Smarter lighting in intelligent buildings provides an opportunity to reduce the complexity that is commonly found in modern work places .

occupancy sensor can forward its data to the HVAC systems , window blinds and security management system , as well as the lighting control system .

It may also become possible for a single sensor to control all of the requirements of a space . One obvious example is an occupancy sensor in a toilet that controls both the lighting and the solenoids responsible for urinal flushing .

Such a sensor can be installed in a luminaire so that it is hardly visible , as a cure for ‘ ceiling acne ’. If these sensors are installed in a number of luminaires it will enable the data to be evaluated in much finer detail , perhaps to optimise the lighting and temperature control for a single workstation .

The same principle can be applied to car park lighting , linking presence sensors to satellite navigation and guiding drivers to free parking spaces . And , of course , there are many other similar examples .

The luminaires can also be used to discreetly ‘ host ’ other technologies such as Bluetooth transmitters , enabling people to navigate a space via their smartphones . Again , a key advantage is that no extra power supply or separate batteries are required to run these devices .

Managing space

This occupancy data can also be used by the facilities management team to assess how each space is being used . Traditionally , such space utilisation studies are very resource intensive , necessitating a walk around the building armed with a clipboard to record which workstations are in use . Across a large estate this can take several days and , for that reason , are only carried out occasionally . Even when a full survey is carried out , considerably more time is required to analyse the data , so that facilities managers rarely have an up to date picture of space usage . Harvesting current data from lighting occupancy sensors will enable them to manage their space far more effectively .

To that end , our company is already trialling a dashboard that pulls in information from lighting occupancy sensors to provide a graphical overview of occupancy patterns .

‘ Technologies now exist to use the lighting infrastructure in better ways , to control the lighting and much more .’

Nor should we lose sight of the opportunity to greatly enhance the way that the lighting is controlled . In addition to the usual parameters that are monitored by lighting systems , such as daylight and occupancy , there are sensors that can also measure colour temperature . When linked to tuneable white lighting this means that the colour temperature can be adjusted to suit changing conditions .

Taking this principle slightly further , there are now sensors that use charge coupled device ( CCD ) technology to detect contrast and are a clever alternative to a PIR sensor . These have the ability to ‘ understand ’ the activity in the space . If they detect that people are walking around they will change the lighting to suit circulation . If someone is standing close to the wall the system may assume a presentation is taking place and switch to presentation mode .

This same sensor can also detect when people are in a meeting and select a suitable lighting scene , which can include reducing the amount of direct light if it detects that reflective screens ( tablets , computers ) are in use .

Summary

The key point here is that technologies now exist to use the lighting infrastructure in better ways , to control the lighting and much more . For contractors , the important thing is to consider how these technologies can be applied to best suit the requirements of each end client , teaming up with experts where appropriate .

NEXT ISSUE