People-friendly lighting controls
BRE (Building Research Establishment) is an independent, research-based consultancy, testing and training organisation, operating in the built environment and associated industries.
People-friendly lighting controls (IP 4/14) was written by Stephanie King, Paul Littlefair, Gareth Howlett, Feride Sener and Cosmin Ticleanu, and published by BRE on 30 May 2014.
In 2012, lighting accounted for 41% of electricity consumption in the UK services sector (including commercial). Improving the energy efficiency of lighting can therefore contribute substantially to overall energy savings.
Lighting controls can allow significant energy savings, and new techniques, such as touchscreens, scene setting and colour changing LEDs, allow flexible and sophisticated control.
Good lighting control systems can prevent energy from being wasted by lighting unoccupied or daylit spaces, or providing too much light when less might be preferred. Energy savings of up to 30 to 40% or more are achievable in some types of building, but clear and accessible system interfaces are necessary if users are to control the lighting properly.
This 8-page information paper explains how to design lighting controls interfaces so that they are easy to use, easy to understand, and give appropriate feedback to users. It is intended for controls manufacturers, lighting designers, building services consultants, ergonomists, facilities managers and building owners.
Its contents are:
- Introduction
- BRE lighting controls experiment
- Findings
- Conclusions and recommendations
- References
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- Adequate lighting.
- BRE articles on Designing Buildings Wiki.
- BRE Buzz articles on Designing Buildings Wiki.
- BREEAM.
- Building Research Establishment.
- Commercial lighting.
- Daylight lighting systems.
- General lighting v task lighting.
- Health and wellbeing impacts of natural and artificial lighting.
- Human-centric lighting.
- Lighting and energy efficiency.
- Lighting control systems.
- Lighting.
- Smart lighting market to 2020.
- Smart office lighting.
Featured articles and news
Deputy editor of AT, Tim Fraser, discusses the newly formed society with its current chair, Chris Halligan MCIAT.
Barratt Lo-E passivhaus standard homes planned enmasse
With an initial 728 Lo-E homes across two sites and many more planned for the future.
Government urged to uphold Warm Homes commitment
ECA and industry bodies write to Government concerning its 13.2 billion Warm Homes manifesto commitment.
Places of Worship in Britain and Ireland, 1929-1990. Book review.
The emancipation of women in art.
CIOB Construction Manager of the Year 2025
Just one of the winners at the CIOB Awards 2025.
Call for independent National Grenfell oversight mechanism
MHCLG share findings of Building Safety Inquiry in letter to Secretary of State and Minister for Building Safety.
The Architectural Technology Awards
AT Awards now open for this the sixth decade of CIAT.
50th Golden anniversary ECA Edmundson awards
Deadline for submissions Friday 30 May 2025.
The benefits of precast, off-site foundation systems
Top ten benefits of this notable innovation.
Encouraging individuals to take action saving water at home, work, and in their communities.
Takes a community to support mental health and wellbeing
The why of becoming a Mental Health Instructor explained.
Mental health awareness week 13-18 May
The theme is communities, they can provide a sense of belonging, safety, support in hard times, and a sense purpose.
Mental health support on the rise but workers still struggling
CIOB Understanding Mental Health in the Built Environment 2025 shows.
Design and construction material libraries
Material, sample, product or detail libraries a key component of any architectural design practice.
Construction Products Reform Green Paper and Consultation
Still time to respond as consultation closes on 21 May 2025.
Resilient façade systems for smog reduction in Shanghai
A technical approach using computer simulation and analysis of solar radiation, wind patterns, and ventilation.