Overview
Enlighted’s connected lighting solution supports multiple methods of energy metering. This article describes the various ways energy metering can be performed and the expected accuracy of the measurement.
Enlighted’s sensors prefer to read energy consumption information directly from a metering device rather than an estimate based on the fixture's power specification. The metering device may be an Enlighted Control Unit (CU) connected to the LED driver or maybe a driver with the integrated metering capability and a digital interface directly to the sensor. In these “hard metering “cases, the metering device's accuracy will dictate the overall accuracy of the energy measurements. When no metering device is present in the system, Manage can estimate the energy consumption (called “soft metering”) based on the wattage profile of the fixture.
Enlighted CU-4E Control Unit
The CU-4E is used in conjunction with 0-10V dimming LED drivers to provide hard metered energy consumption information to the sensor. The sensor reads cumulative energy consumption from the CU on 60-second intervals and reports this information back to Manage every five minutes.
When wired correctly, the AC power to the entire fixture flows through the CU, and power consumption accuracy will be +/- 2% or 0.5W (whichever is greater) at nominal operating temperatures (+25°C) or +/- 4% or 1.0W (whichever is greater) over the entire operating range (-40°C to +85°C) of the CU.
Enlighted CU-4D (DALI) Control Unit
The CU-4D is used in conjunction with standard DALI drivers to provide hard metered energy consumption information to the sensor. Like the CU-4E, the sensor reads cumulative energy consumption on 60-second intervals and reports it back to Manage every five minutes.
When wired correctly, the AC power to the entire fixture flows through the CU. Power consumption accuracy will be +/- 2% or 0.5W (whichever is greater) at nominal operating temperatures (+25°C) or +/- 4% or 1.0W (whichever is greater) over the entire operating range (-20°C to +70°C) of the CU-4D.
Energy Metering Drivers
More and more LED driver manufacturers are integrating metering capability directly into drivers along with a digital interface available to communicate with the sensor. Signify SR and OSRAM DEXAL are examples of drivers that offer these features and connect directly to Enlighted sensors. A list of compatible drivers is available separately from Enlighted.
These drivers will have their own metering accuracy specification, so users should consult the driver manufacturer for further information.
Non-Energy Metering Fixtures
Sensors in a fixture without a CU or energy metering driver will not measure energy consumption directly; it can only be estimated based on the dimming level and power profile of the fixture. This feature is called “soft metering”.
There is no stated accuracy specification for soft metering.
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