A lighting control system is an investment, and like all good investments, it should work for you. This is exactly why we offer all our maintenance contract customers an annual, on-site review of system performance.
Our expert team of solution engineers review hundreds of sites and tenant fit outs a year to keep that investment working well for our customers. Here are our 5 most popular deployed control changes from these reviews to help to reduce energy consumption:
1. Keep lighting control group sizes small for the space
- Smaller control groups, particularly in open plan offices, means you can reduce the number of lights in use to just those that are needed
- This is best reviewed once spaces have been in use for at least a year, as it’s crucial that any control changes work for the occupants without causing irritation
2. Have the smallest presence/absence timeouts that you can in every space
- Small spaces like meeting rooms or phone booths can get away with as little as 5 minutes as a presence time out
- Timeouts in larger spaces need to be practical for the application and the size of the control group; bear in mind where the presence devices are located as well – a physical survey is always advised for these decisions as control devices may have been moved around over time to accommodate churns to a space
3. Cap dimmable general lighting wherever you can to the lowest output that occupants are happy with
- By proxy, most spaces are designed in an over lit state for day one occupation because lighting designs usually account for a required lux level in “x” number of years, among other factors
- With an addressable control system with the toolsets that those like a Simmtronic system offers, the FM team can easily and gradually reduce the general lighting’s output level so that the changes are minimally noticeable whilst helping with the savings
4. Utilise daylight wherever possible
- Measuring data and capturing photocell readings with software such as Simmtronic’s Illuminance Capture tool, allows for efficient energy saving from daylight harvesting – dimming artificial light when natural daylight is available
- The annual measurements provide data for constant illuminance adjustment, continually providing the required level of illumination without over lighting
- With the latest Simmtronic software suite, the system auto captures data where an astronomical clock is in use. It knows the time of the sun setting and adjust lighting accordingly for occupant comfort and lighting energy use
Note: all software upgrades for Processors are included for maintenance contract customers
5. Get clever with time programmes
- Explore options for reducing presence detector time outs within certain time periods, for example with security walk rounds and out of working hours to bring on lighting only when and where needed
- Use the time control calendar options to allow overrides, cancellations, and alterations to time programmes
These adaptions are simple to implement and highly effective in reducing energy with your lighting controls with minimal impact on occupants.
To talk to one of our specialist and make steps to reducing your energy, get in contact today, our team will be happy to help.
Ph: 01992 450 126
Email: SALES@SIMMTRONIC.COM
