Lighting control was initially thought of as a measure to save energy, nowadays in addition to the above other factors have entered the scene that have made it become widespread and cease to be a matter of a few. In this article we will talk about the trends and recommendations made by experts.By: Héctor Gómez Pérez
Talking about lighting control was until a couple of years ago to refer to the implementation of a series of systems to save energy and money. Although today that is still its fundamental objective, there are other aspects such as comfort and decoration that have made more and more people in the world interested in the subject.
To talk about this aspect we invited Albert Mizrahi, from Control 4 Mexico; Mauricio Pinzón Gilchrist, general manager of the Colombian company Digital Ambient S.A.S, and Román Francesch of E-Controls of Spain.
Saving was first, now...
The lighting control allows the amount of light to be regulated depending on a time of day, the occupation of a space or the use of natural light; aspects that will ultimately generate significant energy and money savings. All this through the use of a system that handles lighting loads and feeds on the information delivered by luminosity, movement or occupation sensors.
"The main reason for lighting control systems is energy savings, but it is not the only one, comfort and safety make these systems go from being luxuries to necessities," said Albert Mizrahi. To which Mauricio Pinzón added that the issues of comfort and decoration take on special importance. He highlighted the theme of comfort applied to homes, entertainment sites, restaurants and commercial premises. "This allows you to create different types of 'environments' in the same area by adjusting the intensity of the light. For example, in the living room of a house there may be a 'relaxing' environment with light at 60%, or a 'romantic' one with light at 40%, and a 'meeting' environment with light at 80%. All these environments in the same area thanks to the dimerization or dimming of light," said Pinzón.
Regarding the decorative aspect, Pinzón said that it can be found in both the residential and corporate areas, in which the solutions seek to visually attract people. He exemplifies it with the colored lights that the façade of a hotel or restaurant can have: "They are illuminations that can change according to the time, traffic, temperature or simply have different patterns of shapes and colors that seek to attract the attention of the public," Pinzón added.
Trending
"Lighting control is a trend that is not yet widespread, but that will be an increasingly obvious need," said Román Francesch. This technology has been adapted to the lifestyle of millions of people around the world, as Mizrahi commented, adding that "most new construction, whether residential or commercial, has smart lighting. It's a trend that continues to increase year after year," Francesch said.
In this regard, Pinzón said that lighting control is not yet economical enough to be available to many sectors, although he believes that prices have fallen and will continue with that trend. He pointed out that generally the lighting control was until a few years ago a luxury of people from high socioeconomic strata, but that today it is having penetration in lower ones.
He said that at a commercial level there are not many customers who have control of lighting, but that this amount will be increased, in the Colombian case, thanks to the latest regulations in the matter. "Until a few months a new regulation came out that requires that all new non-residential surfaces of more than 500m2 have a lighting control system. This phenomenon is due to the global awareness of "Green Building" or Green Constructions, which seek to preserve natural resources to the maximum. Thanks to these new regulations, lighting control products will become enormously widespread."
What's new and the installer
In terms of innovations we can say that sensors are increasingly reliable and have the ability to handle in addition to the information of the light level, the one concerning the temperature, just to give an example.
Another highlight is that there is more and more integration. "A single comprehensive system can manipulate lighting from the point of view of savings, but additionally it can also take care of decorative lighting. Likewise, lighting controls are increasingly integrated with equipment for the management of curtains or blinds, air conditioners, access controls, among others, "said Pinzón.
Definitely the role of the installer is fundamental when talking about lighting control; it must be certified and have recognized experience to perform work of excellent quality. The design of the lighting control infrastructure is decisive, this is where the sensors will be located, the interconnection with the access controls, curtains and temperatures. In the same way determine the location of the technical cabinets where the equipment that controls the lighting loads and other devices such as curtain motors will be.
"If the installer is able to size the design of the infrastructure well, he will have 90% effective lighting control assured," pinzón explained.
Difficulties and penetration
But what is the most difficult thing to handle in designing a lighting control for a residential and commercial client? Román Francesch, considers that everything depends on the type of product and the manufacturer. For Mizrahi, the issue is to determine what type of luminaires are the most suitable for each area and activity, "this must be coordinated perfectly with a professional illuminator and with the architects of each work," he added.
For Pinzón, the most difficult thing is to handle the issue of furnishing because the architecture and the use of spaces presents many changes throughout a construction site. "At this stage there is an obligatory relationship with the design of false skies and their height; the type of material in the sky influences the type of lamp or lighting. Likewise, the furnishing: knowing where there are or are not jobs, sofas, corridors and others, which also influences the design a lot. And finally the use or activity that will be carried out in each of the spaces, which defines whether an area should carry only one type of lighting or several depending on whether it fulfills different functions".
As things stand today, lighting control systems will continue to grow in our region, as awareness increases that they are not a luxury, but a necessity and a worldwide standard that brings multiple benefits, not only for people and companies, but for the environment in general.
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