Sensor Burns Daylight, Not Electricity

June 7, 2006
Lighting accounts for a quarter of the total energy consumed by U.S. commercial businesses, according to the United States Department of Energy. The DaySwitch could reduce lighting energy consumption by up to 30 percent in buildings with windows or skylig

Lighting accounts for a quarter of the total energy consumed by U.S. commercial businesses, according to the United States Department of Energy. The DaySwitch could reduce lighting energy consumption by up to 30 percent in buildings with sufficient windows or skylights. Developed by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Lighting Research Center (LRC), the DaySwitch senses when there’s enough daylight available to replace electric light and turns off fixtures. When daylight decreases, it turns the lights back on.

Traditional dimming ballast systems do the same thing by reducing lamp current to adjust light levels. But they’re expensive, and their photosensors are difficult to program and install. Meanwhile, the DaySwitch controls individual light fixtures. Its design also makes production less expensive. And, its built-in microcontroller enables self-commissioning and easy installation and maintenance. Together with the microcontroller, its light-to-frequency diode provides accuracy from 1 to 12,000 lux.

The DaySwitch works with all conventional fluorescent ballasts, which regulate voltage and current supplied to the lamp. The researchers say that commercial businesses can recoup the DaySwitch expenses in energy savings within two to five years in retrofit applications. Building the DaySwitch into new construction yields a one- to three-year payback. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority has given the LRC a $198,745 award to further develop and commercialize the device.

Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute
www.rpi.edu

Sponsored Recommendations

Highly Integrated 20A Digital Power Module for High Current Applications

March 20, 2024
Renesas latest power module delivers the highest efficiency (up to 94% peak) and fast time-to-market solution in an extremely small footprint. The RRM12120 is ideal for space...

Empowering Innovation: Your Power Partner for Tomorrow's Challenges

March 20, 2024
Discover how innovation, quality, and reliability are embedded into every aspect of Renesas' power products.

Article: Meeting the challenges of power conversion in e-bikes

March 18, 2024
Managing electrical noise in a compact and lightweight vehicle is a perpetual obstacle

Power modules provide high-efficiency conversion between 400V and 800V systems for electric vehicles

March 18, 2024
Porsche, Hyundai and GMC all are converting 400 – 800V today in very different ways. Learn more about how power modules stack up to these discrete designs.

Comments

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Electronic Design, create an account today!