House & Home
House and Home
House and Home
Tue, November 9, 2010
Acuity Brands Expands Sensor Switch Intelligent Lighting Control System with New nPANEL Relay Cabinet
ATLANTA--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--[ Acuity Brands ] (NYSE: AYI), a market leader in innovative energy-efficient lighting and control solutions, is proud to announce a unique new line extension for its portfolio of nLight® intelligent digital lighting control solutions. The new nPANELa" relay cabinet offers lighting designers and electrical contractors a quick and easy way to add multiple switching relays and dimming outputs to an nLight-enabled lighting control network. Engineered and manufactured by Acuity Brandsa™ Sensor Switch, nLight digital technology is being embedded throughout Acuity Brandsa™ control and luminaire product lines.
"The nPANEL relay cabinet helped us solve a very tricky problem"
The revolutionary nLight digital architecture and networking technology platform cost-effectively integrates occupancy sensors, time clock control, daylight harvesting and manual lighting controls into a single, easy to install lighting and controls solution. nLight is an easy-to-use, easy-to-install programmable and customizable solution with unmatched design flexibility. Using nLight in an integrated lighting solution minimizes device count and wiring, enabling maximum energy savings and return on investment, all while enhancing occupant convenience. The nPANEL relay cabinet is the newest in the growing line of nLight-enabled products.
aThe nPANEL relay cabinet helped us solve a very tricky problem,a said Keith Sward, Project Manager for Practical Energy Solutions (PES), a leading design and build energy management company based in Wallingford, CT. aMany projects require multiple relays in order to provide the desired lighting control for a space. Normally, installing distributed relay devices in the ceiling close to their respective lighting loads is the most labor efficient method. However, the issue with this project was that we had severely restricted access to the ceilings. Using nPANEL, we were able to locate all the zonea™s relays in a single compact and surface-mounted enclosure. This approach provided significant labor and installation cost savings, allowing us to stay on budget and on-time.a
aThe nPANEL relay cabinet is a convenient and economical way to co-locate four relays and four dimming outputs in a single enclosure,a said Ben Hahn, Acuity Brands Lighting Vice President and Product Value Stream Leader, Sensor Switch. anPANEL relay cabinets are an ideal solution for many different applications. Consider a typical K-12 education setting. In a classroom, the instructor may have multiple rows of dimmable lighting, a separate whiteboard light, and the need to control them individually. Instead of having to locate, mount, and wire four separate power/relay packs and dimming control devices, with nPANEL, you now have one panel that combines all of this a" with the ability to dim and switch each load on command. This solution is compatible with both LED and traditional fluorescent light sources. As with all nLight-enabled lighting zones a" occupancy sensors, photocells, and WallPod® switches can be easily connected with a single CAT5 cable. This connectivity offers tremendous installation flexibility and benefit for designers and contractors, enabling truly cost-effective designs.a
The nPANEL relay cabinet is available in either 4-relay or 2-relay configurations. The nPANEL 4 version utilizes four 30 Amp rated relays and pairs each with a 0-10 VDC dimming output, enabling connected loads to be both switched and dimmed as needed. The onboard power supply provides up to 40mA of power from each of its CAT-5 (bus) connections and 200mA via its auxiliary power output. This enables other nLight devices to connect directly without any further consideration for device powering. The nPANEL 2 480 version provides switching and dimming of two phase (208/240/480 VAC) loads.
The nLight nPANEL 4and nPANEL 2 are available for shipping. For more information on nPANEL or the entire nLight solutions portfolio, visit [ www.sensorswitch.com/nLight.aspx ].
About Acuity Brands
Acuity Brands, Inc. is a North American market leader and one of the worlda™s leading providers of luminaires, lighting control systems and related products and services with fiscal year 2010 net sales of over $1.6 billion. The Companya™s lighting and system control product lines include Lithonia Lighting®, Holophane®, Peerless®, Mark Architectural Lightinga", Hydrel®, American Electric Lighting®, Gotham®, Carandini®, RELOC®, Antique Street Lampsa", Tersen®, Renaissance Lighting®, Winona Lighting®, Synergy® Lighting Controls, Sensor Switch®, Lighting Control & Designa", DTL® and ROAM®. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Acuity Brands employs approximately 6,000 associates and has operations throughout North America, Europe and Asia.
About Practical Energy Solutions (PES)
Practical Energy Solutions is the industry leader in the design, engineering and installation of lighting control systems. Keeping the focus on what we do best has allowed PES to achieve an impressive list of satisfied customers throughout the United States. Successful applications include schools, hospitals, commercial office buildings, manufacturing plants, government buildings and more. While others may include occupancy sensors in a project as an ancillary item, Practical Energy Solutions specializes in the comprehensive total building design. Find out more about PES at [ www.PEScontrols.com ].
