SANTA CLARA, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Echelon Corp. (ELON) today introduced a breakthrough product in its expanding multi-application platform for a connected smart lighting infrastructure. The new CLP 4000 is a next-generation controller that includes open-standard sensor inputs. This lets customers integrate Internet of Things applications that can improve safety and comfort, such as white tuning, safe adaptive lighting, dynamic traffic analysis and incident lighting control. The new controller and related central management system software support Echelon’s strategy to foster safer and more comfortable cities through connected lighting.
“Combining LEDs with advanced controllers enables outdoor lighting to play a strategic role in making cities safer, more comfortable and more efficient,” said Philip Smallwood, Director of LED & Lighting Research, Strategies Unlimited. “Once a smart lighting platform is in place, municipal leaders should be able to easily and cost-effectively collect data in real-time, truly transforming themselves into smart cities.”
Enabling the Smart City
The CLP 4000 includes faster and smarter power line enabled communication technology, multiple lighting control options and native support for advanced sensors. Cities and enterprises can now deploy a lighting control system that offers the following advanced capabilities and benefits:
- Energy savings with adaptive dimming of lights and identification of day burners
- Maintenance efficiencies with predictive failure notification and lamp type identification
- Safety enhancements such as on-demand light, call box and crosswalk integration and school crosswalk flashers
- Comfort and convenience improvements including white tuning, traffic counting and parking availability
For example, city officials can integrate dimming and white tuning capabilities with emergency call box systems to assist first responders by improving visibility, quickly and dynamically. They would also have the flexibility to adjust crosswalk and school-zone flashers on the fly for unscheduled early dismissals.
“This latest product is consistent with our goal of making outdoor lighting a strategic asset for enterprises and municipalities,” said Ron Sege, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Echelon. “The Lumewave by Echelon system is currently controlling school-zone safety flashers in five cities in the Pacific Northwest. With the CLP 4000 the range of applications we can support grows dramatically.”
Advanced Controller Technology
Built on advanced integrated power line meshing technology, the CLP 4000 provides ISO/IEC 14908-1 and -3 compliant, two-way communication between lamps and segment controllers for reliable, unobtrusive communications. The optimized performance enables scheduling, alarming, notifications and remote command and control at every light point. By providing vital luminaire and power condition data to the segment controller, city managers can reduce energy consumption and operating costs. The controller was designed for use with Echelon’s LumInsight Cloud and Enterprise Central Management System software for easy installation, reliable operations and long-term expandability. Facilitating global adoption, the CLP 4000 supports Digital Addressable Lighting Interface (DALI), the worldwide standard specified by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). Taken together with the recent release of LumInsight Desktop software, BACnet gateway, SmartServer 2.2 and Lumewave PL-RF Gateway, Echelon is demonstrating continued momentum in intelligent, future-proof lighting systems for smart cities and high-performance buildings.
Market Traction and Product Availability
With the CLP 4000, customers are able to use their existing power wiring infrastructure, which has been successfully utilized by hundreds of cities worldwide using prior generations of Echelon technology. U.S. and international municipalities have already realized the benefits of deploying smart city solutions using Echelon technology including Cambridge, MA; Bellingham, WA; Duluth, MN; Vadnais Heights, MN; Davis, CA and Bloemfontein, South Africa. Cambridge is the first U.S. city to complete a city-wide LED streetlight retrofit using adaptive controls that complies with Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) RP-8-14 standards for roadway illumination.
The new controller will be available in Q4 2016, and valued-added features will roll out throughout 2017.
About Echelon
For 25 years Echelon (ELON) has pioneered the development of open-standard networking platforms for connecting, monitoring and controlling devices in commercial and industrial applications. With more than 110 million devices installed worldwide, Echelon’s proven, scalable solutions host a range of applications enabling customers to reduce energy and operational costs, improve safety and comfort, and create efficiencies through optimizing physical systems. Echelon is focusing today on two IoT (Internet of Things) market areas: Creating smart cities and smart enterprises through connected outdoor lighting systems, and enabling device makers to bring connected products to market faster via a range of IoT-optimized embedded systems. More information about Echelon can be found at www.echelon.com.