Echelon and Leading Controls Companies Showcase Energy-Saving Applications at Light + Building
Echelon Technology Used to Advance Smart Street Lights, LED Lighting, Demand Response and Integrated Buildings Systems
(Frankfurt, Germany - April 7, 2008) - Echelon Corporation (NASDAQ: ELON), a leading provider of networking technology that is used to manage and reduce energy consumption, and over 20 of its customers are showcasing LonWorks® based energy saving and control
applications at the 2008 Light+Building event in Frankfurt, Germany, the world's largest tradeshow dedicated to the lighting and building industries. Built on Echelon's device networking platform, the applications being shown – ranging from home and building control products to smart streetlight systems – highlight the ability of LonWorks networks to manage energy resources while delivering lower operating costs and greater functionality in everyday systems.
"As our partners are demonstrating here at Light + Building, Echelon's technology enables what are thought of as mature industries, such as building automation and streetlights, to become progressive leaders in the movement towards a more energy-aware and energy-efficient world," said Ken Oshman, Echelon's CEO and chairman. "By making the everyday devices in the infrastructure around us 'smart' and 'connected', energy management can move from being an expensive afterthought to an inherent capability of products and systems. Stanford professor and Director of the Precourt Institute for Energy Efficiency estimates that freeing up 10% of energy demand makes more energy available than increasing alternative energy 'generation' from solar and wind tenfold. The immediacy and scale of the benefits of efficiency, environmental concerns, and the rising costs of energy are compelling industries worldwide to move towards energy efficient systems and operating strategies. We are excited that LonWorks control networks play such an important role in delivering energy efficiency today, and far into the future."
Many of the world's leading control solution companies have developed products and systems based on Echelon's technology that are helping businesses, cities, and consumers reduce operating costs, and increase comfort and security. In today's high-cost electricity market, LonWorks networks are being used as energy management systems because the ability to control individual devices based on real-time information is the key to energy efficiency strategies, from smart demand/response systems in individual homes and buildings, to city-wide smart utility grids and streetlight systems.
Key new products released at Light + Building include:
Managed Streetlighting – Typically using power line communications and IP connected segment controllers, smart streetlight systems can reduce energy consumption and maximize operating budgets while beautifying cities, reducing light pollution and improving safety.
Starsense streetlight telemanagement system – A Philips Lighting solution designed to deliver an energy savings of over 40%, reducing cities' energy bills and carbon footprint while improving pedestrian and traffic safety. Philips uses Echelon's power line smart transceivers for no-new-wires networks among the streetlights and the i.LON® SmartServer as a segment controller and connector to a city's IP infrastructure and control center.
Power line based ballast for streetlights – A ROMlight product introduction that integrates LonWorks power line signaling and lamp ballast controller in a single device which can lower installation costs to help create an even stronger business case for managed streetlight applications
Demand Response and Building Automation – Many utilities worldwide offer incentives to building owners and tenants to reduce energy consumption on demand. A 10% reduction in commercial building energy use is equivalent to not burning 24 billion gallons of gasoline (U.S. Department of Energy calculator figures), making more efficient energy use a key component of combating climate change.
Web Controller, Building System Controller, Web Interface, High-End Graphical User Interface, and Alarm Generator – New from TAC, one of the world's largest suppliers of building control systems, the Xenta 700 controller series further integrates key building automation systems into multi-function/powerful controllers to integrated key systems and allow communications with service providers, including energy aggregators.
MicroNet Automation released a Pyxos® based controller that ties multiple existing building automation protocols into a single control or IP backbone. The Pyxos channels help economically push energy and control strategies down to very low-cost sensors.
Distech Controls wireless enabled controllers now have over 20 new programmable modules and include wireless and Smart Sensor options. Building controllers form the command and control backbone of an automated building, typically feeding real-time data back to operations management centers and energy management applications.
Gesytec's new integration devices are aimed at integrating legacy or disparate systems in buildings or industrial environments into single, unified system for simpler and more effective management. The new Gypsy RAS embedded PC connects over Ethernet or LonWorks networks to collect and provide visualization for large amounts of data controls and sensing networks. The company's M-Bus to LonWorks gateway brings existing M-Bus equipment into the LonWorks network. Doing so can improves energy and control strategies by allowing programs to treat the building or industrial facility as a single, controllable, and manageable system.Blind Controllers and Wireless Sensing – Acelia's Karno® and Dalilon® product line includes infrared and RF wireless solutions to add wireless sensors to LonWorks building systems – pushing demand response and energy conservation to smaller, lighter weight devices and areas where wired solutions are too costly. Blind controllers are tightly integrated with lighting and HVAC systems in many buildings in Europe to optimize light harvesting systems and manage radiant heat from windows. Both contribute to decreasing overall energy consumption and maximizing the impact of demand response programs.
IP-based Remote Control Software – Newron System's LIZ® software brings remote control of building spaces to both PCs and handheld devices such as smart phones or Internet tablets. LIZ provides a user-friendly way to provide individualized occupancy comfort and control and can be used to tailor energy demand responses to individual preferences – a key to sustained energy practices.
Room Control and Lighting – PASStec's LCD touch panels add high-end graphics to building control access point to allow simple, intuitive feedback and control to sophisticated control systems – another key element in making energy management sustainable.
Elka increased the power of smart room control with enhanced connectivity and software modules for their line of controllers to allow lower costs and greater functionality. The company also released expanded abilities to work with existing lighting control solutions to help make lighting more controllable and responsive to tenant needs.
Better LED Lighting – While LED lighting is extremely energy efficient, it can be costly. Control networks improve the utility of LED lighting systems and Echelon's Pyxos platform and power line smart transceivers put control at even the smallest, lowest cost end-point.
Touch Panel Visualization – DH-Electronics introduces a Pyxos enabled, Windows CE based computer for LED lighting control applications. The panel adds highly granular control to lighting systems through an intuitive, easy to use interface.
No-New-Wires LED Control – Exclara demonstrates their power line based LED driver technology, which offers dimming and scene control over a single set of wires. Using power line as the communications media eliminates the need for dedicated control wires and can dramatically lower installation costs.
Home Control – The emerging home market requires both energy awareness and simplicity. Echelon's technologies can eliminate wiring costs, and remove the complexity and fear of installation and management while providing extreme reliability and low production costs.
Whole Home Control Panels – DH-Electronics delivers the VIT® home control panel to bring dedicated control system access to homeowners that includes fully customized, high-end graphics interfaces.
Smart Gateways – InAccess delivers smart home gateways that detect new devices and present their capabilities to the homeowner through a simple web-interface. Expanding and changing a home network is now as simple as plugging in a device such as a dishwasher or security sensor, eliminating a major barrier to adoption for most consumers.
Contact Echelon at www.echelon.com for more information about all these products and the companies that produce them.
About Echelon Corporation
Echelon Corporation (NASDAQ: ELON) is a networking company that provides products and systems that can monitor and save energy; lower costs; improve productivity; and enhance service, quality, safety, and convenience by connecting everyday devices in utility, buildings, industrial, transportation, and home control systems. Tens of millions of smart devices based on Echelon's LonWorks® products and Networked Energy Services (NES) systems are used around the world today, bringing benefits to consumers and industry.# # #
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