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J.E. Richards installs high-tech lighting management system to conserve energy at new USGBC headquarters
WASHINGTON, DC- October 29, 2009 - The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) raised the bar for energy savings thanks in part to the lighting system at its new headquarters. Electrical Alliance contractor J.E. Richards Electrical spent four months installing a Convia lighting control system at the DC headquarters.
 "Others will follow the USGBC's example, so the system we installed provides a comfortable work environment while aggressively managing energy consumption," explained Ray Gemmill, project manager at J.E. Richards.
The system conserves energy in the 75,000 square-foot office space in several ways
- Harvesting sensors measure the amount of natural light in a room and dim the lights accordingly
- Motion detectors monitor movement in the room and turn off the lights during periods of inactivity
- A photo cell on the roof controls the window shades to allow more or less natural light
- Global gateway monitors allow the building manager to control the lighting system from anywhere on earth
It also conserves energy used by computers. Special computer receptacles that operate on a timer so that computers do not run at night or other off-peak times.
This was the first lighting control system that J.E. Richards installed. The crew installed the system from Convia shop drawings they customized into a unique configuration. The project involved an intense amount of wiring to link the lights to the monitoring systems and controls.
"The most exciting day of the project was the day I could control the entire system from my iphone," recalled Dave Edwards who oversaw daily operations on the project.
The USGBC will monitor exactly how much energy it saves. Sixteen meters measure electricity savings. Additionally, the electricity meters ties to the HVAC meters to create a complete energy management system.
Buildings are some of the nation's largest consumers of energy. Lighting management systems can earn up to eight points toward Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) ratings.
About The Electrical Alliance
The Electrical Alliance is a cooperative effort between electrical contractors and skilled craftsmen to provide quality products and services to customers and to set the standard for efficiency and productivity within the electrical industry. It is jointly sponsored by the National Electrical Contractors Association and Local 26, IBEW. For more information, please visit www.electricalalliance.org and visit the news site at http://news.getchargedup.org.
About J.E. Richards
Born in 1983, J.E. Richards Electric, Inc. is licensed as a Class A Electrical Contractor in the State of Virginia and as an Electrical Contractor in 12 jurisdictions in the state of Maryland and the District of Columbia. Over the past twenty five years, J.E. Richards has earned an honored reputation in our industry for providing superior electrical services to our clients in a wide variety of industries including entertainment, manufacturing, retail, education, government, healthcare, and financial services. Most recently, J.E. Richards has become part of Phalcon Ltd. and enjoys a partnership with those sister companies in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Jersey. Visit www.jerichards.com for more information.
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