Jeremy Day, Application Engineering Director for LumenPulse, wrote an interesting article laying out a simple process for designing a lighting control system.


Introduction to Automatic Plug Load Control
This article, based on the Lighting Controls Association’s new Education Express course EE202: Automatic Plug Load Control, provides an overview of approaches used to automatically control plug loads in commercial buildings.

Lighting Controls Association Announces New Course on Lighting Control Protocols
The Lighting Controls Association (LCA) now offers EE305: Protocols as a new course in its popular Education Express program.

C. Webster Marsh Talks Lighting Controls Documentation
Lighting Controls Designers work with many different types of documents, some of which may be created by the designer, some by the manufacturer, and others by third parties. This paper will quickly describe each document, why it is used, and who is often responsible for creating the document. There are four design phases in which these documents are utilized…

C. Webster Marsh on Manufacturer-Provided and 3rd-Party Integration Services
Whether it be an office building with a smart Building Management System (BMS), a dynamic color changing bridge, or a lobby with an interactive multimedia experience, architectural lighting controls systems need integration. A lighting controls systems integrator provides a unique service for lighting controls by identifying and overseeing the devices necessary for the unique needs of the project’s design. Some projects don’t use a dedicated lighting controls integrator and some projects experience challenges without the aid of a dedicated integrator. For project success, a lighting controls designer should know when to onboard and specify an integrator.

Guidance for Net-Zero K-12 and Office Buildings
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) recently published guides on how to design buildings that achieve net-zero energy consumption without compromising quality.
Building upon previous guides targeting deep energy savings, the first two new guides were developed in partnership with the American Institute of Architects, Illuminating Engineering Society, and U.S. Green Building Council, and target K-12 and small to medium office buildings.

Designing a Lighting Control System
Robert J. Garra Jr., PE of CannonDesign recently contributed an article to CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER, in which he makes a case for the importance of emphasizing controls in a quality lighting design, while laying out principles for application.

Kevin Willmorth on Integrating User Controls into Lighting Control Schemes
“The reduction of overhead lighting to providing minimal background illumination, augmented by individualized lighting systems incorporating user control, delivers optimal use of facilities resources and energy, while creating a more agreeable, and arguably healthier work environment.”

Controlling Emergency Lighting
The LED revolution produced many luminaires with built-in switching and dimming. This facilitated a trend of using the same luminaires for both general and emergency lighting, powered by battery, backup generator, or UPS. This eliminates emergency units but creates a control challenge. The dual-function luminaires must be controllable for energy management and visual needs, while overriding these inputs to power to full brightness during a power failure.

Steve Mesh on Control Protocols
Steve Mesh writes, “According to Wikipedia, a communication protocol is a ‘system of rules that allow two or more entities of a communications system to transmit information via any kind of variation of a physical quantity.’ That’s a mouthful! What does that mean in terms of networked lighting control (NLC) systems?”