Why our Lighting Controller is better than Mesh Network Systems
Wireless Telematics LCMS vs. Mesh Network Systems Are you retrofitting your high wattage parking lot lights with lower wattage LEDs? Congratulations, those LEDs can save you a ton of energy and money! How are you going to control them? In other words, how are you going to turn your new LEDs on and off? There are three options: Option 1: Keep using your timers or photocells. This is a bad idea. It’s like buying a new Porsche but ordering it with manual roll up windows and bald tires. Why would you spend all that money for state of the art LEDs and then shorten their lifespan with your old timers or photocells? Why would you go to all the trouble and expense of retrofitting your old lights and still have the headaches and hassles that you get with timers and photocells? Option 2: Install a mesh network system with wireless nodes on every fixture and a base station to handle all the scheduling. While this sounds good in theory, in real life it is very expensive, complicated and can be prone to problems. If an electrical contractor or lighting company is trying to convince you to get one of these systems, be sure to do a thorough ROI analysis of the mesh network system separately from the LEDs. This is very important! The LEDs are probably going to cut the energy bill drastically on their own without adding an expensive control system. You should figure out what the savings with LEDs will be first. Then, and only then, should you do the analysis on the energy savings from...
Wi-Fi vs. Cell Modules: There is a Clear Winner!
Wi-Fi is great…until it isn’t. For the last two weeks I have not been a big fan of Wi-Fi. My home Wi-Fi router from the cable company died and I had to replace it. I could have waited three days for their tech to come out and replace it but with several power users (my kids) in my home I knew that if I wanted to keep family harmony I would need to tackle the Wi-Fi beast on my own. Six hours later and several hour-long troubleshooting calls with the cable company and the router maker I was finally able to get the Wi-Fi going in my home. I give it about three weeks before something happens and I hear those dreaded words “Dad, the Wi-Fi is down.” I have also been on two flights recently where the Wi-Fi was down. So instead of watching a movie on this four-hour flight I am writing this post on my unconnected laptop. What is my point? We occasionally get asked at Wireless Telematics if our clients can use their Wi-Fi to connect to our controllers instead of the cell modules we use. The short answer is no. And there are three big reasons for that: First and foremost is Data Security. In the past couple years there have been several huge data breaches that occurred when hackers got into a company’s servers through Wi-Fi. One breach was through an HVAC unit at Target and another was through a lighting control system at Home Depot. With our closed loop cell module system there is no way hackers can access your sensitive...
Daylight Saving Time – A Property Manager’s Nightmare
As we prepare to change our clocks again this weekend, I just want to say a sarcastic THANKS. Thanks, George Vernon Hudson. Thanks, William Willet. These two gents, Hudson, a New Zealand scientist in 1895, and Willet, a British builder in 1905, both proposed the beginnings of daylight saving times in their respective countries. While there was interest, it didn’t catch on until 1916 when Germany and its ally, Austria, implemented turning the clocks ahead on April 30, 1916, as a way to minimize the use of artificial lighting to save fuel for the war effort. DAYLIGHT SAVING PROS and CONS Gather ‘round the kitchen table or an online forum and you will find Americans on either side of the Daylight Saving Time discussion. According to timeanddate.com, in modern society, it has been found that the energy saved from Daylight Saving Time is negligible and the bi-annual clock change disrupts our circadian rhythm resulting in fatigue, increased car accidents, and workplace injuries, and is linked to depression. On the flip side, the springtime shift allows for lighter evenings, encouraging evening recreation like golf, walks, and running. The tourism industry benefits from longer evenings as tourists go out more boosting the local economies. More light in the evenings improves road safety, reducing pedestrian fatalities by 13% during dawn and dusk. Whichever side of the fence you may be on, twice a year, the clocks, they are a changin’. DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME IS HERE TO STAY – ARE YOU STILL USING TIMERS OR PHOTOCELLS? And as you know, property managers everywhere are going through their Daylight Saving Time checklist,...“Timers and Photocells Suck” – Top Takeaway at the 2017 NALMCO Spring Seminar
On March 29th and 30th, NALMCO held its annual Spring Seminar which is an interactive two-day training seminar focused on lighting trends, lighting safety and maintenance, energy efficiency solutions, and the future of lighting. There were 12 Learning Labs (TED-style sessions) taught by Associate Members at the forefront of lighting technology, and General Sessions focused on the future of lighting. At the end of the two-day educational conference, NALMCO Vice President Jared Johnson and Program Committee Co-Chair Wendy Fry asked the attendees to list their Top Ten Takeaways from the conference. The number one takeaway was “Timers and Photocells Suck.” President Greg Kimmel and Chief Technology Officer Bill McWhirter of Wireless Telematics presented six 25 minute educational sessions at the 2017 NALMCO Spring Seminar. One of the main themes of their presentation was educating lighting professionals that there is a new lighting controller that is far better than timers and photocells and much simpler and less expensive than mesh-type control systems. Not coincidentally, Wireless Telematics manufactures such a controller and is having tremendous success at shopping centers and other parking lots across the country. Also making the 2017 NALMCO Spring Seminar Top Ten List of Takeaways is the fact that “Controls Are More User-Friendly.” This is certainly the case with the Wireless Telematics Lighting Controller which is a “Set It and Forget It” controller for outdoor parking lot lights and signs. “The days of having to reset timers for daylight savings time or after power outages are over” says Kimmel. “If you want to save a ton of money and make your life easier then you need to get...Wireless Telematics is awarded GSA Schedule Contract
Wireless Telematics is proud to announce that we were recently awarded a GSA Schedule contract. We are now on the GSA Schedule (GS-21F-026DA) and are excited to be able to provide our Lighting Control and Monitoring Service to the federal government. With an increased emphasis on energy efficiency and sustainability, the federal government can see immediate benefits from replacing their old timers and photocells with our simple and reliable Lighting Controller. Not only will there be a reduction in carbon emissions and energy usage, but the savings for the taxpayer will be substantial as well. “This is a win-win situation” says Wireless Telematics President Greg Kimmel. “The Federal government saves energy and reduces their carbon footprint, and the taxpayers save money!” For more information on the Wireless Telematics Lighting Controller please contact us at 1-855-498-5267 x1 and...For more information, please download the LCMS brochure.
