Businesses, municipalities, and universities from coast to coast have embraced the long-term benefits of LED lighting. However, many organizations miss out on additional benefits (e.g., energy savings, safety, occupant comfort) because they haven’t paired their LED investment with commercial-grade, LED-compatible lighting controls.
With this in mind, Intermatic developed three new Lighting Contractor Box solutions that help electrical contractors streamline installations and provide occupants with a greater level of comfort and control. Once installed, these controls make it easy for operators to create complex 7-day lighting schedules for everything from public parks and parking lots to big box stores and academic buildings. Built-in features, including a Holiday setting for one-off schedules, help simplify day-to-day operations and ensure lasting performance in a wide range of environments.
But what exactly is a Lighting Contractor Box? At their core, these solutions are an improved alternative to à la carte lighting controls. They provide an indoor/outdoor Type 3R enclosure, Astronomic time clock, contactors, terminal strips, and other components in one simple UL-listed package, which makes them a win-win choice for large-scale LED lighting projects.
Instant Time Savings, Lasting Peace of Mind
Building a lighting control with individually sourced parts is a lot of work. The in-field assembly can lead to inconsistencies and is time consuming for installers. What’s more, even if individual components are UL-listed and warrantied, the final assembled solution may not actually be recognized by UL or tested to work as a system.
Conversely, Intermatic Lighting Contractor Box solutions come pre-assembled and are UL-listed out of the box. This can save hours of work during installation, and it provides end users with greater assurance that the lighting control being installed is designed (and warrantied) to perform over the long haul.
Multiple Configurations for Diverse Applications
Another benefit of choosing a 4-pole, 8-pole, or 12-pole Lighting Contractor Box is that it allows installers to right-size their solution to meet project needs.
Our 8- and 12-pole models include two 4-circuit timers (4xSPST), which allows for two contactor groups to be individually or simultaneously controlled through scheduling. This unique dual-circuit design makes it easy to adhere to local energy codes while also catering to customer needs.
For example, a business may choose to turn all parking light lots ON based on a photocontrol condition, then have half of those lights turn OFF at 2 a.m. to comply with local lighting regulations while the other half stays ON until dawn.
On the other hand, our 4-pole solution includes a 2-circuit electronic timer, which is better suited for small applications, or when only basic scheduling is required. All models allow users to create up 96 ON/OFF events with exceptions for holidays and special schedules.
Expand Functionality with Intuitive Add-Ons
Beyond having the option to choose a solution based on total number of poles/circuits, installers can expand the functionality of any Lighting Contractor Box by integrating photocontrols and additional surge protection.
Contractor Box terminal strips include an input for timed photocontrols, which allows ON/OFF schedules to be triggered or overridden by outdoor lighting conditions. The beauty of this is that it is included in the unit’s base setup as an option – no additional hardware needed.
Similarly, installers can easily tie in surge protection to their Lighting Contractor Box thanks to standardized knockouts and extra space within the enclosure. Doing this further protects major LED investments by safeguarding fixtures and any connected electrical equipment from damage caused by unexpected power surge events.
Need help choosing the best commercial lighting control solution for your project? Contact your Intermatic representative to get started.