The Benefits of Using Lighting Controls and Lighting Control Systems

There are many ways to manage the different lights in a home or business. Lighting controls and lighting control systems can be used for indoor and outdoor lighting of commercial, industrial, and residential areas. Lighting control systems provide the desired amount of light where and when it is needed. They are used to maximize energy savings, satisfy building codes, provide safety & security or comply with green building and energy conservation programs.

Lighting Controls vs Lighting Control Systems

Lighting controls are typically used for independent control of the lighting within a given area. This includes dimmers, occupancy sensors, time clocks, and photocells that are hard-wired to control particular groups of lights. Control occurs manually at each device’s location.

Lighting control systems are a networked system of devices related to lighting control. These devices include relays, occupancy sensors, photocells, light control switches or touchscreens and signals from other building systems (such as a fire alarm or HVAC). Control of the system occurs locally at device locations and remotely at central computer locations using software programs or other interfaces.

Lighting control systems typically provide the ability to automatically adjust a lighting device's output based on:

• Chronological Time - time of day, week, month or year
• Astronomical Time - sunrise/sunset, typically for outdoor lighting
• Occupancy - using occupancy sensors which employ ultrasonic or infrared technology
• Daylight Availability - using photocells which respond to the level of available daylight
• Alarm Conditions – include input from fire alarm or HVAC systems
• Program Logic - combination of events using some/all of the above factors

Benefits

• Energy Savings – lights can be automatically dimmed or turned off according to occupancy or available daylight
• Extend Bulb Life – the amount of life a bulb has is increased due to less use, particularly with incandescent and halogen lights
• Adjust Light Levels Relative to Tasks – lower levels can be used for ambiance, higher levels can be used for tasks that require it
• Programmable Preferences – after a user’s preferences are set, nothing else needs to be done
• Security – outdoor lights will automatically turn on between dusk and dawn, security alarms can trigger indoor and outdoor lights to turn on

Warehouse Lighting has a large selection of lighting controls. Use the links below to take you there.