Lighting energy and building controls

An energy proposal needs more than a headline saving. The reference system, required lighting task and operating conditions should be clear enough for the project team to compare and later review.

Define a baseline

Record existing luminaires, system power, operating hours and areas served. State whether the comparison is a product replacement, a revised layout or a building-wide project. Include the required lighting outcome so different service levels are not treated as equivalent.

Ask how estimates account for occupancy, daylight, settings and seasonal changes. Keep assumptions separate from measured records. Savings, maintenance costs and payback depend on this agreed basis; do not carry a generic percentage into a tender.

Control behaviour

Describe manual adjustment, presence response and daylight-related adjustment separately. Set out control zones, user override, starting settings and behaviour after a power interruption. Review these in the proposed space.

For local products, use the floor-lamp controls checklist. Local sensing should not be assumed to provide building-management integration.

System integration

Identify the offered controls and the wider system they must communicate with. Ask the supplier and controls contractor to confirm protocols, gateways, commissioning tools and support for the exact configuration. Resolve ownership of settings and fault investigation before approval.

Keep lighting requirements separate from health or productivity claims. Those claims need their own evidence and are not established by an energy estimate.

Commission and hand over

Agree a commissioning record covering zones, sensor positions, schedules, overrides and sample settings. Give facilities staff operating instructions, change procedures and a support contact. Decide which energy records will be retained for comparison.

Review the installation when room use changes. Prepare drawings and the operating brief before requesting a project discussion.