Ballast Network Interfaces (Funded by U.S. Department of Energy)

Results:
We successfully developed working prototype of the ballast network interface component of the integrated building equipment communications (IBECS) network.

The objective was to develop IBECS ballast network interfaces that would allow control of zero- to 10-volt direct current (VDC) dimming ballasts from the IBECS network. We produced prototypes of the interface that we initially designed and installed six of these devices in an office at Building 46 at Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) to test their operation. The system works reliably and consistently and is impervious to ballast noise. A refined version of the ballast network interface is depicted below:

LBNL produced an IBECS ballast/network interface that incorporates a digital potentiometer to dim a 0-10-Volt ballast over the ballast control circuit. The micro-local area network (LAN) is daisy-chained to the interface using two RJ-45 network jacks. The cost of the interface to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) is estimated to be $1.

Downloads and Links:

• A list of companies developing ballast and lighting controls, and status of development effort (1.17 MB, 6 pp)
   
• "Dimming Every Light Cheaply", American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) 2002 Summer Study Paper on Ballast Interfaces (1.7MB, 9 pp)
   
• Final report with technical details of ballast interfaces including input and output definitions for the specific interfaces developed and performance at demonstration site (2.21 MB, 42 pp)

Contact: Francis Rubinstein, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), (510) 486-4096