Emerson is addressing one category largely ignored in IIoT drives to connect every facet of processing operations: Lighting. Connecting LED lighting to the network –in particular Emerson’s web-based Plantweb™Insight platform –is a highly effective way to reduce facility costs while improving the productivity, safety, and functionality of hazardous locations. Plus, LED’s important contribution to sustainability. It is estimated that lighting accounts for 4% of the global carbon footprint. Compared to incandescent lighting, LED technology emits only one-tenth of the CO2and only one-half of what is emitted from CFLs. LEDs are not just more eco-friendly during their use, but also safer for the environment during manufacturing, transport, and disposal.
By now you know that LED lighting is up to 65 percent more energy efficient than traditional HID or HPS systems. Yet, simply by connecting LED lighting to a network, plant costs can be further reduced by as much as another 50 percent due to added controls, the ability to analyze energy consumption patterns, and improved visibility into fixture health that slashes maintenance requirements and production downtime.
Consider this: The Department of Energy estimates that only 17 percent of the installed base of industrial high-bay/low-bay fixtures is LED. Retrofitting to LED from older lighting sources would save American industry up to $3.6 billion annually. Taking the next step and applying digital transformation via connected LED lighting would save another $1.0 billion or more, as companies conserve on energy usage and identify potential maintenance issues to prevent costly failures before they occur.
As an industrial leader no company is more concerned with reducing energy costs than Emerson, and no company is more qualified to rise to the challenge. To do so, Emerson has recently introduced a groundbreaking new solution: the Appleton™Mercmaster™Connect LED lighting fixture. It is now in reach of plant management, rich in features and unlimited potential.
But first off, what exactly is connected lighting? Connected lighting refers to a system of fixtures equipped with sensors that are linked to a network, allowing them to transmit and receive data. Connected lighting is not a completely new concept. It has been rapidly adopted in commercial buildings where it captures valuable insights into energy usage and enables users to make real-time adjustments to lighting levels for improved efficiency, comfort and safety, while gathering actionable data on occupancy, humidity and temperature.
Here’s the rub: Unlike in commercial settings, web-based monitoring of fixture health or control of lighting in hazardous and harsh industrial locations has been impossible due to a lack of robust, certified solutions, especially in highly explosive atmospheres where an electrical arc can set off a catastrophe. Until now.
The Appleton Mercmaster Connect LED Luminaire is rated for Class I, Division 2 and Zone 2 hazardous locations, as is the Appleton Wireless Motion Sensor featuring Emerson WirelessHART® technology. If a WirelessHART network is already installed in a plant, the Mercmaster Connect will join it using pre-programmed network and join keys. Even without a network, the sensor will detect motion for smart illumination of the area. If no motion is detected, the Mercmaster Connect will either turn off or dim down lighting to a pre-set level of intensity. The Time Out delay and dimming output can be programmed using an Emerson TREX or AMS platform that puts this smart, connected technology in the hands of employees, enabling them to be more efficient and have an ever-increasing impact from their work.
Three core controls deliver improved energy savings and enhanced safety.
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Occupancy Detection: The WirelessHART sensor leverages passive infrared technology to detect motion of human-sized objects, triggering all grouped lights to maximum brightness to ensure safety.
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Daylight Harvesting: This popular feature provides you with the flexibility to program Mercmaster Connect luminaires to take advantage of natural light, both indoors and outdoors.
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Scheduling: Time-based controls let you schedule up to four time periods per day per group.
According to the Lighting Control Association (LCA), on average, occupancy detection generates energy savings of 24%, daylight harvesting saves 28%, and time scheduling saves 23%. Unlike legacy luminaires, Appleton Mercmaster Connect LEDs can also be dimmed, a strategy that the LCA documents as capable of saving an additional 36% on energy consumption. When used together these controls may reduce lighting-related energy costs 50 to 60% more than just using LED luminaires.
Among all devices, lighting has one of the highest shares of energy consumption in the industrial sector. In fact, lighting accounts for approximately 20% to 30% of the electricity consumption in manufacturing plants. By switching towards more energy efficient lighting technologies like the Appleton Mercmaster Connect combined with Plantweb Insight, a considerable amount of energy can be saved, leading to higher profits while improving productivity and employee safety.
Additionally, Appleton Connected lighting can help organizations meet or exceed sustainability targets as responsible members of the global community. Any decrease in energy consumption benefits the environment by reducing the consequences of emission production. Almost 80% of the world’s electricity is produced from the combustion of fossil fuels. The gases being produced by burning fossil fuels are “greenhouse gases” which contribute to global warming, ozone depletion, acid rain, and other negative impacts. Appleton Connected lighting helps organizations face the challenge of striking the appropriate balance between meeting business objectives and being good stewards of the environment.