An In-depth Look at Lighting Control Systems

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What Are Lighting Controls?

We receive a lot of questions about lighting controls for commercial buildings, and what people don’t realize is that all of us are already use lighting controls. How? Your light switch is actually a form of lighting control. Lighting controls in their most basic form are just an input/output device and system. The control device sends information to the system, which then decides what to do with it, like adjusting the power to the lighting.

Let’s take the light switch as a very basic example. A light switch is installed between the power and the light. When the light switch is flipped on, it allows power to flow to the light, turning it on. When the light switch is flipped off, the power to the light is disrupted, turning the light off. In this example, the light switch is a power controller, the most basic form of lighting controls.

Basic lighting controls provide the following functions:

  • Lighting controls produce the desired amount of lighting by dimming the intensity of the light output.
  • You can designate where light is needed through zoning and controllers.
  • And last, you can control when light is needed with occupancy sensors.

But lighting controls have evolved past these basic functions to become smart systems and are the building blocks of smart buildings. Advanced lighting controls can provide the following functions:

  • When you combine LEDs with lighting controls you can adjust the color and shade of your light output. Selectable color temperature and wattage LEDs are needed along with dimming arrays.
  • Control systems lighting management capabilities allow for remote programing and control.
  • Smart buildings with centralized intelligent controls can measure, monitor, and provide alarms.

This is just a sample of what you can expect from an advanced lighting control system.

Lighting Control Categories

While there are multiple lighting control methods that can be utilized, lighting controls can be broken down into 3 main categories:

  • Standalone
  • Room-based control systems
  • Centralized building control systems

Let’s take a look at the differences in these types of lighting controls.

Standalone Controls

Standalone controls are devices that provide autonomous lighting control and are relatively simple and easily recognizable by most users. They also do not require a connection to a light controller. These adjustable and standalone controls do require individual calibration, but as a warning, if implementing more advanced lighting control strategies, complex wiring will be needed.

Examples of standalone controls include:

  • Dimmers
  • Occupancy sensors
  • Toggle switches
  • Light sensors

Room-based Control Systems

Room-based control systems are generally designed for plug-and-play installation and offer energy code compliance, along with autonomous room-based control. These systems often come preconfigured with operational sequences designed for easy energy code compliance.

When deciding on a room-based control system, consider a system that includes controllers that can connect with each other and a central server. This offers scalability and a bit of future-proofing for your investment.

 

Centralized Building Control Systems

With the recent advancement in smart buildings, we want to look at 2 different types of centralized building controls systems. The first is your transitional version that offers lighting automation with the control panels typically housed in a central location like a server or electrical room. This approach can be integrated with building management systems, but any controlled zoning will be limited as each zone will require wiring that runs back to the control panels.

Your second option is a centralized intelligent networked control system, which offers programable lighting for your entire building or campus. This option requires operating software and can be housed in the cloud. If you are looking for a network with zoning and rezoning capabilities with maximum flexibility, a centralized intelligent network is your best option.

General Types of Lighting Controls

Here are a few of the different types of lighting controls, from simple to advanced, that can be customized and layered to fit your organizational needs.

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Occupancy Sensors

These simple but powerful sensors ensure that your lights are only on when someone is occupying a room. This lighting control can easily be added to an individual fixture or an entire room. They are perfect for areas that are not constantly in use; individual offices, storage areas, conference rooms, restrooms, and stairwells. They can even be used in parking lots, garages, and in wall packs!

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Daylight Harvesting

There are a lot of building designs that are perfect for implementing daylight harvesting controls. These controls automatically adjust your lighting based on the available daylight coming through your windows. As the sun rises and sets, or cloud cover and inclement weather happen, these lighting controls maintain the predetermined light levels for the given space.

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Astronomical Time Clock

Often used for safety reasons where the lighting must be on at specific times during the day and night. This lighting control is pre-programmed with specific light levels and based on the date and time of day. Think after-hours safety lighting or parking lot lighting automatically set to come on at dusk.

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Trim and Task Tuning

These lighting controls offer a wide range of use. The controls set the maximum lighting level based on set requirements in a particular room or even zone. The task tuning then analyzes the needed light in each space and dims certain areas based on conditions. This is great for large areas that have multiple functions, like an open concept office that needs dimmed lighting over the area containing your computers.

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Networked Lighting Controls

Networked lighting controls are a more advanced system that links multiple luminaries, spaces, and basic lighting controls together. These networked lighting controls combine your LED lights, controls, and data to create a more flexible system that can be controlled from a central location. These advanced systems often include things like blue tooth mesh and AI interfaces to improve your overall energy management and savings.

Additional Lighting Control System Resources

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Comparing Wired and Wireless Lighting Controls

Advanced centralized building lighting controls use information about the environment to reduce energy usage by monitoring temperature, occupancy, and daylight data to adjust light levels. When looking for scalability and newer features, one of your decisions needs to center around wired or wireless lighting controls. 

There are both advantages and disadvantages to both options, from the ease of installation, reliability, connectivity, and of course, cost. Knowing your options can make a difference down the road, especially if you consider future-proofing your lighting control systems. 

Click here for a side-by-side comparison of wired vs. wireless lighting contorls

What is a Bluetooth Mesh Lighting System

What is a Bluetooth Mesh Lighting System? 

There are a lot of buzzwords when it comes to lighting control systems, and bluetooth mesh is one of the hottest control options to hit the market. A bluetooth mesh lighting system allows for multiple-device communication that forwards your message to all connected lighting components. You can now turn on light fixtures, HVAC systems (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning), along with adjusting automatic window shades from your connected device located anywhere. 

As an added bonus, unlike wireless lighting control systems, bluetooth mesh does not depend on a router. Click here to learn more about bluetooth mesh lighting control systems

More Resources - Value Engineering the Right Way

Value Engineering the Right Way

Why do lighting upgrades and lighting control projects often cause project delays or added costs? It’s a question with a few possible answers. But one of the main reasons is your value engineering for the project did NOT account for many common lighting project variables.

In this lighting control resource, we review the most common delays that are adding additional costs to your project, as well as potential problems with your value engineering, and 6 tips for a successful value engineered lighting control project.

Click here to read why lighting control projects often come with delays and added costs.

Smart Lighting Controls

Lighting Control System Blog Feed

Did you know we have an entire blog feed dedicated to lighting control systems? We take an in-depth look at the most common lighting control questions and do deep dives into industry-based solutions. You will find articles on:

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Consider Combining Your Services

National Maintenance Service Provider

Action Services Group is a national maintenance service provider specializing in LED lighting, signage, and electrical solutions. In addition, by combining your LED lighting, signage, and electrical services to one national provider, you can;

  • minimize maintenance calls
  • maximize savings
  • gain a productive service experience

With Action Services Group, you can expect controlled maintenance costs, no project delays, and your product selection will fit your organization’s needs.

Interested in Learning More?

The first step in any lighting control project should be to contact a lighting solutions provider or lighting company that is manufacturer and product-neutral. With neutrality comes a higher focus on your needs as opposed to the desire or limitation of selling a specific product.

A Lighting Control System provider should ask you about your project.

  • What are your desired results?
  • Are you looking at budget or project completion constraints?
  • Do you have an energy reduction target?
  • What lighting performance specifics do we need to consider?

At Action Services Group, our business model is designed to offer you;

  • maximum ROI
  • lighting performance
  • maintenance and future upgrade savings
  • energy efficiency

Remember, no solution or product is ever a one size fits all. We understand the need to customize solutions to meet the organizations needs.

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