Philips Previews SpaceWise: Mesh-Networked Wireless Controls for Open Plan Offices

PHILADELPHIA, April 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- As energy-efficiency, digital technology and software converge, Philips continues to prove its leadership in LED lighting by previewing the next innovation for the office with SpaceWise technology at the Philips booth #1401 during LIGHTFAIR International. Designed for large, open plan office spaces, SpaceWise is integrated with the Philips DuaLED luminaires, embedding wireless controls in each fixture to provide presence detection and daylight harvesting, allowing them to be automated. Because each fixture has its own intelligence, yet acts as part of a mesh network, the system eliminates the need for re-wiring or additional building controls, as well as the need for human intervention with the lighting system. 

Lighting constitutes 30-35 percent of total energy load in commercial buildings. There are over 4.9 billion non-residential buildings in the US and over 72 billion square feet of commercial space, of which 19 percent are offices. Private offices have long been served by room-based occupancy sensors, but the cost and complexity for new controls design and wiring has been a primary barrier to adoption. Open plan offices are especially difficult to re-wire for controls due to pre-existing building zones and circuits. With two- thirds of today's office space being open plan, SpaceWise becomes a breakthrough technology to achieve deep energy efficiency where it previously wasn't possible.

Because the intelligence has been on-boarded in the Philips DuaLED luminaire, SpaceWise technology makes installation easy, accelerating adoption by making it simple enough to be suitable for both retrofit or new design applications. The SpaceWise system is not tied to pre-existing zones and functions as a stand-alone system with application appropriate granular dimming that is occupant-friendly. In addition to the energy savings inherent to Philip LED luminaires, using layered advanced lighting controls can increase energy savings by 20-30 percent for a cumulative savings of 50-75 percent.

 Here's how it works:

• Install a Philips DuaLED with SpaceWise as a 1-for-1 replacement in typical open plan offices.
• Users can set high, medium, or low light output per group of luminaires.
• When the first occupant enters, the lighting zone illuminates to a background level.
• As each occupant arrives at their workstation, fixtures in the immediate area turn up to full brightness.
• When people leave their workstations, the fixtures gently dim to background level.
• Daylight harvesting occurs automatically, dimming if there is ambient light from windows or other sources, saving even more energy.
• The lighting zone turns off after the last person leaves automatically.

"The need for this type of technology is acute when you consider that in the US alone over 85 percent of buildings were built before 1984 and have not undergone a lighting upgrade—and  of those that have, only about one percent use occupancy sensors, meaning lights are on all day," said Bruno Biasiotta, president and CEO of Philips Lighting Americas. "With SpaceWise technology and intelligent luminares, we can make adoption of these energy saving LED systems easier and more intuitive, helping organizations take advantage of next generation technologies to meet sustainability and energy goals."

With SpaceWise, Philips takes LED efficiency to new levels by providing intelligence and dimming capabilities tuned to specific applications needs in an LED luminaire for advanced performance and deeper energy savings. SpaceWise will be available in Q4 of this year and future capabilities in development include real-time user insights, as well as enhanced advisory services like demand response and virtual commissioning.

For more information about Philips lighting products, visit http://www.usa.philips.com.

About Royal Philips Electronics
Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a diversified health and well-being company, focused on improving people's lives through meaningful innovation in the areas of Healthcare, Consumer Lifestyle and Lighting. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips posted 2012 sales of EUR 24.8 billion and employs approximately 118,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. The company is a leader in cardiac care, acute care and home healthcare, energy efficient lighting solutions and new lighting applications, as well as male shaving and grooming, home and portable entertainment and oral healthcare. News from Philips is located at www.philips.com/newscenter.

SOURCE Royal Philips Electronics