The limitations of traditional lighting control systems have been the root cause of many of our design and project challenges for years. These systems were connected to a central control unit via a wired protocol (e.g. KNX or Dali based control systems). This structure required specialists to work in synchronization at each stage of the project, and it was imperative that each process proceeded in perfect harmony. Although we achieved many great results, looking back, the soft underbelly of a lighting design project is often the lighting control commissioning and fine-tuning processes that require superhuman dedication. However, our recent experience shows that it is possible to overcome this complexity, especially with wireless technologies.
In fact, the topic has a short history: Our research took an exciting turn with the development of Bluetooth mesh technologies, especially from 2017 onwards. At that time, we examined the mesh systems of some chip and LED package manufacturers from various angles, but we did not achieve the success we wanted. For the first time in 2018, again in cooperation with ams OSRAM and Avolux Lighting, we contributed to the development of Avolux TONE, a direct-indirect pendant design that can be controlled with Tridonic Bluetooth sets for Mustafa Toner, and we also witnessed the implementation of this design. However, afterwards, we did not make much progress in integrating wireless control systems into our projects due to the software, interface and the characteristics of the projects we worked on.
Our recent experience with the Nackiye project, whose interior architecture was designed by Autoban, provided the perfect opportunity for us to adopt a new approach to lighting control. The lighting system used in the project consisted of track and rail spotlights, which offered physical flexibility. However, it was not possible to easily adjust the lighting levels for different events in the space (e.g. photo shoots, presentations or receptions). Recently Burak CIKIRIK introduced the @Hubsense solution created by Inventronics with Silvair. This system offered the flexibility and user-friendly ease of management we needed.
We informed our customer about the development work to be done and received their consent. To realize the project, the existing track spot drivers were replaced with Hubsense DALI drivers by AVOLUX. In addition, replacing the chips with alternatives that increase the CRI value has improved the quality of the lighting in the space. The commissioning process went much faster and smoother than expected; the space was introduced to the software, grouping and level settings were completed quickly and the client learned to use the software easily.
This project has shown us that wireless lighting control technologies can quickly replace traditional wired systems. Now we only need 220V power for commissioning and the luminaires need to be able to communicate with each other. Control and management via the software installed on the cell phone brought great flexibility to the project. The software saves the project on the main server and transfers the data to the luminaires via the cell phone’s @Bluetooth.
Of course, there are preconceptions that wireless technologies can be risky. However, considering the project design, installation process and costs of wired systems, the cost advantage and speed provided by wireless systems show that these risks should be re-evaluated. This experience allowed us to take an innovative step in the field of lighting control. The flexibility and reliability of his solution proved that this technology has great potential to become more widespread in the future.
At Planlux, we believe that this system will be much more preferred in future projects and we are now planning to include more wireless lighting control in our projects. This approach will also enable users to more easily manage the lighting systems they have invested in and will pave the way for the full utilization of new generation lighting technologies. We will continue to share our experiences in this regard as case studies.
