120,000 sq feet illuminated by Bluetooth mesh luminaires

Scaling up wireless lighting controls

Located in the picturesque city of Red Deer, Westerner Park is Central Alberta's largest trade show, agriculture, entertainment and sports facility. For more than 125 years, it has been a destination of choice for locals gathering to celebrate all kinds of community events. Just recently, it has also become home to some of the biggest Bluetooth mesh lighting control networks.

Each year, Westerner Park hosts approximately 1,500 events and 1.5 million visitors. It is a 320-acre complex with multiple venues tailored to meet the diverse needs of the local community. From weddings and banquets to hockey games and agricultural shows, they are ready to host any event you can possibly imagine. Knowing that quality lighting is an important part of the experience offered by Westerner Park, its managers decided that the time had come for a major lighting retrofit. The goal was to address recurring maintenance issues with the existing T5 fixtures, as well as to increase the light level and reduce energy consumption.

The first stage of the retrofit covered the following five facilities:

Stockmens Pavilion (42,400 sq feet)

Prairie Pavilion (31,000 sq feet)

Parkland Pavilion (37,000 sq feet)

Salon A (3,300 sq feet)

Salon B (3,300 sq feet)

First, the existing T5 fixtures were replaced with EiKO LED high bay luminaires. All installation works were carried out by 1st Star Electric Systems LTD, a local expert in electrical construction. Once installed, the luminaires were divided into groups, with each group controlled by a Bluetooth SIG-qualified Fulham EliteControl fixture controller. In each of the pavilions, a single EnOcean wireless energy harvesting switch was deployed to allow for controlling all of the luminaires at once. 1st Star Electric Systems LTD took care of the commissioning process, using Fulham’s eliteBlue app to set up the entire installation. Developed in cooperation with Silvair as the company’s technology partner, the eliteBlue app allows for easy and time-efficient commissioning, customizing, and monitoring of Bluetooth mesh luminaires.

The first stage of the lighting overhaul was completed quicker than expected, and the flawless performance of a wireless control system proved that choosing Bluetooth mesh was a great choice. This encouraged Westerner Park to immediately launch preparations for another stage of the project. As part of it, fluorescent fixtures will be replaced in all of the remaining pavilions. This stage will also cover all the exterior area lights. Like previously, the lighting control system will be entirely wireless and based on the globally interoperable Bluetooth mesh standard. This allows Westerner Park to minimize the cost and disruption caused by the retrofit.

Details:

Category: event facility

Wireless technology: Fulham EliteControl fixture controllers

EnOcean wireless energy harvesting switches

Deployed strategy: manual control

Total area: 120,000 sq feet / 11,150 m²

Location: Westerner Park

4847A 19th Street, Red Deer, AB, Canada

Year: 2019

BENEFITS

● Non-disruptive installation

● Easy commissioning

● Convenient manual control (one switch per venue)

Fulham EliteControl fixture controller

A simple, easy-to-install component that connects to an existing 0-10V dimmable luminaire to add qualified Bluetooth mesh connectivity. Fulham’s fixture controller is an ideal solution for luminaire makers looking to develop their Bluetooth mesh product lines, or contractors seeking to provide wireless lighting options in the field. Robust wireless control capabilities are provided by the Silvair firmware.

Photo: Scaling up wireless lighting controls: 120,000 sq feet illuminated by Bluetooth mesh luminaires

Author:Szymon Rzadkosz (text / content), Milena Rózga (illustration / editorial design)

Located in the picturesque city of Red Deer, Westerner Park is Central Alberta’s largest trade show, agriculture, entertainment and sports facility. For more than 125 years, it has been a destination of choice for locals gathering to celebrate all kinds of community events. Just recently, it has also become home to some of the biggest Bluetooth mesh lighting control networks.

Keywords:

Bluetooth mesh, lighting retrofit, lighting control, wireless lighting control, lighting firmware, lighting software, smart lighting, connected lighting, smart luminaires, decentralized control, easy commissioning, non-disruptive retrofit, real-life Bluetooth mesh implementation, software controller, building automation, wireless communication, energy savings, code compliance.

About Silvair

Silvair provides a complete wireless lighting control solution based on the globally interoperable Bluetooth mesh standard. Component manufacturers can easily integrate it into a variety of products, flexibly 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.

For more information, visit www.silvair.com