Cree launches autonomous controls technology for LED luminaire portfolio - LEDs
Cree launches autonomous controls technology for LED luminaire portfolio - LEDs
Cree has announced the SmartCast lighting controls
technology including luminaires equipped with occupancy and ambient
light sensors, dimmer switches, and a TV-remote-control-like
configuration tool. A 2.4-GHz wireless mesh network connects the
SmartCast system elements, and luminaires and switches automatically
form network groups based on proximity. Cree says SmartCast can deliver
40% in energy savings over and above the efficiency advantages of
LED-based lighting.
The SmartCast technology is designed to automatically implement
occupancy sensing and daylight harvesting. The platform can extinguish
lights automatically in unoccupied spaces or dim lights when natural
sunlight is present.
While the lighting industry is rapidly transitioning to solid-state
lighting (SSL) technology to leverage reduced energy consumption, Cree
said controls could offer far greater savings but are only sporadically
deployed. Product portfolio manager Tom Hinds said about 2% of
commercial buildings have daylight sensors installed, and about 1% have
control systems. Hinds said, "We feel cost and complexity is the biggest
barrier to adoption."
Hinds said SmartCast is the industry's first self-programming
wireless lighting system. A new or retrofit installation simply involves
installation of the luminaires that have integrated sensors and
wireless capabilities, and the installation of Cree dimmer wall switches
that require a 3-wire scenario where both hot and neutral wires are run
to the switch. Most commercial spaces include three wires in the switch
boxes whereas some homes have only the hot wire run through the switch.
Once installed, the Cree dimmer switch no longer controls the power
supplied to one or more luminaires in a room. Those luminaires are still
connected to the AC power, but the control information is passed
wirelessly. Cree uses a wireless network that is similar to and in the
same frequency band as the ZigBee wireless network but has some Cree
proprietary elements in the protocol.
Once a group of SmartCast luminaires is installed within a room,
commissioning requires the push of a single button on the remote
control. The remote first recognizes the luminaires and switches in the
room and assigns addresses to each node. The luminaires then power on
and go through a self-calibration process in which each luminaire
progresses through a quick sequence of light-level transitions, one at a
time, so other luminaires in the space can recognize the active
luminaire using the integrated light sensor.
While the network elements do automatically form into groups, you can
manually delete a luminaire from a group or add one using the remote
control. You can also change settings such as the length of time lights
remain on, or occupancy duration, after a person leaves a space.
Cree will offer SmartCast technology initially on its CR Series recessed troffer fixtures, CS Series of linear fixtures designed for pendant or surface mounting, and KR Series of recessed downlights.
Cree will also offer a SmartCast-enabled 0-10V module that can be used
to connect other dimmable fixtures into a SmartCast group.
Cree has already installed the SmartCast technology in its own
facility and also in projects near its Durham, North Carolina
headquarters. Both Lord Corp and North Carolina State University have
the technology up and running.
"Cree exceeded our expectations of what a lighting controls system
could provide," said John Gardiner, facilities manager at Lord. "Without
any extra devices or wires needed, our maintenance team spent only
minutes installing the Cree CR22 architectural LED troffers with
SmartCast Technology throughout our corporate headquarters, saving us
thousands of dollars on programming and setup. The savings on energy
consumption and maintenance costs we expect with this installation will
be a huge benefit to our business."
Cree believes there is a huge potential untapped market for controls.
The company estimates that in the US alone controls deployed in all
commercial spaces would deliver $12 billion annually in energy savings.
And the company said the SmartCast system would deliver 70% total
savings relative to a fluorescent system without controls while costing
50% of typical control systems on the market.
About the announcement, Hinds said, "Cree set out to show the
industry that you can install controls simply and affordably." For now
Cree would not comment on any possibility of licensing the SmartCast
technology for use by others. But the closed nature of the system could
lead some specifiers to shy away from the technology with what has been a clear trend toward open standards by leaders in the lighting industry.
However, Cree does offer the aforementioned interface modules that
can work with any 0-10V luminaire. Moreover, SmartCast is only one of a
number of controls technologies that Cree supports. For example, the
company offers support for the Lutron EcoSystem, with many of its
luminaires and DALI (digital addressable lighting interface) supported
as well.
Cree launches autonomous controls technology for LED luminaire portfolio
Published on:
February 4, 2014
February 4, 2014
Cree has announced the SmartCast lighting controls
technology including luminaires equipped with occupancy and ambient
light sensors, dimmer switches, and a TV-remote-control-like
configuration tool. A 2.4-GHz wireless mesh network connects the
SmartCast system elements, and luminaires and switches automatically
form network groups based on proximity. Cree says SmartCast can deliver
40% in energy savings over and above the efficiency advantages of
LED-based lighting.
The SmartCast technology is designed to automatically implement
occupancy sensing and daylight harvesting. The platform can extinguish
lights automatically in unoccupied spaces or dim lights when natural
sunlight is present.
While the lighting industry is rapidly transitioning to solid-state
lighting (SSL) technology to leverage reduced energy consumption, Cree
said controls could offer far greater savings but are only sporadically
deployed. Product portfolio manager Tom Hinds said about 2% of
commercial buildings have daylight sensors installed, and about 1% have
control systems. Hinds said, "We feel cost and complexity is the biggest
barrier to adoption."
Hinds said SmartCast is the industry's first self-programming
wireless lighting system. A new or retrofit installation simply involves
installation of the luminaires that have integrated sensors and
wireless capabilities, and the installation of Cree dimmer wall switches
that require a 3-wire scenario where both hot and neutral wires are run
to the switch. Most commercial spaces include three wires in the switch
boxes whereas some homes have only the hot wire run through the switch.
Once installed, the Cree dimmer switch no longer controls the power
supplied to one or more luminaires in a room. Those luminaires are still
connected to the AC power, but the control information is passed
wirelessly. Cree uses a wireless network that is similar to and in the
same frequency band as the ZigBee wireless network but has some Cree
proprietary elements in the protocol.
Once a group of SmartCast luminaires is installed within a room,
commissioning requires the push of a single button on the remote
control. The remote first recognizes the luminaires and switches in the
room and assigns addresses to each node. The luminaires then power on
and go through a self-calibration process in which each luminaire
progresses through a quick sequence of light-level transitions, one at a
time, so other luminaires in the space can recognize the active
luminaire using the integrated light sensor.
While the network elements do automatically form into groups, you can
manually delete a luminaire from a group or add one using the remote
control. You can also change settings such as the length of time lights
remain on, or occupancy duration, after a person leaves a space.
Cree will offer SmartCast technology initially on its CR Series recessed troffer fixtures, CS Series of linear fixtures designed for pendant or surface mounting, and KR Series of recessed downlights.
Cree will also offer a SmartCast-enabled 0-10V module that can be used
to connect other dimmable fixtures into a SmartCast group.
Cree has already installed the SmartCast technology in its own
facility and also in projects near its Durham, North Carolina
headquarters. Both Lord Corp and North Carolina State University have
the technology up and running.
"Cree exceeded our expectations of what a lighting controls system
could provide," said John Gardiner, facilities manager at Lord. "Without
any extra devices or wires needed, our maintenance team spent only
minutes installing the Cree CR22 architectural LED troffers with
SmartCast Technology throughout our corporate headquarters, saving us
thousands of dollars on programming and setup. The savings on energy
consumption and maintenance costs we expect with this installation will
be a huge benefit to our business."
Cree believes there is a huge potential untapped market for controls.
The company estimates that in the US alone controls deployed in all
commercial spaces would deliver $12 billion annually in energy savings.
And the company said the SmartCast system would deliver 70% total
savings relative to a fluorescent system without controls while costing
50% of typical control systems on the market.
About the announcement, Hinds said, "Cree set out to show the
industry that you can install controls simply and affordably." For now
Cree would not comment on any possibility of licensing the SmartCast
technology for use by others. But the closed nature of the system could
lead some specifiers to shy away from the technology with what has been a clear trend toward open standards by leaders in the lighting industry.
However, Cree does offer the aforementioned interface modules that
can work with any 0-10V luminaire. Moreover, SmartCast is only one of a
number of controls technologies that Cree supports. For example, the
company offers support for the Lutron EcoSystem, with many of its
luminaires and DALI (digital addressable lighting interface) supported
as well.
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