According to a leading voice in the sector, the NZBCSD, approximately 25% of the global greenhouse emissions originate from lighting fixtures.

This presents a massive opportunity for businesses and individuals to demonstrate their commitment towards the fight against climate change.

The Ministry for Energy in this country estimates that 67% of an average tenant’s energy bills, especially those renting out commercial premises, is as a result of lighting.

Inefficient use of lighting leads to an increase in heat production and consequently more cooling needs.

Why Lighting Control is Important

The importance of sustainable lighting control especially in commercial premises is emphasized by the following three critical aspects of any business organization:

• Companies that have adopted the use of lighting control mechanisms in their premises have recorded energy bill savings ranging from 40 to 80 percent. Apart from benefiting from the direct energy cost savings, companies are also able to protect themselves from unforeseen future energy costs spikes.

• Lighting efficiencies associated with state of the art lighting control mechanisms indicate leadership as concerns climate change and corporate sustainability. This is a proactive step that has seen corporate achieve improved stakeholder relations as well as a better market position.

• The wellbeing of a company’s staff as well as their enhanced productivity can be easily traced back to optimal lighting levels associated with modern lighting controls. Efficient lighting controls have been found to have a spin-off effect on improved staff productivity and morale through a favorable working environment.

Lighting Control and Sustainability

Sustainable lighting is all about sustainable energy use which can be said to have a two pronged approach. It consists of energy efficiency which is concerned about the optimum utilization of energy and energy conservation which is concerned about lowering or avoiding excessive reliance on non-renewable energy sources.

Lighting control systems that are able to reduce carbon emissions and energy consumption while providing the required illumination levels are most ideal. Different office activities like drawing, computer work, writing, reading, typing and meetings require different levels of illumination.

The latest light control mechanisms feature integrated lighting and occupancy sensor systems. The occupancy sensor systems supply lighting only when there is someone in the room through the help of motion sensors. Integrated systems on the other hand dim or switch off light fixtures depending on whether they are being used or not.

For more information or to get a free consultation please click on the button below.

It is much easier these days to reduce the carbon footprint both at home and in business practices when you want to adopt a more sustainable way of life.

No matter how large or small your home or business, controlling your lights and utilities is one of the easiest ways toward sustainability.

Lighting Control: Business Efficiency

One of the benefits of using lighting control is that it can help you save costs and make running your business or owning your home more efficient. You can use timers to turn off lights at a certain time so that you are not wasting energy.

You can also use energy efficient bulbs and find out where you do not need as much light so that you do not waste energy fully lighting them.

Of course, one of the primary reasons many people are looking into lighting control is to work toward their conservation efforts. Even larger corporations recognize the need to become carbon neutral and reduce the amount of dependents on non-renewable sources of energy. Controlling the lights and other utilities are practices any business can adopt that also have many benefits to the companies.

Lighting Control: Make a Good Impression

Not only do these kinds of efforts save money in businesses, but they also help them make good impressions on consumers and clients. More people are reluctant to do business with corporations that continue to practice wasteful methods that harm the environment.

Companies that present themselves in an environmentally and socially responsible manner via methods such as lighting control are becoming more attractive to consumers, so along with a decrease in spending, there is an increase in profits.

The smallest home as well as the largest business can adopt practices such as lighting control to help sustain the environment while decreasing the costs of using utilities. Switches that power utilities on and off and energy efficient bulbs are only two of the ways to achieve this control. No matter the method, balancing light use has its advantages for all.

For more information or to book a free consultation please click on the button below.

Lighting Control Systems in the Office

It is generally accepted that business can no longer ignore the effect on today’s global market with consumers demonstrating reluctance to buy goods and services with large carbon footprints or from companies who are seen to have a negative effect on the world’s society.

Protecting the future of our planet and its eco-systems is perceived by many to be the greatest challenge the world has ever faced.

Businesses need to be at the forefront in creating and adopting solutions around renewable energy, green more energy efficient technologies, and other means of reducing their environmental footprint.

Lighting Control: Balancing Growth and Sustainability

With high profile companies including several big banks, large companies with prominent brands, and other organisations of size and influence, leading the way in becoming ‘carbon neutral’, how can a smaller business find the balance between growth and sustainability?

With society demanding greater compliance with environmentally and socially responsibly standards, how can SME’s hope to remain competitive and still convince their customers they are committed to sustainable practices?

Changing legislation is a long, drawn out process. However there is no doubt that legislation will change to enforce many of the practices that forward thinking companies are adopting voluntarily right now.

Knowing that legislation is coming, but choosing to get on top of the issues before that time, is a future-focussed perspective that makes good business sense!

Big businesses who have lead the way in becoming carbon neutral, may have equally large budgets, and large management structures to handle the processes.

Nevertheless, the sustainability pathway for a smaller company can be just that – a pathway (rather than a highway) – and can be tackled one step at a time.

Early successes can be achieved by getting support from your staff and working together with behaviour change initiatives aimed to reduce waste and increase sustainable practices in your workplace.

Lighting Control: Efficiency and Savings

You can back up your staff’s commitment by ensuring the right resources are in place to carry through with everyone’s good intentions.

Lighting control is one area where energy and cost savings may be possible. Inexpensive retrofit technology solutions are available these days that can provide semi-automated solutions to ensure lights (plus heating and cooling) are not left on in a vacant work space.

When energy efficiency measures are introduced, the resulting savings in power costs can provide a swift return on investment. In addition you are demonstrating the commitment of management towards the sustainability journey.

It is clear that long term commercial success is going to depend on doing the right thing – and on being seen to be doing it!

For more information or to get a free consultation please click on the button below.

Lighting Control: An Easy Method Of Energy Efficiency

Commonly where light level control is required, the lighting control system will include the use of photocells that detect the level of daylight present. If that level of daylight rises above a pre-set level then the lights will be either switched off, or dimmed down (depending on the light fitting and the control).

If the level of natural light decreases below the set parameter, then the lighting is switched on, or dimmed at a higher pre-set level.

Lighting Control Allows for Pre-Programming

More sophisticated light level controls also allow for time delays to prevent nuisance switching. Without a time delay, dark clouds for example, could cause lights to switch on and off too frequently during a short time period.

Many systems also provide optional manual control via a local switch input, allowing the user to override the dimming levels and turn the lighting on or off.

‘Twilight’ switches detect light levels and designed to switch external security lights on at ‘twilight’, or to turn on display or sign lighting.

Lighting Control Balances Light

Daylight harvesting is a term used to describe the ability of the lighting control system to optimise the balance between natural and artificial lighting for the occupants of a building. Highly accurate photocells are required that can precisely measure the amount of light as a lux level on a desk surface, or as relative brightness from a window.

Artificial lighting is automatically adjusted up or down to maintain a constant brightness dependent on the amount of natural light available.

Studies suggest that the over illumination found in many workplaces is a common cause of worker fatigue. Maximising natural daylight increases productivity and increases a sense of wellbeing. It may increase your ability to retain quality staff.

Additionally all stakeholders can feel good from an environmental stance, knowing that energy is being used only where necessary. The added benefit when artificial lighting is reduced, is that there is a reduction in power usage, and therefore in energy costs!

To get more information, or for your free consultation, contact at Intelligent Environments today.

Lighting Control – Reducing your carbon footprint

With a lighting control system, circuits are commonly controlled by either relay channels or dimmer channels.

Lighting Control Effects

Generally for lighting, greater flexibility is achieved when a circuit is dimmable. This means that any light wired to a particular circuit, that is then controlled via a dimmable channel, can in effect be dimmed up or dimmed down.

With a lighting control system, this then allows ‘scenes’ to be created where groups of lights can be set at pre-determined levels, to create a particular visual effect.

An example may be a hotel dining room – rather than staff having to manually switch on and off, or dim up and down, banks of lights to achieve the desired affect for breakfast, lunch or dinner – three scenes can be set up to complete the task automatically.

The first scene “Breakfast” may have bright, welcoming ‘wake up’ lighting in most areas. Lux level sensors may detect good levels of natural light however, and the lights by the windows are therefore turned off, as they are not needed.

The darker areas of the dining room continue to be lit however, with good focused lighting also illuminating the breakfast buffet.

As a contrast, the “Dinner” scene offers more subdued, mood lighting. The reception area is lit sufficiently to offer a welcome to the evening diners, but in the dining room there are lower levels of ambient light to create a more intimate dining experience.

Interest is created through accent lighting on artwork and architectural features of the room. Task lighting over the buffet, provides just the right level of illumination for the food choices to look inviting, and for dining staff to maintain.

Lighting Control Scenes

Relay channels still have their use as part of the lighting control system. Where circuits only require on/off control they usually represent the more cost effective option.

They may be used in areas such as plant rooms or service rooms, or for outside lights where dimming isn’t required.

Table lights can be incorporated into lighting scenes, when the socket outlet into which they are connected, is controlled by a relay channel as part of the control system.

Included in the “Dinner” scene above for example, there could be an ‘on’ command for the small table lights on each dining table turned on via relay. At the end of the evening, when the restaurant closes, the ‘All Off’ scene, dims every lighting circuit to off, and switches off the table lights.

For more information or a free consultation please click on the button below.

Lighting Control: Light Level Controls Explained

In today’s energy conscious society, nobody wants to be responsible for unnecessary wastage of our world’s precious resources .

However, despite our best intentions, we all waste electricity by leaving the lights on!

Lighting Control is a Smart Idea

In the commercial sector, power use for lighting accounts for 30-50% of a company’s electricity bill, second only to heating & cooling. In addition, when lights are left on unnecessarily, the extra heat generated means additional power use by the air-conditioning system to compensate.

In residential households the percentage of the electricity bill from lighting is lower, but still significant. Studies suggest of the amount of energy consumed for lighting in both residential and commercial sectors, up to half is wasted by inefficient lighting, or careless consumers.

Yes we can ‘all do our bit’ by remembering to turn lights off but as we all know the ‘human element ’cannot be relied upon for consistency!

The Latest in Lighting Control

The good news is that with today’s technology, it is possible to introduce simple, but fully automated controls that ensure science backs up those ‘good intentions’ that we all have!

L ights can be set up to come on only when needed, and go off when natural light is sufficient,or when a room is vacated. Lights can be dimmed by 25%, reducing electricity consumption accordingly but also quadrupling lamp life.

Dimming lights by up to 25% is hardly noticeable to the human eye in many situations, but has significant benefits as shown. Even dimming a light by 10% can double the life of the bulb, as well as produce 10% power savings.

Sensors and time clocks can be utilised to ensure outside lighting only comes on after sunset and where needed for the safety and security of your home or workplace.

Automated scenes can create custom ambient lighting that is responsive to a company’s or family’s needs and creates a truly ‘intelligent environment’, yet can also help save electricity and reduce the carbon footprint of a home or business.

The huge range of lighting and automation products now available mean there is a complete package for practically any budget. Contact us today for your free lighting control consultation.

Lighting Control – To Dim, or Not to Dim

]]> http://lightingcontrol.co.nz/lighting-control-articles/save-power-lighting-control/feed/ 0 http://lightingcontrol.co.nz/lighting-control-articles/benefits-of-lighting-control-automation/ http://lightingcontrol.co.nz/lighting-control-articles/benefits-of-lighting-control-automation/#comments Thu, 07 Jul 2011 07:29:21 +0000 http://lightingcontrol.co.nz/?p=91 Mood and ambiance is created for the most part by good lighting control.

Intelligent lighting systems have been around for some time and they have made controlling light easier for almost all types of set-up, whether for lighting needs in the home or office.

Lighting control automation makes this possible. This is the remote control of lighting in the home or office. Lights in a space are controlled by a central controller, which adds convenience, security, and energy-savings.

Benefits of Lighting Control

Benefits of an automated lighting control system include being able to control home lighting when not at home. One can return to a lighted home after each working day, instead of having to root around in the dark to find the light switch.

Another advantage is security. A lighted home is always more secure and gives the impression that someone is home, even when the owners are away. Homeowners who are gone for several days in a row can time the central lighting control to turn on the living room or dining room lights, as well as the porch lights, at specified times of the day or night to give the illusion that someone is at home.

Automated lighting also allows people to enter a room and have it instantly light up when it senses their presence. This eliminates the need to look around for a switch, and can be an impressive feature to show new guests.

As well, it can be used to indicate the doorbell or a ringing phone. This feature is extremely useful in homes with deaf family members. Blinking lights can tell them whether someone at the door or if the phone is ringing.

Finally, lighting control automation offers an effortless way to keep various kinds of moods and ambiance.

To find out the ways that a new lighting system could benefit your home, have a further look through our website, or better yet, feel free to drop us a line for a free, no-obligation consultation.

Save on Power with a Lighting Control System

In addition to the energy management benefit of lighting control, the ability to create ‘scenes’ through a lighting control system is an incredible advantage. This allows various lighting circuits to be controlled as a group, and programmed to react in certain ways dependent on changes in the environment.

An example of lighting control for instance would be an AV scene in the boardroom which may be programmed to automatically dim the lights, turn on a single light on the speaker’s lectern, and may also be integrated with blinds, projector screen etc so that blinds close, screen comes down, projector starts etc . . .  all from the single touch of a button!

Similarly the same lighting control technology can be utilised in the home to run a “movie” or “home theatre” scene.

Lighting Control Integration

Integrating the lighting control with the alarm system, could ensure if the fire alarm was activated after dark (as an example), all lighting comes on to allow safe exiting if the building, and easy access for the fire service.

Intelligent Environments Ltd specialise in the area of lighting control, employing a variety of technologies to meet each client’s particular lighting control needs.

This may be as a ‘stand alone’ project to introduce a level of lighting control and energy management to an existing building or new build, or where a lighting control system is required as an aspect of the larger building lighting control management with high levels of integration.

Whether your lighting control project is large or small Intelligent Environments are happy to help.  Please give us a call for a FREE initial lighting control consultation.

Benefits of Lighting Control Automation

Although the commercial lighting control sector makes greater emphasis on the gains that can be made from more efficient use of energy, the same benefits using same or similar lighting control technologies can be achieved in the residential sector also.

As well as wanting to ‘cut costs’, companies are also keen to be seen to be green!i.e. to be striving to reduce the “environmental footprint” of their operation. Many families are also becoming more environmentally aware and want to do their bit to ensure our world’s resources can be sustained for the next generation.

They will do this by changing behaviours and the way they use lighting control resources in their own homes, but also by choosing to support businesses who are ‘walking the talk’ and making the lighting control changes necessary to be perceived as environmentally responsible.

World energy consumption has risen 45% since 1980 and is projected to be 70% higher by 2030. Much of this has been, and will continue to be, in the commercial arena.

Efficient Lighting Control

More efficient management of energy, productive utilisation of natural resources and lighting control are both profitable for businesses and of course, much better for the environment.

By helping commercial clients use energy more efficiently via lighting control we reduce power costs, ensure a cleaner environment and conserve our natural resources.

One very simple way to reduce both power usage and therefore power costs, is through efficient lighting control.  In some buildings lighting can account for as much as 40% of energy consumption.

Lighting Control

Lighting Control Part Two

When designing a lighting control system a number of ‘zones’ are established. Each zone will be a light fixture, or a number of light fixtures, that are controlled simultaneously by one controller.

Zones are typically set up according to lighting tasks required, schedules, availability of natural light, and types of light fittings.

Having numerous ‘smaller’ zones allows much more flexibility in the lighting control system. For instance, when someone enters a building after normal working hours, it is possible to light up certain ‘zones’ only, rather than an entire floor.

Lighting control systems commonly employ a variety of different technologies:

• Scheduling of certain lighting functions via timeclock. This is often used for certain outside lighting that is required to remain on during hours of darkness. Also used for signage, etc.
• Photocells are also often used to trigger lighting required ‘after dark’.
• Movement sensors, used outside for security and safety, e.g. someone approaches the building, movement is ‘sensed’ and the exterior lights come on.
• Occupancy detectors that register movement may ensure that although most lights are ‘off’ after hours, zones where movement is detected from people working late, or from cleaning staff, continue to be lit.
• Absence detectors automatically turn lights off in meeting rooms, bathrooms etc when no movement has been sensed for a pre-determined time.
• Lux level sensors detect the amount of natural daylight available in a zone, and the lighting control system can then dim artificial lighting up or down accordingly.
• Logic can be built into the system to allow for certain differences in required functionality i.e. if it is a weekday, this happens. However if it is a weekend or a public holiday, an alternate operation applies.
• In addition, the lighting control may integrate with other systems to provide more comprehensive control:
• ‘Scenes’ can be created, for example in the boardroom, when a single button press not only dims the lights but also closes the blinds, brings down the projection screen, and starts up the projector so the presentation can begin.
• The occupancy sensors that register that a zone is unoccupied, and hence turn off the lights, can also turn off other services such as heating or air conditioning.
• The lighting control system may be linked with the security or fire alarms, to ensure certain lighting zones are illuminated in case of emergency.
• Lux level sensors, detecting a high level of natural light, may be linked to the automated blinds, to close the sun filters on sunny days.

An effective lighting control system is designed to meet the needs of the building and its occupants. It determines the appropriate control strategies to ensure the right amount of light is provided where and when it is needed, operating costs are minimised, and user satisfaction is assured.

Go ahead and request a free consultation to get your next lighting control project underway or phone 09 281 3727 to discuss tailored lighting control systems with our friendly team members.Fast, personal service guaranteed.

Lighting Control

Lighting Control Part One