Problem solved.

The new lighting control panel will do the following:

• Provide a single button to bring on the kitchen lighting.
  Operations will push this button as soon as they arrive in the facility. When this button is pressed, an “occupied” signal is sent to the kitchen thermostat and the other functions of the panel are enabled. If it is still dark enough outside to activate the photocells, then the pole lighting will come on and then go off as the outside daylight increases.
  If the “HOOD INTERFACE” contacts are used, the hood system will come on with the kitchen lighting.
• Provide a single button to bring on the dining room lighting.
  These lights will come on with the dining room button only if the kitchen light button has been pushed. When this button is pressed, an “occupied” signal is sent to the dining room thermostat and the other functions of the panel are enabled. If it is still dark enough outside to activate the photocells, then the signs and lighting will come on and then go off as the outside daylight increases.
• When the dining room is closed, press the “Dining Room Close” button.
  This puts the dining room HVAC in “set-back”. The lights remain on so the store continues to look “Open” to bring in business.
• Press the “Close” button when the store is closed for any business.
  This will turn off the dining room lighting, building lighting, signage, and the drive-thru menu board (NOTE: Some drive-thru menu boards require constant power and will not be controlled by this panel). The only lighting that will remain on is the kitchen lighting and the site lighting (poles).
• At the time operations walks out of the store they are to turn the kitchen lights off by pressing the “DEPART” button.
  The following takes place:
1. The kitchen lights go off.
2. The new lighting control keeps the parking lot lights on for approximately 17 minutes after the kitchen lights are turned off. This allows the employees to have light to get to their vehicles after they close the store.
3. The kitchen thermostat(s) receives the unoccupied signal.
4. If the “HOOD INTERFACE” contacts are used, the hood system will go off with the kitchen lighting.
• There are 2 override switches for parking lot lighting maintenance and building lights/signage maintenance.
  These overrides will time out after 3 hours, or you can manually reset the lights to come on with the photocells.
• The new lighting control will bring the lot lights and the building signage on at different light levels if desired – we typically bring the building signage on at an earlier time and perhaps even on a dark &/or dreary day.
  

Identified benefits:

• Reliability – There are solid-state components in this panel that are working at only a fraction of their capacity. We have had these components working in a similar panel for approximately 20 years with only one known exception.
• Buttons and switches utilized in this panel are industrial-grade control components that are built for multiple operations daily. Operation of this panel typically needs only one operation per control point per day.
• The design of the panel results in consistency of operation – its function is accomplished through wiring. There are no programs to change. The wiring of the panel is not something operations will typically alter; therefore, the consistency of its function is virtually assured.
• The panel uses common photo cells to determine light-level triggered functions. Replacements for these photocells will be commonly available when and if they go bad. These photocells are also underutilized and therefore should last an exceptionally long time.
• Simplicity – Though this panel does use solid-state relays and control buttons/switches, its function is extremely simple and should be understandable by operations and maintenance personnel.
• Energy Savings
• At many locations, we have observed that it is operation’s habit to override the lighting controls. Some of the currently utilized lighting controllers do not limit the time of their override.
• The result of operations overriding their lighting control is that building lights and signage are on during daylight hours. The lamp and ballast usage/consumption and related maintenance cost would also be a consideration.
• Our lighting control has a timed maintenance override(s). The lights will be on for a maximum of 3 hours if the maintenance override is activated during daylight hours.
• The exterior lights will be on only when daylight levels allow – it is impossible (outside of component failure) for exterior lights to be on without the photocell bringing them on.
• Exception: A 3-hour timed maintenance override.

Installation benefits:

• Our lighting control has been designed to replace virtually any controller.
  It can be as simple as removing the control box and installing the new box with the new photocells. We provide detailed instructions that guide the installer.
• We include in our instructions a guide to perform a lighting audit to verify the 4 lighting groups (kitchen, dining, parking lot, and signs, soffit & building lighting) are properly controlled.
• In non-conforming installations, our panel is simple to adapt.
  We will provide consulting service to the technician adapting the panel. Typically, a qualified electrician or HVAC control technician can adapt this panel with little or no help.
  

Use benefit:

• No instruction is needed to operate this lighting control.
  The label on the face of the panel explains what the button is used for. We have used operation’s standard behavior to trigger lighting control, temperature control, and hood system activation.

Flexibility benefit:

• Since this lighting control gives operations the control over the 4 lighting systems that vary according to the store schedule (Parking lot, signage, dining room, and kitchen), the panel is adaptable to changing schedules.
• If operations wanted the building lights & signage on because of a dreary day that was not dark enough to trip the photocell, they can turn on the desired lighting.
• This will be the timed maintenance override, so they would have to re-activate after the override timed out if they still desire to have the lights on and it is still not dark enough for the photocell to trip.

No monitoring needed benefit:

• This panel removes the decisions that require monitoring.
  The lights will be on when daylight levels are low, ensuring customers know the store is open. Conversely, the lights will be off when daylight levels do not require use, eliminating waste of energy or lamp and ballast consumption.

Store “lights and signs will be on” benefit:

• Operations cannot disable lighting without turning off breakers.
  Generally, if the kitchen lights are on and daylight levels are low, your lights to bring customers in will be on.

• Non-changeable – Its function is “hard-wired” using relay logic. There are no programs or programing to lose, programing re-create, or timers to set.
• Robust – It will function flawlessly when installed and in the years to come – power failures do not affect its function – when power is restored it will work just like it did before the power failure.
• Components – “are off the shelf” industrial control components except for the 3 timers. Even these timers are functionally available in an adaptable form.
• Interface with other in-store systems. We designed little interface so there is little confusion among the trades as to responsibility for a system failure or inconsistency. Through many years of servicing restaurants that have had varied degrees of integrated controls and energy management systems, we found it sometimes takes multiple trips by the different trades to resolve an issue. Keeping the systems independent of each other nearly eliminates this confusion which facilitates the timely repair of the malfunctioning system.
• HVAC – We provide a set of contacts that close when the respective areas of the store (kitchen or dining room) are occupied.
• Hood – Typically, the hood system is activated with a single switch that a team member turns on and off. This function can be integrated into the TANN SYSTEM control panel if desired by connecting the set of contacts that close when the kitchen lights are turned on.

Lighting Contactors:

The TANN SYSTEM control panel simply controls the lighting contactors. The TANN SYSTEM panel can be adapted into an existing lighting contactor system or installed in conjunction with a new lighting contactor system.

We have chosen to keep the control separate from the lighting contactors because some (many) electricians are confused by control panels. Conversely, many electricians are not confused by lighting contactors and can easily bypass the contactor contacts or control to get a system functional temporarily in the event of a malfunction.

Lighting Needed Upon Arrival of Team Members When Opening the Store:

In conjunction with the installation of this panel, there needs to be a light permanently connected to an un-switched circuit inside the entrance team members will use to enter the store when locked.

• We suggest one or two LED fixtures be installed for this purpose.
• Additionally, we recommend an outside fixture be installed over the door used by the team member to enter the store when unlocking.
• This fixture should be photocell controlled and be LED.
• Once inside, the team member will push the “Arrive” button that will bring on the kitchen lighting and will enable the photocell to turn on the site lighting if it is still dark enough to need site lighting.

Lighting for Other Maintenance Personnel (Exterminators)?

Maintenance personnel that enter the store after hours will have the same process as the team member opening the store.

• The maintenance personnel will push the “Arrive” then “Open” to bring on the store lighting.
• They will press the “Depart” when they leave.