Watt Stopper Controls Enhance Elegant Gulf Coast Condominimum Tower

SANTA CLARA, CA November 2008 – While planning the Palms of Perdido condominium project on beautiful Perdido Key, Florida, developers and resident owners Dick and Teresa Domurat spent several years researching amenities, including lighting controls. They selected Miro wireless RF controls and occupancy sensors from Watt Stopper/Legrand based on ease of installation, simplicity of system expansion and product performance and styling.

The new building is 14 stories with 23 luxury residences ranging from approximately 4,000 square feet to 5,400 square-foot townhouse penthouses with roof gardens. The architectural detailing is reminiscent of the classic hotels that are icons on the Florida coast. Mrs. Domurat, who is responsible for the interior design, explains that the project is very “design and detail sensitive, and Watt Stopper’s Miro architectural styling fits well.”

Residential lighting controls

In each residence, the GrandSalon has been equipped with Watt Stopper universal dimmers, driving a variety of downlighting and track lighting, and a room scene controller that allows residents to quickly set the mood with preset lighting. House scene controllers in the master bedrooms facilitate shutting down Miro-controlled lighting at night and turning scenes on remotely.

Additional Watt Stopper Miro controls have been installed in the penthouses for all the lighting and ceiling fans. In their own penthouse, the Domurats enjoy using a touch screen and have a time clock that executes basic scenes, including automatically turning lighting off at night. House-level scenes have been created for pathways of lighting throughout the residence and for security.

This penthouse unit also serves as a showplace, and when new owners see the convenience afforded by the additional controls they, too, are choosing to expand their Miro systems. Mr. Domurat notes, “Our buyers expect the best products in every category. Watt Stopper delivers on that promise.”

System flexibility

Miro’s distributed intelligence and wireless control combine to provide the flexibility that was required for the Palms project. Miro scene information is stored in the dimmers, so there is no need for a central processor. The dimmers and the scene controllers communicate using an RF protocol without any control wiring. These features make Miro easy and economical to install, expand and reconfigure.

There is no interference between the controls in different condominium units because Miro assigns a unique House ID to each system and codes all communications with that ID. This also prevents interference from any other systems using the 900 MHz frequency band.

Automatic control for public areas

In the future, a concierge will oversee the elegant Palms Club, but at present a Miro time clock reliably evokes lighting scenes throughout the day and night to establish the desired ambience. Residents using the club can easily adjust lighting levels as needed using individual dimmers or room scene controllers.

Watt Stopper occupancy sensors have been installed throughout the Fitness Center to automatically turn lighting on when the spaces become occupied. Passive infrared (PIR) devices were selected for the open club area while ultrasonic sensors, which can sense around partitions, were used for the restrooms. Dual technology sensors, which use both PIR and ultrasonic technologies, were selected for the locker areas. All of the sensors ensure energy savings by turning lighting off after each space is vacated.

Future plans

The Palms developers intend to further enhance the property with landscape lighting and additional Watt Stopper controls due to their satisfaction with the products and service to date. They also plan to add plug-in lamp modules to the Palms Club system in order to include desk and floor lamps in the programmed lighting scenes, and use the occupancy emulation feature on a Miro repeater in the showcase penthouse for additional security.

“I love the simplicity of programming the systems, the local switches that permit easy override and the ability to expand. And working with the helpful sales and support teams, including AMA Lighting, has been a pleasure. We couldn’t be happier with our decision to use Watt Stopper controls,” Mr. Domurat concludes.

Watt Stopper/Legrand is a leading manufacturer of energy efficient lighting controls for commercial and residential use. We help customers find convenient ways to save energy, meet green initiatives, and comply with energy codes with our comprehensive range of products, programs, and services. Legrand, located in Limoges, France, is the world specialist in products and systems for electrical installations and information networks, offering solutions for use in residential, commercial and industrial buildings.

For more information about Watt Stopper/Legrand, visit www.wattstopper.com.

#     #     #

RETURN TO NEW PRODUCTS