FEATURE
PoE
PoE : Lighting the way to a new dimension
Valerie Maguire , director of standards and technology at Siemon , explains why PoE lighting adds a new dimension to intelligent buildings and gives an insight into infrastructure design considerations .
Converged IP networks are no longer just a concept , but have proven to bring real and deliverable benefits to ‘ intelligent ’ buildings . Advantages include reduced CapEx , reduced OpEx , improved energy efficiency , reduced material usage , consolidation of cabling types and pathways , simplified deployment by using fewer contractors and increased sustainability . These business benefits can only be drawn upon because voice , data and Building Automation System ( BAS ) services including audio / video , energy management , lighting , security , digital signage , fire and safety systems , heating , Ventilation And Air Conditioning ( HVAC ) can all be run over one unified cabling infrastructure that delivers power to many of the devices over Ethernet ( PoE ). The list doesn ’ t stop here as the number of applications designed to operate over Ethernet cabling is growing fast and now also includes the important step forward of PoE lighting .
PoE lighting adds a new dimension to convergence , whereby low voltage LED lighting can be run over the converged Ethernet network infrastructure , eliminating the need for high voltage electrical cabling to power lighting . PoE-powered LED lights with sensors can help lower energy costs by up to 85 per cent ! Further cost savings can be achieved in association with electrical distribution ( e . g . additional trays ) and by certain control mechanisms supported by PoE lighting such as multilevel dimming , daylight harvesting and activation only on occupation , which all contribute significantly to OpEx savings .
The right approach
For PoE lighting deployments , a zone cabling design offers the greatest flexibility and ease of reconfiguration / additions , administration and cable management with the least amount of cost and labour . A zone cabling design features intermediate connection points located in zone boxes in the ceiling space . From the zone box , each PoE lighting device is connected via shorter , easy-to-manage connections that support more rapid deployment , which is especially important considering the high density of PoE lighting devices in a space .
Because of the high number of PoE lighting devices within a space and the static nature of lighting ( i . e ., few adds , moves and changes ), it is recommended that the zone cabling system for PoE lighting overlay the zone cabling system for other building automation and IP devices and that dedicated zone enclosures be provided for PoE lighting device connections . If additional outlets beyond what are available at the dedicated PoE lighting zone enclosure are needed , they can be accessed from an adjacent zone enclosure used to support other IP devices .
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