FEATURE LIGHTING & LIGHTING CONTROLS
LIGHTING CONTROL IS NOT JUST FOR OFFICE BUILDINGS
Rob Crookes, CP Electronics, discusses the importance of lighting controls for reduced costs and energy efficiency in warehouses
A
dvances in lighting control technology allows end users to
manage their energy consumption and reduce company costs.
ACHIEVING EFFICIENCY EVERYWHERE The ability for lighting controls to achieve energy savings is widely publicised but, generally speaking, the examples only refer to office environments. Historically, little attention has been paid to lighting in warehouses. Quite often however, this type of environment will have the highest energy bills, with lighting often accounting for more than 50 per cent of the total energy budget. This is an area that CP Electronics is now addressing as there are considerable cost savings to be achieved by installing energy efficient luminaires into warehouses and controlling them correctly.
Presence detection is a very common example, allowing lights to be switched on as required. Another scenario would allow for the lights to be switched on when someone enters a specific area and then dimmed when they leave, ensuring that there is always a minimum level of illumination for safety purposes. Daylight harvesting, which allows lights to be switched on when someone enters an area but then automatically adjust to the level of natural light, is another option to consider. All of these examples harness control technology to deliver significant energy savings.
Considerable energy and cost savings can be achieved by installing energy efficient luminaires in warehouses and controlling them correctly
CONTROLS TECHNOLOGY Whichever scenario best suits your needs, the success of the lighting controls depends on the types of controllers that are installed. PIR (passive infrared) detectors are a common choice and work by detecting moving heat, whether this is generated by people or machinery. What is crucial, however, is that the correct type of detector is used. When mounting a detector at height, high sensitivity and long range detectors (such as the CP Electronics EBDHS range) are essential. If a longer detection range is required, microwave or HF detectors are ideal and work by using low power radar to detect moving objects. However, this type of detector can be triggered by any movement so the likelihood of lighting being switched on as a result of ‘false
triggers’ is fairly high. In addition, lux sensors are often
If we use the same approach that has been used in office buildings, understanding the usage of the space and introducing the appropriate control regime, not only will the installation costs be minimised but savings will be effective immediately.
TYPES OF CONTROL A warehouse is not unlike an office building in that there are several different types of control scenarios to suit every space and the way in which it operates.
18 APRIL 2016 | ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
incorporated into the PIR or microwave detector so that the area is only illuminated if the natural light levels are not sufficient. This is an excellent way of making use of natural light and provides additional energy savings.
IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS One of the main considerations when implementing a lighting controls solution is selecting the correct control device. Consultation with the luminaire manufacturer is advisable to ensure compatibility with the selected product. This may involve testing the proposed
luminaire type with the control device. The second most crucial consideration is the type of environment. Care needs to be taken when siting control devices due to ambient temperature and how this may affect operation and range. The number and positioning of the devices is crucial to ensure that there are no blind spots and objects, such as fork-lift trucks and lifting devices, activate the control device as and when required. The next step is to understand how and when the warehouse is in operation. For example, a warehouse that is constantly occupied would benefit from some form of daylight control, which either switches the lights off or dims them down when ambient light becomes available. A warehouse that has occasional picking of items from aisles would achieve maximum energy savings by utilising occupancy control on the lighting. Where a warehouse has a number of different shift patterns with different lighting requirements, a networked solution, available in wired and wireless options, could be advantageous. Clearly the major advantage of a
wireless network (like the CP Electronics An-10 system) is the ease of installation and its flexibility to be moved and scaled as required. A wired system (such as the CP Electronics RAPID system) may be preferable in very large installations or where the environment is hostile to wireless communication. There are of course additional
considerations which must be taken into account, such as the need for minimum levels of light for safety reasons and, perhaps most importantly, ease of use and minimising end-user intervention.
CP Electronics
www.cpelectronics.uk.com T: 0333 900 0671
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