The University of Minnesota wanted to reduce energy costs in Jones Hall since the building had fallen behind in some of the University’s aggressive sustainability initiatives and needed new lighting and controls. The mixed-use building, one of many on campus, includes a combination of offices, classrooms, and public spaces, and is currently home to the University’s Admissions, Language Center, and College of Liberal Arts classrooms.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) maintains the state roads and highways in the Twin Cities Metro area from the Cedar Truck Station. Before the retrofit project, the building used outdated fluorescent lighting that over lit the building.

The city of St. Paul upgraded about 13,100 ft2 of its Street Maintenance Division building with a new networked light emitting diode (LED) lighting system integrated with heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC ) and plug load controls. The city installed the lighting and plug load controls and worked with a lighting manufacturer to commission the networked lighting control system. A local HVAC controls contractor was hired to integrate the lighting with the HVAC system.

The county partnered with Slipstream–a non-profit focused on energy efficiency and climate solutions–to integrate lightemitting diode (LED) lighting with luminaire-level lighting controls (LLLCs), automatic receptacle (plug load) controls, and zoned heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) controls in one floor of a multi-story building in downtown Minneapolis. The floor is occupied by an outpatient clinic and a fitness center; both are served by a common variable air volume (VAV) system, covering a total of 7,300 ft2.

The project provided a packaged solution for a retrofit of the lighting, including site survey, design, system selection, and financial assistance with materials and labor.

Parkway South High School is the largest school and most significant energy consumer in Parkway School District. The school became a prime candidate for a long-term, sustainable solution in 2016 after one of two chillers in its aging chiller plant became non-functional. As part of an energy savings performance contract, a central geothermal plant was installed in addition to building envelope sealing and LED lighting. Installation of a 75 kW solar array and retro-commissioning were also recently completed onsite.

Indoor farming, or controlled environment agriculture (CEA), is an energy and resource intensive process but has the potential to produce high value crops at maximum productivity and resource efficiency when ideal growing conditions are met. To meet ideal growing conditions, the facility’s horticultural systems, like lighting, HVAC, and humidity must be finely tuned and controlled. Integrating these systems can yield synergistic energy savings and, just like commercial facilities, the lighting system and controls can serve as a solid foundation for integration through data collection via sensors and providing a network interface. Watch to learn from the Better Buildings Lighting Systems Technology Research Team and two Integrated Lighting Campaign Recognized partners, University of Vermont and Vertical Harvest Farms, as they share their success stories in integrating their lighting with horticultural controls.

Interested in submitting a lighting project for recognition to the Integrated Lighting Campaign? Learn about the recognition categories, four of which are new in 2023. Participants and Supporters now have more opportunity than ever to get recognized by DOE!

COVID-related absenteeism has cost US employers an average of $1 Billion per week since the pandemic began. Concern about the spread of infections in the workplace has driven many building operators to increase outside air ventilation at a significantly increased energy cost. Recent research from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and others finds that well-designed germicidal UV systems can be more effective and far more energy efficient than increasing ventilation to prevent the spread of airborne illness. The Better Buildings Lighting Systems Technology Research Team shared insights on germicidal ultraviolet radiation and its impact on both energy use and airborne pathogens. PNNL’s Lighting Research Engineers Gabe Arnold presented the latest research on GUV technology and how it compares to other methods of indoor air disinfection. Additionally, continuing from the last Lighting Systems Technology Research Team meeting in June, attendees can provided input on how DOE resources can provide the most valuable impact.

Connected lighting systems provide a platform where integrated control of lighting and other systems can enhance building performance. With detailed information, coordinated systems can deliver lower operating costs and improved return on capital, as well as enhanced occupant wellbeing and productivity.