IMPORTANCE OF DIMMER FOR ENERGY SAVING IN INDUSTRIAL LIGHTING
What is a dimmer? A dimmer is a technical term, of English origin, derived from the verb to dim (to darken – to dim the light). In practice, it is an electronic device that regulates the brightness of a lamp by controlling the current in the LEDs. The dimmer can be integrated into the power supply (constant current driver) or placed downstream of the power supply (constant voltage driver).
Why is the dimmer particularly important in industrial lighting?
The answer is simple: because in industrial warehouses the power involved is high and consequently the savings are also significant.
For example, let's take a 10.000 m2 space. Proper lighting requires 200 140-150 W fixtures, which equates to a total power of 30 kW. If the working hours are 8 hours, with a 90-minute break, we can assume an average of 1200 hours of operation per year, equivalent to 36 MWh, and an estimated cost of €7-8.000. With careful management, this expense can be halved, resulting in a savings of €35-40.000 over 10 years. This amount is more than enough to cover the difference between the cost of a budget fixture and that of a high-tech one, with the following additional benefits: less pollution, longer life, and improved environmental comfort.
If the work is then carried out over 2 or 3 shifts the economic savings can double.
What to do and what is needed to reduce energy consumption by 50%?
One solution is to equip each lamp with a wireless module and manage the dimming through a computer running a specific program. With this solution, the computer will also need to access ambient light sensors, conveniently positioned at various points throughout the building.
As an alternative to the wireless solution, there's the more common DALI control; the result is almost similar, but it requires wired connections between the control units, lamps, and sensors, which isn't easy, especially in existing systems.
However, both of these solutions require other components than simple lamps as well as specialized operators to manage the programs, resulting in additional costs and a greater probability of failure.
To overcome these problems , LUXLED has been using a very simple solution for over 15 years: "intelligent" LED fixtures, meaning they can self-regulate ( AUTODIMMER ) without the need for connections to other devices or programs. For this purpose, each fixture is equipped with a dimmable driver, a dual sensor for detecting ambient brightness, and a microprocessor for data analysis and direct driver control. This way, optimal lighting levels are achieved in all environmental conditions.
This system, in addition to being the simplest and cheapest, is also the most precise because each lamp detects and adapts to the actual situation in the area below, not based on a generic average as in the case of the two systems mentioned previously.
