CHANGING THE LED NARRATIVE

Bluetooth-based controls technology is making the wireless networking of luminaires without any additional wiring or the need for structural or building changes a reality. It is also bringing a whole range of intuitive additional end user functionality to the LED conversation, which can only be a good thing, argues Martin Thompson

By Martin Thompson

The narrative of ‘why switch to LED?’ is well-trodden by this point. The arguments, and business case, for switching to modern LED lighting have been all but won: financial savings, increased energy efficiency, lower maintenance and improved functionality. Whether we’re talking workplace, industrial, healthcare or schools lighting, the demands you hear time and again are for schemes that are: ‘contemporary’, ‘practical’, ‘durable’, ‘sustainable’, ‘cost-effective’, ‘simple’, ‘quick’. Again and again, LED can hit the mark.

But it is not just LED that is important within this narrative, it is the role, scope and potential of lighting control. The integration of intelligent lighting control, alongside LED, enables power consumption to be reduced, allows for flexible room-use, intuitive control, simple and efficient light management (for example through the use of presence sensors) and automated dimming over the course of the day or a timer.

However, going down this route may mean a considerable amount of work for the installer and complicated commissioning. This is where Bluetooth-enabled lighting controls can come into play as a way to modernise both lighting and control system without the need for major (and expensive) structural work.

At Tridonic, for example, we have basicDIM Wireless, a Casambi-ready technology that can control luminaires via the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) network without the need for an additional gateway. The system brings together components such as LED drivers, communication modules, sensors and an app to form a secure wireless mesh network which communicates via BLE, with up to 250 devices easily controllable in a single system. It can be used for modernising an existing lighting system as well as for installing a new one.

So, how does such Bluetooth-enabled wireless light management actually work? And what sets it apart?

BLUETOOTH WIRELESS MODULE Using basicDIM Wireless as a basis for the discussion, the core of wireless light management is the use of a Bluetooth wireless module. This is installed directly in the luminaire – either as a separate unit or integrated in the LED driver. By installing it in the luminaire in this way, the module is therefore powered directly and does not require an additional connection. The luminaire can then be controlled by the wireless module via Bluetooth.

The Bluetooth system can be set up in a very short time and requires no complicated programming or new cabling to be laid – in other words quick installation and reduced disruption and/or costs.

Importantly, retro-fitting the technology into the luminaire is also a simple matter. The lighting can be switched on and off via an app or a remote control, or wireless switches can be placed anywhere in the room and linked back to the wireless system.

This means you can use a Bluetooth solution as an easy way to set up personalised and demand-led lighting – again with minimal time, effort or structural changes.

What next? With basicDIM Wireless, we make available a free app for quick and simple commissioning, programming and control. The iOS app can be installed and used on a tablet, smartphone or even an Apple Watch.

The system can be easily set up, configured and adapted via BT’s ‘4remote’ app. The desired settings can be input wirelessly and there are no complicated processes for making the system operational. Localising, naming and grouping the luminaires and setting up lighting scenes are equally intuitive.

Because it is all Bluetooth, there is no need for an internet connection. Once in operation, the system can be scaled up and reconfigured through the app without the need for any additional tools.

CONTROL FOR END USERS The app can also be used by end users for controlling the lighting. In addition to simple on/off switching, end users can dim the luminaires, change settings and select specific lighting scenarios. Users simply choose a photo of the room showing the luminaires in the app and then control the lighting by clicking on the photo or a specific luminaire.

What, then, about security? Access to the system via the app is password-protected and communication is encrypted. Individual luminaires, or even the entire network, can be released for certain users. Without release and without access data, users will not be able to control the luminaires even if they possess the app. This allows the system to be protected against unauthorised access. Changes to the configuration of the luminaires can also only be made by authorised users.

Turning to sensors, the system uses a combination of sensors to reduce energy consumption and adjust the lighting, with the sensors again using Bluetooth to communicate with the wireless module. If a person is detected in the vicinity, the lights can be switched on or the illuminance level increased. If on the other hand no presence is detected, the light can adjust accordingly, switching off or dimming down.

Ambient light-dependent control is also possible through the sensors, with lighting levels being changed depending on the amount of available daylight. Tuneable white integration enables automatic or individual changes to be made to the colour temperature over the course of the day.

There is a system-internal calendar that can be used to control the lighting at user-defined intervals. At night, for example, it will not operate at full output. On top of this it is possible to set how long the light will continue at high illuminance following presence detection and when it will be dimmed down again. This, again, all helps to save energy and therefore costs.

Each luminaire in the room can be controlled individually via an integrated Bluetooth module, allowing for maximum flexibility for light management. In this scenario, as each luminaire is equipped with a wireless module, the client will need to recognise that higher costs can be expected.

Another option is for several luminaires to be combined into groups and then controlled centrally via the wireless radio module. For this purpose, they are interconnected via DALI lines to form a unit and then linked to a Bluetooth module. As this grouping does not require each luminaire to be equipped with its own wireless module, it can be more cost-effective.

Potential downsides are that it does mean a little more effort for installers since the grouped luminaires have to be connected via DALI lines. And, overall, the control options are more restricted in this solution because the luminaires can no longer be individually switched, only within the predefined groups.

IMPROVING VISUAL PERFORMANCE However, grouping of luminaires can make day-to-day work easier and improve visual performance in different situations. In offices and schools, for instance, it means all

the luminaires above a table or island can be combined into a single unit.

Equally, rows of tables or workstations near windows can be controlled separately from those along internal walls depending on the amount of daylight falling on them. In classrooms, a different light circuit can be provided for the luminaires near the whiteboard from the one for the students’ desks. This means the light near the whiteboard can be dimmed to improve its visibility while the students have full brightness over their desks for reading, writing notes or using their laptops.

Within the workplace, rooms with multi-functional use will often benefit from retrievable lighting scenes, pre-set for varying activities. For example, you might want different lighting scenarios for presentations, team meetings, or conferences. Or, take another scenario – physiotherapy practices. Here this sort of intuitive Bluetooth functionality could enable different lighting scenes to be made available for different treatments, such as relaxing massage through to more active exercises.

In an industrial environment, walkways in underground garages or warehouses can be illuminated under control from presence sensors. The light is switched on fully only when it is needed; at other times it is

p A traditional school classroom. Using Bluetooth lighting controls means a different light circuit can be provided for the luminaires near a whiteboard, for example, versus those illuminating the desks

dimmed to save energy and costs. In combination with a timer function, it is possible to set the length of time the light will be at full brightness after presence detection, after which it will be dimmed down again.

CONCLUSION Whether we’re talking retrofitting or new build, open-plan offices, schools, law firms, medical practices or underground garages, the embrace of Bluetooth controls functionality – in our case the basicDIM Wireless system – enables installers to fit a lighting system that offers both individual control and can be done without major structural changes.

Martin Thompson is technical services manager at Tridonic (UK)

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