What do you have to say about the growth of the global lighting control industry in India and the world? What is Crestron’s stake in such growth?
The most basic requirement of all lighting controls are meant to be energy saving. But what more can be done?
Thanks to the emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT), connecting appliances e.g., lighting, HVAC though Wi-Fi network is a growing trend. Wireless lighting control enables users to control lights through mobile app, whether in home, office or out of town. As home and office automation tech develops, smart lighting will continue evolving. We can see a growing demand on the integration of all automation technologies including sensor, central distribution and monitor, lights all on a single platform. Beside that, most standard control system can be operated through phones and tablets, the mixture of usage in touch panels, remotes and mobile devices should not be overlooked.
How do Crestron’s lighting controls like DALI ballasts and LED drivers contribute to energy savings in terms of levels of performance, flexibility and energy efficiency?
Single-wire connectivity simplifies both new and retrofit installations, and Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) versatility assists in situations with existing CAT5 infrastructure. DALI is a great choice for retrofit lighting systems because it does not require changes in line voltage wiring. Likewise, DALI provides ultimate flexibility by allowing reconfiguring of zones after a system is installed.
The innovative design of the DALI eliminates the need for the external power supplies required by other DALI controllers on the market. Power is delivered via PoE or Cresnet, creating a true single-wire installation.
Also, DALI provides a bidirectional interface enabling independent control and monitoring of each individual fixture, enabling operator and energy management software to query ballasts energy usage. DALI is optimal for use in applications that require granular control of each fixture, such as open office floor plans, AV-equipped conference rooms, and daylight harvesting.
In addition to DALI dimmable LED drivers, Crestron offers a full line of lighting control products utilising DALI technology. Crestron Green Light Dimmable LED Drivers (GLD-LED Series) provide manufacturers of dimmable LED lighting fixtures with a high-performance, cost-saving LED driver solution.
Employing a combination of duty-cycle and current-dimming technologies, Crestron Green Light LED drivers provide smooth, deep dimming with excellent colour stability to below 1%. A choice of 50 Watt and 100 Watt models affords high-power capability for use with a wide range of LED fixtures.
Crestron’s low voltage wiring as well as radio frequency-based controls can be used throughout a wide range of system design scenarios. How energy efficient are these Crestron control systems themselves while they are in the process of being operated and how much energy do they consume as compared to the energy they help customers save?
Crestron Fusion EM, the energy management component of Crestron Fusion, provides a rich graphical user interface, which allows control and monitoring of all connected rooms. You can utilise the CrestronFusion built in scheduling system: to adapt spaces and energy usage based on occupancy and need; analyse energy consumption; turn lights on or off; set actions for when a room is occupied; create lighting scenes, adjust heating/cooling set points, align shades, edit demand response settings, and design custom actions.
Crestron delivers complete building management for maximum energy and operational efficiency. Crestron lighting control and energy management solutions provide total environmental control to conserve energy and lower costs by combining automated dimming and daylight harvesting with powerswitching and load shedding. Furthermore, Crestron touch screens and interfaces offer global management of all systems and devices building-wide from a centralised command centre, or local control from touch panels in each room.
What are the primary factors which drive the demand for lighting controls, besides energy efficiency and aesthetics? How is Crestron placed to take advantage of these factors?
Without any doubt, energy efficiency and aesthetics are primary factors for deploying lighting controls, but current trend moves toward more sophisticated lighting control systems – in which strategies may be layered. For example, an open office may see deployed scheduling or zoned occupancy sensors for automatic shutoff, task tuning in some areas, daylight harvesting near windows, and personal dimming control for occupants.
Integrated lighting automation isn’t only about luxury; it’s also about security. Protect home or business through the use of automated lighting at preset times, deterring potential intruders by creating the impression that home or business is occupied. Lights can even be set to turn on when one arrives home, so users never have to enter a dark house again. And if an emergency ever arises, escape paths can be lit automatically to help guide occupants to safety.
More than just lighting control system, Crestron gives complete peace of mind to users by offering a total solution integrating all lightings, shades, HVAC, AV control, security on a single platform, and seamlessly connect to energy management software to monitor, manage and control all technologies throughout the entire facility both centrally and globally. We provide total environmental control solution to conserve energy and lower costs.
How cost efficient is Crestron’s touch panel based commercial lighting technology, and which are the sectors from which demand is growing?
Convenience and elegance converge with centralised lighting controls, enabling anyone to adjust lighting settings without unsightly banks of light switches encroaching on the space. Thanks to discrete dimming modules concealed in cabinets, user can control any number of lights from a single sleek keypad or elegant touch screen.
DIN Rail 2-Channel DALI Interface (DIN-DALI-2)…
Whether adding lighting to new installations or retrofits, eliminate the need for complicated wiring and rewiring using our reliable wireless lighting control solutions. User can also integrate wireless solutions with existing wired dimmers, keypads, and switches to unify their office. Crestron makes adding a lighting control system, or expanding one, simple and easy.
Crestron helps reduce energy consumption and costs by combining lighting and environmental technologies into an intelligent energy management solution. Our easy-to-use software provides a powerful real-time overview of operations, giving a one-touch access to all connected spaces. See exactly what changes affect energy consumption with useful data analysis tools, and maximise energy efficiency by selectively controlling lighting, shading, HVAC, and other equipment remotely.
Hospitality and residential sectors are in growing demand of centralised, wireless lighting control.
Please elaborate on any plans which Crestron might have to manufacture in India to take advantage of the government’s ‘Make In India’ initiative.
Currently, we have our product design, test, and manufacturing in United States to maintain total control. Yet, system design, configuration and commissioning are all locally managed in India to satisfy and exceed customer expectation.
What is Crestron’s plan to contribute to the government’s smart city plan?
Our innovative technology solutions are crafted to cater different levels stakeholders, such as the government, corporates and individuals. We are sophisticated in using technologies to raise productivity levels and standards of living.
Crestron offers comprehensive intelligent city solutions covering various sectors such as ‘Smart Education’ focusing on developing digital campus solutions in terms of distant learning and campus energy management; ‘Smart Healthcare’ aims to optimise clinical collaboration through technology and systems integration in order to improve the quality of care; ‘Smart Building Management Technology’ delivers seamlessly integrated building controls in the area of HVAC, lightings, shades, AV distribution and energy management on a centralised monitoring platform.
Crestron Green Light Dimmable LED Drivers (GLD-LED)…
Indicate real time energy usage to identify possible incorrect use of electricity (e.g., high energy consumption during non-office hour, etc) as part of the way to in line with the government’s smart city plan.
Another key point to note is the need to enhance energy efficiency across all sectors of the economy, in order to decouple growth in energy demand from economic growth in India. Otherwise, a very expensive three- or four-fold increase in primary energy production will be required by 2031-32 to sustain economic growth of 8-9% annually. India wants to sustain this rate of growth in order to eradicate poverty and improve living standards. For this, Crestron energy management solution could provide the most energy efficient, cost effective solution by integrating separate environmental systems on a common platform, achieving a synergy that delivers optimal control and savings.
What are the company’s efforts in research and development? Are there any plans to do this in India?
Crestron invests 40% of its revenue in research and development every year, and all the products are manufactured in home region to comply with industry and regulatory standard.
Our design, test and manufacturing engineers all work closely together under the same roof in order to maintain total control of the entire product introduction process to ensure the highest quality.
What would you like to communicate to purchasers and decision makers?
We understand that the needs of purchasers and decision makers may vary, depending on project scope, budget, available time frame and so on. We simplify design, installation, and start-up of commercial lighting control with the right products and systems designed to work for the individual needs of each space in a building. Our process dramatically reduces the time required to complete each phase of a lighting control project, while greatly improving efficiency and scalability.
With Crestron, lighting controls are specified on a space-first basis rather than the conventional building-first approach. This methodology eliminates the over specification and unnecessary programming inherent in most lighting control systems. Each space is configured with the optimal control system and accessories and nothing more. Crestron only selects the best, feasible and affordable total solution at customer’s ease
