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Energy Saving Lighting Control Systems for Open-Plan Offices: A Field Study
Article in LEUKOS The Journal of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America · September 2013
DOI: 10.1582/LEUKOS.2007.04.01.001
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ENERGY SAVING LIGHTING CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR OPEN-PLAN OFFICES:
A FIELD STUDY
Guy R. Newsham
National Research Council Canada
Institute for Research in Construction
Indoor Environment Program
Building M-24, 1200 Montreal Road
Ottawa, ON, Canada, K1A 0R6
Cristian Suvagau
BC Hydro
Technology Solutions Power Smart
900-4555 Kingsway
Burnaby, BC, Canada V5H 4T8
Daniel M. Sander
National Research Council Canada (retired)
2
translated into overall savings of 67 to 69% compared to the conventional lighting
system. If the three lighting controls systems had been installed separately,
occupancy sensors would have saved, on average, 35% if used alone, light sensors
(daylight harvesting) 20%, and individual dimming 11%. The light sensor savings
were, as expected, higher in perimeter workstations, and would have matched the
performance of the occupancy sensors with some modifications to the control
parameters. The average daily peak power demand for lighting was also reduced by
a similar amount, which resulted in an average effective lighting power density of
only 3 W/m2. Although not detailed in this paper, surveys indicated that the studied
lighting system was also associated with higher occupant satisfaction. This was
likely due to the individual dimming control, although use of this control beyond an
initial preferred setting was rare.
1 INTRODUCTION
As part of the effort towards sustainability buildings need to use less energy. In
2004, Canadian office buildings accounted for 33% of the total energy used by the
commercial/institutional sector, with lighting accounting for 10% of the total building
energy use, and 24% of the electricity use (NRCan 2006). Several research studies
have generated promising results suggesting that electrical energy use can be
substantially reduced by using lighting control systems such as daylight-linked
dimming and occupancy sensors (Maniccia and others 1999; Jennings and others
2000; Lee and Selkowitz 2006). Individual (personal) dimming controls have also
been shown to reduce energy use, while increasing occupant satisfaction (Boyce
and others 2003; Newsham and others 2004).
Despite the fact that various energy saving technologies have been available for
some time, their implementation continues to be very slow. This is not surprising,
however, given the scarcity of long-term performance assessments demonstrating
that these systems do work as asserted and justify their higher initial cost. Many
earlier investigations either took place in laboratory settings, or reported failures in
attaining the projected energy savings, revealing significant problems with
commissioning and user acceptability (Bordass and others 1994; Love 1995; Slater
1995, 1996; Heschong Mahone Group 2006). Even fewer studies have surveyed
concurrently the opinions and preferences of the users of these systems. A review of
the scientific literature to date showed that there is almost no information available
on the long-lasting success of energy-saving lighting control technologies when used
in combination in real buildings. This study was designed to partially remedy this gap
and to generate information that could improve the uptake of such lighting controls in
buildings.
3
The study took place in an open-plan office building featuring a lighting control
system equipped with occupancy sensors, daylight-linked dimming, and individual
dimming control accessed through occupants’ computer screens. It included the
monitoring of the energy use of the lighting system over the course of a year, along
with an evaluation of the occupants’ satisfaction with the lighting system and their
work environment, and the occupants’ use of the horizontal blinds. In this paper we
focus on the energy performance of the lighting control system; other aspects of the
study will be reported in future publications. Specifically, we present here:
• The overall energy savings and power demand reductions attributable to the
lighting control system compared to (1) the energy used at full power during
work-hours by the installed system, and (2) a static, ceiling-recessed,
conventional fluorescent lighting system on a neighboring floor.
• The separate energy-saving contributions from individual control, occupancy
sensors and daylight photosensors, a key factor toward optimizing the
performance of automatic lighting control systems.
• The effect on the energy use and power demand of an intervention to the
workplace expected to increase energy savings. The intervention consisted of
an awareness campaign, which used e-mail reminders to encourage the
occupants to use the individual control feature.
• The energy-saving potential of four other design/operation options that, in
theory, could have further reduced the energy use of the lighting system.
2. LITERATURE REVIEW
A number of prior research studies relevant to this study are summarized below.
Jennings and others (2000) found that in private offices occupancy sensors that
turned the lights off after a 15-20 minute period of no-occupancy saved between 20-
26% in lighting energy compared to the manual operation of a wall switch alone.
Daylight-linked dimming provided additional savings of about 20%. In the offices
where occupancy was low, energy savings resulted mostly from the occupancy
sensors, while in the offices with high occupancy, savings were mostly attributable to
light sensor dimming. In the offices where manual wall dimmers were available,
savings were in the range of 9% by occupant dimming alone, while savings in areas
with occupant bi-level switching of a 3-lamp fixture were 23%. The authors noted
that “by the time the (dimming) system had been in place for over a year there was
little significant (manual) dimming activity taking place”. When the lights were on,
they were usually used at more than 90% of full power. The authors speculated that
the occupants may have used the manual dimmers more actively had they been
placed closer to their working area (desktop mounted or hand-held remotes).
Comparing the occupants’ switching behavior in the offices that had occupancy
sensors to the ones that did not have them, the authors did not find any evidence to
suggest that people without occupancy sensors would be more likely to manually
switch the lights off when leaving the office for long periods of time than the people
having them.
4
In contrast, based on a study conducted in 63 private offices over 11 months, Pigg
and others (1996) concluded that people are likely to change their behavior in the
presence of controls. In offices equipped with occupancy sensors, the occupants
were “half as likely to turn out the lights” when leaving the space compared to people
without occupancy sensors. The authors noted that if the occupants with occupancy
sensors had switched the lights manually, the savings from that group would have
increased by 30%. The additional energy used was due to the lights remaining on
during the time-delay of the occupancy sensors. Similar to Jennings and others
(1999), people in both groups selected full lighting output from the luminaires when
using wall-mounted dual-level switches: 95% of the time in the offices with
occupancy sensors, and 89% of the time in the control group. The authors
speculated that people who rely on controls to operate the lights are less likely to
choose “a switch setting other than full illumination.” While the occupants did not
adjust their lights very often, they appreciated the ability to do so.
Boyce and others (2000) speculated that given control over lighting, people would
“initially explore the range of illuminances available and then gradually home-in on
the illuminances they like.” This suggests a decrease in the frequency of use of
controls over time. However, the authors did not perceive this as an argument
against the provision of such control. The participants in Boyce’s experiment viewed
the ability to select lighting levels as highly desirable, and the light levels they
selected were linked to the type of work that they did.
Several investigations into various open-plan office buildings in the UK showed that
occupants generally prefer to have the capability to choose their own lighting
environment rather than having to accept lighting levels chosen for them (Slater and
Carter 1998; Slater and others 1998; Carter and others 1999; Moore and others
2001, 2002). Questionnaires from 410 occupants collected over a 3-year period
showed that the occupants viewed the installations that they could control more
positively, even when the measured lighting conditions did not meet the currently
5
recommended lighting levels for offices. The authors noted that individuals purposely
used the controls to set their preferred lighting levels and not only to counteract
discomfort. They reported that “by far the most frequent response was that people
wanted control over an individual luminaire” (Moore and others 2002). In the winter,
20% of the users chose illuminance levels below 100 lux, while over 50% worked at
levels below 300 lux, and less than 25% worked under the recommended 300-500
lux range. All lighting installations were used at less than full power, the average
power demand varying between 50 to 60% all year round. Building depth,
percentage of glazed area, or degree of obstructions had no effect on these outputs.
Conflicts were reported in areas where groups of luminaires were linked together
and controlled by more than one user. While the authors found that individuals
generally worked in a very wide range of illuminances, they also noted “a strong
correlation between luminaire output and distance of the workstation from the
window” (Carter and others 1999). This suggests that people actively changed the
electric light levels in response to the available daylight.
In a full-scale open-plan test installation with 1.2 m high workstation partitions, Lee
and Selkowitz (2006) tested two types of daylight-linked lighting system (open-loop
6
dimming system with proportional control, and a DALI dimming system) and found
that the lighting energy savings were still substantial at a depth of 7 meters from a
window wall equipped with automated roller shades. In a side-lit area with an open-
loop dimming system, from mid-February to mid-September, the average savings for
a 7-meter depth zone were 20-23%. At the same distance from the window, in a
bilateral daylit zone featuring the DALI dimming system, the average savings were
52-59%. In the DALI area, the lights were turned off when there was sufficient
daylight (0 light = 4% of full power draw), whereas in the area featuring the open-
loop dimming system, the lights were dimmed only down to a minimum power (5-
10% light = 35% of full power consumption). The authors noted that “without active
shade management” the energy savings would have been significantly lower “due to
non-optimal control by the occupants”.
3 SITE DESCRIPTION
7
illuminance of 450 lux in the centre of the workstation at 0.85 m above the floor
(desktop height).
The two lamps at the sides directed the light mainly downward. The downlights were
controlled during the study based on the following three control options:
• An integrated light sensor (LS), used to monitor the surrounding light levels
and dim the downlights when sufficient light (from either daylight or
neighboring electric light) was present to maintain the occupant preset light
level. The light sensor consisted of a photocell mounted directly on the
luminaire.
8
IC
LS
OS
During the study, the field installation comprised a total of 195 luminaires distributed
over floors 8, 9, 10 and half of floor 11. At installation (4 years prior to this study),
these fixtures replaced a total of 530 2’x4’ (60x120 cm) conventional ceiling-
recessed fluorescent louvered luminaires with 2x32-W T8 lamps (3500 K) and
electronic static ballasts, which reduced the lighting power density by almost half
(5.8 W/m2 versus 10 W/m2). This conventional lighting system remained in the other
half of floor 11, and provided a comparison group in the occupant satisfaction survey
conducted as part of the larger project.
4 METHOD
Data related to the luminaires was continuously collected over a 12-month period in
three phases:
• Phase 1 was conducted from January 18 to March 11, 2005 (39 workdays)
with the light sensor disabled. During this time the downlights were controlled
only by the occupancy sensors and the on-screen individual controls. The
occupancy sensors were set to operate with a time-delay of 8 minutes. This
time-delay was followed by a period of 7 minutes of continuous dimming
before the downlights turned off.
9
system; provide them with information on how to use it; and encourage them
to save energy by using the on-screen individual lighting controls. The
following wording was used in the e-mail regarding how the individual control
might be used: ” Remember that you can reduce the energy use substantially
by setting the brightness of the light fixture in your workstation to the lowest
level that is comfortable for you, and by turning the lights out completely when
not needed”.
All lighting fixtures were preset at installation to restrict downlight dimming to 50%
light output when controlled by the light sensor. This was done to prevent large
variations in light levels, which the design team believed might inconvenience the
occupants. The occupants could still dim the downlights using the on-screen control
to any levels below this limit, if desired. When turned on, but dimmed to minimum
output, the power demand of the downlights was 19 W (or 51 W/luminaire, including
the 32 W uplight), whereas dimmed at 50% output, the power demand of the
downlights was about 41 W (or 73 W/luminaire).
To calculate the savings associated with the controls, we considered the following
three basic cases, which assumed full lighting energy use during work-hours:
• energy use and power demand in the absence of controls during the basic
daily work-schedule of the lighting system (7:30 AM to 5 PM).
• energy use and power demand in the absence of controls during the total
work-hours (basic work-schedule, 7:30 AM to 5 PM, plus the additional time
that the lights were reported to have been on outside the scheduled hours).
10
• energy use and power demand of a conventional lighting system consisting of
2’x4’ (60x120 cm) parabolic louvered luminaires with 2x32-W T8 fluorescent
lamps, during the total work-hours.
For each of the three phases of the study, we calculated the percentage in energy
savings and the power demand reductions with the downlights controlled by:
• occupancy sensors only (os); In this case it was considered that no individual
control or light sensor control were available, therefore, the downlights would
have been used continuously at full power when the occupants were present
in their workstations (actual occupancy), and off at other times.
• individual controls only (ic); In this case it was considered that no occupancy
or light sensor control were available, therefore, the downlights would have
been used at the occupant-selected level during the total work-hours.
• light sensor controls only (ls); In this case it was considered that no
occupancy or individual control were available, therefore, the downlights
would have been used continuously at the light sensor selected dimming level
during the total work-hours.
• occupancy sensors and individual controls combined (os+ic); In this case the
downlights would have been used at the dimming level set by the occupants
during the workstation actual occupancy, and off at other times.
• occupancy sensors and light sensor controls combined (os+ls); In this case
the downlights would have been used at the dimming level set by the light
sensors during the workstation actual occupancy, and off at other times.
• individual controls and light sensor controls combined (ic+ls); In this case the
downlights would have been used at a dimming level selected to be the
minimum between the dimming level dictated by the light sensor setting and
the dimming level dictated by the individual control setting during the total
work-hours.
• all available controls combined; (os+ic) for Phase 1; (os+ic+ls) for Phases 2
and 3; In this case the downlights would have been used at a dimming level
selected to be the minimum between the dimming level dictated by the light
sensor setting and the dimming level dictated by the individual control setting
during the workstation actual occupancy, and off at other times. These
values, calculated with the same mathematical model used for the one-control
and two-control scenarios described above, were subsequently compared to
the real energy use reported by the lighting system monitoring software, being
indicative of the accuracy of our theoretical model.
11
All calculations included the energy used by the uplights, which were continuously
on at full power during scheduled hours, and on outside these hours when
occupancy was detected in the workstations.
In order to identify the effect of the downlight dimming restriction on the energy use,
we also calculated the energy savings if the downlights had been allowed to drop to
zero on light sensor control. Furthermore, we also calculated the energy savings
associated with three other design/operation options that could have, theoretically,
further reduced the energy use, as follows:
Option 1 = lighting system equipped with 32-W static uplights and 2x32-W dimmable
downlights (as installed), but with the downlights allowed to dim to zero on light
sensor control;
Option 2 = lighting system with 25-W static uplights and 2x32-W dimmable
downlights allowed to dim to zero on light sensor control;
Option 3 = system with 3x32-W dimmable uplights and downlights, both restricted at
50% output on light sensor control;
Option 4 = system with 3x32-W dimmable uplights and downlights, both allowed to
dim to zero on light sensor control.
The above calculations apply only to the data collected during Phases 2 and 3 when
the lighting system operated with all three controls enabled.
Because the study included the examination of the lighting control usage data at the
individual level, formal consent to analyze the lighting system data was sought from
each occupant, in accordance with the requirements of our Research Ethics Board
(similar requirements were met for the survey aspect of the larger study). Only the
records logged in the workstations where the occupants gave specific permission to
release their data for analysis were included. This reduced the sample size from 195
to 86 luminaires, of which 57 were in workstations located at the perimeter of the
building with direct access to windows; 18 were located in 2nd row workstations
adjacent to the perimeter workstations at distances between 2.5 and 4.5 meters from
the windows; and 11 were located at the core of the building at distances greater
than 5.0 meters from the closest window. The sample size was not big enough to
permit analysis by façade orientation.
5 RESULTS
12
Data collected throughout the year showed that during all three phases of the study,
the actual average daily time-of-use of the lighting system was higher than the 9.5
hours used by the lighting system schedule (7:30 AM to 5 PM), as shown in Fig. 4.
Whereas, due to the occupancy sensors, the average daily on-time of the downlights
was between 4-6 hours/day, the uplights were used at full power for an average of
10-11 hours/day.
12
Downlights Weekdays only (86 workstations)
Uplights
10
Daily average time-of-use [hrs]
0
Jan 18 - Mar 11 (LS OFF) Mar 12 - Oct 2 (LS ON) Oct 3 - Dec 31 (Awareness
campaing)
Fig. 4 Average daily time-of-use of the lighting system during all three phases of the study.
The average daily energy that would have been used by the downlights if maintained
at full power during the actual work-hours was 0.69 kWh/workstation/day for Phase1;
0.72 kWh/workstation/day for Phase 2; and 0.74 kWh/workstation/day for Phase 3.
These values are about 10-17% greater than the energy used by the downlights at
full power during scheduled hours (0.65 kWh/workstation/day from 7:30 AM to 5
PM). Therefore, we calculated the percentage in energy savings for the various
control scenarios mentioned above relative to the energy used by the fixtures at full
power during the total daily work-hours, which we considered to be a more realistic
comparison baseline than the 9.5 hours used by the lighting system’s daily schedule.
The average daily energy used by the uplights was about 0.33 kWh/workstation/day.
13
Table 1 Summary of luminaire daily average energy savings and power demand reductions for various control scenarios compared to full light
output from the studied system
As Installed Option 1 Option 2 Option 3 Option 4
Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 2 Phase 3
Jan18-Mar11 Mar12-Oct2 Oct3-Dec 31 Mar12-Oct2 Oct3-Dec 31 Mar12-Oct2 Oct3-Dec 31 Mar12-Oct2 Oct3-Dec 31 Mar12-Oct2 Oct3-Dec 31
Energy Savings % % % % % % % % % % %
occupancy sensors (os) 29 35 38 35 38 38 40 52 54 52 54
individual controls (ic) 20 11 5 11 5 11 5 15 7 15 7
light sensors (ls) - 20 11 32 16 34 18 29 16 47 24
occupancy sensors + individual controls 40 40 39 40 39 43 42 59 56 59 56
occupancy sensors + light sensors - 45 44 51 46 55 49 66 62 75 66
individual controls + light sensors - 24 14 34 19 37 21 35 20 51 27
all available controls (estimated) 40 47 44 52 47 56 50 69 64 76 67
all available controls (real) 39 47 42 - - - - - - - -
14
5.2.1 ENERGY USE
Figure 5 shows the daily average energy used per luminaire during Phase 2 for the
various control scenarios. Also shown in Fig. 5 is the calculated energy use of the
conventional lighting system (providing a similar target desktop illuminance) at 1.83
kWh/workstation/day. Due to its reduced lighting power density, the installed system
would have saved 42% in electric energy if used at full power during work-hours
compared to the conventional system.
os+ic
Fig. 5 Luminaire daily average energy use for various control scenarios from March 12 to October 2,
2005 (Phase 2); the energy use of a conventional lighting system is shown for comparison (data
shown by luminaire proximity to windows).
Three-controls scenario
As shown in Fig. 6 (for Phase 2) and Table 1 (for all three phases), the three
controls combined (os+ic+ls, real) saved 42-47% compared to the energy used by
the same luminaires at full power. This translated into energy savings of 67-69%
compared to the static conventional system (Fig. 7)
The energy use reported by the system was also remarkably close to the estimated
energy use (os+is+ls, estimated), obtained using the theoretical model we used to
separate the saving contributions from each control feature if used individually,
which provides confidence in the accuracy of the model (Fig.6).
15
os+ic+ls, real 47%
os+ic+ls, estimated 47%
ic+ls 24%
os+ls 45%
os+ic 40%
light sensors (ls) 20%
Mar 12 - Oct 2, 2005
individual controls (ic) 11% (Phase 2)
occupancy sensors (os) 35%
Fig. 6 Luminaire average energy savings for various control scenarios from March 12 to October 2,
2005 (Phase 2) compared to full lighting use of the installed system during total work-hours (data
shown averaged across all locations; downlight restricted to 50% output on light sensor).
os+ic 65%
light sensors (ls) 54%
Fig. 7 Luminaire average energy savings for various control scenarios from March 12 to October 2,
2005 (Phase 2) compared to the energy use of a conventional static lighting system during total work-
hours (downlight restricted to 50% output on light sensor).
Calculations of the energy use of the lighting system had it been controlled by
occupancy sensors only, revealed that the occupancy sensors were the single
control option with the highest potential for energy savings. As shown in Table 1, the
fixture average daily savings across all three phases of the study were between 29-
38% compared to lights fully on during work-hours. These values are slightly higher
than those reported for private offices by Jennings and others (2000) and Figueiro
(2004), but close to Maniccia and others (1999). A small difference of 4-8% in
occupancy sensor savings was observed in our study based on workstation
proximity to windows (as shown in Fig. 8 for Phase 2), which was most likely linked
to the occupants’ type of work rather than to their window/daylight exposure.
16
44%
os+ic+ls, real 45%
52%
45%
os+ic+ls, estimated 46%
50%
20%
ic+ls 24%
28%
43%
os+ls 44%
48%
39%
os+ic 38%
44%
Interior WS
16% 2nd Row WS
light sensors (ls) 20%
24% Perimeter WS
8%
individual controls (ic) 10%
13% Mar 12 - Oct 2, 2005
35% (Phase 2)
occupancy sensors (os) 34%
37%
Fig. 8 Luminaire average energy savings for various control scenarios from March 12 to October 2,
2005 (Phase 2) compared to full lighting use of the installed system during total work-hours (data
shown by luminaire proximity to windows; downlight restricted to 50% output on light sensor).
Had they been used as the only control option of the lighting system, the light
sensors showed an overall potential for energy savings in the range of 11 to 20%
compared to the energy use at full power (Table 1). As shown in Fig. 8 for Phase 2,
the savings were, as expected, higher in the perimeter workstations (24%) versus
the interior workstations (16%). Across both Phases 2 and 3, the light sensor saved
between 17-24% in the perimeter workstations; 9-20% in the 2nd row workstations,
and 9-16% in the interior workstations. These findings are consistent with Jennings
and others (2000) and Lee and Selkowitz (2006). However, in Lee and Selkowitz’s
study the windows were equipped with automated roller shades, whereas in the
present study the windows were covered by manual horizontal blinds. In addition,
the height of the partitions between the workstations was 1.2 meters in Lee and
Selkowitz compared with varying partition heights of 0.84, 1.25 and 1.42 meters in
this study.
The energy savings from light sensor control beyond the perimeter workstations (16-
20%) were a direct result of the relatively high daylighting levels available in the
interior workstations. Illuminance data collected on the top of 12 partitions separating
the workstations and measured at 10-minute intervals from 6 AM to 6 PM during all
weekends of the study, in the absence of electric lighting, showed that the average
daylight illuminance was between 200 to 400 lux at distances between 2.5 and 4
meters from the nearest window (average of 4 locations), and about 100 to 150 lux
beyond 5 meters from the nearest window (average of 8 locations).
As shown in Table 1, if used as the only control option, the on-screen individual
controls showed the lowest potential for energy savings, ranging from 5 to 11%
during Phases 2 and 3, when the light sensor was enabled, to 20% during Phase 1,
when the light sensor control was disabled. These values are generally consistent
17
with Jennings and others (2000), Maniccia and others (1999), and Veitch and
Newsham (2000). Note that our calculation is likely an underestimate of the true
energy savings in this scenario, as we cannot account for the additional switching
that some occupants would enact on leaving the space.
Table 2 presents the number of workstations with dimming and on/off occupant-
requested adjustments for each phase of the study. During Phase 1 (39 workdays),
user light level adjustments occurred in 81 out of the 86 workstations considered.
However, most of these adjustments occurred at the beginning of Phase 1, in the
two days following an unannounced lighting system reset that deactivated the light
sensor at the start of the project. During these two days only, there were a total of 55
on/off and 71 dimming user-requests. Throughout the rest of Phase 1, however, the
occupants used the on-screen individual controls only occasionally, and the number
of workstations where user adjustments occurred (active workstations) was similar to
that shown for Phases 2 and 3. During Phase 2 (140 workdays), on-off user-
requested adjustments were observed in only 40% of the 86 workstations
considered, and user-requested dimming occurred in 60% of these workstations.
Similarly, throughout Phase 3 (61 workdays), on-off user-requested adjustments
were observed in 25% of the workstations, while user-requested dimming occurred
in 50% of the workstations.
Even among the occupants who used the on-screen controls, half used them only
once or twice during each phase of the study, the average number of user-requested
light level adjustments per active workstation being 1.8 on/off and 2.5 dimming
adjustments for the whole of Phase 1; 2.5 on/off and 2.7 dimming adjustments for
Phase 2; and 5.2 on/off and 3.5 dimming adjustments for Phase 3. The apparent
higher average rate-of-use of the individual control during Phase 3 was, however,
due to one single occupant who used the system very actively (50-57 adjustments).
The average number of light level adjustments for Phase 3 drops to 2.6 on/off and
2.4 dimming adjustments if this outlier user is excluded. The maximum number of
either on/off or dimming adjustments occurring in any other workstation during each
period was eight.
Table 2 Frequency-of-use of the on-screen individual controls (dimming and on/off occupant-
requested adjustments)
Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3
Workdays in period 39 140 61
No.of workstations with manual on/off adjustments (out of 86) 81 (37)* 34 21
No.of workstations with manual dimming adjustments (out of 86) 82 (50)* 52 44
Total number of manual on/off adjustments for all workstations and days 145 (68)* 86 109 (52)**
Total number of manual dimming adjustments for all workstations and days 205 (108)* 138 152 (102)**
Average manual control adjustments/workstation/day (across 86 workstations) 0.10 (0.05)* 0.02 0.05 (0.03)**
*excluding the first week after the initial lighting system reset (Jan 18-25, 2005)
**excluding one outlier user
During Phase 1, there was a daily average of 3.72 on/off adjustments/day across the
86 workstations and 5.26 dimming adjustments/day. However, if we exclude the
18
adjustments which occurred during the first week after the lighting system’s reset,
these numbers drop to 1.74 on/off and 2.77 dimming adjustments/day. During Phase
2, the number of individual control adjustments dropped even more to an average of
0.99 dimming adjustments/day and 0.61 on/off adjustments/day, which shows that
the active occupants used the individual control less frequently when the lighting
system was controlled by the light sensor. This suggests that once the occupants
selected a light level, if that light level was reasonably well regulated and maintained
by the light sensor, the users were satisfied with the selected level for long periods
of time. Jennings and others (2000) also noted very little dimming activity after wall
dimmers in their study had been in place for more than a year.
Data presented in Table 2 also shows that the awareness campaign (Phase 3) did
increase slightly the daily rate-of-use of the individual controls to 0.85 on/off
adjustments/day and 1.67 dimming adjustments/day (when excluding the outlier
user). However, the average daily energy savings from the individual controls
dropped from 11% during Phase 2 to only 5% during Phase 3. This was a direct
result of the fact that in 20 out of the 44 active workstations in Phase 3, the light
levels selected were higher than those recorded during Phase 2, whereas 12
settings were the same as Phase 2, and another 12 lower. We speculate that this
was a result of both the occupants being reminded periodically about the lighting
controls available to them, combined with a seasonal effect that reduced indoor
daylight availability.
Calculated on a per workstation per day basis, the frequency-of-use of the individual
controls was notably low, averaging only 0.02-0.05 control actions (on/off and
dimming together) per workstation per day (Table 2).
There was a 5% difference in downlight energy savings from individual control based
on workstation proximity to windows (as exemplified in Fig. 8 for Phase 2), with the
savings being a little higher closer to the window. This is, generally, consistent with
an earlier finding that people manually reduced electric light levels in response to the
available daylight (Moore and others 2003). However, in our study this phenomenon
was observed only for the period with longer daylight hours (Phase 2, March 12 to
October 2).
Data collected during Phases 2 and 3 show that the occupancy control combined
with light sensor control would have generated energy savings almost as high as
those generated by the system operating with all three controls (estimated average
savings of 44-45%; Table 1). The next best two-control scenario was the
combination between occupancy and individual control (average savings of 39-
40%). The light sensor and the individual control used together would have saved
only 14-24% in energy for lighting, which is 11-24% lower than the energy savings
generated by the occupancy sensors used alone. Especially for Phase 2, the period
with longer daylight hours, this was mainly because of the downlight’s restriction to
19
50% output when controlled by the light sensor. Nevertheless, during Phase 3, the
occupancy sensor remained the single best energy-saving strategy.
Data showed that the lighting system also generated significant reductions in the
peak power demand for lighting. Table 1 shows the daily average reductions in peak
power demand for all phases of the study, for the various control scenarios
investigated. When used together, the three controls reduced the daily peak power
demand during work-hours on average by 43-49% compared to the same fixtures
used at full power (97 W/workstation), and by 65-70% compared to a conventional
lighting system (174 W/workstation). This is an important benefit for electric utilities
seeking to balance supply and demand at reasonable cost on high electricity
demand days (Newsham 2006). Because the controls ensure that not all the
installed lighting power is used simultaneously, in this study the installed lighting
power density of the studied system (5.8 W/m2) was reduced to an effective average
lighting power density of only 3 W/m2. This compares very favorably with the 12
W/m2 installed allowed for open-plan offices in the widely used ASHRAE 90.1
Energy Standard (2004).
Figure 9 shows the average daily power demand profile of the luminaires during
Phase 2. The average peak load was about 53 W/luminaire and occurred from 9 AM
to 12 AM, and from 2 PM to 4 PM. The average power demand dropped to about 45
W/luminaire at 1 PM due to the lunchtime break. The controls also reduced the
power demand during non-scheduled hours and during the rounds of the cleaning
and security staff.
120
no controls (scheduled occupancy)
no controls (real occupancy) Mar 12- Oct 2, 2005
os
100 ic
Fixture Average Power Demand [Watt]
ls
os+ic
80 os+ls
ic+ls
os+ic+ls (estimated)
os+ic+ls (real)
60
40
20
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Time of Day [hour]
Fig. 9 Luminaire average daily power demand for various control scenarios compared to full lighting
use from March 12 to October 2, 2005 (Phase 2) during scheduled and total work-hours (downlight
restricted to 50% output on light sensor).
20
5.3 LIGHTING SYSTEM ENERGY SAVINGS POTENTIAL
Below we present the potential for energy savings and power demand reductions of
four system and control alternatives, compared to the one installed.
As shown in Table 1, if the downlights had been allowed to dim to zero on light
sensor control, then all the control scenarios incorporating light sensor control would
have reduced the fixture average peak power demand by an additional 7 to 16% for
Phase 2, and by an additional 4 to 9% for Phase 3, compared to the actual case.
It is interesting to note that in terms of demand reduction, during Phase 2, the light
sensors alone would have performed slightly better than the occupancy sensors
alone for most of the workday (39% power reduction compared to 36% from
occupancy control alone). Nevertheless, during Phase 3, because of the reduced
daylight availability, the occupancy sensors would have still been the single control
option with the greatest power reduction.
The average energy savings of the lighting system with all three controls in operation
would have been by only 3-5% higher during both periods. Data sorted by fixture
proximity to windows showed that in terms of energy use, the light sensor savings
would have exceeded those of the occupancy sensors only in the perimeter
workstations and only during Phase 2, the period with longer daylight hours. On
average, under light sensor only control during Phase 2, the energy savings would
have been 12% higher had the downlight been allowed to dim to zero. The savings
would have been by only 5% higher during Phase 3.
In this case the luminaire average energy savings with the three controls in
operation would have increased by an additional 6 to 9% compared to the actual
case (Table 1). The luminaire average peak power demand would have been
reduced on average by an additional 8-11%, the peak power demand being in this
case about 40-46 W/fixture. Of course, reducing the wattage of the uplights would
have slightly reduced the overall light levels.
21
5.3.3 OPTION 3: SYSTEM WITH DIMMABLE UPLIGHTS AND DOWNLIGHTS,
BOTH RESTRICTED TO 50% OUTPUT ON LIGHT SENSOR CONTROL
In this case the average energy savings with all three controls in operation would
have increased by an additional 20-22% compared to the actual case (see Table 1).
The luminaire average peak power demand would have also been reduced by an
additional 24%, the peak power demand dropping in this case to about 33-36
W/fixture.
In this case the average energy savings with all three controls in operation would
have increased by an additional 23 to 29% compared to the actual case (see Table
1). The luminaire average peak power demand would have also been reduced by an
additional 29-34%, the peak power demand being in this case between 20-32
W/luminaire depending on the season. Uplights, however, are often not switched off
with direct-indirect luminaires because this would create an uneven light distribution
on the ceiling.
6 FURTHER DISCUSSION
One of the goals of this project was to weigh the relative contribution of the three
different control systems to the energy savings. Data indicated that if only one type
of control were to be installed in this building, and the energy savings and power
demand reductions were the principal performance criteria, then the occupancy
sensors would be the best choice. As installed, they provided savings in lighting
energy use in the range of 30 to 40% compared to full lighting use. Note, however,
that these savings were a result of a period of 12 minutes between the moment the
last motion was detected and the start of gradual dimming, followed by a period of 3
minutes of continuous dimming before the lights turned off. Changes to either of
these two intervals would have affected the energy savings.
Light sensor control (“daylight harvesting”) would have provided similar power
demand reductions and energy savings to the occupancy sensor control only in the
perimeter workstations, only seasonally during periods with long daylight hours, and
only if downlight dimming to zero were permitted. On average, the light sensors
saved about 10-20% energy compared to full lighting use of the installed system,
and 16-32% had the dimming to zero been allowed. Note that data on blind use
collected throughout this study showed a high average blind occlusion of the
facades of this building of 55%; clearly blind use may strongly affect energy savings
with such controls.
If they had been installed independently, the individual controls in this installation
would have been the worst single control choice in terms of energy savings (average
savings of less than 10% compared to full lighting use), and adding individual control
22
to the system already controlled by occupancy and light sensors provided very little
additional energy saving benefit. Nonetheless, the ability of the occupants to choose
their own preferred light level remains an important benefit not offered by the other
two control types. Individual control has been linked to improved occupant mood,
satisfaction and comfort (Newsham and others 2004), and improved environmental
satisfaction has been linked to improved job satisfaction (Charles and others 2003).
The occupant surveys conducted as part of our larger study supported these earlier
findings, demonstrating significantly higher satisfaction for the occupants with the
multi-control direct-indirect system compared to those with conventional lighting.
Given previous research, it seems likely that this benefit can be attributed to the
individual control. The survey results will be discussed in more detail in a future
publication.
Table 1 illustrates that the energy savings from two or three controls used together
(os+ic, os+ls, ic+ls, os+ic+ls) are not equal to the sum of the savings of the controls
when used separately (os, ic, ls). This has a straightforward explanation, but one
which is often not appreciated. For example, if an occupancy sensor would save
40% on its own, and a light sensor 20% on its own, the saving with both sensors is
not 60% (40% + 20%), but somewhat less. The light sensor cannot contribute
energy savings during the period when the lighting has already been switched off
due to occupancy. Similarly, the occupancy sensor could not claim all of the savings
during absence if daylight harvesting would have reduced the lighting load during
that period anyway.
Note that we did not attempt to analyze the effect of the lighting energy savings on
the thermal energy use in the building. Reducing lighting energy use means
reducing the internal heat gains. During the cooling season, the lower internal gains
will reduce the cooling load, which is also an electrical end use. However, in the
heating season, the internal gains would have to be made up by the heating system,
which was fuelled by natural gas in this building. In general, the overall thermal
effect will depend strongly on the local climate, the building design and properties,
and the characteristics of the building HVAC system (Newsham and others 1998).
It is also important to note that the lighting system in the studied building was
maintained and operated by a highly qualified and motivated employee. This likely
played an important role in realizing energy savings of the magnitude reported here.
7 CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study are drawn from long-term data of a single building using a
particular lighting system. This lighting system was a workstation-specific, 3-lamp
direct-indirect system with integral occupancy and light sensors, and individual
dimming control. The three controls affected the light output of the two lamps
directed downwards, while the single lamp directed upwards was always on during
scheduled occupancy. The sample of luminaires investigated was smaller than the
one originally targeted and it is possible that the performance of the luminaires
23
assigned to people who did not volunteer their data for study was different from
those that were studied. Nevertheless, despite the specifics of this field study, we
believe the following findings are likely helpful to general office lighting practice:
Although previous research has addressed various aspects of lighting control, this
study is unique in addressing three different control options simultaneously, over a
long-term field study, in an open-plan office, and with detailed occupant surveys (to
be reported in subsequent publications). Overall, the results of this field-study show
that lighting systems incorporating both automatic and personal controls have the
potential to realize considerable energy savings and peak power reductions in open-
24
plan environments, while being at the same time positively perceived by the
occupants. Demonstrating these findings in an open-plan setting is particularly
important because this is the most common office environment in North America,
and because recommended practice has often assumed that controls such as
occupancy sensors and individual dimming cannot be successfully implemented in
spaces without full-height walls.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This project was a collaboration between the Institute for Research in Construction
(IRC) of the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), Program on Energy
Research and Development (PERD), Public Works and Government Services
Canada (PWGSC), BC Hydro Power Smart, and Ledalite Architectural Products.
The authors are grateful to Roy Hughes, Sunny Dhannu, Tyler Nitsch, Caroline
Ngan, Kevin White, Rico Luk, and Zorawar Bhatia, all of BC Hydro Power Smart, for
their support in the field implementation of the data acquisition systems and their
regular interaction with the building occupants. Special thanks are also due to Jindra
Ryvola and Ron Scott, of Ledalite Architectural Products, for customizing the lighting
system monitoring software for this project and for their valuable assistance with the
data interpretation. We would also like to acknowledge Cara Donnelly, Jennifer
Veitch, Chantal Arsenault, Roger Marchand and Christoph Reinhart, all of NRC-IRC,
for their contributions in all of the aspects of the project.
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