FEATURE LIGHTING & LIGHTING CONTROLS
The emergence of simple and scalable wireless technology
By Andrew Lippman, director of international marketing, commercial, Lutron Electronics I
t’s an exciting time in the electrical contracting industry, due to the increased interest in connected technology. This includes the adoption and development of wireless technologies, and growing interest in Internet of Things (IoT) technology in both residential and commercial spaces. This is all in spite of difficulties in the industry, as we’re seeing a decline in the number of electrical contractors. This decline means that all new lighting control technology must be simple and easy to master, whilst saving skilled electricians time. With this in mind, solutions that are simple to install, suitable for new and existing buildings, adaptable, scalable and easy to maintain are ideal for modern electrical contractors. The future is connected, and there is one technology that can support this revolution: wireless control.
SIMPLE TO INSTALL There is a global trend towards wireless communications technologies as more and more customers are asking for comfortable, simple and scalable lighting control solutions. Often, customers are put off installing lighting control systems due to the cost and disruption they assume they will face. However, wireless lighting systems with little to no cabling are now readily available. This saves time and also offers the customer energy savings of up to 60 per cent. For the installer, there are also additional cost benefits to lighting control, as they need to purchase fewer cables and less containment. Similarly, there is a considerable labour saving with wireless systems, freeing up the installers’ time thus allowing them to complete more jobs.
NEW AND EXISTING BUILDINGS A common misconception is that lighting control is only for new buildings. The reality is that existing buildings account for billions of square metres of potential lighting retrofits. With wireless technology, retrofitting is possible in even heritage buildings, where traditional wiring is impossible. As of April 2018, new EPC regulations have came into play for all building retrofits. These demand landlord’s premises meet a minimum energy standard, meaning retrofitted office must be remodelled in the most efficient way possible. Lighting controls can help,
however traditional lighting controls often require extensive new wiring, which is expensive and disruptive to the space.
COMFORTABLE FOR OCCUPANTS When retrofitting a space with lighting control, it’s vital to ensure you are not just simply replacing the old system and matching the light levels. Most commercial spaces are actually overlit, so this is the perfect time to ensure that the space – and its occupants – are receiving the right level of light. This will not only save the occupier energy and money, but it wil also make occupants more comfortable. The importance of occupant
comfortability cannot be understated. JLL’s 3-30-300 rule states that for every $3 spent on utilities and $30 spent on rent, businesses spend $300 on their employees. As its biggest business expense, it’s the role of each organisation to ensure that employees are happy and comfortable, something that optimal lighting can help you to achieve.
ADAPTABLE AND EASY TO MAINTAIN Another benefit of wireless lighting controls is their adaptability. Functions of spaces are constantly changing, and in environments such as university campuses or offices, these alterations need to happen quickly, without making any physical modifications to the room. As space needs change, the lighting can quickly be modified. For example, if a laboratory becomes a lecture
12 DECEMBER/ JANUARY 2019 | ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
theatre, or conference room becomes an open-plan office, a good lighting control system can be easily adjust with a few touches on a keypad. The ability to create or modify lighting scenes with simple controls can completely revolutionise a space. In addition, as a campus or office space grows, these solutions must scale to fit the need, without additional wiring or installation time. As lighting control systems adapt and
improve, so should the ease of maintaining these systems for the customer. This will improve productivity, not only from a maintenance point of view, but also by minimising downtime and disruption for the building’s occupants. Contractors should always leave their clients in a position where maintenance takes little time, energy or effort, which means ensuring the wireless lighting control system you install is simple, easy to maintain and has a long battery life. While wireless is currently the talk of
the installation industry, in reality, the foundational technology is not new and the first patents were submitted in the early 90s. The difference now is that wireless systems are now simple and scalable, making the installation and use of wireless controls much easier than ever before.
Lutron Electronics
lutron.com/vive-europe
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