This feature article for ARCHITECTURAL LIGHTING, written by Craig DiLouie, LC, lighting journalist and acting education director for the Lighting Controls Association, explores the trend toward integration between lighting controls and luminaires.
The article begins:
“Lighting controls have always been an essential component of a lighting system, as they enable basic functionality: turning lights on and off, and dimming. But today, these functions are being automated in order to reduce energy consumption—a trend driven by sustainable design and commercial-building energy codes, which have made automatic controls a staple in new construction. According to a new study—”A Meta-Analysis of Energy Savings from Lighting Controls in Commercial Buildings,” prepared by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) in Sept. 2011, in which 88 papers and case studies were analyzed—popular lighting control strategies yield an average of 24 to 38 percent lighting-energy savings in commercial buildings.
“As lighting designers, clients, and building owners require greater functionality for lighting controls, more sophisticated lighting-control solutions are being specified. Traditionally, these lighting controls were built as systems separate from the luminaire. But a growing number of luminaire manufacturers are beginning to integrate lighting controls as product components, enhancing visual aesthetics while simplifying design and installation.”
Check out the rest of the article here.
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