The University of Memphis hosted the “Sustainability Showcase” on Feb. 14 where various companies displayed sustainable products ranging from furniture to light fixtures, including one company that may save the U of M money on their lighting bill.
One company displayed their idea of light fixtures to be utilized to collect data with cloud computing, which they said they have discussed with the U of M to add to the campus.
The company, Clear Advantage Lighting, is a local lighting manufacturing sales agency representing lighting controls manufacturers in the United States and the local region, which includes Memphis, north Arkansas and central Mississippi. The company designs lighting and lighting control systems and works with the U of M and other local customers like West Cancer Center and Crosstown Concourse. They also work with architects, engineers and electrical contractors and distributors.
John Pede, the Clear Advantage Lighting director of business development and controls, focused on lighting controls and how they contribute to sustainability with maximum energy conservation at the showcase. He talked about smart buildings, where lighting controls manage occupancy by dimming the lights to conserve energy.
Pede also talked about the Internet of Things (IoT) at the fair and how they are incorporating wireless technology into their lighting fixtures to make their lighting compatible with phones to control and provide data. This way, the university and any other organization utilizing this technology can make sure their buildings and other lighting are being operated in the most efficient way possible.
Clear Advantage Lighting’s lighting and lighting control systems are currently installed at the U of M campus. They presented the IoT at the showcase to display the university’s potential to be a smart campus. The IoT has not been added to the campus, but the company proposed the idea and had discussions with the university about a possible incorporation into campus.
“The university has interest, certainly, to do the right thing by the campus, and we have presented that to them,” Pede said. “We’ll just have to see if that gets incorporated into projects moving forward.”
IoT essentially connects devices to the Internet to collect data. IBM, or International Business Machines, defines IoT as “the concept of connecting any device, so long as it has an on/off switch, to the Internet and to other connected devices.”
The IoT market will grow from $2.99 trillion in 2014 to $8.9 trillion in 2020, attaining a 19.92 percent Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR), according to Forbes 2017 forecast of IoT.
Forbes also reported 50 percent of IoT spending would come from discrete manufacturing, transportation, logistics and utilities by 2020.
U of M Assistant Vice President of Campus Planning and Design Tony Poteet has not met with Pede, but Pede may be working on a project on campus.
“We did get a grant in the amount of $3,674,000 to install new LED lighting in the McWherter Library, Administration Building, both parking garages and campus walkways, entrances and roadways,” Poteet said.
This grant came from the Empower Tennessee program through the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. Canup Engineering, is preparing for the multi-million dollar project. The project will provide light control, energy savings, safety, visibility and reduced maintenance.
