Sacramento, Calif. August 25, 2021—McWong International, a leading innovator in Bluetooth® mesh technology, together with its project partners, Energy Management Collaborative (EMC) and Silvair has received the inaugural Sapphire Award for Design Excellence in Networked Lighting Controls for the recently completed office tower in the Twin Cities. The award, created in partnership with representatives of the Lighting Controls Association (LCA), focused on project submissions for innovative use of networked lighting controls (NLC), and was announced during the Strategies in Light conference on August 24, 2021.
With 17 stories and nearly a half million square feet of commercial real estate space, this project demonstrated the flexibility and scalability of SIG Bluetooth mesh technology and highlights the inevitable transition to an open interoperable standard as the future for networked lighting controls.
To achieve the level of simplicity and convenience desired by the client, the project team designed a flexible, zone-based network to deploy occupancy- and time-based control scenarios. In total, the entire project was organized into 43 separate areas accommodating the use cases for both tenant spaces and common areas that required luminaires on the lighting control network. Within these areas, 708 discrete zones were created that allowed for different control scenarios to be implemented based on tenant needs and application requirements. The project design was developed prior to the physical installation of the lighting, via the TruBlu web portal designed by McWong’s technology partner Silvair, so that the project team could adjust zones and control scenarios. Once the physical installation began, EMC and the project team could make adjustments via the smartphone app, such as setting the high end trim to provide optimal light levels to extend LED lifetime and maximize energy efficiency.
Stephen Zhou, McWong Vice-President, commented, “We’re honored to receive this award, and delighted to share it with our project partners EMC and Silvair. This project definitely has demonstrated that Bluetooth mesh technology has unlimited potential and capabilities.”
“EMC is pleased to be recognized along with our collaborators,” said EMC CEO and Chairman Jerry Johnson. “This innovative lighting controls application showcases the unprecedented levels of control, insight and savings now possible for businesses to have over their facilities.”
Jim Sekinger, Silvair Head of Sales, commented, "Designing, configuring, and commissioning a project of this scope required robust Bluetooth mesh lighting components, a powerful software platform and professional users for commissioning. This project is a proof point that in conjunction with our partners McWong and EMC, that we can deliver great results no matter the scale of the project."
About McWong International
For 35+ years, McWong has produced superior lighting controls and related electrical power and protection components. Today, McWong has engineered IoT solutions for today’s rapidly changing marketplace. With advanced design and manufacturing facilities, McWong offers extensive component choices for OEMs as well as robust solutions for contractors, ESCOs and facility managers. More information about McWong can be found at www.mcwonginc.com.
About EMC
EMC provides leading-edge LED Lighting + Technology conversion systems and service solutions to a broad range of multinational retail, commercial, industrial and specialized customers. Since 2003, the company has used its total project management approach, EnergyMAXX®, to successfully implement thousands of lighting upgrade projects, saving clients across industries billions of kilowatt-hours of energy. EMC has since expanded beyond lighting into smart buildings and IoT devices to offer smart building and IoT products, smart building hardware and software system integration, custom product development and manufacturing, energy analytics and air-based disinfection technologies. Learn more at www.emcllc.com.
About Silvair
Silvair provides a complete wireless lighting control solution based on the globally interoperable Bluetooth mesh standard. Component manufacturers can easily integrate the solution into a variety of products, choosing specific features in accordance with their customers’ needs. In addition, Silvair provides dedicated tools for commissioning and managing Bluetooth mesh lighting networks in commercial spaces.