AIA/CES Provider Number: 50111167

EE105: LIGHTING CONTROL SYSTEM DESIGN, Part 2: Basis of Design

Course Number: 000000001052

Educator: Craig DiLouie, LC

 

 

EDUCATION CREDIT

At the end of this course, participants will be able to complete an online exam, with a passing grade of 70+% to qualify for CALCTP (CALCTP),

NLCAA (NLCAA) and LEU (NCQLP) credit and 80+% for LU/HSW hours (AIA/CES). Upon a passing grade, you will be able to download a Certificate

of Completion for each type of credits. For CALCTP, NLCAA and LC certification maintenance (LEUs), credits are self-reported. For AIA /CES,

Lighting Controls Association will report credit earned for this course to AIA CES.

NO ENDORSEMENT BY ACCREDITING ORGANIZATIONS

This course is registered with NCQLP and AIA CES for continuing professional education. As such, it does not include content that may be deemed

or construed to be an approval or endorsement by these organizations of any material of construction or any method or manner of handling, using,

distributing, or dealing in any material or product.

 

 

COPYRIGHT

This presentation is protected by US and International copyright laws.  Reproduction, distribution, display and use of the presentation without written

permission of the Lighting Controls Association is prohibited.

DISCLAIMER

The information contained in this course has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. Damages arising from errors, omissions or damages

as a result of the use or misuse of the data or information contained in this course are not the responsibility of the Lighting Controls Association,

National Electrical Manufacturers Association, ZING Communications, Inc. or their employees or members. All information contained in this course is

published for professionals seeking information about the subjects contained therein. It is not the intent of this course provide professional services

such as design, engineering or consulting. If these services are sought, they should be rendered by properly trained, registered, regulated and

insured professionals.

 

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION

As demand for lighting controls continues to grow, advanced solutions are becoming increasingly specified while also

becoming increasingly sophisticated. This increasing sophistication translates to greater owner benefit but can also pose greater risk of design and

installation mistakes.

For the designer, one key to success is to clearly express the design intent, or basis of design, during the conceptual design phase so as to provide a

common roadmap for the functionality of the lighting control system. This learning module describes the written lighting controls narrative, which

expresses the design intent.

Lighting Control System Design, Part 2: Basis of Design provides an understanding of the conceptual design phase for lighting control systems.

Participants will learn about the importance of a written lighting controls narrative, including suggested formats and examples. At the end of the

course, participants will be able to use the written lighting control narrative effectively as a roadmap to the control system usable by all project

participants.

 

 

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of the course, participants will be able to:

understand the importance of the written lighting control narrative as the realization of the conceptual design phase for the lighting control system.

recognize requirements related to the written lighting control narrative in the ASHRAE/IES 90.1-2010 energy standard.

produce a written lighting control narrative using the guidance, sample formats and example language provided.

use the written lighting control narrative effectively as a roadmap to the control system usable by all project participants.

 

 

CONCEPTUAL DESIGN

Now that we have learned what the owner needs, we can begin conceptualizing

a lighting control system that will satisfy these needs. This concept, called the basis of design or design intent, assigns control strategies to individual

spaces with as much supporting information as possible.

The control design concept is expressed in a written design document called the controls narrative. The narrative describes the lighting control

system, including a sequence of operations, or description of system outputs in response to various inputs for each control point.

Image courtesy of WattStopper

 

 

WRITTEN CONTROLS NARRATIVE

Going beyond what drawings can communicate, the narrative provides a common guide

and reference for the project. 

support contract document and specification preparation;

provide clear direction during bidding to contractors and manufacturers; identify criteria for testing and accepting the control system; and 

serve as a general reference for the owner detailing how the control system operates.

 

 

BENEFITS OF THE WRITTEN CONTROLS NARRATIVE

Designers benefit by accessing a common roadmap describing the lighting control system's intended functionality,

which increases the likelihood of satisfying the owner. Contractors and manufacturers have clear direction for bidding. Installers are less likely to

commit costly errors. The commissioning authority has a reference for verification of the design concept against the owner project requirements. The

party responsible for performance testing knows what to test, how to test it, and criteria for acceptance. The owner is more likely to receive a quality

product that satisfies its requirements, increasing the likelihood of acceptance by the owner and system users.

 

 

BENEFITS OF THE WRITTEN CONTROLS NARRATIVE

Below is a matrix, developed by The Weidt Group, that illustrates the relative degree of difficulty (and expense) of correcting problems during

construction, and whether a lighting controls narrative would likely make an impact on avoiding these problems. According to the matrix, a controls

narrative would have the biggest impact to ensure controls are not struck from the project, that they are calibrated, that the correct equipment is

selected, and that users are given the amount of control they want.

Image courtesy of The Weidt Group

 

 

THE WRITTEN CONTROLS NARRATIVE AND ENERGY CODES

The written controls narrative is a very important design document because it informs the finished design, and yet it

is often missing in project documents. However, it may become commonplace in the future as commercial building model energy codes address

documentation and commissioning. The ASHRAE/IES 90.1-2010 energy standard requires the following documentation be delivered to the owner

within 90 days after acceptance of the control system:

record drawings of the actual installation;

submittal data for all controls;

recommended schedule for inspection and recalibration; and

a complete control narrative showing "how each lighting control system is intended to operate, including recommended settings."

Image courtesy of ASHRAE

 

 

SHARING THE ROADMAP

The lighting controls narrative should be shared with other

project participants as needed, such as the owner, other design disciplines, the installer, manufacturers and the commissioning authority. If the

document is changed during the project, the refreshed version should be distributed so that everyone is working from the latest version.

At the conclusion of the project, the document should be given to the owner as part of the System Manual for the control system. The design intent

should be communicated to facility operators and users so they understand the system goals and positive and negative impacts on energy savings

that may occur if the system is adjusted.

 

 

ELEMENTS OF THE CONTROLS NARRATIVE

As there is no gold standard defining how to write a controls narrative, the designer should use

their best judgment in its preparation. At a minimum, it should include at least two main elements:

preamble describing purpose of document and general description of the project goals and control strategies intended to satisfy these goals; 

a description of the lighting controls in each space and a sequence of operations for these controls, which describes how the controls relate to each

other and how they respond to various inputs, such as whether occupancy is detected.

The document may change or be fleshed out over time as the project moves from the pre-design (programming) to finished design and ultimately

construction and occupancy. The overriding concern is that the information is presented in a way so that it can be clearly understood by all project

participants.

 

 

PROJECT GOALS

Here is an example of a preamble and general project goals, including relevant codes, for a new

office building:

"This lighting controls narrative serves as the basis of design for the project's lighting control systems. It is intended to inform preparation of relevant

contract documents and specifications; guide manufacturers and contractors during bidding, shop drawing development and system installation; be

used by parties engaged in programming, device calibration, performance testing and fine tuning; and guide the owner and operators concerning the

system's rationale and operation.

"The lighting controls must satisfy the mandatory control requirements as defined in the ASHRAE/IES 90.1-2007 energy standard. Select control

strategies implemented by the lighting systems go beyond these requirements to support LEED certification."

So we know that lighting will be turned OFF when it is not in use, and strategies not required by the standard, such as daylight harvesting and

personal diming control, may be considered to reduce energy consumption and potentially generate LEED points.

Obviously, the more direction the owner provides regarding the project requirements, the more responsive the design can be to owner needs.

 

 

CONTROL STRATEGIES

Next follows a general description of the control strategies used in the project:

"The interior lighting controls will enact two primary strategies intended to minimize energy consumption: 1) automatic shutoff via occupancy sensors

in small, enclosed spaces and via a timeclock-based low-voltage control system in larger, open spaces, and 2) daylight harvesting in all spaces

receiving high, consistent levels of daylight contribution, notably the main lobby and private and open office spaces. In certain spaces lacking daylight

and where personal safety is an issue, such as corridors illuminated by electric lighting, select lights will remain ON at all times during normal hours of

occupancy. In presentation spaces, notably the meeting and training rooms, flexibility will be provided to enable users to select preset light levels.

Lighting controls will also turn exterior lighting ON/OFF using a photocell/timeclock based on curfew (grounds lighting) or dusk-to-dawn operation

(security lighting)."

 

 

LIGHTING CONTROL SYSTEM DESCRIPTION

The lighting controls system description may take the form of a written description in a simple, consistent format. It may

describe the controls in each general space type (e.g., open offices, private offices, meeting rooms, etc.) or each specific space (e.g., room 101, 102,

103, etc.), depending on whether the applied system is common to multiple general space types or unique to a few specific space types. For

example, for all private offices in our office building, suppose we want to implement manual-ON and dimming, daylight harvesting dimming, and

vacancy sensing for automatic shutoff:

"In each private office, ON/OFF control of the general lighting will be provided by a combination of manual switching and vacancy sensing. The

fluorescent general lighting will be dimmable using dimmable electronic ballasts. During operation, light levels may be manually reduced by the

occupant or automatically reduced by a daylight harvesting controller. When the occupant enters the space, they can turn the lights ON using a

manual dimmer-switch, and have the option of adjusting light levels to personal preference or need. If the lights turn OFF and ON again, the lights will

activate and automatically adjust to the last user setting. During operation, a photosensor will automatically raise/lower light levels over a continuous

100 to 1-20 percent range to harvest available daylight into energy savings. The daylight harvesting controller will maintain the design light level or, if

lower, the user-set light level. A vacancy sensor, capable of providing 100% room coverage for minor body motion such as typing, will turn the lights

OFF automatically after 15 minutes of the sensor determining that the space is unoccupied."

This description is quite detailed; the more detailed the controls narrative, the more likely the design will achieve the project goals.

Image courtesy of the Department of Energy

 

 

LIGHTING CONTROL SYSTEM DESCRIPTION

Another approach is a matrix, as shown below. The example office building is broken down in its space types, and the control strategies identified for

each. On the far right columns are two codes. The first connects the control system to wiring diagrams in the construction documents. The second

describes the control system used in each space type, and how it works within that space type. This approach works particularly well for complex

projects where we have a lot of individual space types. Instead of space types, we might instead use room numbers pulled from the drawings.

 

 

OTHER INFORMATION

Other types of information could be included in the written controls narrative:

project-wide comments;

references to related documents such as wiring diagrams, control zoning and equipment specifications and cut sheets;

performance testing criteria for each control system as a basis for commissioning and, ultimately, acceptance; and

initial calibration settings.

 

 

YOU’RE FINISHED

This concludes The American Institute of Architects Continuing Education Systems Course Lighting Control System Design, Part 2: Basis of Design.

Please take a moment to provide feedback about your experience with this course.

You may also take the Comprehension Test to test your learning and to qualify for LEU (NCQLP LC) and LU/HSW (AIA CES) credit. A 70+% passing

grade is required for LEU credit and 80+% for AIA CES credit. Upon passing the test, you may download a Certificate of Completion on the Courses

page. If you are an AIA member, please email your course completion certificate to LCA with your AIA number.

EE 105: Lighting Control System Design - Part 2: Basis of Design