by Brianna Crandall — January 8, 2018 — Hubbell Control Solutions recently announced the expansion of its distributed lighting control platform for commercial and industrial facilities, NX Distributed Intelligence. This expansion focuses on adding wired and wireless luminaire-based control options to Hubbell’s successful NX lighting control platform. Hubbell says the move represents its commitment to developing flexible solutions designed to address the evolving needs of customers and facilitating building efficiency and occupant wellbeing.
The Distributed Network Architecture (“DNA”) of NX eliminates common operational dependencies on software, gateways and servers found in other lighting control systems by distributing control logic to each lighting control device, explains the company.
Chris Bailey, vice president, Hubbell Integrated Solutions — Lighting, stated:
The expansion of the NX system was driven by the need for scalability and simplicity in commercial and industrial lighting control applications. While market requirements will vary by end-user, NX is capable of providing customers a no-compromise solution, building on decades of market experience and technology development.
NX: Purpose-built flexibility
NX was purpose-built to provide customers with unmatched flexibility across a wide range of lighting control applications, says Hubbell. NX is available as a wired and wireless solution, a standalone luminaire-based control, a small room network, or a building-wide system across indoor and outdoor commercial, architectural and industrial spaces. NX devices are engineered to simplify installation and are capable of automatically self-configuring to address energy code requirements and provide “out of the box” functionality.
Diagram of Hubbell Control Solutions’ NX Distributed Intelligence. Click image to enlarge.
According to the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA), energy use in commercial and industrial buildings has seen significant reduction in recent years, driven by new technology and code compliance. Through the implementation of intelligent controls, however, a significant opportunity remains to further reduce lighting energy usage, which makes up 17 percent of total energy use in a typical commercial building. Additional building energy savings made possible by other, non-lighting systems is said to be a key benefit of NX’s virtual BACnet environment.
Bailey continued:
NX is a singular platform, which scales from a single standalone luminaire-based control to a seamless building-wide network of intelligent controls and sensors. That’s the beauty of NX; everything is driven by a single ecosystem that allows customers to apply controls where they need it and within an established budget.
NX connects intelligent devices, such as luminaires, room controllers, panels, occupancy sensors, photocells, wall switches, relays and dimmers. Applications include occupancy and vacancy, scheduling, daylight harvesting, 0-10V dimming, color temperature control, task tuning and occupant control. Details on the complete set of controls for fixtures, rooms, buildings and all other lighting applications can be accessed online.
Included in the NX platform offering is Intelliscope, a new and unique occupancy visualization tool for customizing and testing NX luminaire-based smart sensors. Motion capture by the sensor is displayed in real-time on the NX Device Setup app, which is compatible with iOS and Android devices.
The NX platform is also compatible with Hubbell Lighting’s SpectraSync color tuning technology. SpectraSync provides three distinct options for color temperature control of indoor spaces: Dim to Warm (2200-3000K), Tunable White (2700-5000K, 2700-6500K) and Scheduled White (2700-5000K, 2700-6500K). NX provides “plug and play” operation for SpectraSync luminaires and can be customized to meet unique end-user requirements. Scheduled White automates color-temperature and light levels throughout the day, through the NX Device Setup app and by leveraging real-time clocks (RTC) embedded in NX luminaire-based controllers.
Learn more about the NX platform from the Hubbell Control Solutions Web site, part of lighting fixture manufacturer Hubbell Lighting.
