The long way is worth it
Today, lighting control systems communicate and work side-by-side with building systems. For example, a lighting and HVAC system may use the same occupancy sensors in various spaces to reduce the overall number of devices; the lighting, A/V and and automated window shades in a conference room may use the same touchscreen interface. By default, many lighting control systems possess the ability to be networked with other systems. With today’s connected LED lighting loads being much smaller, integrating lighting with other systems offers tremendous opportunities to not only save energy but also enhance the functionality and occupant experience.
Ensuring all systems work together to satisfy the owner and users is called integration. Integration may be local (device-to-device), multisystem and/or across the enterprise. Examples of local integration include luminaire-level lighting controls and occupancy sensor controlled relays for variable air-volume control. Examples of multisystem integration include networked occupancy sensors for controlling lighting and HVAC or enabling the control system to be overridden by a security, fire alarm or other emergency signals. An example of building level integration is multiple systems working together within a building automation system (BAS), potentially with monitoring, IoT and software.
Regardless of the application’s type or scale, effective integration ensures a wellcoordinated solution. It is essential for BAS projects and often required for lighting projects with open protocols. As system integration becomes more common in commercial buildings, designers need to be able to identify the integration process, team stakeholders and specific needs as early as possible. They need to know how to communicate requirements to team members, specify integration and adhere to best practices.
For particularly complex projects, a specialist role—that of an integrator—may be required to provide the desired integration and guidance across many systems. Generally, integrators may be manufacturer technicians, lighting control systems integrators or multisystem integration (MSI) consultants. If required, the role of the integrator should be written into the specifications.
Lighting integrators are often important in projects where different control manufacturers are mixed and matched into a total system solution, such as one using an open protocol. MSI consultants, often third-party subcontractors who may work under the electrical contractor, may also be able to do lighting integration, which is valuable on larger BAS projects. For example, the MSI consultant might install low-voltage components; review submittals; review changes with and provide other support to the electrical contractor; potentially communicate with specifiers; coordinate site visits; conduct functional testing and/or train the owner.
The construction process begins with the design team producing detailed Owner’s Project Requirements (OPR). The designer should seek to define functional expectations (including monitoring and IoT applications), performance criteria, sustainability objectives, cost considerations and maintenance expectations. The designer should also identify the systems involved as well as how they might need to integrate and the points of interaction. Will any lighting control devices provide triggers to other systems? Will the lighting control devices need to directly control other devices? Will the devices accept signals from other systems?
Moving into the design phase of the project, the designer will produce a control narrative, which expresses the design intent and serves as a roadmap for the entire project team. It might include code requirements, building rating system objectives, user needs and expectations, training and descriptions of required interactions with a BAS. This should include one or more protocols, a vital part of integration as it defines how devices communicate, which necessitates different systems sharing the same protocol (such as BACnet) or bridging the two via some type of functionality. The wheels of the control narrative then meet the road with the paired document sequence of operations (SOO), which details what each control point in the system will do in response to various inputs.
These design documents are important in any project involving lighting control systems, but they become vital in projects requiring high-level integration. Similarly, coordination with other disciplines becomes critical in BAS projects where systems share devices and zoning. Additionally, the designer should gain a firm understanding of who “owns” the integration—individual party or team—and, in particular, who will specify the BAS, if present. While it’s not the BAS designer’s responsibility to specify everything, they must ensure all disciplines can connect to the BAS.
There are numerous issues we should attempt to avoid in an integration project, such as unclear requirements and expression of design intent; guessed or default system settings that fail to satisfy users; disciplines bidding without allowing for additional integration work; and systems not working as desired to take full advantage of the integration.
A significant question involves where integration belongs in the specifications. In the CSI MasterFormat, lighting controls are covered under Electrical (Division 26), but a BAS may be specified under multiple divisions. If the lighting control system is specified with the BAS design in a division other than 26, identify the new division and number in a location where the electrical contractor will see it and be able to communicate which other system(s) contractor(s) are responsible for that scope.
Like good design documentation, commissioning grows in importance in tandem with the complexity of the project. Commissioning involves a professional who ensures the finished installation satisfies the OPR and SOO, with the electrical contractor and/or integrator conducting functional testing and corrections. Owner staff must then be trained on system use and maintenance, and post-occupancy reviews should be scheduled to address any issues and regularly re-commission the system to ensure it continuously satisfies current owner requirements.
Overall, integration is not necessarily complex, though it is associated with more complex projects. This complexity requires that designers more diligently adhere to best practices, ensure integration is built into the process and given its due, and coordinate closely with other project team members. It’s more work, but it’s worth it. The result can be a building that streamlines hardware, is highly responsive and energy-saving, maximizes convenience for users and generates useful analytics.