LIGHTING & CONTROL SYSTEMS


Why light an empty office? Occupancy sensing can significantly reduce energy consumption


time-consuming and costly elements of deploying a control system. Zones can be created quickly, with


Lighting controls without the complexity


Wireless lighting controls cut energy use, improve comfort, and adapt to occupancy, delivering savings without the disruption of traditional systems – so says David Goddard.


David Goddard


Head of project business at Ledvance UK


www.ledvance.com/en-uk T


– simplifying installation, reducing commissioning time and enabling meaningful energy savings without requiring a full scale digital overhaul. Lighting remains a significant


he conversation around building energy performance has evolved rapidly. After a decade dominated by LED


upgrades, attention is shifting toward how those luminaires are controlled. For organisations under pressure to reduce consumption, meet regulatory expectations and create adaptable, people-centred environments, lighting controls are becoming essential infrastructure. Yet despite the clear benefits, many


facilities still operate with little more than manual switching or basic time clocks. There are recurring reasons for this: systems can be perceived as too complex, commissioning often requires specialist expertise, and installing new control wiring in existing buildings can be highly disruptive. For estates teams juggling ageing buildings, or contractors racing against tight timelines, the ambition to adopt smart lighting often runs up against the practical realities of installation.


Simplifying installation This is the gap we here at Ledvance aim to bridge with our Direct Easy platform. Rather than adding another layer of technical sophistication, the system focuses on easing the process


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contributor to electricity use in commercial, education and public sector buildings. While LED technology has delivered major efficiency gains, the next wave of savings comes from ensuring lighting is used only when and where it is needed. Studies show that combining LED with occupancy sensing, daylight harvesting and responsive dimming can reduce energy consumption by as much as half compared with LED alone. In many buildings, the potential is even greater, particularly where lighting currently runs at full output regardless of occupancy or daylight availability. Controls also support broader


operational goals. They help organisations align with net zero


strategies by reducing avoidable energy use, improving user comfort through better light quality and adaptability, and extending luminaire life by reducing operating hours. They also provide a stepping stone toward more integrated building management approaches, even if a full smart building platform is not yet in scope.


Simplifi ed deployment Most existing buildings were never designed with smart lighting in mind. Running new control cabling can be disruptive, expensive and, in some cases, impossible without major refurbishment. Even wireless systems can introduce complexity if they rely on gateways, cloud accounts or specialist programming tools. For many estates teams, the ideal solution is one that minimises installation work, avoids specialist commissioning, operates reliably without network dependencies and can scale from a single room to an entire floor. Direct Easy uses Zigbee 3.0 wireless


communication combined with Bluetooth setup, allowing luminaires and sensors to be configured directly from a smartphone. There is no gateway to install, no cloud registration and no need for IT integration. For retrofit projects, this removes the most


up to 40 luminaires grouped so lighting can follow real patterns of use rather than relying on broad switching circuits. This approach is particularly valuable in open plan offices, classrooms and multi-use spaces where occupancy varies throughout the day. The system supports presence detection, daylight harvesting, dimming, Tunable White and RGB control, with simplicity of setup as a key feature. For installers, this means faster project delivery and for building operators, it means a system they can understand and adjust without calling in a specialist.


Operational savings One of the recurring challenges in the controls market is balancing capability with usability. Highly sophisticated systems offer deep integration and analytics, but they can be more than smaller buildings or simple sites really need. Direct Easy focuses on the core behaviours that deliver most of the savings: lights dimming or switching off when spaces are empty, output dropping automatically when daylight is available, and luminaires running at the right level for the task. These strategies are proven,


measurable and easy to maintain, and they align with the operational realities of many organisations that want to reduce energy use without adopting a full smart building platform. The result is a system that delivers reductions in consumption while remaining accessible to non-specialists.


Direct Easy from Ledvance enables luminaires and sensors to be configured directly from a smartphone


Future scalability As Direct Easy is based on open Zigbee 3.0 standards, it means that the system can be expanded over time with additional devices. If a site later requires centralised monitoring or integration with a building management system, the same luminaires and sensors can be incorporated into a gateway- based architecture. This flexibility is increasingly important as organisations plan for upgrades. The drive toward smarter, more efficient buildings is accelerating, but progress depends on solutions that match the realities of existing estates. Not every building can support a fully integrated digital lighting platform – and not every organisation needs one. What many do need is a reliable, wireless, easy-to-deploy control system that delivers measurable energy savings and improves lighting quality without adding operational burden. ■


EIBI | FEBRUARY 2026


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