The Customer
The customer for this project was the U.S General Services Administration (GSA). The building is Thomas F. Eagleton U.S. Courthouse, located in downtown St. Louis, MO. The courthouse stands at 29 stories plus 4 basement levels. The building contains 1.3 million square feet of space and at 557 feet, it is the tallest courthouse in the United States.
The Challenge
New energy conservation requirements had been passed that affected all federal buildings. The Eagleton Courthouse was the first building to start adopting these requirements. The building was completed in the year 2000, and already contained an existing lighting control system. The end user had difficulties finding replacement parts for the original system and was not pleased with how the system worked. Public and general work areas were controlled with relay panels and courtrooms were controlled with dimming panels. The dimming panels were not on the relay panel network so there was no communication between any of the courtroom’s lighting controls.
The largest challenge was working in an occupied building. The project had to carry on in such a way that it would not disturb the daily operations inside of the building. This meant that the equipment had to be ready in a timely manner and always ready for the electrical contractor to install. Another challenge was the overall size of the project. This project contained roughly 60 relay panels, 25 dimming cabinets, 100 digital stations, etc. This was an ARRA project which also put Leviton on a deadline for completion.
The Solution
After an open bid process against two large competitors, Leviton was chosen for the relay panels, a-2000® dimming cabinets, and every aspect of the building’s lighting. A new system was designed which allowed for control over the entire building for the first time, allowing the end user to have control over all system components. Equipment utilized on this job included Z-MAX Plus Relay Control Panels, a-2000 dimming cabinets, Dimensions® D4200, MDS Dimming Panels, custom Luma Graphics, and custom communication racks which also allow for dial-in phone control of the system. All of the equipment had to be built in the US for ARRA compliance, which was easily accomplished.
The collaboration between Leviton technicians, Leviton factories, the end user, and a professional and skilled electrical contractor (Aschinger Electric) allowed Leviton to meet the deadlines and demands with little friction or issue.
The Results
Eagleton Courthouse was the first GSA Courthouse to be updated in accordance with the new Green Energy Plan. With the project’s successful substantial completion in 2010, the building was granted an ENERGY STAR® rating for its advancements in sustainability.
For courthouse employees, the new Z-MAX Plus system has made great strides in time savings. Maintenance and scheduling of the building is simple using the Luma Graphics software, greatly reducing the labor involved with synchronizing the entire building. The GSA estimates an energy cost savings of $13,532 annually from the new system
For More Information
To learn more about the wide range of Leviton’s lighting control and energy management solutions, please visit www.leviton.com/lms or call 503-404-5555
Location: Thomas F. Eagleton Courthouse, St. Louis, Missouri
Application: Retrofit
Industry: Government
Benefits: Time and labor savings from new ease of use and programming capabilities, and upgraded security. For the first time in the structure's history, daylight harvesting is now possible in the large glass-paneled rotunda and other naturally-lit areas. Estimated $13,532 in anual energy cost savings.
Start: October 2009
Finish: September 2010
General Contractor: Novack Construction.
Electrical Contrator: Aschinger Electric.