GUIDANCE | LG14 LIGHTING CONTROLS Control explosion No longer an optional extra, control systems have become an integral component of lighting schemes. Jill Entwistle talks to Sophie Parry about the Society of Light and Lightings updated guide to an increasingly important field I t isnt that long ago that control systems for architectural lighting were regarded as a bolt-on, rather than an integral part of a lighting design. From a budgetary point of view, they could be easily lopped off as an unnecessary extravagance. They were regarded as somehow arcane and complicated. Anecdotal evidence suggested that, where they were installed, they might be left on a default setting or manually overridden, because no one really understood how to operate them. Lighting Guide 14: Control of electric lighting, rst published in 2016, was an indication that things had changed. A decade ago, it was quite common for lighting controls to be seen as an optional extra to schemes, and they would often be value engineered out of a project, says Sophie Parry, author of the rst LG14 and the new update. The aim of LG14 was to demystify, as far as possible, the subject of lighting controls, and allow informed and objective decision-making for the application of controls to lighting projects. In the eight years since LG14 was conceived, the industry has evolved to the extent that automatic lighting controls are now an essential and integral part of the majority of lighting designs. The key reason is the versatility of LED light and its easier controllability. As a result, there has been a sharpening of purpose and a notable rise in the use of lighting controls in applications such as energy reduction, wellness, and exterior lighting. See panel, Why lighting control is becoming critical. Lighting Guide 14: Control of electric lighting certain aspects of lighting control performance on projects where the specication author is not entirely clear what the terminology means, says Parry. There is, therefore, information on less-than-obvious terminology and its application. Chapter three focuses on how to design and manage clients expectations. The best approach is to design the lighting and specify the luminaires to be used, then determine, with the client, how the lighting should be controlled to suit requirements, says Parry. These will include meeting legislative or performancerelated energy saving stipulations, in addition to the clients needs. Once performance criteria are established, the correct lighting controls can be selected. Its also a good idea, at this stage, to revisit the luminaire schedule, to ensure that the luminaires contain or can be supplied with compatible control gear, to ensure correct operation with the lighting control system, says Parry. The fourth chapter focuses on the human factor and the impact lighting has on the people using the spaces. This includes examining typical spaces where different modes of lighting control are known to be most effective. Considerations should include whether absence or presence detection is necessary, for instance or if a risk assessment shows that automatic lighting controls that suddenly switch the lights off unexpectedly could be a health and safety risk. Whats new in LG14 The rst chapter is an overview of advances in lighting control technology and applications since the rst edition was launched in 2016, while the following chapter looks at the signicant updates in terminology and acronyms used. I have noticed that specications often ask for Integrative (or human-centred) lighting, showing how colour temperature mimics natural daylight 34 December 2023 www.cibsejournal.com CIBSE Dec 23 pp34-35 LG14 lighting control Supp.indd 34 24/11/2023 13:03