Lighting controls in industrial applications
All industrial facilities are different, with different operations and needs. There are also different lighting requirements for the various types of industrial activities in the lighting standard. As such it is difficult to define a generic recommendation for lighting control. However, to get maximum benefit of a control system it needs to be project specific. You must know how the industry works and how different areas are used during working hours.
Lighting control from a human perspective
It is important to establish if there is natural light? During what times, and for how long are staff present in certain areas? Are there areas of greater occupancy? How much activity is there in, say the aisles of the warehouse? If you do not ask these questions, you will not get the best results from the lighting control system.
Due to its varying occupancy level’s industrial applications can particularly benefit from presence detection to avoid unnecessarily lit spaces. One such example is warehouse aisles. With a number of presence sensors over the aisle the light can be turned on or dimmed up from a low level when a forklift enters. After a certain period of time the lighting is dimmed down or turned off. Normally you can keep times relatively short in such aisles.
Presence detection using microwave or PIR
There are two primary presence detection technologies; Microwave and PIR. Microwave sensors are activated by movement, while PIR respond to variations in the ‘heat’ such as a warm body. There are pros and cons of each version.
Microwave sensors can detect movement through thin walls, for instance. If there are multiple rooms within a warehouse this approach ensures presence is detected and the lights are switched on before the person enters the space. In storage isles passing forklifts may trigger the lighting using PIR but with Microwave sensors it is possible to adjust the sensitivity and narrow the detection area. The main drawback of this system is their reaction to movement. The vibration from heating or ventilation systems, for example, can result in the lights being on continuously. Using a PIR in this installation would avoid this issue.
e-Sense Move
Highbay
e-Sense Move Highbay is an innovative control system developed specifically for industrial environments. It is equipped with a dual microwave/ PIR sensor which can be easily configured or reconfigured via a remote control, helping future proof the installation should the layout or use of the space change.
