Eddie Hickerson, Schneider Electric, LaVergne, Tenn.

Increasing the value of lighting panelboards

View the full story , including all images and figures, in our monthly digital edition A lighting panelboard is one of the most important, and yet invisible, pieces of equipment in a commercial, industrial, or institutional facility. While a lighting panelboard does the crucial job of protecting branch circuits from overcurrents, it typically is mounted on the wall of an electrical room and forgotten, unless an electrical-related event occurs. Conversely, an intelligent lighting control panelboard combines branch circuit protection and control into a one-panel solution, creating both space savings and the opportunity for substantial cost savings by turning lights off when they aren't needed. This is made possible by a controller inside the panelboard that operates motorized circuit breakers, turning off lights and other loads when the building or sections of the building are not occupied. In the past, consulting engineers achieved this functionality by designing a separate control panel typically located adjacent to the lighting panelboard.