Building on the recent expansion of the ARISTA® Advanced Lighting Control System, Intermatic Product Manager Eric Eronen sat down with tED Magazine to discuss trends and opportunities in commercial smart lighting. Here are a few key takeaways from his appearance on the DistributED podcast:
Delivering at Scale
Because no two commercial projects are the same, Eronen stresses the benefit of choosing a smart lighting control system that’s both reliable and adaptable.
ARISTA helps achieve this by offering a range of modular components that combine familiar ON/OFF scheduling with presence detection and light-level sensing. This allows building owners and contractors to choose system components that best fit their space and day-to-day operating needs. It also makes it easy to add or adjust components to the system over time if business needs to change.
Eronen notes that product selection can be just as important as the installation process. Because Intermatic works with roughly 80% of the electrical distributors across North America, it’s easy for electrical contractors to source ARISTA products and consult with local representatives at the start of new commercial lighting control projects.
As he says, “time-based scheduling has always been our forte,” a nod to Intermatic’s 135-year legacy of reliability and performance.
Comfort and Efficiency
Eronen goes on to discuss how lighting control manufacturers must balance a primary goal of maximizing energy efficiency while also catering to the needs of everyday end-users. This often means giving users control within set parameters and ensuring their interactions with ARISTA are hassle-free.
“Do you want to worry about your lights when you walk into the office?” says Eronen, highlighting the automated nature of ARISTA schedules and event triggers. “You probably don’t…That said, we still offer flexibility and trim options [to users]. When you’re comfortable in your space, you’re going to be more productive.”
ARISTA achieves this balance of comfort and efficiency with an intuitive app that can be used by electrical contractors and occupants. It allows for easy management of schedules and component settings. New 2- and 4-button programmable switches also give users an easy offline way to adjust light levels and select pre-programmed lighting scenes as they move within a given space.
Moreover, a focus on LED compatibility means that the ARISTA system is an excellent choice for retrofit projects. ARISTA controllers can control a wide range of inputs and promote continuity when multiple LED fixture types are present (e.g., screw-in LEDs, MLV loads, electronic low-voltage loads, 0-10 volt loads, 1-10 volt loads).
Wireless Flexibility
Lastly, Eronen stresses the importance of powering ARISTA with Bluetooth® mesh technology, in terms of ease of use and long-term code compliance.
“Because [ARISTA uses] Bluetooth® mesh technology, contractors can do everything from their smartphone,” says Eronen. “You don’t need to have an extra dongle or device to complete setup [or make updates].”
Many commercial smart lighting systems require some type of gateway or service hub. In addition to being more cumbersome during installation, these types of systems present a barrier when updating software/firmware since there are more steps and devices involved when making updates.
ARISTA, on the other hand, does not require a gateway or hub. This simplifies maintenance for building owners if code standards change and gives electrical contractors peace of mind by integrating familiar wireless technology.
Ready to get started with ARISTA? Contact your local Intermatic representative today to learn more about our ever-expanding smart lighting control system.
For the full interview, see above or visit tEDmag.com.