Lighting system helps school achieve gold LEED certification

The first gold-certified Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) public building in Texas, the Kathlyn Joy Gilliam Collegiate Academy high school was purpose-built to be environmentally sustainable. A Philips Dynalite lighting control system was instrumental in helping the school achieve its green credentials and continues to be energy-efficient, flexible and easy to operate.

The Gilliam Academy uses daylight harvesting and occupancy sensors.

The project design called for an advanced lighting control system that would save energy, cut costs and improve the learning environment, while integrating theatre stage lighting into the networked system.

The Dynalite solution controls the lights in each classroom, hallway and exterior public area. Occupancy sensors switch lights off in empty classrooms, while daylight sensors dim the lights when natural daylight provides sufficient lighting, reducing energy costs.

Components can be added or adjusted as requirements change, thanks to the system’s modular design, and users can control or configure system parameters remotely via internet.

The Gilliam Academy theatre.

Each classroom has a Philips Dynalite two-button DLP entry station (wall panel) and a six-button DLP teacher’s station behind the front desk. Lighting is controlled by DALI addressable ballasts, along with ceiling-mounted universal sensors that combine motion detection, infrared remote control reception and ambient light level detection in the one device that provides daylight harvesting and occupancy sensing.

Hallway and outdoor lighting is controlled with five Philips Lyteswitch Centralised Relay Panels controlled through the Dynalite software via a six-button DLP override station, time clock and DTP170 touch-screen panel.

House lights in the theatre are controlled by an Optio Centralised Dimming Panel and Philips Advance Mark 7 ballasts in each of the fixtures. Stage lighting is controlled through a Philips Intelligent Raceway distributed dimming system. Stage and house lighting is integrated into the network and controlled via Dynalite commands. During performances, the interfaced DMX512 Theatrical Console controls the lighting.

The theatre’s unusual design allows the rear auditorium wall to open up, exposing the stage to an open-air amphitheatre. When the theatre is configured this way, the Dynalite and theatrical control systems automatically adjust so that the stage positions are reversed and lighting for the seating area switches to the outdoor luminaires.

A BACnet gateway integrates lighting control with the heating and air-conditioning systems. The Dynalite’s flexibility allows it to interface with luminaires from other manufacturers.

The Gilliam Academy says the lighting control system has significantly reduced its energy consumption and costs while improving ambience and comfort levels in the classrooms.