When Unique Lighting Systems decided to introduce another new way to do lighting, a lot of our customers probably said, "Here they go again!"   Well, here we go again! The new 24v Intelli-System has arrived!
 
Introducing the Intelli-System feels a lot like when we introduced the Hub wiring system.   For one, the Hub wiring system was like discovering a tool in your tool box that you always had but never knew was there.  It was so simple to use and so beneficial that it left everyone puzzled as to why no one had promoted this before.  The Intelli-System is the same way.  It is so simple and beneficial that we are all standing around asking ourselves why we didn't do this sooner.  As you will see, like the Hub, you do not need to forget everything you have done in the past.  Instead you just need to rethink the way you do things from a layout standpoint.  Eventually, once you understand the Intelli-System and its' parameters, you will find that it requires a lot less thinking on your part. 
 
There are many reasons that the Intelli-System is going to reshape the way we do lighting.  The first and most beneficial is the efficiency at which the system operates and is installed.  By doubling the voltage of the system from 12 to 24v, we increase, and in essence, double our wire capacity.  For example, I think we will agree that 12/2 cable is the most commonly used cable for home runs in a low voltage lighting system.  In a standard 12v system our 12/2 cable is good for 192watts at 80% (NEC requires you never go beyond 80% of a wires rating).  Well, with the 24v Intelli-System that same 12/2 cable is now good for 480watts!  That is 24 20w lamps on one run of 12/2!  Better yet, consider the possibility of using 14/2 for home runs now.  A run of 14/2 cable is good for 345watts!  Still almost double of what 12/2 is good for on a 12v system and the cost per foot is significantly less.  Moreover, a 24v system cuts voltage drop in half, which means longer runs with more watts! 
 
There are so many other benefits that I would love to go on and on about, but I do understand you don't have all day to sit around and read a newsletter.  So let me answer a few of the questions I usually get upon having an initial conversation regarding the Intelli-System. 
 
The first thing I am usually asked is "Does the 24v system still use the same fixtures that Unique has always provided?"   The answer is YES. . The only thing changing is the lamps; all the fixtures you have come to love and enjoy in your designs and lighting portraits are available in the Intelli-System.  You simply order the fixtures with your 24v lamp of choice. 
 
"Are all of the lamps we use in a 12v system available in the 24v Intelli-System?"  Yes and No.  As of today we have most of the MR16's in wattages and beam spreads that are most commonly used in 12v. We also have our new Intelli-Brite lamps which are the same as our Astro-Brite (T-3) lamps but in 24v.  The only lamp we are lacking as of right now is the Par36.  Obtaining this lamp is a huge priority for us.   We are working with GE to get a 24v Par36 on the market by year's end.  Something that is really cool about the 24v lamps is the window of the halogen regeneration cycle is twice as long, increasing from 1.2v on a 12v system (10.8v min to 12v max) to 2.4v on a 24v system (21.6v min to 24v max).  This means you can set your voltages closer to the minimum rating to compensate for future lamp loss without the fear of increasing voltages to the remaining lamps on the Hub or home run, thus resulting in a chain reaction burn out which is so common in a 12v system.
 
"What's the main difference between the Intelli-Matic transformers and the standard Multi-Matic transformers?"  The only thing changing is the voltage taps.  The Intelli-Matic units will start at a Low 24v tap (23v) and go all the way up to the NEC allowed limit of 30v.  You will still test and adjust your runs according to voltage drop, just as you would with a 12v system; the only thing changing is the numbers.  Amperes ratings remain the same on the primary and secondary sides. 
 
"Will I still wire in a Hub style format?"  Absolutely, but along with the Hub we have developed a new wiring method we are calling the Trunk wiring method.  Essentially, you will have the ability to pull out a main home run from transformer to an Intelli-Hub location.  From that Intelli-Hub you will be able to run "branches" of other Hubs.  Essentially you are making a Hub from a Hub!  This increases your flexibility and allows you to use fewer main lines running back to your transformer which decreases the labor resulting from having to bury those long home run lines.
 
In closing, I would like to suggest that all of you take a closer look at the 24v Intelli-System.  The benefits are too great to ignore.  Are you going to have to re think the way you do things, and relearn some rules?  Absolutely, but the benefits of learning this system will far outweigh the small investment of time it takes to train yourself, your crew, and designers on the huge cost and efficiency benefits of the NEW Intelli-System.