Lighting Control

The Concept. Lighting your home is not merely about providing enough light to see; it should be exciting, dramatic and a core consideration of any interior design. Furthermore, rather than being static, your lighting should adapt around you according to your activity.

What is a lighting control system? The humble light switch is simply too inflexible to meet the demands of the modern lighting scheme. This is where lighting control comes into play. In effect, a lighting control system is a specialised computer connected to an array of dimmers and user interfaces. This makes it possible to control any light from any location. With a conventional light switch you make a physical electrical connection to turn on a light whereas with lighting control you press a button on a keypad; this is interpreted by the processor which then turns on the light(s).

How does this help us? Because we are no longer bound by a simple electrical connection at the back of a switch there are many new and exciting possibilities:

• Scene setting. Instead of ‘on/off’ we can give you lighting scenes. A number of lighting circuits can be programmed to fade up or down to a preset level at the touch of a button. This could be a cooking or mood scene in your kitchen perhaps or a movie scene in your TV room. Properly designed lighting and thoughtfully configured scenes can be used to enhance your homes’ architecture and decoration.
• Efficiency. Fed up with the kids leaving the lights on? Cleverly positioned occupancy sensors can dim down or even switch off unoccupied rooms reducing unnecessary energy consumption. Dimming also increases lamp life and reduces the amount of electricity used.
• Automation. Lighting can also be activated by occupancy sensors. For instance, if you walk into the hall in the early evening a mood scene will light your way; enter the same space later that night and a pathway of light will allow you to pass safely before dimming down gently behind you. In addition, lighting can be switched by the system’s astronomical time-clock. External pathway lights can be switched on at dusk and turned of at bed-time for example.
• Safety. In the event of a fire alarm the lighting can be programmed to light your escape route and perhaps flash external lights to attract attention.
• Security. Systems can be configured in subtle ways to deter would-be intruders. The system can mimic your light usage when you are away, dimming lights on and off throughout the house as if you were there. Motorised blinds/curtains can be opened and closed every day. In the event of an alarm at night, receptions rooms can be ramped up to full brightness instantly to blind an intruder and external lights can be flashed to attract attention.
• Convenience. Any button can be programmed to control any light. We can give you a house off function at the front door and bedside and a party button that sets the whole house to designated levels.
• Controlling Natural Light. Lighting systems can also control natural light. Motorised blinds, curtains and photo-voltaic glass can all be integrated. Blinds can be programmed to track the passage of the sun to protect wood and soft furnishings from sun-damage.

Build-in or Build-on? We supply a number of different lighting control solutions. Some are designed to be pre-wired (built in) with centralised dimmers and a wired network of keypads and other interfaces. Other systems lend themselves to be retro-fitted (built-on) with wireless, battery operated keypads and interfaces and local dimmers designed to be concealed near to the light fixture. Other systems offer hybrid solutions which may be applicable in some instances.