Which Type of Lighting Control System Should You Choose?

Lighting control systems have many benefits like convenience, reduced energy consumption, energy cost savings and safety, but how do you choose the right system to achieve your goals? A lighting control system can include everything from basic switches and occupancy sensors to fixture-embedded sensors and asset tracking. Check out the chart below to help you determine which system is right for you.

Comparing Lighting Control System Pros and Cons

BASIC LIGHTING CONTROLS

The most basic lighting control systems consist of standalone controls like toggle wall switches, dimmers, timers and occupancy sensors. These systems are perfect for homes and small offices where you simply want an inexpensive, simple solution for turning lights on and off.

Pros: Simple to use, easy to install and inexpensive compared to more advanced systems.

Cons: Limited functionality, require manual operation and less energy efficient.

Best Basic Lighting Control Options: Check out Lutron dimmers and occupancy sensors or Wattstopper time switches.

WIRELESS LIGHTING CONTROLS

If you want wireless, app-based control and the ability to group fixtures together, a Bluetooth-enabled lighting control system is a better option. With a Bluetooth lighting control system, you can download a free app on your cellphone and pair fixtures to the app.

On the app, you can group fixtures together, so you can control several lights at a time rather than individually. Whether it’s an office space or a classroom, you can set the room up to best meet your needs. For example, in a classroom with a screen or projector in front, you could set the lights at the front of the classroom to be dimmer and rest of the lights to be brighter. You can also set up basic scheduling functions, so lights will turn on and off or dim at certain times of the day for more efficient energy usage.

Pros: Wireless, app-based control, easy to pair, fixture grouping and basic scheduling.

Cons: Limited scheduling functions and limited scalability.

Best Options for Wireless Lighting Controls: Learn more about Keystone’s SmartLoop lighting control system, the Lutron Caseta or Cooper Lighting’s WaveLinx LITE.

NETWORKED LIGHTING CONTROLS

The most advanced option is a networked lighting control system, which allows you to have more control, be more efficient and monitor usage across a facility. These systems allow you to schedule efficiently, track your assets and calculating energy savings over time. Everything is controlled on your system network or in the cloud, so you can monitor and control an entire building or campus full of buildings from a computer or mobile device.

With fixture-embedded sensors and detailed scheduling based on organizational timeclocks and astronomical clocks, the system can automatically adjust light output based on the amount of ambient light, the time of year and time of day, resulting in more efficient energy usage and cost savings. A networked system also gives you more access to data you can use to create energy efficient spaces

You can even place Bluetooth tags on assets you want to track in real time. You could use it to quickly locate a cart full of emergency supplies in a hospital, track employee name badges or discover where production bottlenecks are occurring through heat map tracking. A networked lighting control system is perfect for large facilities like hospitals, manufacturing plants, office headquarters and school buildings.

Pros: Energy efficiency, scalability, cost savings and asset tracking.

Cons: More up-front cost and complexity.

Bests Options for Networked Lighting Controls: Cooper Wavelinx , Current’s NX Lighting Controls Site Manager and Lutron Vive can control anything from a single room to an entire building or campus.

DIVE DEEPER INTO LIGHTING CONTROL SYSTEMS

Which type of lighting control system will work best for you? Is there a particular lighting control system you want to learn more about? Ask to speak with a Van Meter lighting specialist to discover which lighting control system will work best in your facility.