Rosslyn, VA, November 29, 2001 -- NEMA, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, has released information on a lighting systems division study entitled "Demand Reduction and Energy Savings When Using Occupancy Sensors." The study was conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Lighting Research Center of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and was presented at the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) annual conference in Washington, DC (August 2000).
Sixty organizations, active participants in the EPA''s Green Lights Program, provided a total of 158 rooms that were monitored for occupancy and lighting status over a 14-day period using Watt Stopper''s Intellitimer Pro light logger. Researchers evaluated occupancy patterns, calculated energy savings, and estimated the demand reduction potential using simulated occupancy sensor time delays. Time delays of 5, 10, 15, and 20 minutes were studied, though the document only showcases the results of the 5- and 20-minute delays.
Preliminary test results show that occupancy sensors do, in fact, impact both total energy use and demand in individual spaces. Researchers are looking to add various types of spaces to the study in order to obtain more data.
Kyle Pitsor, NEMA program manager for the lighting field, said, "The research, funded by EPA, clearly demonstrates the significant energy savings and reduction of energy demand that properly applied occupancy sensors can deliver. These are real ''bottom line'' savings that provide very attractive returns on investments."
The "Demand Reduction and Energy Savings using Occupancy Sensors" document can be viewed at http://www.nema.org/energy/demandreduction.pdf.