A new £18.8m Skills and Innovation Centre in Suffolk has incorporated a DALI-2 lighting control system.
The three-storey development forms part of Gateway 14, a business, innovation and logistics park with facilities including office space for high-growth start-ups, collaboration areas, meeting rooms, training facilities and a café.
Designed to achieve a BREEAM Excellent rating, the 35,000sq ft building incorporates a range of measures intended to improve energy efficiency and reduce operational costs.
Lighting controls throughout the building were delivered using a DALI-2 solution from B.E.G. incorporating occupancy detection, daylight harvesting, emergency lighting testing and energy monitoring.
For the main contractor, Fusion360 Group, the project represented its first B.E.G. installation using a DALI-2 lighting control system. Mohamed Abosharaf, head of engineering UK&I at B.E.G., said: “A DALI-2 system provided the ability to control lighting according to occupancy, available daylight and building requirements, rather than relying on fixed lighting operation. By integrating occupancy detection, daylight harvesting and monitoring functions, the system helps reduce unnecessary energy use while providing the facilities team with better visibility of lighting performance. This is particularly important in a building designed to support businesses and training activities, where different areas will have different patterns of use.”
The installed DALI-2 network was set up to ensure there was centralised lighting control across the building, with integration into the Building Management System (BMS).
Occupancy detection then adjusts lighting operation based on whether spaces are in use, while daylight harvesting is designed to automatically respond to changes in natural light levels. The system also includes automated emergency lighting testing and reporting.
Abosharaf added: “At Gateway 14, the objective was to deliver a lighting system that was appropriate for a modern commercial building – one that could respond to how spaces are used, support energy management and provide reliable information for those responsible for operating the facility.”
