If you have any questions about RadioRA 2, it’s very likely you will be able to find the answer here. We’ve scoured the web for every last scrap of info about RadioRA 2, and put it here, in our customary intuitive interface. Rather than hassle with downloading and saving PDFs, just get the info you need here, and be done with it. You can search in every document, print from the document, and email PDFs directly from the document. Enjoy.

RadioRA 2 – Consumer Brochure

RadioRA 2 – Trade Brochure

RadioRA 2 – Setup Guide

RadioRA 2 – Product Reference Guide

RadioRA 2 – Dimmers and Switches

RadioRA 2 – Dimmers and Switches – Install Sheet

RadioRA 2 – Maestro Color-Change Kit Install Sheet

RadioRA 2 – Lamp Dimmers

RadioRA 2 – Main & Auxiliary Repeaters

RadioRA 2 – Main Repeater – Install Sheet

RadioRA 2 – Auxiliary Repeater – Install Sheet

RadioRA 2 – Visor Control – Install Sheet

RadioRA 2 – Wall Keypads

RadioRA 2 – Wall Keypads – Install Sheet

RadioRA 2 – Keypad Replacement Kit Install Sheet

RadioRA 2 – Engraving Instructions

RadioRA 2 – Wall Control Engraving Form

RadioRA 2 – Tabletop Control Engraving Form

RadioRA 2 – Integration Protocol Guide

Lutron or Vantage?

The people have spoken. And their voice said Lutron. Unanimously. As in, no one voted for Vantage. To be honest, we were expecting Lutron to win, but we thought that Vantage would have enough proponents to garner at least a decent showing. Not so. Time to get on your grind, Vantage. You either need some killer innovations, or lower pricing. Just sayin’.

The Votes

Exclusive Lighting Solutions – Lutron

AV Exclusive – Lutron

Vsys – Lutron

Back Bay Construction – Lutron

Gary T. – Lutron /via Twitter

Carletta – Lutron /via Twitter

Pi Ventures – Lutron /via Twitter

Dean S. – Lutron /via Twitter

David D. – Lutron /via Twitter

Denio Design – Lutron /via Twitter

Tyler D. – Lutron /via Twitter

John S. – Lutron /via Twitter

Clint B. – Lutron

Anthony D. – Lutron

Brian F. – Lutron

Darren A. – Lutron

Ben M. – Lutron

At CEDIA 2009, Audio One took home an impressive five awards, including Technical Design and Best Dressed System. I recently spoke with David Frangioni, founder of Audio One, about his projects and how lighting control gave his projects that extra level of distinction.

The most interesting story from the interview came from their entry for Best Large Home Theater. For this project, they were given 17 days to redesign, install and setup an updated theater in an existing home. The result is this

Not bad for 17 days. Their next project was directly influenced by the client’s need for well-designed lighting control. The client requested that the theater not be as dark as home theaters typically are, and that the lighting highlight the features of the room and technology. A lighting designer took care of the placement and type of lighting and Audio One took care of the technology to control it. Mr Frangioni mentioned that they often use Lutron equipment to control the lighting, and link that to an overall Crestron system.

Here is the view from the front of the theater. As you can see, it feels more like a light, airy living room than a cavernous home theater.

And here is the view from the back, taking in the screen and sound system.

And finally, the integrator’s version of street cred: a meticulous wiring job. This is from their entry for Best Media Room. Enjoy.

1. It’s Cheaper to Build a Dimmer than a Power Plant

The baseline benefit of incorporating lighting control in a built environment stems from the disparity in efficiency between the conservation and creation of energy. Intuitively, it makes sense that it would take less energy to conserve one watt of energy than to generate one watt of energy. Fortunately, we don’t have to rely on intuition. Dr. Ian Rowbottom, an energy expert and inventor of direct current dimming, performed an economic analysis of this very question. He goes through a great deal of detail, and explains down to the penny how much more efficient dimming is than power generation.

Disclaimer: This particular white paper was sponsored by Lutron, and is based on test data from Lutron equipment. Because of this, actual energy savings for other dimmers may be more or less than the savings shown here.

The summary of Dr. Rowbottom’s findings is this: it is 4 to 22 times more efficient to conserve energy using dimming than to generate energy via a power plant.

Comparison of Dimming Costs with Power Generation Costs

For a deeper look into the analysis, you can read the full white paper from Dr. Rowbottom below:

2. LEED Certification

Incorporating a lighting control system in a building can contribute up to 37 out of 110 possible LEED points for a building. Below is a rundown of the ways lighting control can help you obtain LEED Certification.
Credit: Lutron Electronics, Inc.

For a deeper look into how this point structure is broken down, you can read the full LEED report here:
Credit: Lutron Electronics, Inc.

3. Smart Meters Mean Real-time Energy Feedback

Lighting control systems are going to be a crucial part of our evolving smart power grid. With the advent of smart meters, which are power meters that provide real-time feedback of energy usage, we will be able to control energy consumption during peak hours. In a home, for example, during peak hours the system could dim the lighting down to 80% throughout the house. This would maintain functionality while saving money and conserving energy usage. More importantly, because the lighting is part of a system, this can be accomplished automatically, without user input. A house or commercial building is no longer a mindless energy drain on the power grid, but a self-regulating node on the smart grid.

Smart meters are being rolled out all over the world. In some cases, they are run as small beta tests first, but in some cases, the rollout is fast and comprehensive. An independent consulting group is mapping the smart grid rollout, which you can see below.
The legend is as follows:
Red = Electricity
Green = Gas
Blue = Water
Triangle = Trial or Pilot Test
Circle = Project

Reducing Electricity Usage also Reduces the Carbon Footprint
While reducing electricity consumption does reduce the drain on our power grid, it also reduces a building’s carbon footprint. Lutron has a useful energy calculator tool which calculates how much carbon dioxide is removed from the air based on your building’s energy savings. For example, dimming lights in one room 30% prevents about 1800lb of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere.

For more info you can check out their energy calculator here:
Lutron Energy Savings Calculator

5. Dimming Reduces Recurring Monthly Overhead

From a purely bottom-line standpoint, dimming reduces monthly overhead costs. One dimmer dimmed to 30% can save about $500 over 5 years. With, say 20 dimmers, that’s $10,000 of savings in 5 years. That’s a significant reduction in overhead costs.

6. Scheduling Makes Lighting Effortless

Whether it’s putting your home on Vacation mode or setting your restaurant to change lighting scenes automatically throughout the day, scheduling takes the effort out of elegant, efficient lighting.
For residential applications, scheduling means the homeowner can leave home knowing that the house will operate according to their schedule.
Scheduling’s real power is in commercial applications, though. As most commercial buildings operate on a regularly intervaled schedule, the lighting can match that schedule automatically. Lights can come on in the morning, adjust throughout the day, then shut off in the evenings. This also ensures repeatability, which is the next benefit.

7. Repeatability Standardizes Complex Lighting Scenes

It takes a great deal of finesse to adjust the lighting in a multi-zone room to obtain a specific feel. Whether it’s setting just the right scene in a homeowner’s dining room or creating the right atmosphere in a museum, lighting adjustments are not something that should be made manually every day.
Lighting control systems remember the settings needed for any given scene and recall it at the push of a button.
In commercial applications, this is particularly necessary. Customers need to experience consistent lighting every time they visit, and the repeatability of a lighting control system ensures that.

8. Energy Management at the Push of One Button

It may seem obvious, but it wasn’t too long ago that homes had wall banks of dimmers and switches controlling multi-zone rooms. With the advent of keypad interfaces, lighting control systems have brought in a whole new level of sophistication. Instead of moving the side of your hand along a wall of switches, it just takes one button press. That one button press can control everything from one zone of light to an entire home. Coming next are programmable touchscreens with customizable graphics. You heard it here first.

9. Excellent Lighting = Excellent Productivity

While there has been no scientific study done on lighting’s effect on productivity, Dr. Rowbottom has written an interesting white paper which combines educated guessing with common sense. He arrives at the conclusion that a lighting control system will pay for itself in seven months, based solely on an increase in employee productivity. It makes for a good read, and I’ll let you decide for yourself. Here’s his white paper below.

10. Ambience Means Happier People

This fits together with #9 above, but affects the user on a personal level. While happier people are typically more productive, being happy can be an end in itself. Well-designed lighting scenes have been known to evoke moods , and can uplift or relax the body. Entire certification programs are set up strictly to teach professionals how to properly design lighting that creates a specific atmosphere.
This is why lighting control is so important, even at the basic, personal well-being level. It’s the lighting control system that makes the magic happen. The combination of dimming, pinpoint control, and repeatability means a homeowner can recreate exactly the ambience they wish every time.

Guest Post by Bill Trammel, Writer for Lighting Control Pros

One of the most exciting lighting control product launches at CEDIA 2009 was Lutron’s introduction of their new RadioRA 2 platform. Allowing for scalability from 2 to 200 devices, RadioRA 2 is finally bridging the new construction and retrofit markets with one product line.

Connects with Sivoia QS Wireless Shades and Draperies
This means RadioRA 2 can be used for a complete lighting control solution, controlling both man-made and natural light management. Client wants shades, but doesn’t have a Homeworks system? No problem. Throw in a RadioRA 2 system, and pop in a Sivoia QS Wireless roller shade. Done.

Software and Button-press Programming
This was a big question when RadioRA 2 was just a rumor circulating. Turns out they provided the right answer. Since this system supports both large and small applications, it makes sense to provide the appropriate programming methods for each application. Good call, Lutron.


Integrates with GRAFIK Eye QS
This means you can use Radio RA 2 for existing GRAFIK Eye systems, and exploit the flexibility it brings.

Integrates with other popular control systems
RadioRA 2 provides RS-232 and TCP/IP connections, meaning you can also integrate it into a larger home automation system, in addition to a stand-alone system.

Killer Combo Going to Change the Lighting Control Game
The combination of Lutron’s rock-solid wireless performance and this highly flexible new platform makes RadioRA 2 a game-changer in the lighting control industry. Integrators and end users no longer have to make compromises when installing or retrofitting a wireless lighting control system. And isn’t that the way it should be?

This year’s CEDIA was a big one for Lutron. They introduced:

You can check out the gorgeous product photography below in Lutron’s CEDIA brochure. You can click on the center of the brochure below and pull up a fullscreen view.

And here’s CEPro’s Editor-at-large Julie Jacobsen interviewing Melissa Andresko about Lutron’s new products.
(Check out the draperies that roll up at the 1:14 mark. Crazy?!)

Company History

Information provided by Lutron

Joel and Ruth Spira founded Lutron Electronics Company, Inc. in 1961. Lutron’s first product was called a “dimmer switch” and represented the world’s first solid-state electronic device used to dim lights in a home, replacing bulky rheostats and autotransformers that were inefficient and unattractive. Although Lutron has grown substantially over the past several decades, the company still maintains the feel and personal closeness of a smaller firm, and to this day still operates under the guidance of the company’s 5 Principles:

Today, over 45 years later, Lutron is still devoted to controlling lighting. Our focus on product innovations, technology, quality, and customer service has made us the undisputed leader worldwide in the area of lighting controls. We offer more than 10,000 products to satisfy virtually any residential or commercial project. Lutron products adjust the intensity of virtually every kind of light, and we remain to this day the only company that provides an integrated solution for controlling both natural daylight as well as electrical lighting.

Our complete line of lighting control solutions for residences as well as for commercial projects located within North and South America is supported by our corporate headquarters in Coopersburg, PA (northwest of Philadelphia) as well as numerous sales and service offices located throughout the US, Canada, and Mexico. Our global sales and service efforts are supported by our worldwide offices with European headquarters in London and other sales and service offices located throughout Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

Lutron’s position as the leading manufacturer of lighting controls worldwide, our unsurpassed quality, the breadth and depth of our product offerings, and our commitment to servicing our worldwide customers have resulted in an average growth of approximately 20% annually. This growth has in turn allowed the company to continue to invest in recruiting and retaining the best people we can find to help us service our customers. Continuous growth has also fueled our ability to constantly develop new technologies and new manufacturing processes that in turn drive the creation of new or better products and services.

Whether you are a homeowner seeking to enhance the appearance or atmosphere of a single room, or a facilities manager looking to enhance employee productivity and comfort while reducing energy-related costs throughout an entire corporate campus, Lutron can offer you the best value lighting control solutions that will meet or exceed your expectations while staying within your budget.

Contact Info

Corporate Address
Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
7200 Suter Road
Coopersburg, PA 18036
Phone: (888) 588-7661
Fax: (610) 282-1243

www.lutron.com

24/7 Technical Support
Phone: (800) 523-9466
Fax: (610) 282-3769
Email: product@lutron.com

New Lutron system flawlessly integrates lighting control with A/V
Coopersburg, Pa. (June 17, 2009) – Lighting controls manufacturer Lutron Electronics Co., Inc. is making it easier than ever to integrate lighting controls into a professional A/V system.

The Pro AV Digital Lighting Controller (DLC) has direct connections to Lutron digital fixtures, fluorescent ballasts and LED drivers; and direct input for Lutron occupancy/vacancy sensors. Through a GRAFIK Eye QS digital bus, it also links directly to Lutron Sivoia QS shades and QS wallstations, The ProAV DLC includes one four-scene QS wallstation as part of the package.

The DLC controller flawlessly integrates lighting and shades with other elements of a professional A/V system through an integral Ethernet/RS232 interface that connects the GRAFIK Eye QS to any AV control system, PC, or other digital equipment that supports TCP/IP communication over Ethernet or RS232 communication.

The controller provides monitoring commands and accepts control commands with two-way communication between a GRAFIK Eye QS system and any professional A/V system, thereby allowing a touchscreen from an AV system or PC to operate and query GRAFIK Eye control units.

Using the Pro AV Digital Lighting Controller, users can:

• Select lighting scenes
• Determine which scene is selected
• Program and start/stop an automated scene sequence
• Read an individual zone’s intensity
• Preset zone intensities on GRAFIK Eye QS Units
• Keep track of buttons pressed
• Control any combination of GRAFIK Eye QS Series control units on the GRAFIK Eye QS link

About GRAFIK EYE QS
Introduced in June 2007, GRAFIK Eye QS provides seamless integration of Lutron lighting and shade products for complete light control in a space.  The fully- customizable, preset system provides convenient control, energy savings and enhancement of the visual environment.

About Lutron Electronics (www.lutron.com)
Lutron Electronics Co., Inc, headquartered in Coopersburg, Pa., is the world leader in the design and manufacture of lighting control solutions for both residential and commercial applications. The company offers a wide variety of light controls, whole-home and whole-building dimming systems, and controllable window treatments.  In homes and public buildings around the world, Lutron products save energy while enhancing the appearance and atmosphere of any space, from a single room to an entire structure.
# # #

Orlando, Fla. (June 17, 2009) – The headquarters for A/V lighting control integration is moving to Booth #2972 at InfoComm 2009, as Lutron Electronics Co., Inc. unveils a digital revolution in lighting control.

InfoComm, the nation’s largest conference for the professional A/V industry, takes place June 17-19 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.

Lighting controls manufacturer Lutron Electronics will feature a new generation of digitally addressable products that work seamlessly with each other and integrate easily with other elements in any type of professional A/V system.

NEW – GRAFIK Eye QS Wireless combines total light control and energy management to meet the aesthetic, functional and regulatory needs of any project or space.  The wireless interconnects allow for reduced installation time and cost by eliminating the need to run or pull wire from the GRAFIK Eye QS to several components including Sivoia QS Wireless shades, wireless occupancy sensors, and additional GRAFIK Eye QS Wireless units.

NEW – Pro AV Digital Lighting Controller (QSE-PAV16M-120) flawlessly integrates a Lutron lighting control system with other elements of a professional A/V system into a single unit. It includes direct connections to Lutron digital ballasts, Lutron occupancy/vacancy sensors and wallstations. It also includes an integral Ethernet/RS232 to connect to A/V systems.

Sivoia QS Wireless Now available with RF technology, Sivoia QS Wireless provides ultra-quiet, scalable and reliable control of daylight at the touch of a button. This intelligent low-voltage system provides smooth, uniform movement; consistent alignment across multiple shades; and superior performance.  It eliminates the need for low-voltage wiring, thereby reducing installation time and costs.   It is available with sheer, privacy, and blackout fabrics, including many PVC-free fabric choices.

Sivoia QS Wireless can be operated with the new Pico wireless control, a multi-functional control that can be used as a stylish tabletop control on a pedestal; a lightweight hand-held remote; or a wall-mounted control within a Lutron Claro faceplate that looks like a traditional keypad, but without wires.

NEW – Radio Powr Savr is a wireless occupancy/vacancy sensor with cutting-edge technology that gives it unequalled ability to reliably detect fine motion.  It is extremely easy to install and set up, making it an excellent retrofit for regulatory purposes.

NEW – DMX Interface provides control of lighting and other theatrical equipment that use the DMX512 protocol, including LED lighting, strobes, fog machines, animated
characters and moving fixtures.  Using the interface, users can:

· Map any DMX channel to a zone on the GRAFIK Eye QS link
· Map multicolor lighting to one zone on the GRAFIK Eye QS system to map a zone intensity to a specific color

GRAFIK Eye QS I/O (Input/Output) Contact Closure Interface integrates a GRAFIK Eye QS control system with equipment that has contact-closure I/O.

It can be programmed to control or be controlled by any combination of GRAFIK Eye QS control units; or to control any combination of Sivoia QS window treatments on the QS link. It also can provide control of any non-Lutron device including motorized projection screens, window shades, occupancy sensors and standard push buttons. It can even provide room-combining functions for Grafik Eye QS units by accepting inputs from movable wall sensors.

Ethernet / RS232 interface integrates GRAFIK Eye QS Lighting and Shade Control Systems with any AV control system, PC, or other digital equipment that supports TCP/IP communication over Ethernet or RS232 communication.  It provides monitoring commands and accepts control commands with two-way communication to and from a QS system, thereby allowing a touchscreen from an A/V system or PC to operate and query GRAFIK Eye control units.

Multi-channel theatrical consoles are available in 12- and 24-channel two-scene preset consoles with memory for use in applications requiring real-time theatrical control of lighting.  They are ideal for houses of worship, hotel ballrooms and restaurants with live entertainment.  Used with Lutron GP, LP and LCP dimming panels, the consoles provide simple seamless take-command operation when used with GRAFIK Eye and SeeTouch controls.

NEW – EcoSystem Compact Fluorescent (CFL) Ballast are digitally-addressable ballasts that can control 26W, 32W and 42W  T4 CFL lamps down to 5 percent light level.  They are energy-efficient, with ultra-low  (<1W) stand-by power requirements that make Lutron’s latest ballast product ideal for any downlight application.

Hi-lume 3D Ballasts deliver high dimming ratios and efficiency for linear T8 and T5 fluorescent lamps in a slim-profile enclosure.  Hi-lume 3D ballasts are digitally controlled and can operate on an EcoSystem or DALI control bus. This provides a new level of flexibility in configuring lighting while saving energy.

Hi-lume LED Driver is a high-performance LED driver that provides energy-efficient dimming of specific LED fixtures from 100 percent to 1 percent of light output.  The
Hi-lume LED driver can integrate with a multitude of Lutron digital lighting
control products.

Stanza is an easy-to-install, easy-to-use lighting control system for hotel guestrooms.  It offers unmatched convenience and flexibility in design with a variety of individual components that communicate via wireless radio frequency (RF) within the room.

LCP128  Modular Panels are  simple lighting control systems that offer
automated presets and simple end-user control of all dimming and switching on a job.  Easily designed and configured by certified system integrators they’re perfect for restaurants, lobbies, retail stores, community centers and house of worship applications.

About Lutron Electronics (www.lutron.com)
Lutron Electronics Co., Inc, headquartered in Coopersburg, Pa., is the world leader in the design and manufacture of lighting control solutions for both residential and commercial applications. The company offers a wide variety of light controls, whole-home and whole-building dimming systems, and controllable window treatments.  In homes and public buildings around the world, Lutron products save energy while enhancing the appearance and atmosphere of any space, from a single room to an entire structure.

# # #

Coopersburg, PA (June 9, 2009) — Lutron has introduced a groundbreaking new occupancy/vacancy sensor with unparalleled sensitivity and the ability to be retrofitted in any space without re-wiring.

Radio Powr Savr™ is a wireless device that installs in minutes. Just place the sensor on the ceiling and replace your standard light switch with a compatible Lutron dimmer or switch – no wiring is required to the sensor.

Newly developed XCT™ Technology from Lutron enables Radio Powr Savr™ to perform better than any other occupancy/vacancy sensor currently on the market.

Precise algorithms enable the device to detect small motions and reliably distinguish them from background noise or interference that cause false ons/offs in other sensors.

This enhanced signal processing ability enables Radio Powr Savr™ to keep the lights on when someone is typing, writing or flipping pages and to turn the lights off only when the space is truly empty.

Saving Energy with Radio Powr Savr™
Radio Powr Savr™ saves energy by turning lights off when a room is unoccupied – a simple act that can save up to $85 a year.* What is more, using a compatible Lutron dimmer with the sensor allows you to automatically turn lights on to a dimmed level rather than to full-on, saving even more energy.

Depending on the overall system configuration, Radio Powr Savr™ can take 25 percent to 40 percent off of the lighting electricity use in a given space. It is especially useful in conference rooms, copy rooms, small offices, classrooms, break rooms, restrooms and other spaces where automatic lighting shut-off is desirable.

Radio Powr Savr™ is an important part of an energy-saving light control system. It is compatible with Lutron’s Maestro Wireless® dimmers and switches, RadioRA® dimmers and switches and GRAFIK Eye® QS Wireless control units It is especially effective in retrofit applications where traditional wired sensors are difficult to install.

“We’re very excited about this breakthrough product,” says Eric Lind, Lutron’s director of commercial marketing. “Now facility managers, contractors and homeowners can retrofit a space in minutes to save energy and money, without any re-wiring.”

For more information about the new Lutron wireless occupancy/vacancy sensor, please visit www.lutron.com/occsensors.

About Lutron: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc. (www.lutron.com), headquartered in Coopersburg, Pennsylvania, designs and manufactures lighting controls and automated window treatments for residential and commercial applications.

* Savings based on 1200W lighting load, 20 percent occupancy sensor savings, 14 operating hours per day for 250 days and an average electricity cost of $0.102/kWh. Dimming increases the savings. Actual savings will vary depending on use and application.