By Craig DiLouie, LC, CLCP, lighting columnist for tED Magazine, the official publication of the NAED. Originally published in the November 2024 issue; reprinted with permission.
As lighting control becomes more robust and easier to apply, today’s electrical distributor has extraordinary choice in servicing new construction projects and enhancing lighting upgrades. Manufacturers point to top trends including greater networked controls interoperability, systems integration, powerful digital LED drivers, wireless control, and growing application of control as a tool to enhance the occupant experience.
Networked lighting controls continue to mature. Networked lighting controls are systems in which devices are integrated within a shared network for implementation of multiple lighting control strategies. These devices may be embedded in luminaires at the factory or field installed, with wired or wireless networking connections. Programming and control zoning are software-based, while data collection via an onsite server or the cloud provides the potential for non-energy-based benefits related to occupant comfort, wellbeing, and security.
“Cloud-connected technologies and smart dashboards are revolutionizing lighting control systems,” said Brendon Van Campen, Senior Sales Director, Lutron Electronics (Lutron.com). “Software updates can be pushed via the cloud as technology improves, ensuring that the lighting control systems become more valuable and powerful over time. Smart wireless control systems can be used in both new construction and retrofit projects, reducing installation costs while enhancing data capture to deliver buildings that can quickly adapt to changing needs and even changing occupants.”
In 2017, the DesignLights Consortium (DLC) published a study that found networked lighting controls can generate an average 47 percent lighting energy savings. This potential resulted in significant interest among commercial lighting rebate programs and a steady transition for this category from custom to prescriptive rebates.
“Rebates for networked lighting controls are having an impact on encouraging retrofits,” said David Buerer, Director of Product Management, Leviton (Leviton.com). “In some cases, you can convert from a fluorescent troffer system to an LED system with wireless integrated lighting controls, with virtually no impact to building wiring and, after rebate, very little equipment cost. You get improved performance and lower energy usage.”
Despite this market support, outside of new construction, adoption has been hampered in part by a lack of standardization and interoperability, according to the DLC. The promise of true multivendor interoperability remains, however, and open standards have been making progress.
In 2020, the DALI Alliance and Bluetooth SIG announced a joint effort to standardize the interface between Bluetooth Mesh wireless systems and DALI gateways, enabling Bluetooth Mesh devices to communicate with DALI drivers. In 2022, the DALI Alliance introduced D4i, a version of DALI-2 that standardizes interoperability and control of digital LED drivers enabling individual device addressability, two-way data exchange, and precise control for dimming and color tuning. In 2023, Bluetooth SIG unveiled Bluetooth NLC, a series of specifications that define role and responsibilities for common lighting control devices, building on prior standards to provide full-stack wireless standardization.
“We remain committed to a product development roadmap for interoperable products to provide the marketplace with the most choice and flexibility,” said Stephen Zhou, Executive Vice President, mwConnect (mwConnect.us). “Using Bluetooth NLC, we can coordinate indoor and outdoor lighting control, enabling building owners to control all their lighting with one interoperable network. We are also seeing more interest in DALI standards in North America as the market becomes more educated on the benefits.”
In coming years, expect networked lighting controls to continue to develop toward greater interoperability, ease of programming and use, integration with luminaires, and robust wired and wireless options.
At this health club facility upgraded with LED lighting and advanced lighting controls in the Great Lakes region with financial support via commercial lighting rebates, more than a million kWh in energy savings were realized with a projected payback of less than two years. Image courtesy of mwConnect.
Systems integration unlocks a major untapped source of deep energy savings. Lighting control systems can readily integrate with other building systems and devices, whether this involves receiving signals from security access controls to change lighting status or occupants using wall keypads to control both lighting and window shades.
“Integrating lighting controls with other building systems such as HVAC, security, and building management systems enables comprehensive building automation,” said Van Campen. “This can enhance energy efficiency, occupant comfort, and building performance.”
Perhaps the most ambitious form is integrating the lighting and HVAC systems. This may involve sharing occupancy sensors with the potential for high-level integration between a networked lighting control system and a building management system to gain global control and significant unified energy savings and performance data.
As HVAC is typically the largest electrical load in commercial buildings, integration can generate significant energy savings. In August 2023, the DLC published a study that evaluated the savings potential as being up to 30 percent. As such, it is an area of growing interest among building owners seeking deep energy savings to decarbonize. As commercial lighting rebate programs observe LED saturation in their territories, opportunities like this offer potential for future rebate programs. The easiest implementation appears to be in new construction and very large existing buildings that already have a building management system.
“HVAC integration, whether through BACnet or thermostat integration, is advancing rapidly,” Zhou said. “With the new emphasis on electrification and specifically heat pump technologies for heating/cooling, we may finally have the needed impetus for a wider range of integration.”
“The trend towards integration drives innovation in building design, promoting scalability, flexibility, and data-driven insights,” said Buerer. “Lighting controls integration is crucial for modern buildings, focusing on energy efficiency and user experience. This evolution leads to efficient, comfortable, and sustainable buildings.”
Lighting controls aren’t just about saving energy. While automatic lighting controls are primarily evaluated for energy management, their utility has been dramatically expanding beyond energy savings. The proliferation of dimming capability with LED lighting has resulted in far greater availability not only of energy-saving strategies but also personal and customized control for visual needs. Greater automation also ensures outdoor lighting is only On at the right time and at the right intensity, minimizing skyglow. The ability to control color is another revolutionary capability coinciding with the LED revolution, enabling owners and users to select the right color of light along with intensity to support space needs and humancentric lighting strategies.
One of the most notable capabilities to emerge in recent years is the ability of many networked lighting control systems to generate performance and other data. This data in turn can be used for various analytics and related services ranging from maintenance and energy management to space utilization, indoor wayfinding, and asset tracking.
“Integrating data analytic capabilities enables predictive and preventive maintenance and improves energy optimization,” Van Campen said. “Sensor data and occupancy patterns help optimize lighting schedules, identify maintenance needs before they become problematic, and deliver lighting environments better tailored to space and occupant needs.”
Smart dashboards enable facility managers to view energy consumption, identify equipment faults, and analyze other data produced by the control system for information-rich insights. Image courtesy of Lutron Electronics.
Final word
“To learn and stay updated, join industry associations and attend events to network and learn, participate in live and online training hosted by industry experts, engage in beta testing projects, and partner with manufacturers for access to subject matter expertise,” Buerer advised. “The biggest gap in technology implementation is education. Don’t be afraid to dive into the details on the types of system you’re supporting and always look for value-add opportunities. Distributors are still at the center of economic flow, and this gives them a lot of value-add opportunities.”
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