Clever lighting design offers many advantages for learners and teachers. This begins with the use of natural daylight, which is perceived as more pleasant and promotes concentration. It extends to significant energy savings through automatic switching off luminaires in empty rooms. Flexible lighting management allows the selection of different lighting programmes to suit the specific teaching methods and to best support pupils in their learning. Lighting solutions that can be both automated – for example, in brightness management using smart sensor technology – and manually adjusted by speakers are ideal. A further advantage of modern sensors is the possibility of evaluating data. This allows information about room and energy use to be collated and educational institutions to be optimised accordingly. A smart classroom does one thing above all: It adapts to people.
Uniform brightness is a room's most pleasant lighting atmosphere. Daylight is optimal for well-being and attention, which is supplemented by artificial light in places farther away from the window. Brightness sensors in the luminaires measure the naturally incidental light and homogenise the lighting in the room. This creates a positive atmosphere while saving energy.
Luminaires often remain lit even when classrooms are unoccupied, for example during free periods or breaks. Presence sensors activate the light when people enter the room and switch the light off when they leave. The same principle can be used to reduce energy consumption for corridor and WC lighting. Instead of switching off the corridor lighting completely, it can be dimmed to a minimum level during lessons.
Modern teaching methods are diverse and varied, making flexible lighting all the more important. This is where a lighting management system is particularly useful. Lighting scenes can be stored as programmes and teachers can call up and change them simply by pressing a button or using a control display, whether for a teacher-centred lecture, evening class, or media presentation.
The board light should be manually controllable, independently of the room light, because an optimal, reflection-free view from any place is crucial. Pre-settings are already stored for certain formats. An 'Eco' scene saves time and energy by simply increasing the lighting intensity from 500 lux – standard-compliant for daytime lessons – to 1000 lux. If there is a need to take notes or work in groups during a lesson, the light can be dimmed for a 'multimedia' scene in the board area and intensified on the table surface. This allows teachers to provide ideal learning and working conditions at the touch of a button to best meet the class's needs.
A good lighting solution adapts to people and the environment. XAL luminaires integrate into the existing building control system as well as into the classroom's architecture. Sensor-controlled ZigBee luminaires thus avoid unsightly wiring in historic buildings and blend in visually. The luminaires have a further advantage. They can be integrated into any system – whether a stand-alone solution for individual classrooms or a comprehensive management system for all trades.
Flexible lighting management, ideal for individual classrooms, is delivered by our DALI-controlled luminaires with integrated multi-sensors for brightness or presence control. The light is divided into direct and indirect components to achieve uniform illumination. Different scenes can be set and activated for blackboard presentations, table, or room lighting. Launching these scenes is performed via a Bluetooth app or wall switch.
Wireless multi-sensors work with Bluetooth. This means that they can be retrofitted without making structural changes to the luminaires. Presence sensors save energy by automatically switching on and off. The brightness is regulated by pre-programmed groups and scenes and adjusted to the incidence of daylight.
If previously installed or existing luminaires are to be retrofitted with sensors, external sensors can be freely positioned on the ceiling via surface mounting. The simple DALI solution is operated via a Bluetooth app. It enables the setting of lighting scenes – for example, for blackboard presentations or construction lessons – as well as groups for brightness control.
Controlling multiple rooms simplifies lighting management and can be linked to windows, blinds, and other equipment. Further functions include Human-Centric Lighting, air quality and noise measurement, and web visualisation.
With the help of sensor data, building use can be planned more efficiently in its entirety. Each school or university can adapt the visualisation of the values. The goal is an overview of potential optimisation, such as lower energy consumption, anticipatory space utilisation, reduced noise, and improved air. The luminaire sensors communicate data to all equipment. Incident daylight affects the intensity of a room's artificial light and whether the blinds are open. If sensors measure a room's air quality, this data can, in turn, be transferred to the ventilation control system. In the event of excessive noise levels in individual classrooms or lecture halls, improving room acoustics has a lasting positive effect on well-being and concentration.
