DALI: the smart light management system

“DALI is a protocol specifically designed for lighting and stands for Digital Addressable Lighting Interface. With DALI, it is possible to control and dim lighting, monitor its consumption and track malfunctions or defects. Today, almost all Multiline products can be equipped with DALI control.” says Stijn enthusiastically.

“The possibilities of a DALI system are endless”

“A DALI system offers several advantages. You can address lighting fixtures, group them, make scenes to create certain atmospheres, link push buttons and rotary knobs, etc. In addition to ordinary lighting fixtures, we can also connect emergency lighting to the DALI bus, for example, to check the battery status or to record test data. Color-changing lighting (Tunable White) is also easy to control via DALI. Moreover, there is no polarity on a DALI bus, which makes it easier for the installer.”

“This is a very interesting solution in large buildings, such as office buildings, healthcare facilities, education and retail. But we also often see DALI in private homes, sometimes in combination with a home automation system. DALI can also be used without programming, but it really comes into its own when you control it with a program. That way, you have quite a range of possibilities.”

Reliable and universally applicable

“Since the launch of DALI2 in 2017, this protocol has rightly become the standard in the lighting sector. The comprehensive functionalities and certification of DALI2 products are established by a global consortium called ‘the DALI Alliance (also Digital Illumination Interface Alliance or DiiA).’ They ensure quality and interoperability between different suppliers of sensors and drivers, for example”

Efficiency and comfort through DALI light management

“DALI is often used in combination with daylight and motion sensors. A daylight sensor controls the light level automatically according to the daylight in a room. Through a DALI driver, you can even dim a light source to 1%, as opposed to about 10% with most analog drivers. Motion sensors are useful in rooms where lighting is not switched on or off manually. Through presence detection, this is all done automatically. We can build both drivers and sensors into the fixture. We have been doing this for over 25 years.”

“Central management of lighting in a building, possibly through a building management system, is interesting in terms of energy efficiency. On a large scale, a lot of energy can be saved with lighting fixtures that turn off automatically or with an ‘all on/off’ button. It also plays a role in achieving standards and certifications such as BREEAM and WELL.”

Do you want to explore the options for your project?

“We are currently renovating our own production hall, where we are also connecting everything to a comprehensive DALI system. We have defined different zones, installed sensors for automatic daylight control and presence detection, as well as push buttons for manual control and programmed time schedules according to working hours, etc. We also like to show this to customers who want to explore their options.”

Contact us for an appointment at our showroom in Lummen.