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Retrofit Fluorescent Dimming with Integrated Lighting Controls

Objective
The goal of the project is to develop and test a dimmable, fluorescent lighting system that is suited for easy retrofit into existing commercial buildings and demonstrate the benefits to the lighting community. The system will dim in-line controlled (e.g., “phase-cut”) fluorescent dimming ballasts down to 25 percent output and will be controllable by both manual and automatic means.

Approach
The approach taken in this project will be to:

  • Develop and test an intelligent junction box (IJB) that will dim inline controlled ballasts down to 25 percent without significantly increasing harmonics in the building's electrical system.
  • Couple the IJB with a multi-function environmental sensor ("multi-sensor"), which will allow user-friendly implementation of two key lighting control strategies (specifically, daylighting and occupancy detection).
  • Adapt a multi-channel infrared (IR) communications link that will allow wireless communication between the PC and the IJB, as well as providing a simple communications link to the Internet or local Intranet.
  • Work with ballast and control manufacturers to embed in-line control technologies into their lighting control products.

Publications

Currently, the following reports are available for this project:

  • Interim Report (1.1 MB) - This report presents the results of work performed to date by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). The first section of the report describes the scope of work for the project. The second section presents the status of the first six tasks and the research work completed for each, including adjustments made to the original work plan. The final section makes recommendations for completing the research project.
  • Economic and Market Considerations (1.1 MB) - This report provides preliminary information on the market size, potential payback, and societal benefits.

Contact Information

For more information on this project, please contact:

Francis Rubinstein
(510) 486-4096
FMRubinstein@lbl.gov

Sponsor Information

This project is sponsored by the California Energy Commission. For more information, please see the Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) website.
Links
Interim Report (1.1 MB)
Economic and Market Considerations (1.1 MB)
(PIER) Lighting Research Program

diagram of Phase Cut Carrier system