A breakthrough light management system from Lutron Electronics Co., Inc., recently installed in a new, landmark Manhattan office tower, is achieving a "stunning" 70 percent energy savings compared to the ambitious energy-efficiency benchmark the building was designed to meet.

Lutron's Quantum(TM) total light management system was installed in The New York Times Building, the new headquarters for The New York Times Company--a dazzling 52-story tower featuring open spaces and floor-to-ceiling glass walls designed by Renzo Piano in conjunction with other architectural firms.

"We designed our building to use 1.28 Watts per square foot of lighting power. With Quantum, it's using only 0.38--that's 70 percent less," says Glenn Hughes, the Director of Construction for The New York Times Company during the design, installation, and commissioning of The New York Times Building.

"The energy usage savings is stunning," says Hughes. "Lutron's lighting control system has delivered an absolutely over-the-top performance. When I talk with other construction and lighting consultants, they're astonished at the results."

The energy-saving lighting control strategies employed in the building include the following:

-- light level tuning (setting the appropriate target light level for each space);

-- daylight harvesting (automatically dimming electric lights when enough daylight is present); and

-- occupancy sensing (turning lights off when space is vacant).

It's estimated that this 70 percent savings in lighting energy usage will mean an annual savings of about $315,000 for the Times Company. In addition, the environment also benefits: about 1,250 metric tons of CO2 emissions will be prevented each year.

By combining these and other light control strategies, Quantum can cut a building's lighting energy costs by 60 percent or more. That's significant because, according to the Energy Information Administration, lighting alone accounts for more electricity usage than any other building system including heating or cooling.

Lutron's Quantum prevents wasted lighting energy by maximizing the efficient use of light in a building. The system automatically dims or switches all electric lighting, and controls daylight using automated window shades. Quantum also manages, monitors, and reports on all the lighting usage in a building for optimal energy performance and productivity while minimizing maintenance and operating costs.

For more information about Quantum total light management and The New York Times Building project, please visit: www.lutron.com/nyt

For help saving energy on your next project, call Lutron at 1-866-299-2073.

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SOURCE: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.