Objective
The goal of this project is to develop two energy efficient bathroom lighting technologies that will save energy and improve safety in hotel bathrooms and related institutional applications: a hotel bathroom lighting retrofit (Phase 1) and a hotel bathroom light “smart” fixture for new hotel construction and major renovations (Phase 2).

Approach
We propose to develop a unified system that incorporates an “out-of-the-box solution” that integrates the installation the fixture, lamps, controls and night lighting into a single product that bolts into the bathroom without requiring an expensive build-out. This approach would unify the lighting and the application and potentially leads to large reductions in build-out costs. This would leave proportionally more of the lighting budget for efficient technologies.

By addressing the build-out, wiring, controls and illumination functions as one system, it is hoped to overcome some of the cost barriers normally associated with retrofits in these applications. This bathroom lighting system would integrate a series of emerging LED technologies into a conventional fluorescent system to have the options of night lighting at significantly less energy.

There are two technologies to be developed in this project:

1. A new controller for hotel and institutional bathrooms, and
2. A new luminaire for hotel /institutional bathrooms.

LBNL is currently working with The Watt Stopper to refine their existing prototype version of the controller. The prototype is a version of a wall mount occupancy sensor that is not dissimilar to some of their other commercial products, but is unique for its nightlight feature. Their current prototype uses white and/or amber LEDs that illuminate the occupancy sensor lens whenever the controlled fixture is turned off. This prototype still needs refinement, including, but not limited to, optics and source work on the nightlight, electronic components, and packaging before it will be ready for field-testing.

Accomplishments

• The prototype lighting controller with nightlight has been refined.
• The field tests of the new controller are complete (see test report and performance analysis).
• We are currently developing concepts for the smart bathroom fixture (phase II).

Publications

Currently, the following reports are available for this project:

• LCS Analysis Report (262 KB) - This report details the results of a study funded by PIER involving LBNL, The Watt Stopper, SMUD, and the Doubletree Hotel. The study focused on evaluating the performance of a new lighting control system (LCS) for bathroom lighting.
• Motion Sensor Nightlight Brochure (243 KB) - PIER LRP marketing brochure.

Contact Information

For more information on this project, please send an email to:

lighting@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.

This project is being completed in collaboration with Wattstopper, Inc. and the California Lighting Technology Center.