Lauren Morlino, second from left, was a member of a successful team who used their lighting knowledge to “escape” during an NLC exercise. (Photo used with permission from the DesignLights Consortium.)
The Summit Summary
The commercial lighting industry continues to evolve rapidly to changing occupancy, regulatory policies and customer needs. Utilities, manufacturers and the DesignLights Consortium (DLC) met for the DLC Controls Summit in September. There, they discussed the importance of networked lighting controls while also acknowledging the low adoption nationwide. Some utility members even highlighted the opportunity for networked lighting controls to fill future savings pipelines, despite being faced with the sunsetting LED incentives.
The Summit took place in Detroit, Michigan. After welcome messages from DLC’s leadership, the morning panel focused on the additional savings enabled by integrating networked lighting controls with other building systems. A new report, Future-Proofing Energy Efficiency with Networked Lighting Controls, estimates a 30% reduction in HVAC when connected to a networked lighting control system. Utilities agreed that decarbonization and the reduction of LED incentives are major drivers of their interest in this measure. Evergreen’s Technical Manager, Lauren Morlino, was a guest speaker on this panel. Lauren presented some of the challenges utilities currently face in implementing rebates for lighting and HVAC integration, as well as a structured custom rebate solution that could increase adoption.
Attendees also tested networked lighting control systems in a hands-on, timed event where they had to re-commission a “buggy” lighting control system. This “escape room” activity was a fun and engaging way for attendees to empathize with controls contractors responsible for commissioning and re-commissioning. DLC also gathered feedback on the NLC-local pilot that aims to increase the adoption of networked lighting controls in small and medium-sized businesses.