Harnessing the Power of Networked Controls in the Built Environment

Understanding Networked Lighting Controls (NLCs)

While a standalone occupancy sensor wired to a fixture is lighting control, truly powerful features come from a system where every fixture, sensor and controller across a building, communicate over a shared digital network.

As well as real-time control, Networked Lighting Control systems provide expanded features to report data to a central dashboard, either on-premise or cloud hosted, with optional secure remote support.

A modern networked system can provide both lighting and complete space control (climate, drapery, fans & small power), scaling from single zoned spaces such as a meeting space, classroom, throughout a building or across a campus.

The system can automate changes to brightness and colour across multiple lighting groups to create visually appealing spaces that are tailored to the needs of occupants. Networked sensors and other control devices enable the system to respond intelligently to changing conditions, such as turning off lights in unoccupied spaces to conserve energy or regulating the scenes based on the time of day. This is made possible by utilising open standards to ensure interoperability and compatibility across different devices and systems. Thus, allowing for a more flexible and efficient lighting control solution, especially in commercial settings where energy efficiency and occupant comfort are critical.

Modern NLCs harnesses the power of connectivity to create value beyond illumination. It can collect and share data, adapt intuitively to the evolving needs of users, reduce energy usage, and work together with a range of third-party system including building management, HVAC and alarms.

The intelligent control system at work

Networked lighting control systems offer several advantages over traditional lighting controls, and the use cases are many. For example, NLCs can offer:

• flexibility to distinct areas whilst creating a consistent aesthetic throughout an Office building.
• Integration with Hotel systems such as PMS, guestroom management, HVAC, AV, and drapery. 
• Providing a long-lasting, reliable, and flexible system, where any future upgrades or maintenance could be conducted at minimal cost and without disruption to operations in a Datacentre. 
• Or even bringing sustainability to the operations of a Warehouse to conserve energy without compromising the operations and lighting in any space that has paramount importance.

The use cases make NLCs a solution for any kind of application bringing a range of benefits.

The intelligent control system at work

Networked lighting control systems offer several advantages over traditional lighting controls, and the use cases are many. For example, NLCs can offer:

• flexibility to distinct areas whilst creating a consistent aesthetic throughout an Office building.
• Integration with Hotel systems such as PMS, guestroom management, HVAC, AV, and drapery. 
• Providing a long-lasting, reliable, and flexible system, where any future upgrades or maintenance could be conducted at minimal cost and without disruption to operations in a Datacentre. 
• Or even bringing sustainability to the operations of a Warehouse to conserve energy without compromising the operations and lighting in any space that has paramount importance.

The use cases make NLCs a solution for any kind of application bringing a range of benefits.

Protocol Challenges

Lighting control protocols are essential for enabling the correct communication between various lighting devices, systems, and software. These protocols ensure compatibility, efficiency, and flexibility in lighting systems across all lighting applications.

Whilst DALI was the original two-way communication protocol to be deployed in NLCs, and the new DALI-2 additions, improve the interoperability with multi-vendor devices, it faces fierce competition from the growing number of Wireless protocols that can also be used (ZigBee, Bluetooth, WiFi, Matter etc).

Each one of these can deliver networks to varying levels of functionality, speed and accuracy, sometimes sacrificing one for the other.  This presents the designer with an added layer of complexity and decision making, having to dig deeper into the LED drivers and devices to ensure compatibility and consistency across the entire project.

Given all the above, further decisions are then required by the designer on whether to pursue a wired or wireless architecture for the NLCs.

Enter Dynalite

Signify Dynalite offers a platform where thousands of luminaires, drivers, sensors, and switches work seamlessly together. Standardised hardware and firmware ensure full interoperability, giving designers, specifiers, installers, and end-users complete freedom to design projects without limitations - whether wireless, DALI, Zigbee or hybrid.

The heart of the Dynalite network architecture is the DyNet protocol. Based on the RS-485 open industry standard, DyNet simultaneously allows for flexible installations while delivering powerful NLC functionality.

Dynet abstracts the individual limitations of individual protocols, allowing you freedom to mix and match fixtures from different manufacturers, protocols and connectivity types in to a single unified system, with behaviours such as dimming of individual or groups of fixtures synchronised across protocols, delivering a seamless result to the end-user.

Every Dynalite device includes at least one DyNet port, enabling direct communication between devices. This eliminates the need for hidden third-party network accessories like mandatory network power supplies or centralised processors that rely on Ethernet or cloud connections for core functionality. Within every Dynalite network device is a logic engine, empowering the devices to run multiple network instructions from a single trigger or multiple conditional inputs.

DyNet uses a distributed intelligence architecture for immense scalability, enabling all devices to directly communicate with each other, removing any risk of broad failures greater than a single device. A network message from any device can be used to initiate changes across an entire project, potentially addressing up to 16.5 million devices. This makes the DyNet protocol one of the most efficient in the lighting control market, equipped to handle projects of any application or size.

Dynalite systems are trusted in hospitals, hotels, offices, shopping centres, airports, and stadiums across the world. From a stock exchange in Shanghai, to a luxury resort in Dubai, a supermarket in the UK to a shopping mall in Sweden, a smart home in São Paulo to limestone caves in New Zealand, Signify Dynalite’s innovative solutions deliver reliable, intelligent light.

Why should lighting designers choose Dynalite

‘Design’ can mean different things at different times and in different contexts. In the case of lighting, it could be about improving the quality of a space, changing its use, or using light to make a new space comfortable, inviting and sustainable, while still supporting its function.

In the UK today, lighting design is shaped by a mix of regulation, sustainability goals, human factors, and technological change. Guidance such as the latest Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) Lighting Guide LG23 highlights that designers must balance creativity, compliance, and responsibility. Also, lighting designers today are expected to minimise energy use and embodied carbon, reduce waste, and promote reuse and recycling, all while considering whole life carbon impacts.

As a lighting designer or specifier, you understand the importance of flexible, reliable and user-friendly lighting control systems. To offer real benefit to any designer, NLCs need to transform lighting from a static utility into a dynamic, data-driven systems, giving designers creative freedom while delivering efficiency, adaptability, and on consideration, including daylight, sustainability, circularity, safety and security, wellbeing, dark skies, ecology, CDM, maintenance etc.  The list goes on…….

In conclusion

Networked Lighting Control systems offer several benefits over traditional lighting controls. Lighting designers play a crucial role in the implementation of NLCs, as they can provide customised solutions that meet the unique requirements of each building. As technology continues to advance and sustainability requirements continue to increase, lighting designs will get more complex and innovative lighting solutions will be part of the solutions to provide enhanced benefits to commercial and residential buildings.