Many business leaders are now looking for new ways to increase energy efficiency, reduce waste and minimize their carbon footprint to reduce global warming and benefit our environment.
Technical advances like 5G and the Internet of Things (IoT) are giving rise to ‘smart’ devices that’s revolutionizing how people remotely access, interact and control various devices and fixtures from the ‘cloud’. Post COVID-19 has accelerated the shift to modular construction and sustainable lighting Systems.
Governments are providing incentives for “Green Building” design, “Net Zero” and “LEED construction” to businesses.
Here are a few reasons why forward-thinking companies are moving to DC powered, sustainable lighting systems, including “All-DC” Offices.
1. Low Carbon Footprint with Eco Friendly Material
Modern DC Powered Digital light systems distribute Class-2 low voltage DC power over Cat-5 Cable (computer data cable). This eliminates the heavy gauge copper wire, metal conduit, Romex and J-boxes from lighting installations required for AC (Alternating Current) powered lighting.
In addition to reducing the waste that pollutes our environment Digital Lighting uses ecofriendly materials that can be 99% recycled at “end-of-life”. This results in an 85% reduction in the carbon footprint of installed lighting.
DC powered, environmentally friendly sustainable lighting systems can be recycled, and are a major component of net-zero construction. Here are some benefits.
- Support Government sustainability mandates for Zero Net Energy (ZNE or Net Zero) buildings/Green Building
- Gain LEED points for your building
- Meet California Title 24 requirements
2. Highly Energy Efficient & Durable
Modern LEDs are far superior to traditional incandescent bulbs and fluorescent lamps. Companies like LightZero Advanced Digital illumination brand takes LED technology to an even higher level. Here is why…
- More Energy Efficient: LEDs are far more efficient and consume between 50% and 70% less energy. LightZero goes a step further by increasing energy efficiency to between 85% and 90%
- Superior Operational Lifetime – 120,000 hours. That’s 120x Longer than Incandescent Bulbs, 4x Longer than CFL lamps and 1.5x Longer than typical LEDs
- Brighter and more intense: Lumens measure the brightness of an LED light. Most LEDs used in fixtures produce between 80 – 100 lumens per watt (100 lm/W). LightZero designed LEDs produce 240 lumens per watt (240 lm/W). That is about 140% more power per watt.
- Extraordinary color range: CRI (color rendering index) is how well a light renders color. Typical LEDs have a CRI of 80. LightZero sets a higher standard with full spectrum coverage and an industry leading CRI of 97. The rich, vibrant, vivid color is almost indistinguishable from natural sunlight.
3. Modular Plug & Play Components for Safer & Easier Installation
A sustainable DC powered Digital Lighting system uses Class-2 low voltage DC to power fixtures and controls. This is considered inherently safe per the National Electric Code® (NEC®). Class-2 DC is considered “inherently safe” and cannot cause a fire or electrocution.
An advanced Digital Lighting system is designed as a ‘Modular’ system. The system consists of independent components that can be connected. This flexible design provides the freedom to add or replace any component (module) without affecting the rest of the system.
Properly designed “Digital Modular Lighting” is failsafe, scalable, reliable, and robust. It is easy to maintain and upgrade and expanding the system is simple. A sustainable DC powered lighting system helps you build faster with less waste. The perfect fit for “Modular Building Construction”.
Because of the safe low voltage, and modular “plug & play” components, you do not need electricians to install and maintain a Digital Light system. Structured Cable Integrators/ Cable Technicians (people who install television, Internet, and computer cables) are more than capable of setting up the system. Because a properly designed Digital Lighting System is simple, robust, and long lasting, maintenance has almost disappeared and does not require an electrician or Technical Support staff to be maintained.
Sustainable DC powered Digital Lighting systems not only provide a safer environment but provide a huge savings for installation.
4. Reduced Heat in Occupied Spaces
Traditional incandescent and halogen bulbs create light through heat. While only about 10% of the energy is used to generate light, the rest, about 90% is wasted as heat.
Typical LEDs consume much less energy than traditional lighting bulbs and generate far less heat. Almost all energy is expended as light. That said, popular lighting brands that promote PoE technology require AC power to be run to multiple PoE switches and still require a PoE Driver on every fixture.
In contrast, LiteZero’s unique Sustainable Digital Lighting System (made in the USA), eliminates drivers on fixtures. Together with their Advanced Digital illumination technology LightZero’s produces virtually no heat in the occupied space. This helps reduce heat and air conditioning energy usage by an additional 15%.
5. Remote Power and Control
Take complete control of all your lights and fixtures; whether you want to switch them ON or OFF, set timers, dim the lights, or change moods. Digital Lighting also supports occupancy and daylight Harvesting sensors turning the light on when you enter and off when you leave a room and supports ‘daylight harvesting’, where lighting is adjusted to take advantage of available daylight from a window or skylight. This feature helps reduce energy consumption.
Control your building lights easily from a central ‘command center’. Even better, use Amazon Alexa to program and voice control your entire office lighting remotely from the ‘Cloud’.
6. Non Toxic Lighting That’s Gentler, Kinder & Cleaner
Good illumination in a room has a measurable influence on the well-being of its occupants. Proper lighting makes an area look larger, sets the right mood, and can encourage productivity.
Contemporary environmentally friendly fixtures from brands like LightZero produce virtually no harmful Ultraviolet (UV) emissions, Radiofrequency (RF) radiation, Electromagnetic Radiation (EM radiation), nor do they emit frequencies in the blue area of the spectrum that are detrimental to eyes.
LightZero’s illumination is designed to be gentle to the human biological system and reduces eye strain and fatigue. This solution is less offensive to UV-sensitive items in areas like food processing, markets, museums, art galleries, etc. It is ideal for sterile aseptic environments like cleanrooms, hospital Operating Rooms (OR) and Emergency Rooms (ER), etc.
7. Increased Productivity with Sustainable Lighting
Better illumination helps people see fine details, small objects, and objects of low contrast. Quality lighting promotes health and wellbeing by reducing eye fatigue, lethargy, and headaches. It also helps people concentrate and reduce errors. Class-2 powered DC lighting prevents workplace injuries from electrocution or fire.
So how do you find out if your fixture produces high quality light?
Check out the CRI value of your lighting.
The Color Rendering Index (CRI) measures the color accuracy of an object using a scale from 0 to 100. A CRI of 100 is the maximum possible value and equivalent to natural sunlight. Light sources with a lower CRI appear dull, washed out or imperfect.
Typical LED lights have a CRI of 80. Manufacturers like LightZero design LED luminaries with full spectrum coverage and an industry leading CRI of 97. The rich, vibrant, vivid color displayed by these fixtures is almost indistinguishable from natural sunlight.
8. Reduce Costs with Sustainable Lights
Contemporary digital lighting systems are not only made with recyclable, ecofriendly materials they are also good for your bottom line.
Here is what you’ can save by installing a properly designed Digital lighting System:
- 90% Savings on the Hardware required for AC powered lighting.
- 80% Savings on Labor Cost to Install AC powered LED lighting.
- 150% savings on Electricity Bills compared to typical AC powered LED lighting.
- 15% decrease in HVAC heat load from lighting.
- 100% depreciable the year installed – Modular Technology – IRS section 179.
- 80% reduction in a building’s carbon footprint when compared to AC powered LED lighting.
- Save on insurance premiums and reduce workers’ comp claims due to “inherently safe” Class-2 CD power.
Conclusion
Sustainable lighting not only helps you reduce lighting’s installation costs, reduces future operating costs, provides a safer building, provides a healthier environment, but also reduces waste, lowers your building’s carbon footprint, and shows a concern for our environment.
