Based on EE105: Lighting Control System Design, a new course in the Lighting Controls Association’s Education Express program, this article provides detailed information about designing an effective lighting control solution.

In Part 3 of this series on how to design a lighting control system, we will discuss installation and post-occupancy. You will learn about bidding, responding to questions from installers, reviewing submittals and defending your design, following-through with the installation of the equipment, functional testing, training essential staff, and ultimately ensuring the owner is satisfied.

As LED lighting adoption increases, organizations focused on saving energy are looking more and more to lighting controls as the next frontier for maximizing energy savings and decarbonization. Selecting Lighting Control Systems, a publication by PNNL for the DOE, sheds light on the process of designing solutions that both align with project objectives and are clearly documented. PNNL developed this publication in response to research finding that success with lighting controls can maximized by adhering to industry best practices. The result is a straightforward 20-page guide, with additional resources listed ranging from IES lighting practices ANSI/IES-LP-6 and ANSI/IES-LP-16 to the Lighting Controls Association.

It’s an LED world now; traditional sources are just living in it. The next frontier of energy savings lies in bringing the lighting controls revolution to mainstream adoption in existing buildings via best practices.

The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has published a concise and informative guide to help designers and project managers select the most cost-effective and energy-efficient lighting and control systems, including lessons learned from evaluations conducted in federal buildings.