NYT's New Headquarters Makes Headlineswith 70% Energy Savings using Lutron's Advanced Lighting Controls
Coopersburg, PA (November 17, 2008) - Two breakthrough lighting control systems from Lutron Electronics Co., Inc., recently installed in a new, landmark Manhattan office tower, are achieving a "stunning" 70 percent energy savings compared to the ambitious energy- efficiency benchmark the building was designed to meet.
Lutron's EcoSystem™ lighting controls and Quantum™ total light management system were installed in The New York Times Building, the new headquarters for The New York Times Company--a dazzling 52-story tower featuring open spaces and floor-to-ceiling glass walls designed by Renzo Piano in conjunction with other architectural firms.
"We designed our building to use 1.28 Watts per square foot of lighting power. With Quantum, it's using only 0.38---that's 70% less," says Glenn Hughes, the Director of Construction for The New York Times Company during the design, installation and commissioning of The New York Times Building.
"The energy usage savings is stunning," says Hughes. "Lutron's lighting control system has delivered an absolutely over-the-top performance. When I talk with other construction and lighting consultants, they're astonished at the results."
The lighting control strategies employed in the building include the following:
- level tuning (setting the appropriate target light level for each space);
- daylight harvesting (automatically dimming electric lights when enough daylight is present); and
- occupancy sensing (turning lights off when space is vacant).
It's estimated that this 70 percent savings in lighting energy usage will mean an annual savings of about $315,000 for the Times Company. In addition, the environment also benefits: about 1,250 metric tons of CO2 emissions will be prevented each year.
These advanced Lutron lighting control products, EcoSystem and Quantum, typically produce energy savings of 60 percent or more. They are designed for commercial applications, including office buildings, where lighting is the largest source of electricity consumption. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (DOE), lighting alone accounts for 44 percent of electricity usage in the typical office building (about 56 percent for schools). That's more than HVAC systems or any other source.
Just by dimming alone, a building owner can save substantial energy and money. A rule of thumb is that dimming bulbs by a barely noticeable 25% saves 20% in electricity costs--and the more you dim, the more you save. In addition, less lighting usually lessens the need for air conditioning. Typically, every 3W reduction in lighting power eliminates 1W of power for cooling.
The environment also benefits greatly from light management. Less use of electric lighting means less electricity will have to be generated. That means less fossil fuel will have to be burned and, therefore, less harmful CO2 emissions enter the atmosphere. Dimming bulbs by a barely noticeable 25% not only saves 20% in electricity costs, but also reduces CO2 emissions (according to the U.S. Department of Energy, 1.9 lbs of CO2 prevented per kilowatt hour saved). And, once again, the more you dim, the more you save.
Lutron's EcoSystem is an advanced lighting control solution that combines numerous different strategies to provide building occupants the amount of light they need when they need it. The various parts of the system, including the digitally-addressable ballasts, communicate with each other 24/7, always adjusting the amount of electric lighting used based on the data the various sensors send to each ballast.
Quantum total light management is a whole-building or -campus system that can integrate both the EcoSystem lighting control solution and automated shading systems, such as the Lutron Hyperion™ solar-adaptive shading. Quantum prevents wasted lighting energy by maximizing the efficient use of light in a building, and it manages, monitors, and reports on all the lighting usage for optimal energy performance. Moreover, Quantum is easily integrated with other building systems.
For more information about The New York Times Building project (including a detailed case study), please visit: www.lutron.com/nyt
For more information about the energy-savings capabilities of EcoSystem, Quantum or other products from Lutron, please visit: www.lutron.com/energy
About Lutron Electronics (www.lutron.com):
Lutron Electronics Co., Inc., headquartered in Coopersburg, PA, designs and manufactures lighting controls and automated window treatments for residential and commercial applications. Lutron products save energy and extend the life of light bulbs, making them an eco-friendly addition to the home and office.
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