Lighting can make a major contribution to energy savings. The right lighting starts with selecting the most appropriate and efficient luminaires for your installation. Then it means designing your project properly: sizing the installation, optimizing the layout, taking into account the right lighting management systems.
Push-button dimming #
This lighting management system enables the dimming of several luminaires to be controlled using ordinary sector pushbuttons. Depending on the current status, a short press switches the connected luminaires on or off; a longer press dims them up or down.
Simple and economical, this system requires no special interface for installation. It uses mains voltage as the control signal. When the push-button is pressed, electrical impulses are sent to the luminaire, which are decoded by the electronic system integrated into the power supply. All that’s required is specific 4-conductor wiring (3 for the power supply, 1 for the push-button).
Implementation #
Simple and economical, this system requires no special interface for installation. It uses mains voltage as the control signal. When the push-button is pressed, electrical impulses are sent to the luminaire, which are decoded by the electronic system integrated into the power supply. All that’s required is specific 4-conductor wiring (3 for the power supply, 1 for the push-button).
Limits #
The use of this type of dimming is limited to small spaces (meeting rooms, offices, etc.). The maximum recommended capacity corresponds to a set of 20 luminaires controlled simultaneously by one or more push-buttons. As this type of lighting management is proprietary, i.e. specific to each manufacturer, there is no guarantee that it will work properly on the same line with fixtures from other manufacturers.
Early warning function #
This on-board system combines energy savings, safety and comfort with simple installation. It’s ideal for passageways and underground parking lots, as well as communal areas (stairwells, corridors, entrance halls, etc.). What’s more, its operation reduces the number of on/off cycles, guaranteeing optimum fluorescent source life.
Implementation #
Compatible with all timers and dry-contact sensors, this system is easy to install. Mains voltage is used as the control signal, making it immune to interference. All that’s required is specific 4-conductor wiring (3 for power supply, 1 for dry contact).
Operating scenario #
The time delay is set on the remote control (timer or timed “dry contact” sensor). At the end of this delay, the system automatically triggers a shutdown warning to alert the user before switching to standby mode. Over a period of 30 seconds, lamp output is reduced from 100% to 10%, and this energy-saving mode is maintained until a new switch-on command is received. If no presence is detected after 30 minutes, the luminaires switch off automatically.
Gradation 1 10 V #
A long-standing lighting management system that’s very easy to implement, it was for a long time the only system available, which explains its popularity. Based on analog technology, it is almost exclusively reserved for fluorescent luminaires.
Implementation #
Bus control is provided by an analog DC voltage signal that varies between 10V (maximum lighting) and 1V (minimum lighting). It requires either a specific rotary switch, an automatic controller linked to presence or brightness detectors, or a complex controller linked to a BMS.
A long-standing lighting management system that’s very easy to implement, it was for a long time the only system available, which explains its popularity. Based on analog technology, it is almost exclusively reserved for fluorescent luminaires.
Limits #
This system is sensitive to voltage drop over long cable runs, and to disturbances in the electrical network. As the control signal is polarized, special care must be taken during wiring.
