LIGHTING (Lutron)
Careful and sympathetic lighting schemes:
CSS is able to provide a full and bespoke lighting design, all fittings and luminaires including bespoke solutions. Lighting designs are co-ordinated with the client or clients representatives and produced into CAD layouts with full load schedules, enabling CSS to manage the requirements of the installed dimming systems with detail and certainty.
Whole house dimming and active control:
CSS is an appointed ‘ELITE’ domestic partner of Lutron, the world leader in dimming and active control of lighting systems. Included here is a brief summary in order to understand some of the basis functionality of their HomeWorks Interactive system.
Lutron has been the world leader in lighting controls since inventing the solid-state dimmer more than 35 years ago. All Lutron products are designed and manufactured to the highest quality standards, minimizing the likelihood of damage caused by power surges, lightning strikes, or static electricity.
1 Unobtrusive, attractive keypads with a choice of pre-programmed lighting scenes of your choice – no more adjusting multiple dimmers!
2 Each key on each pad can operate any or every light within the property. For instance:
A keypad positioned as you enter the main door can activate a ‘welcome’ scene. This could be to raise the Hallway lights (maybe also to a Cloakroom) as well as providing a low light level throughout other main areas, thus avoiding fumbling in the dark to find the light switch.
As a reverse the same keypad can be programmed as a whole-house-off function, ideal for when you leave the property.
Have a keypad by the bed for security purposes. With one button (all buttons have soft illumination for night-time operation) turn the whole house immediately on. This same type of ‘off’ function can be programmed into a key also by your bed. No need to wander all the way down to the kitchen to switch off that light you forgot. This key will ensure that any light inadvertently left on will be turned off. On this same bedroom keypad have a button that brings on very softly those lights required to direct you to the bathroom, including the bathroom itself. Either turn them off when you return or have the button timed so that they turn off automatically after a pre-determined time.
3 The included astronomic time clock feature that knows the actual daylight hours, 365 days of the year bringing your lights on gently and dimming them up as the natural light fades.
4 Vacation mode is standard. HomeWorks will learn your lighting patterns and remember them. When you go away, put the system in vacation mode and it ‘replays’ the light usage as if you were at home!
5 Have a button as a pathway of light. If it is your habit to wander to the kitchen during the night then have a button that gently brings on the lights that act as a pathway to the kitchen, turning them off ten minutes later.
6 With a telephone interface phone from your mobile and switch lights on before you reach home (this is a non-standard feature and carries an additional cost).
7 Non lighting devices can also be controlled. The inclusion of contact closure devices will allow security, heating, electrically operated blinds, curtains, spa baths, etc.. to be operated from the same keypads. For instance in a bathroom you can have lighting keys (remember that the keypads are fully rated for safety in bathroom usage) as well as a key to turn on the spa function of the bath. Another key will also allow you to listen to the hi-fi. On your way out a single key will turn off everything that is still on.
8 Whilst the cost of replacing lamps is not an issue, the inconvenience is. With the Lutron system no lights are switched immediately on or off – they are always ramped. This ramping time can be from one second to one hour. This extends lamp life significantly by reducing the stress on lamp elements.
We rarely run the lamps at 100% power. Reducing the output to around 90% has no effect upon discernible output but increases enormously the lamp life. Couple this with the effect of dimming and lamp life is significantly extended.
9 Power-failure memory. All HomeWorks Interactive components are designed with 10-year power-failure memory. If power is interrupted and restored, lights will automatically return to the levels to which they were set prior to the power outage. HomeWorks Interactive system programming is retained in non-volatile memory and not affected by loss of power.
10 HomeWorks Interactive can be connected to a security system to activate lights in case of an alarm. Selected lights will turn on to a predetermined security level, or flash repeatedly to attract attention. Security Mode may also be activated manually from a Keypad.
With the HomeWorks Interactive system it is easier perhaps to explain what it will not do!
