Delmatic lighting management system delivers energy efficiency and flexibility to The Blade

(10/02/2010)

The Blade, a new office development in Reading, Berkshire, so-called because of its distinctive spire that dominates the upper portions of the design, provides 15 storeys of office space, as well as a nine-floor residential block of 32 apartments and a two-level riverside restaurant. It was designed by Sheppard Robson Architects for PMB Holdings and Aviva Investors. The lighting was designed by consulting engineers Ramboll UK and installed by N G Bailey.

A Delmatic lighting management system is delivering both energy efficiency and a high level of flexibility to The Blade. The Delmatic system has helped the building to achieve a ‘Very Good’ BREEAM rating and offers incoming tenants the freedom to modify the system to suit their needs.

Using Delmatic’s Metro One Ten 10-port plug-in modules with DSI dimming, Metro Routers, Metro Presence Detectors and Multisensors, along with head end software and active graphics, the system provides fully-flexible addressable dimming control of lighting within the office areas.

Ceiling-mounted passive infra-red presence detectors energise lighting when motion is sensed and switch lighting off after a software adjustable time-out period. The sensors plug into device input ports at the ceiling mounted lighting control modules and are configured through software to control the relevant luminaires.

Each floor is equipped with a router which optimises transmission of data around the network as well as between the lighting control modules and the head-end PC. The router incorporates an LCD panel which enables lighting to be tested, global commands (all on, all off, dimming levels etc) to be broadcast as well as emergency lighting tests to be initiated.

In addition, the system incorporates a corridor-hold feature, ensuring that notional corridors remain lit when associated office areas are in use.

Crucially, the individual addressing of each luminaire provides tenants with a fully expandable and customisable system, making it easy to reconfigure the lighting through the graphical head-end software. Tenants can also enhance the system within their area to include telephone or web-browser control, scene-setting dimming for meeting rooms etc.

As well as its configuration capabilities, the head-end software displays the active status of lighting as well as providing information on luminaire run times. All changes to system configuration are made through the software including the time-out periods of sensors.

Related categories:  Energy efficiency   Lighting control system   Office and commercial