Articles and whitepapers

Light Fantastic - An Overview of Residential Lighting Control (3/5/2004)

By Alan Jackson

Homeowners are spending more than ever before on 'added value' extras. Lighting control is at the heart of this home technology revolution and could comfortably be described as one of the 'intelligent home must haves.' Whether creating an intimate dining scene, a 'house-lights-dimmed' feel for a home cinema room, or aiding home security, lighting control is a truly effective method for achieving great results. Not only that, but there is also significant energy saving potential to provide an additional attraction for end-users.

There is a vast range of residential lighting control possibilities to suit all tastes and budgets. From the single rotary dimmer, right through to whole-home systems - complete with integrated audio and other features. If recent developments have pushed the realms of possibility, a single dimmer controlling a single luminaire still forms the cornerstone of lighting control in most UK homes.

Lighting control development

Available since the 1960s, this basic level of control is all that most people require, or indeed desire, and it is a perfectly adequate solution to their needs. The inherent simplicity of the set-up ensures that it is cheap, reliable and should problems occur, easy to maintain - after-all, a trip to the local DIY outlet for a replacement dimmer is within the capabilities of most householders. This popularity however, must be balanced with its shortcomings when faced with today's custom install market.

Many homes, especially those at the top-end of the property market, have complex lighting installations - often with several circuits in a room - a situation which highlights the shortcomings of the simple approach. Manual control with a single dimmer is impractical - a far more satisfying solution is whole-room control, although for most solutions, the system architecture will be completely different and require a total custom approach. When a room or space has several lighting circuits, each requiring a dimming facility, practical problems quickly emerge. The best solution for this scenario is the installation of a control system that offers a 'scene setting' facility.

Single room lighting

Complete lighting control for a single room with scene setting allows the user to select a pre-set lighting 'scene' from an interface - normally a wall plate or remote control handset - and set a suitable atmosphere or mood via the chosen light level. The control plate will also have a raise/lower level option for each scene, and on/off control. Typical single-room applications will be main living areas, master bedroom, kitchen and home cinema room - each with its own individual control requirements. A living area will, for example, have table lamps or free-standing uplighters which must be incorporated into the system. In this case, dedicated 5A lighting sockets are installed to incorporate the luminaires into the dimming scheme and to avoid accidental plugging in of other appliances.

Scene setting with raised lighting level

Watching movies in a brightly lit room is no fun, so lighting control is an essential element in any home cinema room. The dimmed lights are all part of the experience, but unlike a real cinema, where lights are down completely during a film, it may be desirable to have the system provide at least a small percentage of light. Integrating the lighting with the AV system is another method of enriching the experience.

Scene setting with lowered lighting level

Whole home lighting

The next step from single room control is 'whole home' control from a master control panel. In general, all devices in the system, i.e. lights and wall plates, are controlled from a central processor which carries out pre-programmed commands. At present, this type of system is very much the preserve of the top end of the residential market where budget is not an issue. But if lighting control is to broaden its appeal, then developing solutions that can meet the needs of a larger slice of the residential marketplace is essential.

Until now, a major factor inhibiting the growth of sophisticated lighting control in the residential UK sector has been the product itself. The lion's share of the market has always been in the commercial sector, and scant attention, if any at all, has been paid to developing systems suitable either for the needs of the consumer or those of the custom installer or electrical contractor.

The needs of the user

The chief concerns of consumers looking to invest in home lighting control are product performance and reliability. Effective, scene-setting lighting control using a simple, push-button plate or handy infra-red remote control device is essential. Some homeowners also demand the capability of integrating lighting control within a more extensive home automation system so that it can be accessed, activated or adjusted along with other equipment via a remote touchscreen panel.

Aesthetics are also important for the end-user. Where the user plate is fixed to the wall, they want something that looks smart, stylish and well designed - something that can blend with their home interior, not simply the multi-button equivalent of your basic, plastic light switch. The dimmer at the heart of the system must be compact enough that it can be easily hidden away out of sight and out of mind - in a utility room, beside the consumer unit in the understairs cupboard or in the garage. Then there is the installation. As far as installation is concerned, the ease and speed of specification, purchase and the actual install are critical issues if sophisticated lighting control systems are to succeed in this sector.

Easy installs

An out-of-the-box lighting control system with remote control

Some of the latest home lighting control products do provide a cost-effective, out-of-the-box, packaged solution. These systems are simple to install, easy to operate and versatile in application. The four-circuit dimmers on these new systems are small enough to fit any convenient closeted location, and all wiring is twin and earth - no twisted pair, SELV (Safety Extra Low Voltage) or other special cabling is required - making things a much easier and less disruptive for contractor and homeowner alike. And the user plates are equally discreet, designed for a standard, single-gang flush box as opposed to the multiple gang boxes common in the more old-fashioned home lighting control systems.

The easy installation philosophy also extends to the set up and programming of these newer systems once they are installed. Typically, they come supplied with a series of pre-programmed scenes that cover most standard end-user requirements, and can be easily adjusted on site to suit specific homeowner needs, if desired. They are also incredibly flexible - ideal for single room control, and easily extendable for multi-room or whole-house operation. They can, of course, integrate easily with whole-house automation systems as well.

The home automation sector is growing steadily, and especially where lighting control is concerned, there is a real opportunity for custom installers, with products that now win on all counts: performance, ease of installation and aesthetics.

Alan Jackson is Managing Director of Helvar Merca Ltd. Helvar is a leading UK lighting control manufacturer and offers the DALI range of compatible digital control equipment. Part of the Helvar Merca Group, Helvar Merca Ltd, is a developer and manufacturer of lighting control.

www.helvar.co.uk