A Delmatic integrated system is helping the Masdar Institute, the world's first university specialising in alternative energies and sustainable technologies, improve lighting efficiency and reduce energy usage by over 50 per cent.
The Delmatic solution combines Dali Zero Power, IP and Lon technologies to provide optimised energy-efficient lighting management across all areas of the campus including study areas, laboratories, offices, recreation and sports facilities as well as the student accommodation.
The system installed within the first phase of the project has now been extended into the next two phases to provide a campus-wide integrated energy management network.
The system optimises energy & operational efficiency and provides digital dimming throughout the campus: Dali digital control enables lighting levels to be finely controlled through dimming and substantial energy savings to be subtly achieved. To maximise efficiency, lighting is related to presence and absence within precise areas of the project while lighting levels continually adjust to take account of daylight levels.
The system considers every watt of power and the zero-carbon project was the first in the world to use Delmatic's innovative Dali Zero Power modules which further reduce energy consumption by eliminating the standby power of digital lighting.
To enhance overall sustainability the Delmatic system logs the number of hours each lamp has been in operation and compares this with the manufacturers' lamp life data to create recommended relamping schedules: these avoid the premature replacement of luminaires (with the associated environmental & disposal issues) and ensure that luminaires are retired at the optimum point. The system also monitors individual lamp operation and highlights lamp and ballast failure in real time.
The system is fully dynamic and receives signals from the power generation system to initiate load-shedding routines and scenarios: these match demand for power with the finite renewable energy available and selectively dim lighting across the site to reduce power demand.
The Masdar campus buildings are designed to use less than half the energy required to comply with the US energy standard ASHRAE 90.1-2004. Operating an effective 'green' campus in which a variety of buildings with widely varying functions meet different user demands and, at the same time, extremely challenging energy efficiency objectives demands an holistic approach to managing a complex array of systems, technologies and devices. Integration, ease of interoperability and centralised management are equally essential factors in maintaining effective service provision across the campus buildings.
The Delmatic solution is built on open protocol, modular technology to ensure seamless integration and interoperability with other systems and devices providing MIST with efficient and joined-up control of all energy-consuming devices. Animated graphical software provides the campus facilities manager with a window into the installation enabling lighting to be monitored in real-time and managed to maximise energy and operational efficiency.
The use of open protocols enables seamless integration with other energy-consuming building services including heating, ventilation and cooling, so that both lighting and air-conditioning can be linked to occupation. To further optimise energy efficiency, temperature bands may be related to occupancy with unoccupied areas operating under a wider (and higher) temperature band.
