In this blog we discuss net zero and how lighting controls can help to achieve a sustainable building. Some developers already have claimed to have achieved net zero and as admirable as this is, can a building truly be net zero when there is carbon created in the manufacture of the materials used as well as the construction process.
Personally, I have my doubts and it may be that it’s a process of offsetting and smart sourcing that might achieve this value. However, in reality a low carbon building is the most likely outcome rather than net zero. Let’s be honest — no building can be truly net zero to construct, however it can be net zero to operate.
What do I mean by that? In simple terms, we consume the minimum of energy and, where possible, generate energy to supplement that demand.
“CO2 is the exhaling breath of our civilisation, literally… Changing that pattern requires a scope, a scale, a speed of change that is beyond what we have done in the past.”
— Al Gore
Photovoltaics or wind can be used to generate energy and in turn we store that energy to use later to power lighting and other electrical systems within a building. In practical senses this will be the approach we will have to take to truly optimise energy supply and to store energy generated outside of peak demand.
It would also help support a charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. Sadly, we are probably some way off from achieving this!
In this blog I’m focusing on lighting alone as this is my area of expertise, however the principles are the same for each building discipline: less is more, and if you can generate your own green power then you’re on to a winner.
All sounds very straightforward. However, it’s not. We have the reality of the world we live in where projects are based on budgets that don’t include renewables and where energy saving solutions are often removed in favour of quick savings on lighting and controls.
We currently don’t mandate the use of photovoltaic panels, smart glazing, etc. so we have very little locally sourced energy. We don’t have on-site storage of energy — no Tesla walls or similar — and we still design systems that are based on platforms that haven’t evolved in decades.
On a positive note, we know there is a need for change and that change is desired by the majority, so we will see in the future buildings that can generate their own power and we will see schemes that use ground or air source heat pumps, so the future is looking green.
The big question is how we address the current building stock and how we transition from basic to better and ultimately to best.
Focusing on lighting we have several options and with initiatives such as TM66 we are looking at the circularity of lighting and through clever design and the extension of a luminaire’s useful life we are optimising lighting.
I’m still in two minds over embodied carbon as without verification we cannot validate claims and ultimately isn’t whole life carbon more important.
Recycle / Repurpose
Several companies are now actively looking to repurpose luminaires to give them a second life and upgrading lighting within the existing building stock will significantly reduce our carbon footprint. Overall, the installed lighting load can shrink to a fraction of what it would have been with other lamp technologies when using good quality LEDs and the appropriate optics.
Don’t forget to revisit the scheme design — and don’t forget the emergency lighting!
This is a real positive step. However, a recent post on LinkedIn by Phil Cutting at Commercial Lighting Systems Ltd highlighted the challenge of refurbished luminaires competing with new luminaires. The client selected the new luminaire over the refurbished luminaire. Now there may have been many reasons why they selected the new over the refurbished, and those reasons ultimately weren’t based on sustainability.
We cannot insist that refurbished luminaires are used in projects and in some instances the design of that luminaire may no longer be appropriate, so we need to re-evaluate and repurpose. The question is: who does this and on what basis do they make their decisions?
Education is key. In larger organisations with strong environmental policies you would be able to evaluate different options and select the most appropriate. However, a school, college or university may have less focus on the repurposing of technology. Indeed, this might be outsourced, and the company tasked may not fully appreciate the benefits of circularity or even be aware this is an option.
We know that upgrading lighting has a significant impact on carbon, although one could argue this is not enough in isolation.
Measure, Manage, Improve
Whatever approach we take to achieve net zero — or sustainability generally — we need to manage and measure. Data is key and as a tool for sustainability it provides a snapshot of where we are and where we should be.
Benchmarking is key if we are to measure benefit, and this is something we often overlook. Claims can be made outlining significant benefits on energy saved and carbon reduced, but how do we validate these claims?
Technology is the key. It doesn’t necessarily have to be complex — it needs to be efficient and consistent.
Being able to record energy usage in lighting as well as the daylight contribution tells you a great deal about how a space is used. Software that analyses space utilisation can help building owners to re-evaluate the use of their spaces and may help them reduce their overall building footprint.
Data can be used to optimise the lighting so we achieve constant illuminance, as well as improve the lit environment for the occupants through colour control, daylight management, etc.
Environmental sensing built into smart lighting solutions such as the zencontrol wired and wireless solutions now provide data on air quality, temperature, humidity and even pressure.
These are tools that help to fine tune and optimise lighting, and remove waste and bad management. Quantifying this is not straightforward as often the lighting controls specification is fairly loose as the final operation of the building is unknown or not quantified at the design stage. Obviously, this is totally different if the client is involved from the outset.
Smart intelligent lighting can map usage and look at trends and, with intelligence, start to reflect real world usage. With initiatives such as soft landings, continuous commissioning becomes a reality.
Control Is a Prerequisite for Sustainability
If we are to achieve net zero soon, then control is a prerequisite for sustainability — and that control must in itself be sustainable.
We see a market evolving where wired and wireless solutions can and will coexist, and where wireless controls will hugely impact the existing building stock by providing a perceived simple fix to add control.
The selection of control will differ from project to project. However, we need a process to evaluate the control offers and understand that in some instances a one-to-many wireless device, for example, is better than a one-to-one.
A good example of a one-to-many wireless solution would be a row of suspended luminaires, where you have 8–10 luminaires in a row. We may only need one wireless access point and could wire the luminaires internally so we can address and zone them but limit our wireless element to a single device.
The benefits are a simplified control solution and a reduction in hardware — and possibly parasitic losses.
Don’t forget wireless devices may continually poll for an input command so will consume energy even when they are off. This is very dependent on the technology platform with well designed devices consuming only a few microamps. Less efficient systems may consume more. There is also a big difference between transmit, receive and sleep mode. It’s worth asking the question when looking at a wireless solution.
A single wireless node to a wired DALI-2 subnet might be more efficient both environmentally and commercially as manufacturing may be simplified. There may also be financial benefits in the cost of the hardware.
The approach taken by the DALI Alliance with DALI+ addresses this issue with the development of sensors working on IEC 62386 Part 104 Thread where a sensor in a room can support a 35mA DALI power supply so local luminaires can be connected to operate in both a standalone or connected manner.
DALI+ will also be integrated into drivers and if the cost and environmental impact is minimal then it would make sense to adopt this approach. We as a group also provide a plug-in Part 104 Thread wireless card for our ektor emergency brand so we can seamlessly integrate DALI emergency with DALI controls.
Knowledge of the technology is essential if we are to properly deliver sustainable wired and wireless controls. Practically a combination of wired and wireless will be the norm for many projects and combining DALI-2 with DALI+ ensures compatibility between both.
Open Standards and Long-Term Sustainability
In addition — and this is a personal view — sustainability can only be achieved in lighting controls if we base the hardware on published standards.
The DALI-2 standard has revolutionised lighting controls with all the major driver manufacturers certifying their products as well as the controls industry embracing this standardisation in switches and sensors.
In many cases the adoption of what is known as Part 103 (Switches and Sensors) has been difficult to integrate for companies operating legacy systems built around proprietary protocols.
DALI-2 and IEC 62386 Part 104 (DALI+) are manufacturer independent so you will choose the right product for the right application regardless of the manufacturer or controls system.
Proprietary solutions by their nature are not sustainable as you can only source product from one company. Choice is a requirement for sustainability and having hardware — wired or wireless — that isn’t based on a standard such as IEC 62386 begs the question: what protection do you have?
The launch of DALI+ by the DALI Alliance later this year — a certification program based on IEC 62386 Part 104 Thread — is the only end-to-end wireless DALI solution based on a certified international standard.
The DALI Alliance will also support Bluetooth and Zigbee via gateways. However, it’s worth clarifying that the Bluetooth version proposed is that standardised by Bluetooth SIG. There are different Bluetooth solutions in the market so you will need to review and work out which one provides the necessary long-term support and availability.
With a typical project having a design life of 15 years or more, security of supply is essential. Selection of the technology and the ability to upgrade and repair a system is critical if we are to truly optimise and sustain our current and future building stock.
Innovation drives change and we should never restrict new ideas and design. What we must do, however, is never restrict choice and impact the life of a project.
Selection of the right partner can be an asset that helps achieve your net zero journey and, with a scalable approach, can work for any size of application.
Smart doesn’t mean sophisticated, so choose the solution that is appropriate and one that can evolve with the building.
In a similar vein to discussions at the recent ICEL conference on emergency lighting and competence, we need to work together to achieve real change and set long-term goals that are deliverable. We must maintain the Golden Thread to protect design, manufacture and installation so we have the infrastructure we need to achieve a truly sustainable future.
I have a real desire to achieve change and work with companies to deliver amazing sustainable solutions. However, I am concerned that we are missing some wonderful opportunities.
We need to fast track change that will have an impact immediately and deliver a long service life and true interoperability.
I do love a standard and for me this makes sense at a component level. That said, the right software and integration of the technology is essential. Support over the service life of the project helps drive benefit and the desire to integrate a smart lighting grid into a BMS adds granularity and real measurable benefits.
I’m more than happy to share my thoughts on how we achieve this and more than happy to catch up face to face or on Teams to discuss.
We must adapt and drive real change to make a difference.
Also, we need to understand that sustainability applies to all lighting: commercial, industrial, retail, exterior, street lighting as well as emergency lighting.
Author: Stewart Langdown FSLL (Fellow of the Society of Light & Lighting)