Controls Friday: University of California Signs Licensing Daylight Harvesting Deals with Wattstopper and Axis Technologies

The University of California, Davis has signed co-exclusive license agreements with Wattstopper and Axis Technologies Inc. to commercialize inventions that reduce the cost and increase the reliability of daylight harvesting systems–control systems that automatically adjust indoor lighting to match changes in ambient daylight. The license agreements cover a package of strategies and technologies developed by the California Lighting Technology Center (CLTC) at UC Davis.

The licensed inventions include advances in three areas. CLTC researchers have developed tools that allow the system to calibrate itself continuously and automatically, adjusting to any changes in the room and reducing the need for expert commissioning. Secondly, the researchers have devised technology to use two light sensors, rather than one, to get a more reliable measure of ambient daylight. Finally, the team exploited the properties of photosensors to get better measurements of light approaching the sensor from an angle, rather than just head-on.

The work leading to the inventions was supported by the Public Interest Energy Research program of the California Energy Commission.

This post sponsored by:

Craig DiLouie

See Full Bio