Fox Theatre, Featured Installation

Color Kinetics sent the following to me as a featured installation.  This is the Fox Theatre in St. Louis. 

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The Fox Theatre was a movie palace built in 1929 by movie pioneer William Fox as a showcase for the films of the Fox Film Corporation. The theatre, also known as "The Fabulous Fox," was one of five Fox theatres whose other locations included Brooklyn, Atlanta, Detroit and San Francisco. Today the theatre has a full calendar of live entertainment from rock concerts to comedy shows to Broadway musicals.

The theatre was originally designed by architect C. Howard Crane, who used a unique blend of Asian decorative motifs to create a magnificently ornate interior which featured a 5,280-pound chandelier and gilded velvet throne chairs. Fox's wife, Eve Leo, also added to the eclectic decor by displaying furnishings, paintings, and sculptures that she found on her travels overseas. The Fox Theatre enjoyed a few prosperous years but then fell into decline and closed its doors in 1978. However, the theatre was bought in 1981, underwent a $3 million restoration, and opened for business again in 1982.

During the summer of 2011, the theatre was renovated again. The $2 million restoration's sustainability initiatives included installing an updated HVAC system and replacing the theatre's incandescent cove lighting with an LED lighting system. Fox Theatre worked with Lighting Representatives, Inc. to find an LED replacement which would allow them to retain existing light levels and quality of light and which would work seamlessly with their current dimming system. Lighting Representatives recommended Philips Color Kinetics eW Cove QLX Powercore in 2700 K. The LED lighting solution was easily installed into the steel coves, replacing 2,200 incandescent lamps. The LED lighting solution is expected to reduce the theatre's energy consumption by 85 percent, and also significantly reduce lighting maintenance costs.

http://www.colorkinetics.com/

Lumen Energy

I am meeting with Lumen Energy this morning.  From their site:

Lumen Energy offers a comprehensive suite of enterprise-level energy management solutions. Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, one of the world's most sustainability-oriented, tech savvy communities, we deliver innovative solutions to our global clients that solve their most pressing energy concerns.

From daily utility invoice management, monitoring, and optimized controls, to long-term carbon management and capital planning, our solutions drive profitability, manage risk, and advance broader sustainability goals.

Lumen Energy's Strategic Alliance Partnership with HVS Global Hospitality Services provides us with deep hospitality industry expertise and intimate analytical insight into the world's most dynamic hospitality markets.

http://www.lumenenergy.net/

Utility Data Management
Real-Time Telemetry
Dynamic HVAC & Lighting Controls

Lighting Table 3 in Green Hills

My wife and I were early for a movie in Green Hills so we stopped in for a cocktail at the Table 3 restaurant next to the theatre.  I did the lighting with Gilbert McLaughlin Casella Architects.  There is cable track lighting by Prima that spans between the skylights.  Here are a couple of pictures and a video.

Politics

This was forwarded to me.  Instead of bombarding emails I am just posting here. 

Winds of Change....


Warren Buffet is asking each addressee to forward this email to a minimum of twenty people on their address list; in turn ask each of those to do likewise.

In three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message. This is one idea that really should be passed
around.

_*Congressional Reform Act of 2011*_

1. No Tenure / No Pension.

A Congressman/woman collects a salary while in office and receives no
pay when they're out of office.

2. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social
Security.

All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the
Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into
the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the
American people. It may not be used for any other purpose.

3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all
Americans do.

4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise
Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

5. Congress loses their current health care system and
participates in the same health care system as the American people.

6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the
American people.

7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen/women are void
effective 1/1/12. The American people did not make this
contract with Congressmen/women.

Congressmen/women made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in
Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers
envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their
term(s), then go home and back to work.

If each person contacts a minimum of twenty people then it will
only take three days for most people (in the U.S.) to receive
the message. Don't you think it's time?

THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!

If you agree with the above, pass it on. If not, just delete.
You are one of my 20+ - Please keep it going, and thanks.

Qtran Transformer Benefits

Here is a video that may be of interest to landscape architects and electrical engineers.  The video discussed transformer noise, light loss for low voltage lamps, and lamp life.  This is a good explanation of transformers and worth the 7 minutes.

http://www.q-tran.com/demo-kit-video/

Here is a link to to a voltage drop calculator as well.

http://q-tran.squarespace.com/storage/interactive.swf

Beta Calco Products of the Month

BK Lighting, Adjustable Output and Beam Distribution

This is a great technology offering from BK Lighting LED.  Without a typical dimmer, the light levels of their LED fixtures can be adjusted in the field.  Here are some pictures showing the different effects at levels 1, 5, and 9.  These are great for landscape lighting and come in fixtures for uplighting trees, path lighting, in-grade fixtures, sign lighting, and step lighting.  Here is a link to the website.

http://www.bkssl.com/

Ledalite's Expanded Revit Library

I have numerous manufacturers that catalog Revit libraries for the light fixtures and lighting controls.  Ledalite has a pretty complete offering of Revit files for their direct/indirect linear pendants and also for their lay-ins.  Below is a link:

http://www.ledalite.com/service/revit


Per the Ledalite site:

Ledalite Revit Families Feature:
Functional Format

Face-based (rather than ceiling or wall hosted) families make it possible to use the files in both the architect model and in linked files used by contractors, regardless of which Revit suite being used.

All lighting fixture families contain an electrical connector to facilitate downstream Revit performance modeling in the development of electrical drawings and calculations.

Parametric Variables

Variable dimension parameters allow designers to change luminaire suspension length or mounting height of fixtures as needed.

Parametric controls allow designers to control the visibility of endcaps, sensors, suspension cables, etc.

Color + Clarity

2D Plan View symbols help keep layout drawings clear, easy to read, and minimize document file sizes.

All family drawing elements are assigned a material or finish type to facilitate realistic Revit renderings.

Always Up to Date

Each Revit file includes a date field in the Family Types dialog box. As subsequent revisions and modifications are made to the models, this date will be updated making it easy for users to identify the most current family version.

Cree LED at BMI Records, Nashville

This is under construction, but here is a picture of 2' X 2' Cree CR22's with 10' X 10' spacing at BMI Records in Nashville.  BMI and Tom Wolentarski & Jared Bobo of ESA Architects agreed that LED lighting for this area made sense in terms of energy use and sustainability.  Congratulations!

Beyond the sustainable qualities of this project, look at how well the colors show.  Cree TrueWhite Technology (TM) is the reason for the +90 color rendering.  Here is a link to a video explaining:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfLkv4BYPlU

LED Replacement Lamps for T8's

I have been asked the question similar to this several times lately, "are LED replacement lamps a good idea in T8 troffers?" and the answer is absolutely not.

Here is an excerpt from the CALIPER report by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE):

http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/publications/pdfs/ssl/troffer_benchmark_01-09.pdf

"Although there may be some niche applications in which the lower light output, superior cold-temperature operation, and potentially longer life of LED linear replacements are indicated, CALiPER testing at this time shows that LED technology is not yet ready to displace linear fluorescent lamps as replacement light sources in recessed troffers for general interior lighting."

Basically, you can reduce your wattage by about 50%, but the light output is reduced by 50% as well.

Cree AeroBlades

Here is a look at the Cree ( Beta LED ) Aeroblade fixture that will be out soon.  I have only one brochure, but give me a call and I will bring it by to discuss and show.

Cree LED, High CRI

Take a look at the colors that Cree high CRI LEDs can render.  This is from the Cree facililty in Durham NC. 

http://www.creeledlighting.com/

New and Underutilized Technology: Interior LED/Solid State Lighting

Per the US Department of Energy:

 

Application

Interior LED/solid state lighting is a rapidly improving technology currently most applicable for down lights, track lights, task lighting, accenting, high ceiling, and high cost maintenance areas.

Key Factors for Deployment

Prior to deployment, evaluate sample LED products in their intended fixtures and applications to gauge appropriate fit – both physically within the fixture and lighting quality and aesthetic requirements.
Also evaluate test data to verify product performance is based on standardized photometric testing (e.g., IES Method LM-79-08) and not LED chip performance alone. Performance and life of the LED replacement lamps is highly dependent on their design and thermal management, which includes the fixture in with they are installed. The product should be covered by a warranty or return policy in case the lamp does not perform as claimed.
Examine ways to incorporate solid state lighting into lighting retrofit strategies, such as low ambient/task lighting.

Ranking Criteria

Federal energy savings, cost-effectiveness, and probability of success are ranked 0-5 with 0 representing the lowest ranking and 5 representing the highest ranking. The weighted score is ranked 0-100 with 0 representing the lowest ranking and 100 representing the highest ranking.

Federal Energy Savings	Cost Effectiveness	Probability of Success	Weighted Score
2.5	3.0	4.5	61

Resources

The following resources are available:

• DOE Solid-State Lighting: Program website for U.S. Department of Energy solid-state lighting efforts.
• LED Replacements for Incandescent Omnidirectional Lamps: Fact sheet on LED replacement bulbs for incandescent omnidirectional lamps, which are the most common lighting source in use today.
• Energy Savings Potential of Solid-State Lighting in General Illumination Applications: Updated fact sheet outlining energy savings potential of solid-state lighting LED/OLED lighting applications.
• Energy Savings Estimates of LED in Niche Lighting Applications: Analysis of niche markets and applications for LEDs undertaken on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy.
• LED Downlights: Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) technology evaluation report on LED downlights.
• LED Lighting Systems: SMUD overview on light emitting diode technologies and applications.
• Solid State Lighting (Part 1): Part one of an ASHRAE article providing an overview of solid-state lighting technologies.
• Solid State Lighting (Part 2): Part two of an ASHRAE article providing an overview of solid-state lighting technologies.
• CALiPER Progam Supports Unbiased Testing; Promotes Consumer Confidence: Fact sheet on DOE solid-state lighting technology performance and applications.