The Green Bay Community Church (GBCC) features a fully integrated Crestron solution for lighting, climate, security and A/V control. Premier Electronics, LLC worked with the architect and interior designer to incorporate acoustics, lighting, AV and automation into the structural design of the space in a way that complemented the aesthetics. All lighting, HVAC, AV control is done via Crestron touchpanels eliminating the wall clutter normally associated with conventional switches, dimmers, emergency lighting and thermostats.

"Throughout the entire facility, we tried to address two major 'pains' via automation: ease of use and energy management," said John Ebli, Owner, Premier Electronics, LLC. "Anything that operates on electricity (lighting, audio, video, HVAC, restroom exhaust fans, window treatments, etc.) is controlled by Crestron."

In the Chapel, Premier Electronics programmed a number of different production modes to accommodate various functions. With the Crestron control solution in place, the end-user simply has to tap the "Audio Power" button and select the event on the Crestron touchpanel. The Crestron Wi-Fi touchpanel gives presenters the ability to control all audio, video, computer presentations, lighting and HVAC from the stage or anywhere else in the room.

The Crestron system resides on the campus LAN, alongside other processors that are located in other venues/areas throughout the site. According to Ebli, combining lighting, HVAC and security management on the same control system has many advantages over discreet systems: "In the GBCC, full control functions, including scheduling, default presets and others, are available to appropriate office personnel via a secure Crestron XPanel application on their desktop computers. Controls that are necessary and relevant to each area are available via the publicly accessible keypads and touchpanels."

When an event is happening in East Wing of the building, the end-user just needs to press the OCCUPIED button on the touchpanel, which will turn on all corridor lighting and set HVAC heating/cooling setpoints to preset values. When the event is over, the last person to leave presses the UNOCCUPIED button, shutting off all lighting in the wing (with a two-minute delay on pathway lighting for egress) and all the HVAC temperatures are setback to 'economy' preset values. If an occupancy sensor detects activity in any area, the touchpanel gives a visual and audible warning that the area is still occupied; lights and pathways to that area will not be affected.

Each area includes a Crestron CNX two-button keypad for controlling lighting for that particular room/space, and an occupancy sensor that allows the system to know which areas/rooms are in use. If someone enters an unoccupied area (corridors, rest rooms etc.), pathway lighting is automatically turned on and will remain on until 10 minutes after no motion is detected. The keypads also have integral temperature sensors that communicate to the Crestron PAC2 to facilitate regulation of climate control in that space, thus eliminating the need for thermostats on the wall.

All the dimmed and switched lighting loads are home run to centrally located Crestron lighting modules. The GBCC can now quickly and easily provide backup power to selected lighting loads that automatically illuminate in the event of a power interruption, eliminating the expense and need for unsightly emergency lights throughout the building.

Beyond aesthetics, Ebli recounts another added benefit of having Crestron lighting control. "In the two years since the East Wing was completed and Crestron CLX dimmers were installed to control the lighting, the Green Bay Community Church has yet to experience a single lamp failure, in either the house lighting or stage lighting fixtures."

The Crestron system is constantly monitoring the occupancy sensors, so if people vacate the area without shutting off the lights, the system will set the entire wing into unoccupied mode after 90 minutes elapse without motion being detected on any sensor in the wing. In this mode, all lighting shuts off and HVAC is set back in every room. Since the Crestron PAC2 and the AV processors are linked together through the LAN, this automatic shutdown also includes a sequenced shutdown of projectors, displays, audio power amplifiers and other controlled devices that may have been left on.

"Think of the savings in electricity, heating fuel and projector bulbs!" concludes Ebli.