"Lighting in buildings is currently going through an extremely interesting phase, driven by active technological research into luminaires and a now relentless evolution towards digital technology. But like everything else affected by the digital revolution, this part of civil engineering is also in danger of evolving so quickly that it will be difficult for the main players involved to take it on board". This is the view of the members of theComponents and Systems for Installations association which, within Anie Federationwhich represents companies in the sector and deals with the impiantialivelli.it, of Smart Building and Smart Home.
Artificial light is not always harmless: it can cause eye fatigue, headaches and other complaints. It can cause eye fatigue, headaches and other discomfort. This is why lighting installations must be designed and constructed with visual comfort in mind and ensure not only the right amount of artificial light in the room but also the right quality of light. In the past the objective of visual comfort was related almost exclusively to illuminance levels, whereas today we know that light interacts with the human visual apparatus in much more complex terms, including factors such as glare limitation, uniformity, directionality of light, modelling, light colour and colour rendering. These aspects have been part of the lighting requirements since the first version of EN 12464-1, which covers workplace lighting in buildings, but is now used as a general criterion for the design of indoor lighting systems. The current edition of the standard includes a further aspect: the variability of light, both in terms of intensity and colour. As a result, the variation of light becomes a fundamental and indispensable requirement of lighting design.
As the CSI Anie experts explain: "One of the most widely used open standards, KNX, combines the control and regulation functions of a building, also according to the DALI2 protocol, in a single automation system: this reduces installation times and operating costs, while increasing installation flexibility and adaptability of the system to future changes in the building. In addition, the DALI2 lighting control standard allows artificial light to be dimmed in terms of both the colour component and the colour temperature, which makes artificial light very similar to natural light also in terms of regulation, which can reproduce the circadian rhythm of sunlight".
When it comes to lighting management today, the functionalities required are more and more specific, and designers are increasingly inclined to integrate digital control into building automation projects, which allows for greater design simplicity and greater flexibility in the use and programming of the system. "Digital systems guarantee both improved performance and optimum return on investment, as it is essential not to generate inefficiencies . So today, lighting comfort comes "from the integration of automation systems (which optimise energy management), IoT technologies and a network of sensors in the field that measure well-being parameters".
But there is more: the lockdown experience has taught us that any space, domestic or professional, can be transformed and interchangeable. Lighting fixtures and Building Automation systems must therefore be specifically designed both to meet all certifications (UNI, LEED and WELL) and to enhance the architecture and create the right atmosphere to characterise each environment. As CSI Anie concludes: "People's wellbeing and energy efficiency are the objectives that guide the design of buildings today, and for this reason it is essential that, when it comes to lighting, we spread as much knowledge as possible about the potential of the various technologies involved (DALI, KNX, as well as proprietary standard protocols) and the numerous control methods that BMS platforms, control devices and sensors can provide".
