SMART-Induction Lighting Paired With Solar Canopies Provides Boost for California School District

EverLast® Fixtures Used in PV Powered Car Ports Net Significant Savings, Exceed Specifications Standards of California’s Title 24

JACKSON, MICHIGAN – February 3rd, 2014 – With support from SolarCity, Woodland Joint Unified School District (WJUSD) has implemented solar structures at 10 different parking sites throughout the district. CLTC supported the district's selection of energy-efficient adaptive lighting for the solar-paneled carports at four of the sites.  The carports feature 70 watt induction luminaires from EverLast Lighting equipped with motion sensors that adapt light levels to real-time needs, providing full light output when occupants approach and reducing lighting power when areas are vacant. The lighting controls are expected to reduce lighting energy use up to 50 percent.

"This is great news and really an important next step," says Michael Siminovitch, director of the California Lighting Technology Center and the Rosenfeld Chair in Energy Efficiency at U.C. Davis. The 70 watt EverLast® Bi-Level canopy fixtures are only part of a comprehensive line of advanced induction solutions offered by the manufacturer.  "We are seeing a growth in photovoltaic (PV) parking canopy applications throughout California and nationwide," says Professor Siminovitch, "but without adaptive lighting controls integrated into these installations, we are missing a huge opportunity for energy savings." 

The adaptive lighting strategy applied in this project emerged from PIER-funded research and development conducted through CLTC, beginning in 2006. The solution was demonstrated, proven effective, and adopted by UC Davis in a campus-wide lighting retrofit for parking lots and garages. This work provided evidence in support of California's 2013 Title 24, Part 6 requirements for lighting controls in outdoor area lighting and lighting in parking garages. The solar-paneled structures provide more than 2,100 kilowatts of solar generating capacity, enough to offset 68 percent of energy use at the 10 sites where solar panels were installed. The design specification states: "All canopy PV installations in parking/area applications shall employ bi-level adaptive lighting solutions consistent with Title 24 section 130.2 (c).”

“The pairing of solar canopies with adaptive lighting is a design standard at UC Davis and, now, at Woodland Unified," explained Siminovitch. "Hopefully, going forward, this will become the standard in K–12 schools across California."

CLTC, Solar City and WJUSD celebrated the project's completion at a ribbon cutting ceremony January 28 at Woodland High School.  

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About EverLast® Lighting:  EverLast® Lighting, Inc. is a sister company of Full Spectrum Solutions, Inc. and has quickly grown into the leading manufacturer of energy-efficient lighting solutions for roadway, parking structure, facility and area lighting applications. For additional product information, visit www.everlastlight.com, call 888-383-7578 or send an email to info@everlastlight.com.

For press inquiries, contact Kyle Leighton at 517-783-3800 ext.231 or email at kyle@everlastlight.com.   

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