Let the experts install, let the users control

by María Cecilia Hernández Ocampo
If you had to mention only one of the advantages of being able to control the lighting in a space, perhaps the most remarkable is that of energy savings and, with it, economic savings. There are equipment capable of reducing lighting consumption by up to more than 50%, a fact that suggests that it is worth making a good initial investment in the installation.

Contrary to what many may think, replacing the lighting network of a space (let's focus the issue on the residential market), is not so complex in practice, but, yes, the important thing is to have a good initial budget and opt for its execution to be carried out by expert hands.

Professionals working in the lighting industry are clear that not always the most expensive equipment is the most convenient. The entire installation depends on the space, the final objective and the use you want to give to the lighting.

And while users, on the other hand, tend to think about project costs, they also have another concern in mind: the ease of handling controls on a day-to-day basis. An issue that, according to Guillermo Terán, manager of the Mexican company Sesdi, specialized in software and technology integration, "should not be a cause for concern, since every day these controls are developed so that they are managed intuitively and the use that must be given to them is as everyday as any conventional switch".

The subject that really requires great attention and experience is that of installation. Not just anyone can do it, let alone when it comes to replacing a conventional system with one that can be controlled.

As Fernando Pons, director of Lighting Designer & Technical Consultant, explains, the first drawback that lighting designers face is ignorance. Lighting is the last thing that is usually planned and taking into account that in the end precisely you have a smaller budget then you opt for conventional lighting, without thinking about aesthetics and functionality, and much less about future savings.

That is why the costs of a change of this lighting network are higher than when they are installed together with the structure. Any addition of unconventional control systems will increase the initial cost of installation, but if the design of the functions of these systems is adequate, the energy savings will pay in the short term the initial investment, explains Pons.

A previous analysis is essential
To install a lighting system with dynamic control it is necessary to take into account a long and varied list of elements and conditions, from the simplest project to the most complex one required by the intervention of an expert.

• The type of space where lighting and control will be implemented.
• The goal of controlling lighting.
• The desired scene design, the desired aesthetic result.
• The conditions of the space and the final aesthetics of it: Do we have to break the walls?, Will channels be used to channel the wiring?
• The budget to invest in equipment and labor.
• The electrical conditions of the space: phases, loads, cables.
• Do you want to integrate the system with other technologies?: Internet, closed circuit television, etc.
• The type of control: manual, configurable, programmable, automatic.

"Everything counts when it comes to making an installation like this and especially when choosing the most convenient control. Because although all systems have basically the same functions: turn on, off, raise or lower the intensity, attenuate, etc., the environmental conditions are always very variable, and this modifies the process and the decision on the right equipment, "explains Terán.

As for the basic components of a dynamic lighting control project, common to all installations regardless of the degree of complexity, the sesdi manager indicates that in most cases the neutral cable must be integrated into the switches, because after all they are electronic equipment that needs protection from climbs, sudden drops and peaks of electricity.

---

From one technology to another
For Fernando Pons, the most commonly used in the home market is the typical dimmer based on triacs by means of phase shift. (The triac is the heart of the dimmer, it is responsible for turning the current on and off to the lights.

According to the expert of Lighting Designer & Technical Consultant, this type of devices, which come commercially in various power segments: from 300W to 1KW, their quality depends on the cost; for example, the most economical ones do not have the filters that prevent the harmonics produced by the wave cutting flanks from entering the line, producing audible noises in audio equipment, interference in radio equipment and other anomalies not perceived.

"This type of dimmers corresponds to the "leading edge" technology and there are others more sophisticated in terms of circuits but of greater cost that are framed in the "trailing edge" technology that reduce noises by poly harmonics", says Pons.

This specialist adds that "of this type of dimmers there are simpler using rotary potentiometers, going through the sliding and the most advanced that are tactile, sometimes on small metal pads and in this range there are also capacitive detection, which include small microprocessors".

The two guests agree that in the residential segments with greater purchasing power and with residential constructions not exceeding 15 years, unified control systems are installed type "main frame" (without giving marks): where a large space is left to install dimmers of good quality that respond to control signals from control keyboards arranged in each environment.

These systems, with some technological updates are still used, even adopting the semi-open KNX protocol, "but they have as a great disadvantage that all the cable conduits of all the environments must converge in that great environment where the dimmers are located. In new technologies, unlike main-frame systems, the ducts should not go to a central point, but only have a pipe for the distribution of network data.", points out Pons.

Brilliant news
But what are these new lighting control technologies all about? According to experts, the most modern equipment, of the latest technology, are configured as an Ethernet network, where the necessary control systems for each environment are distributed, in which touch keyboards and light, movement or presence detectors are placed.

It also includes other sensors such as temperature for protection of LED luminaires, intermediate communication units of protocol that interconnects the network and control devices for light (incandescent, fluorescent T5 or LEDs), curtains and other devices such as surveillance cameras, audio and video, etc.

These new systems are more geared toward controlling scene environments using multiple channels, rather than controlling individual channels.

They can be programmed by the keyboard or by PC through a friendly application software, they are of unlimited growth by network interconnection, they have lower volume: they can be located in inspection covers or full ceilings, they offer centralized monitoring and the possibility of managing the system fromphones s martphone or tablets with friendly applications.

The operation of this type of equipment is relatively simple, rarely any fatal mistake is made. Rather, errors occur in the installation stages and there are even non-human errors that have to do with unexpected changes in electrical charges that can end the life of a dimmer.

"The most common human error is the oversizing of the system, that is, installing functions or elements that will never be used, the result of bad advice or the user's own vanity," says Fernando Pons.

Life útl
The service life of pro triac dimmers, under extremely stable conditions, is in the 20,000 hours, which is the average duration of a capacitor, but a short circuit or a sharp variation in the supply voltage can burn the dimmer.

The triac is one of the most vulnerable and fragile electronic elements.

Scene systems, both main-frame and distributed, have the same theoretical duration of the 20,000 hours of external capacitors, which depends on their capacity, but in practice the user changes them before the end of their useful life due to technological evolution, parallel to that seen in computers or cell phones.

(Photo: Intech.com)