Controls

CFL manufacturer TCP, Inc. is introducing a new fully dimmable CFL product line incorporating a patent-pending high performance CFL ballast design that features proprietary NXP GreenChip power management IC chip technology. This new design approach, dubbed TruDim Technology, results in a CFL with smoother full range dimming performance from 100% down to 1%. The dimming [...]

More than one year in the making, Lutron’s new website at www.lutron.com features a completely new infrastructure, search capabilities and customizable user experiences. The site was designed with more than 25 different user groups in mind, ranging from homeowners and interior designers, to builders, electrical contractors, lighting designers and facility managers. Features of the redesigned [...]

We are in an era of regulated efficiency. EC&M Magazine has published a nice summary of lighting regulations for their April issue here. I was pleased to be interviewed for this article about the role lighting controls can play in upgrades in existing buildings.

CE Pro recently reported that Lutron has been honored by the Smithsonian Institute by being included as part of the Smithsonian’s Electricity group, and will be included in a division called “Lighting: A Revolution.” Get the story here. This post sponsored by

California new Title 20 standards, which went into effect January 1, 2010, created new energy efficiency standards for 150-500W metal halide light fixtures used in indoor and outdoor applications. These fixtures may not be manufactured in the State of California unless they meet the new standards. For the most part, the fixture will have to [...]

Fellow Electrical Contractor Magazine columnist Stan Shook contributed a column on estimating titled, “Controlling Light,” which begins: Today’s lighting control systems (LCS) are more elaborate and high-tech than ever. The once-simple systems consisting of a few low-voltage switches, a small lighting control panel (LCP) and a time clock now involve special ballasts and relays, motion [...]

The California Lighting Technology Center (CLTC), a research, development, and demonstration facility at the University of California, Davis, recently announced that it has installed more than 100 demonstrations of energy-efficient lighting since the Center’s inception in 2004. These demonstrations, conducted at the University of California, California State University, California Community College campuses, and state and [...]

Wattstopper has announced that Dorene Maniccia, Director of Policy and Industry Affairs, has been named Chair of the Lighting Controls Section of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA). The section’s focus is to promote the benefits of lighting controls including reducing energy costs and improving occupant satisfaction. Section members share experiences and work to transform [...]

Columbia’s Bi-Level Luminaire is ideally suited for stairwells and other low-occupancy areas such as storerooms, restrooms and parking structures. The luminaire utilizes two 4-ft. T8 lamps controlled by a PIR occupancy sensor to provide design light levels during times of occupancy while adjusting levels down to acceptable minimums when the space is unoccupied. Click here [...]