Rita Renner, mwConnect | Chris Wolgamott, Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA)
Location: Nassau
WednesdayMarch 19, 2025
8:30 am - 9:30 am ET
Credits 1 LU | Elective
Intermediate
The lighting controls community has been chasing two ‘holy grails’ for a long time: true interoperability and integrating control of multiple building systems such as lighting and HVAC. But few results are available to show just how this works in the real world for real retrofits. This session will explore a NEEA demonstration project that showcases multiple open lighting protocols—Bluetooth NLC, DALI D4i, Zhaga—as well as HVAC integration using Modbus over WiFi. The presenters will share the scope of the demonstration, some of the implementation challenges as well as early results including energy and non-energy benefits.
A basic understanding of networked lighting controls (NLC), open protocols and HVAC integration would enhance an attendee’s experience.
Learning Objectives
- Attendees will gain an understanding of the project overview, including the technologies being demonstrated as well as the facility characteristics.
- Attendees will learn how the project team created the demonstration design, including control strategies, sequences of operations, integration of lighting and HVAC controls.
- Presenters will share the implementation challenges, exploring where the key difficulties existed and how the project team overcame them.
- Attendees will learn the early performance results from the demonstration project; what the initial energy savings were, as well as other non-energy performance goals.
Speakers
Rita Renner
Director of Marketing
mwConnect (formerly McWong International)
Seasoned in cleantech and energy efficiency, Rita A. Renner has held senior marketing and outreach positions in the lighting controls industry, including WattStopper, Echelon and mwConnect. As a consultant, she has served clients in pre-IPO lighting controls companies, electrical/data construction, professional services firms, and policy making organizations. Rita has a B.A. summa cum laude from Mount Mary College and a J.D. cum laude from Santa Clara University School of Law.
Chris Wolgamott
Principal Product Manager
Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
Chris Wolgamott CEM, CDSM Principal Product Manager, Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance. Chris Wolgamott is a Principal Product Manager at the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA), where he leads market transformation initiatives for Commercial and Residential Lighting and Commercial Efficient Rooftop Units (eRTUs). With more than 30 years of experience in energy efficiency, product management, and utility program development, Chris is recognized as a leading expert in Luminaire Level Lighting Controls (LLLC), advanced lighting systems, and high-performance HVAC technologies. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) and as an Executive Advisor to the Light and Health Research Center at Mount Sinai. A frequent industry speaker, Chris has delivered more than 100 conference presentations, workshops, and webinars on lighting, HVAC technologies, market transformation, and energy efficiency innovation.