New Energy-Efficient Lighting Codes and Systems Help Building Owners and Occupants Comply With Green Mandates While Saving Money

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Industry Leaders in Design and Technology Create Model for Newest, Greenest Workspace

NEW YORK, N.Y., April 27, 2010 – Cities across America are undergoing a radical “green” makeover. From the beaches of San Francisco to the Cherry-blossom lined streets of Washington, D.C., political leaders, property owners and residents are gearing up to reduce their carbon footprint by implementing and complying with the latest sustainability mandates. This applies to new and existing office, residential and multi-family buildings.

In New York City, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the City Council recently passed the Greener Greater Buildings Plan. The goal: to reduce the city's carbon emissions by 30 percent by 2030. The four-part legislation, hailed as one of the most far-reaching in the nation, requires owners to conduct energy audits and retro-commissioning, benchmark energy and water efficiency, install submeters to measure electrical flow to certain tenant spaces and upgrade lighting systems.

Among the most simplistic – and significant – of these changes is Local Law 973-A, which requires owners of buildings 50,000 square feet or larger to upgrade their building's lighting systems. Non-residential lighting accounts for approximately 18 percent of energy use as well as 18 percent of the city’s overall carbon emissions.

“On the surface, the plan may be perceived as costly,” explained Tony Marano, president of Encelium Technologies, a leading innovation company specializing in energy management and lighting control systems. “In reality, it actually empowers commercial office building owners to choose lighting retrofits that forgo expensive energy-efficient investments while taking advantage of government stimulus funding in this credit-constrained economy.”

According to Marano, energy codes for existing commercial office buildings are not new or innovative – they are just now being strictly enforced or expanded due to a renewed focus on sustainability. “Most date back 40 years ago to the energy crisis of the early 1970s,” he said. “They have been continually updated every three to five years.”

A New Model for Sustainable Lighting and Design

To demonstrate how an intelligent lighting system actually works, Encelium Technologies recently partnered with Goshow Architects, one of the nation’s leading sustainable design architectural firms, to design and implement a LEED-registered, NY Energy Code-compliant workspace utilizing Encelium’s Energy Control System™ (ECS). This addressable lighting control system is part of Goshow’s totally green New York City headquarters. (A case study can be seen at: http://www.encelium.com/pdf/case-studies/EnceliumGoshowCaseStudy.pdf)

Goshow tackled lighting by working with Encelium to install ECS throughout the 12,000-square-feet of retrofitted office space in just four weeks. The result includes three distinct zones, each of which posed a few unique challenges.

“The first zone is an architect studio with an abundance of natural light; the second is another studio where the natural light is almost completely blocked by a nearby building and the third zone, which connects both studios, is windowless,” explained Nancy Aber Goshow. “Today, our 40 member team enjoys an ambient-lit office that is not only healthier, but more efficient.”

[an error occurred while processing this directive] ECS is fully operational and serves as a working model for building owners and tenants to inspect and experience first-hand. The sensor-based system eliminates wall switches by employing personal and occupancy controls, smart scheduling, daylight harvesting, task tuning and variable load shedding. The system can be totally managed at any computer workstation or remotely.

“Goshow’s open, exposed ceilings also allowed Encelium to demonstrate ECS’ flexibility in addressing the exposed wiring,” explained Lance Hollner, LEED, AP, Encelium’s director of sales who spearheaded the Goshow project.

In addition to ECS, Goshow’s sustainable features include paints, sealants and adhesives that are low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs); composite wood free of added urea formaldehyde; low-flow plumbing fixtures; a nano technology anti-microbial shield applied to all high touch surfaces and work areas; Pureti a sustainable, self-cleaning surface treatment that purifies the air and eliminates odors; and the strict use of environmentally friendly cleaning products. Through these initiatives, the SDB, Woman-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) has successfully created a registered U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) C.I. workspace.

Encelium is an international manufacturer and supplier of addressable lighting controls for commercial buildings, with more than 25 million square feet of installations across North America and Europe completed to date. The intelligent lighting building system, which typically meets or exceeds today’s sustainable requirements for new or existing office buildings, is designed to reduce lighting-related energy costs by 50 to 75 percent. ECS also contributes significantly toward achieving the coveted LEED designation and has an average payback on investment in two to five years.

Founded in 2001, Encelium is headquartered in Teaneck, N.J., with operations in Canada and Europe. The company has undergone an extraordinary expansion, posting a 200 percent annual growth increase during the last two years.

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