Lighting Controls Update at East Texas Hotel & Convention Center
Overview
Holistic provided a turnkey design and installation for a failing lighting system at an East Texas hotel and convention center.
A top tier hotel located in East Texas had a problem.
The original lighting control system that provided dimming and scene selection for the Hotel lobby and Convention Center was failing. The touchscreens weren’t working and local electrical contractors had bypassed many of the control modules to keep the system running.
In addition to the controls failing, some of the original cove lighting in the recessed panels throughout the convention center ballrooms were starting to fail as well, creating shadow gaps throughout the space.
They needed an update…but no one knew where to start.
Progress
The existing lighting control system was original to the building (c. 2012). It was a Philips Lightolier Optio system with 3 panels, 2 touchscreens, and several pushbutton control stations.
A local electrical contractors that wasn’t familiar with this level of controls and suggested a full replacement at a very high cost.
In addition, the existing tape lighting was manufactured by a speciality company based in California and no one knew where to get replacement parts. The old magnetic drivers were still working, but diodes on the LED tape had begun failing.
Solution
The hotel management team, in conjunction with the City that owns the Convention Center side of the property, engaged Holistic Utility Solutions to help identify the best solution.
We met with our network of suppliers to find the best manufacturer for replacement of the original product. The Philips Lightolier Optio product is now owned by VariLite, which is based in Dallas, TX. Strands LED / Tube Lighting Products still make the LED strips and recommended updating the drivers to the new electronic versions.
By keeping the original manufacturers we were able to repurpose much of the original cabinets and equipment, saving significant cost on both material and labor. Our project manager also picked up the material in Dallas and hand delivered to the site, ensuring lowest possible cost and on-time delivery of components.
Electrical installation was completed with the City’s preferred local electrical subcontractor, R&W Electric (License #: 18734). This ensured the best possible price and ongoing service while also keeping more of the project cost in the local economy.
Result
The final result was a well commissioned system that works as designed. The new cove lighting in the ballroom brought the space back up to it’s original intent and created a substantial improvement in the look and feel of the space.
The project was delivered without interrupting any events at the busy Convention Center by working on a tight schedule before and after the Thanksgiving weekend.
If you have a similar lighting control or retrofit project in Texas, we’d love to help you as well!
