Igor PoE Install Feature: The Des Moines Electrical Apprenticeship

May 16, 2018

The Des Moines Electrical Apprenticeship trains around 300 apprentices each year and provides continuing education to over 1,200 journeymen. After management chose a new location for their training facility, they knew that innovative lighting technology was a must.

Choosing Power over Ethernet

Steve Hansen, Director of Training for the Des Moines Electrical Apprenticeship, said they were interested in upgrading their existing lighting, which was previously an old fluorescent lighting system. They wanted a lighting solution which was low-maintenance, low-energy and easy to use. Plus, as a leading trainer of electricians in Iowa, they wanted to display a lighting system that was cutting-edge. That brought them to Igor.

Installing Igor’s Power over Ethernet Lighting Solution

Working with the team at the Des Moines Electrical Apprenticeship, Igor’s team designed the system, ordered the parts and completed the installation. Even with years of experience as an electrician, Hansen said that Igor’s installation process was “so simple,” and much easier than other systems he’s worked with.

Using Igor’s PoE System

One of the biggest benefits the Des Moines Electrical Apprenticeship has seen from Igor’s system is how “hands-off” the system has been. They’ve had no maintenance, no need to call the Igor team to fix any issues and nothing to worry about. Igor’s team offers continued support if any technical issues do arise - but none have.

Using Igor’s scheduling features with a network of LED lights and motion sensors, the lights are simply on when they arrive, and work throughout the day, giving off lots of light without the hum of an older system. In addition to using the scheduling features, the Des Moines Electrical Apprenticeship takes advantage of the dimming features in their conference room and main lobby. Hansen also saw benefits to going with a wired Ethernet system because there is little-to-no interference, far fewer range limitations and stronger security than wireless smart lighting systems.

Is Power over Ethernet competition to traditional electrical installs?

According to Hansen, it’s very important to the Des Moines Electrical Apprenticeship to keep up with new technology. They are constantly adapting their training to fit the market, and with the market leaning further towards smart lighting, it made sense for them to incorporate it into their training facility.

For Hansen, it’s more about exposing apprentices to as much as they can. “We want to give apprentices enough exposure to as many facets of the trade so that they are familiar enough to take the career in whatever path they want to go.” So for the Des Moines Electrical Apprenticeship, PoE isn’t competition, it’s a logical next step.

While they are not yet training fully on Power over Ethernet, they do offer introductory skills and are working on a Power over Ethernet continuing education course for journeymen.

Control Strategies Used

To summarize, this successful install utilized the following items as a part of the control strategy leveraged: 

-  Network-connected light fixtures and control devices
>  Unique system address for each device
-  Continuous dimming capabilities
-  High-end trim control via Maximum Light Level Policies
-  Occupancy sensor control
-  Daylight harvesting control
-  Flexible zoning of fixtures and control devices
-  Custom scenes via wall controls

 

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