Industry News

WattStopper has enhanced its extensive offering of energy-efficient lighting controls with a line of wallbox dimmers and fan speed controls to help building owners and facility managers capture energy savings when lighting is on. The new dimmers include a family of specification-grade Architectural Dimmers, intended primarily for commercial applications, and three families of designer dimmers for commercial, hospitality and residential applications. WattStopper now offers products designed to dim most lighting loads, including two-wire, three-wire and 0-10 volt fluorescent ballasts.

Most of the new controls feature preset functionality, and all of the preset dimmers can be wired for multi-way control, which simplifies stocking and ordering for distributors and contractors. Each family includes a fan speed control. The new products were developed for the same types of facilities that rely on WattStopper’s occupancy sensors and lighting control panels to turn lighting off when it is not needed. Energy savings from dimming are approximately proportional to the reduction in light output, and both energy codes and energy managers are increasingly focused on realizing the potential savings between on and off.

The Architectural Dimmer family includes 120 and 277 volt models, and high capacity dimmers for larger loads. A field-configurable wallplate system simplifies the installation of multiple dimmers and eliminates the need to order expensive multi-gang plates. Each wallplate section includes a label slot for easy insertion of customized dimmer labels that can be printed on local laptops. Architectural Dimmers for incandescent loads include a high-end trim that can be used to reduce the maximum dimmer output by up to 10% for added energy savings.

The designer families include Touch Dimmers, Paddle Dimmers and Slide Dimmers, all styled to fit standard decorator wallplates so they can be ganged easily and attractively with switches, sensors and other devices. The Touch Dimmer family features a universal model capable of dimming most lighting loads, a smooth two-second fade rate and LEDs to indicate light levels. A Touch Remote provides full-function dimming from one or more additional locations. Paddle Dimmers feature a discrete slider for level setting, and a decorator size switch for on/off control. Slide Dimmers are styled with a wide, low-profile slider and smaller switch. The Slide Dimmer family also includes a dual slide-to-off dimmer for independent control of two separate lighting loads that is convenient for retrofits and helps reduce wall clutter.

WattStopper (www.wattstopper.com), a Legrand group brand, is a leading manufacturer of energy efficient lighting controls for commercial and residential use. We help customers find convenient ways to save energy, meet green initiatives, and comply with energy codes with our comprehensive range of products, programs, and services. Legrand (www.legrandelectric.com), located in Limoges, France, is the world specialist in products and systems for electrical installations and information networks, offering solutions for use in residential, commercial and industrial buildings.