Highest in Builder and Remodeler Satisfaction among Residential Window and Patio Door Manufacturers” in the J.D. Power and Associates 2010, 2009, 2008 Builder and Remodeler Residential Window and Patio Door Satisfaction Study^SM.  The company also ranked “Highest in Customer Satisfaction among Residential Window and Patio Door Manufacturers” in the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 Windows and Patio Doors Satisfaction Study^SM. 

          Simonton was also ranked #1 in quality in the 2009, 2007, 2002 and 1998 Brand Use Studies sponsored by Builder magazine and has won three Best In Class Awards currently administered by LBM Journal Research Institute. 

             Founded in 1946, Simonton’s hallmark has been to deliver the industry’s shortest, most dependable lead-times. Part of the home and security business of Fortune Brands, Inc. (NYSE: FO), Simonton delivers award-recognized products nationwide to key markets throughout the 48 continental United States. Simonton is a founding

 

 ENERGY STAR is a government program that helps consumers protect the environment through superior energy efficiency and is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 

This blog post was approved by www.iGreenBuild.com.

Sustainable Cypress Building Products - Architect Case Studies

PITTSBURGH, March 21, 2011 –The Southern Cypress Manufacturers Association (SCMA) has published two new case studies that highlight the natural beauty, durability, and versatility of cypress.    

Cypress Endures the Elements at Wyoming’s Jackson Hole Airport

Flying into the recently expanded Jackson Hole Airport, Jackson, Wyo., is a breathtaking experience. It’s the only commercial airport located within a U.S. national park, Grand Teton National Park, and its panoramic views of the Teton mountain range to the east and the Gros Ventre range to the west are awe-inspiring. That beauty, combined with the innovative use of cypress in its recent renovations, makes the airport a traveler’s delight. But the successful make-over was not without significant challenges.

Cypress Complements Outdoor Living on Shelter Island

When Manhattan architect Cary Tamarkin, of Tamarkin Co. Architecture and Development, set out to build his dream beach house on Shelter Island, N.Y., he considered every detail, including the views of the Shelter Island Sound and the melodic swish of the waves. “My goal was to make a simple, yet intricately designed house that took full advantage of the wonderful site.” Tamarkin said. “And of course, I wanted to design the coolest house on Shelter Island.” His effort, enhanced by the site’s cooling breezes and breathtaking sunsets, resulted in a cypress showcase.

The case studies are the newest in a series of stories that examine how and why architects use cypress for their residential and commercial building projects.

The Southern Cypress Manufacturers Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of sustainable cypress building products to trade professionals and consumers. For more information, visit www.cypressinfo.org.

This blog post was approved by www.iGreenBuild.com.