Advanced Lighting

Overview

NextEnergy uses its innovative Detroit-based facility to showcase, demonstrate and help commercialize a variety of advanced lighting technologies. These include indoor and outdoor LED fixtures, off-grid fixtures, advanced bulb filament materials, smart lighting control and occupancy systems, daylighting harvesting and daylight emulators.

NextEnergy’s main building features Nextek Power Systems’ direct current (24V) distribution system which dynamically adjusts lights according to motion and daylight. LED replacement bulbs from TOGGLED and Kimberly LED lighting are also featured in various locations throughout the campus.

View a campus map of our advanced lighting technologies

The Work We Did

  • Worked with Nextek to install and demonstrate a lighting control system in the NextEnergy main offices that senses natural light in the workspace and appropriately dims fixtures in the area
  • Coordinated installation of Arborlight’s LightWell in our corporate offices to demonstrate how daylight emulators can provide light in areas of a building where natural alternatives are difficult and/or cost prohibitive.
  • Sponsored the development of Solartonic’s off-grid street light and off-grid pedestrian light featuring integrated intelligent controls, battery energy storage, and solar panel wrapping
  • Converted NextEnergy’s interior lab space from fluorescent and halogen lighting to TOGGLED LEDs, and worked with Nextek to integrate daylight and motion sensors
  • Pioneered innovation welcoming seven Michigan-based advanced lighting manufacturers to replace metal halide lights on our campus with some of the most efficient technologies available
  • Integrated Nextek’s 24v and 380v DC wiring system and efficient LED lights from Kimberly Lighting and TOGGLED that can be securely controlled with a web browser from a wired or wireless device.

Outcomes

Over a 2.5-year period (2013- 2015) NextEnergy’s campus lighting upgrade saw an annual savings of $2,700 and 24,545 kWh, reduced our carbon footprint by 123,400 lbs of CO2 (equivalent to 127 barrels of oil), with an estimated payback period of four years.  Our parking lot upgrade on its own saved over $1,400 in its first 18 months. And updates to our interior lab space lighting resulted in a 38% efficiency gain.

What’s Next

As a part of the Lighting Technology Energy Solutions (LiTES) program, NextEnergy will be deploying networked control systems in its campus. LiTES, a Department of Energy-funded program, aims to reduce the energy footprint in small and medium commercial buildings by accelerating the adoption of advanced lighting controls solutions through training and technology deployment. Learn more

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