The DesignLights Consortium (DLC) has released a new resource designed to boost energy savings in the commercial building sector by encouraging the integration of networked lighting controls (NLC) with HVAC systems. The DLC’s NLC-HVAC Integration Toolkit is free and includes guidance project teams can use to implement integration.

DLC research has shown that adding NLCs to commercial lighting upgrades can reduce lighting energy consumption by an average of 48%. By integrating the lighting controls with the HVAC system, up to 30% of HVAC energy consumption can be saved, adding up to substantial combined potential savings that can make the investment in the NLC system more attractive.

The basis for these energy savings is simple in theory. In many commercial buildings, the HVAC system conditions spaces regardless of occupancy, which may be variable. If the building automation system (BAS) receives occupancy signals from sensors evenly distributed throughout the NLC system and building, occupied standby mode can be accurately triggered. In this mode, the HVAC system reduces airflow and stretches temperature setpoints for unoccupied zones, which minimizes energy waste and generates energy cost savings.

NLC solutions

The NLC solution can be visualized as communication layers building up from the LED drivers to the network. Integration resides atop this architecture. At this additional layer, building systems can be integrated with each other or with cloud-based applications, typically using wired ethernet cable or wireless communication. 

Once communication is established, integration becomes actionable with the BAS software. The primary goal of the NLC system in this strategy is to supply occupancy signals through its architecture; if the NLC implements luminaire-level lighting controls, where sensors are embedded in luminaires, highly detailed occupancy information becomes available. This data must be consolidated through careful programming, however.

In new construction, NLC, HVAC and BAS systems can be designed for integration from conception. Existing construction is generally more challenging, but possible with careful planning. Ideal candidates are larger projects with an existing BAS and a variable-air volume HVAC system in which HVAC control zone boundaries align well with lighting control zone boundaries. 

In these zones, occupancy is variable, making occupancy sensing more productive than basic scheduling. These projects would also involve an LED retrofit in which an NLC system is attractive to install, likely located in a region with higher energy costs and utility incentives to install NLCs. Advances in products such as wireless thermostats are pushing the opportunity envelope into smaller buildings lacking a robust BAS. Another key element of project viability is, obviously, owner interest in maximizing energy cost savings.

Despite substantial energy savings, integration has lagged in adoption largely due to project complexity, according to the DLC. These projects require collaboration between building owners and managers, electrical/lighting engineers and contractors, and mechanical/HVAC contractors. 

In larger projects, the EC coordinates with the project team to deliver a solution that satisfies the specifications, requiring the contractor to be consulted or informed on all aspects of the project. In smaller projects, the electrical contractor might lead the systems integration or support the HVAC contractor’s team.

What’s in the toolkit?

To address this communication need and support adoption, the DLC developed the NLC-HVAC Integration Toolkit. By providing these free resources, the DLC aims to break down barriers and improve collaboration between the professional worlds of lighting and HVAC, enabling greater energy savings. 

The decision tree helps identify which projects are good candidates for integration. The project team should identify any available energy efficiency financial incentives and their requirements early.

The handbook describes basic information each team member needs to know, including roles and responsibilities related to integration and a helpful glossary. 

The responsibility matrix provides a spreadsheet that includes the division of major tasks between parties for a typical integration project. The handbook recommends clearly delineating responsibilities to avoid communication gaps. These projects may feature one or more integrators, including a master systems integrator.

The case studies present 18 successful integration projects, searchable across seven building types, providing a look at different types of integration and lessons learned during the project.

The project template provides a sample construction integration specification aligned with CSI Division 25 (covering integrated automation). The handbook recommends specifying integration clearly and using consistent nomenclature.

“The free, downloadable DLC integration toolkit will help you choose appropriate projects for integration that are likely to save energy at a reasonable price,“ said Levin Nock, senior technical manager for DLC. “It will help everyone on an integration project work together more effectively and will help a team create successful projects that save energy by providing lighting, thermal comfort and ventilation only when and where they are needed.“

Get the free toolkit here.

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