Showcasing the incredible impact lighting technology can have on energy savings, Glumac, one of the country's leading sustainable engineering firms, announced today that its Orange County office is the first completed "Office of the Future" pilot project under the new North American Office of the Future (OTF) Consortium.
OTF is a new multi-utility energy efficiency pilot program for commercial office spaces. Developed by the Office of the Future Consortium, the OTF program provides support for high performance, technical approaches to lighting, lighting controls, plug load controls, HVAC performance and metering in tenant improvement projects.
Southern California Edison is the utility sponsor for Glumac's Office of the Future pilot, which aims to promote integrated energy efficiency in the office market. This program is managed by New Buildings Institute.
The OTF pilot projects are planned to take place in a wide variety of climates around the country and will range from a 2,000 square-foot office space to an 80,000 square-foot office building.
Glumac's 8,672 square-foot new office, located in the Irvine Towers complex in Irvine, Calif., demonstrates progressive technologies such as advanced self-powered, wireless lighting and HVAC controls. Lighting in the space is provided by tambient from The Lighting Quotient -- a single-component task/ambient solution that is integrated into the furniture and eliminates the need for overhead wiring and luminaires.
"With lighting consuming nearly 30 percent of the energy in commercial buildings, it is a natural place to start when energy savings are a top priority," said Richard Holzer, managing principal at Glumac's Irvine office.
While the overall connected lighting power density is 0.8 watts per square foot (W/SF), early measurements indicate that actual operating power usage is between 0.24 to 0.3 W/SF in the open office area, which is almost 75 percent better than California's Title 24 Energy Efficiency Standards. This achievement is attributed largely to the use of Lighting Quotient's tambient lighting in the open office areas where the connected lighting power densities is less than 0.6 watts per square foot.
"Because our firm is so committed to sustainable design and energy efficiency, it was imperative that our own office reflect our values," said Brian Berg, Glumac's lead designer on the project. "It is gratifying to be named as the first completed Office of the Future demonstration project in the country and to serve as an example to other office buildings."
Additional lighting features include photo sensors that dim the lights when daylight is available and motion sensors that automatically turn lights off when the space is unoccupied. The sensors and switches harvest energy from ambient light and manual actions and convert it into wireless "telegrams" that are sent to receivers located throughout the office. Receivers mounted under the workstation desks control the tambient furniture-mounted lighting. Other receivers, wired to the furniture power circuits, turn off the lights and computer monitors when the space is not occupied.
"Tambient luminaires provide the optimal solution for energy efficiency and visual comfort in the office," said David Pfund, president of tambient at The Lighting Quotient. "With the Glumac facility named as the first Office of the Future pilot, we're demonstrating that energy efficient, low-ambient office environments can be visually satisfying. This also illustrates the impact lighting and lighting controls have on energy efficiency. We're proud to contribute to this recognition."
Glumac's facility also incorporates a cutting-edge HVAC system, equipped with temperature sensors that use the same self-powered, wireless technology to control the VAV boxes. Because the lighting and temperature control systems speak different language protocols, a "gateway" was installed to allow them to communicate with each other and share a single sensor network.
This integrated direct digital control system also serves as a demonstration for other buildings and their control retrofits. A link from the control system to a video display located at the office entry provides Glumac employees and their visitors with a real-time picture of on-site energy use and how their energy savings compare to numbers of cars taken off the road or trees planted.
Because the new space is their "home," Glumac engineers took great care to design the space systems with as many sustainable features as possible. Berg led the lighting design, commissioning and LEED(R) consulting efforts as well as the mechanical engineering and plumbing systems design.
One of these features includes the installation of low-flow plumbing fixtures that will exceed industry flow baselines by over 40 percent of current code. Glumac's Irvine Tower office was designed by Gensler Architects and is seeking a LEED Platinum certification, the highest possible under the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC(R)) program.
About Glumac
Founded in 1971, Glumac offers innovative designs that preserve architectural integrity while ensuring an efficient building, lower first capital and operating costs and occupant comfort. As experts in sustainable design engineering, Glumac has over 90 LEED Accredited Professionals on staff and has developed over 150 LEED registered projects for government, institutional and private developers. With over 180 talented employees across eight offices, the Glumac collaborative environment generates ideas and solutions that consistently produce exceptional projects. For more information about Glumac, visit www.glumac.com.
About The Lighting Quotient
Based in West Haven, Conn., The Lighting Quotient -- manufacturer of elliptipar and tambient -- creates architectural lighting solutions that skillfully blend high performance and artistic elegance. The company's engineers and designers take pride in creating best-quality lighting options that defy conventional limits. From simple utilitarian structures to grand architectural masterpieces, The Lighting Quotient demonstrates that sensible and sustainable lighting can be comfortable and beautiful as well. Learn more at www.TheLightingQuotient.com.
About Southern California Edison
An Edison International company, Southern California Edison is one of the nation's largest electric utilities, serving a population of nearly 14 million via 4.9 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within Central, Coastal and Southern California. For more information about Southern California Edison, visit www.sce.com.
About Office of the Future Consortium
The Office of the Future Consortium is currently sponsored by Southern California Edison, Pacific Gas & Electric, Sempra Gas & Electric, BC Hydro, NSTAR, National Grid, Seattle City Light and Sacramento Public Utility District and is managed by New Buildings Institute, a non-profit organization working to improve energy performance of commercial buildings. For more information about the Office of the Future Consortium or New Buildings Institute, visit www.newbuildings.org.
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SOURCE: The Lighting Quotient
