by Brianna Crandall — June 10, 2016 — According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, 60 percent of U.S. commercial buildings were constructed before 1980, representing a tremendous need for retrofit products. This number, combined with the ongoing contractor labor shortage, means demand is high for time-saving and labor-saving products and solutions.
To address these issues, Lutron Electronics has launched its Vive wireless lighting control, which makes it easier than ever to bring energy savings and comfort-enhancing benefits into new and existing commercial buildings.
Vive allows FMs to monitor, adjust, and manage their system from any smart device, and quickly adjust lighting controls to accommodate building churn, improve occupant comfort, and enhance energy efficiency.
Leveraging Lutron’s Clear Connect wireless technology, Vive is said to be easy to design, simple to install, and extremely flexible, adapting to the changing needs of a building over time.
Eric Lind, vice president, global specifications, Lutron, commented:
To a building owner or facility manager, Vive represents a scalable, flexible lighting control solution that easily transforms a building one step at a time, or as space needs change, and helps address energy-saving issues. To contractors, Vive represents a reliable, simple, time-saving product that’s versatile enough to control all light sources in any size commercial building. This product addresses the needs of customers on many levels.
Key benefits include:
- Design flexibility: Lighting control is understood to save energy and promote productivity; however, existing buildings, which account for billions of square feet of potential lighting retrofits, face significant challenges with lighting controls that require extensive new wiring, or are expensive and disruptive to the space. Vive addresses that challenge with a full family of simple and scalable solutions, from simple area switching and occupancy sensing to individual wireless control of each fixture, all tied together with a wireless hub for central control and monitoring.
- Simple installation: The Vive wireless solutions install up to 70 percent faster than wired systems. Lower overall installation costs, and minimal downtime and disruption to work, allows more customers to realize the benefits of lighting control. Vive is also easy to set up and uses software that works on any smartphone, tablet or PC to automatically detect the controls closest to the installer. Easily set up the space to match the desired functionality — no ladders or manufacturer commissioning required. With Lutron’s reliable Clear Connect wireless, XCT sensing, and Hi-Lume dimming technologies, Vive works the first time, without costly callbacks.
- Maximizes productivity and building performance: Vive allows FMs and building owners to monitor, adjust, and manage their system from any smart device, and quickly adjust lighting controls to accommodate building churn, improve occupant comfort, and enhance energy efficiency. The Vive wireless hub provides centralized functionality including timeclock scheduling, demand response, and energy reporting that helps bring out the best in any building.
- Applications: Vive is ideal for commercial office spaces, K-12, and colleges and universities with options that specifically suit the unique needs of each different space type, without locking customers into more or less control than they need. Vive is also fully scalable — users can start with a single room and expand as the needs of the space and budgets allow.
- Components: Vive system components include a wireless hub, dimmers, switches, and wireless controllers. Vive can seamlessly integrate via BACnet with other building/energy management, HVAC, IT and audio-video systems. Paired with Lutron Hi-lume Premier LED drivers for flicker-free dimming down to 0.1 percent, Vive delivers an ultra-reliable, high-performance, end-to-end solution.
Vive is available to spec now and will begin shipping October 2016. For more information, visit the Lutron Web site.
