Lighting depreciation compensation system and method

• US 20030127998A1
• Filed: 01/08/2002
• Published: 07/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ultrawatt Energy Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ultrawatt Energy Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Yablonowski, Timothy, Notarianni, Joseph C.
• Application Number:
  US10/041,193
• Publication Number:
  US 20030127998A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/312
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/392 using semiconductor devices, e.g. thyristor
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/20 Responsive to malfunctions or to light source life; for protection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

Lighting depreciation is compensated by systems and methods. Where a reduction in power is provided to a lamp for saving energy costs, the amount of power reduction is decreased as a function of the age of the lamp. The decrease in power reduction compensates for lighting deprecation of the lamp. The power provided to the lamp is increased as a function of the age of the lamp.

Claims

1. A method for lighting depreciation compensation, the method comprising:

(a) reducing an amount of power output to a lighting lamp load from an AC source; and

(b) altering the amount of power output as a function of an age of a lamp of the lighting lamp load.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein (a) comprises reducing an amount of power output to a plurality of high intensity discharge lamps.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein (a) comprises operating a power savings unit in a power savings mode.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein (b) comprises increasing the amount of power as a function of the age.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein (a) comprises reducing the amount of power output by X% and (b) comprises increasing the amount of power by Y% as a function of the age, where Y is less than X.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein Y is 20 or more and X is 5 or less.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein (b) comprises increasing the amount of power as a function of the age a first time;

and

further comprising;

(c) increasing the amount of power as a function of the age a second time, the second time after the first time.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein (b) comprises altering as a function of a number of days of operation of the lamp.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein (b) comprises altering as a function of the age and as a function of the amount of power output in (a).

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(c) controlling (a) and (b) for a plurality of lighting control units with a central processor electrically connected with each of the lighting control units.

11. A lighting depreciation compensation system for power savings operation, the system comprising:

a lamp; and

a lighting control unit connected with the lamp, the lighting control unit operative to reduce an amount of power output to the lamp and alter the amount of power output as a function of an age of the lamp.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the lamp comprises a high intensity discharge lamp and further comprising a plurality of high intensity discharge lamps connected with the lighting control unit.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the lighting control unit is operable in a power savings mode associated with the reduction of the amount of power output to the lamp.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the lighting control unit is operable to decreasing the amount of power output reduction as a function of the age.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the lighting control unit is operable to reducing the amount of power output by X% and increasing the amount of power by Y% as a function of the age, where Y is less than X.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein the lighting control unit comprises a switch and capacitance connected in series between an AC source and the lamp.

17. The system of claim 11 further comprising a processor operable to monitor the age and control the lighting control unit as a function of the age.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the processor is operable to send e-mails about operation of the lighting control unit.

19. A lighting depreciation compensation system for lighting loads, the system comprising:

a user input; and

a controller connected with the user input, the controller operable to be connected with a plurality of lights and an AC source, the controller operative to increase an amount of power as a function of an age of the lamp, the age responsive to information from the user input.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the controller comprises a power reduction device operable to reduce power provided to the plurality of lights from the AC source in a power savings mode, the increase in the amount of power being less than the reduction in power associated with the power savings mode.