ETC Sensor3 power control selected for Kings Cross central development
ETC dealer and lighting control systems integrator – Control Lighting Ltd has selected ETC’s Sensor3 power control, Paradigm and Mosaic systems as the solutions for the large-scale Kings Cross Central development in London. For the last ten years Control Lighting Ltd have been working on the design and implementation of a site wide lighting control system for the public realm lighting. The site is a 67-acre development which has re-imagined the blend of residential, commercial, retail and public space, and has won many awards over the years for the development. The company was appointed to design and implement a holistic lighting control system that could provide usable performance data, as well as ensure the maintenance and events teams could quickly make adjustments for the operational side of the lighting system. Control Lighting Ltd selected ETC products as the best solutions to easily adapt to the needs of the site as it expanded over the years. The core lighting power distribution equipment is utilising the Sensor3 power control range from ETC, and the site wide lighting processors are from the ETC architectural control product families – Paradigm and Mosaic. ETC’s Sensor3 power control system delivers stable, unparalleled power and networked control for all fixture types. The Kings Cross Central development has demonstrated the consistent reliability of Sensor3’s dimming solutions which have been a part of the project for ten years and counting. The flexible and powerful management of the Sensor3 control system has seamlessly supported the various lamp types used, without the added expense of Kings Cross Central having to upgrade their entire power infrastructure. To assist the maintenance staff, all flagged items or usage reports are displayed on specific larger touchscreens. Data is also automatically fed back to Control Lighting Ltd’s office, which allows reports to be produced for monthly review by the site management teams. Positive steps are then implemented to reduce the use of energy across the site lighting installation based on the data obtained. Due to the way in which the energy monitoring is presented, the site management team have used the supplied live and historical data and charts in real time, as part of their own site meetings. ETC’s Paradigm and Mosaic architectural lighting control solutions were selected for this project for their large-scale and artful lighting control features. They allow the Kings Cross Central development to utilise exceptional colour control, interactive lighting, energy saving features and more, all within an adaptable and user-friendly control system. During the design stage of the project, a key consideration was ensuring that the event and maintenance teams had quick access to the reporting side of the system, as well as control of the general public realm and the various lighting features from their own computers. There are 26 custom designed touchscreens located around the site offering intuitive interfaces which use the design features of ETC’s Paradigm Light Designer and Control Designer software suites, along with custom lua scripts to create the task driven touchscreen layouts. With ETC’s software features, Control Lighting Ltd used this to create bespoke control interfaces for the touchscreens to make it easy for staff at Kings Cross to recall presets and make custom adaptations to the lighting states for pop-up events. The complex layouts from Building Management Systems were used to create intuitive, interactive and customised control interfaces for the venue team. Fast forward 10 years, and there are now 24 lighting control locations positioned in various plant rooms across the estate, each networked together. The equipment that is utilised allows for switching of the lighting power circuits as well as 1-10v, DALI and DMX control for specified lighting schemes. The combined lighting control system also offers useful features such as the use of DALI reporting. This allows important information such as lamp failures or DALI emergency fitting test results utilising DALI EMPro to be fed back and communicated to the client. The lighting power racks also automatically issue electrical usage reports per area as well as alarms for the fault status of the circuit protection devices. Ray Dolby from Control Lighting Ltd. commented: ‘Due to the historically good reliability of ETC equipment and Control Lighting Ltd’s knowledge of the requirements of the architectural and landscape markets, the site wide solution grew organically. It was very special working with a developer that had the long-term vison to embrace a holistic approach to the control and monitoring of public realm lighting schemes’. Project Credits: Site wide Developer: Related Argent Lighting Control Systems Integrator: Control Lighting Ltd Major Lighting Controls Equipment Supplier: ETC Ltd. Lighting Design Consultants: Speirs Major Light Architecture, Studio 29 Photography: Kings Cross HR
A New Approach To Retail Lighting
We are currently working at a flagship retail store in Paris where we have identified a brand new approach to providing flexible lighting control in the retail environment. Without giving away any trade secrets, our clever combination of DALI, DMX and wireless technology has made this new venue a completely flexible space that enables fast turnaround from different setups depending on the use of the venue. For example, at this prime location in Paris, they often invite top celebrities to come in for a public signing session and a “meet and greet” with the fans who will also enjoy taking “selfies” with the celebrity in front of an especially configured backdrop. Sometimes, there may be live performances or product demonstrations in their “stage” area. An hour later, the store manager will switch the lighting back to a specific “shopping” experience with a completely different lighting setup. All of these options are easily available at the tap of a touch screen. Our extensive experience in different market areas from rock n’ roll and theatre lighting, architectural and external civic artwork lighting, office, museums and art galleries, and other retail environments has given us so many ideas and a more rounded perspective. This enables us to give an amazing array of options to new clients wishing to offer flexible lighting solutions in their retail spaces.
Knowledge Is Power!
Regular readers of our case studies will notice that more and more of our clients are taking advantage of our remote monitoring and online reporting services. However, there is another key service that we offer that perhaps we have not promoted quite as much. This is the ability of our solutions to monitor how much power/electricity is being used by your lighting. This is useful in two ways. Firstly, in a similar way to a domestic smart meter, you can report exactly how much electricity has been used by specific parts of the system or indeed by the system as a whole. Secondly, you can use the software to create a pretty accurate forecast of your future power requirements – based on lamp wattage and usage etc. This forecasting process is extremely useful when planning a new lighting control solution. In fact, we have many examples where we have shown how upgrading the lighting control solution will actually save more money than it costs! We help clients reduce their power consumption through clever use of new technology – from movement and timed sensors to LEDs and low wattage solutions and various other power saving techniques.
Sorry… But What’s A “Floppy Disc”?
A large financial institution recently moved into a central London location and decided that they needed to upgrade the existing lighting set up. They rang the manufacturers of the equipment that they had inherited when they took over the building lease. This manufacturer immediately recommended that they call Control Lighting Ltd and the client contacted us to discuss their requirements. After consultation with a new client we realised that we could achieve their new artistic vision by simply upgrading the main lighting control processor. Although the system was still in full working order, the previous processor was eighteen years old. Scenes and programmes etc were all saved and stored on 1.44 MB “floppy discs” and, to programme the equipment, we needed to use a specific old laptop hidden in the back of our IT room so perhaps an upgrade was a timely solution! Our simple upgrade also enables our client to take full advantage of the latest touch screen technology, movement sensors, LED upgrades and remote monitoring and online reporting etc. Importantly, we ensured that they would not need to rip out the existing infrastructure, cabling and light fittings and so we were able to save them a huge amount of money by reusing the existing fixtures and fittings
Tuning Up At Wigmore Hall
Wander down London’s Wigmore Street, and you will discover the impressive Wigmore Hall – the leading international recital venue specialising in performances of chamber music and classical recitals of piano, song and instrumental music. Control Lighting commissioned their original control lighting system in 2004 and, every year, we return to conduct our annual service. As well as extensive dimming systems, Wigmore Hall use clusters of fibre optic heads to light the individual music stands for the musicians, without distracting the audience. We act as their Lighting Systems Consultants, and helped them set up the lighting required to light the stage effectively and also set up additional spot lights to illuminate the key performers during specific recitals. With over 20 years of experience of lighting and lighting control, we are always happy to help with all aspects of our clients’ lighting requirements.
Helping to Light Historic London
We have been working at London’s fabulous Burlington Arcade that unites Piccadilly and Bond Street – often described as the longest and most beautiful covered shopping street in Britain. We were invited to design and provide the lighting control by Speirs and Major Associates and we supplied, tested and programmed the new sophisticated lighting control system. The brief required a system offering a fast protocol, user friendly control and transparent fault finding. The lighting design utilised the latest lighting technology as 95% of the light fittings were LED sources. This project featured white light downlighters from the high ceilings and then, above each shop sign, we used linear uplighting which fades from warm white light to a colder white light tone, depending on the time of day or requirement. The facility to group the various light fittings into various control groups enables flexibility in the controlling the lighting for the various events. Control Lighting achieved this flexibility through the use of the DMX protocol, evenly placed distribution points and advanced touchscreen controls. Whilst DMX is often assumed to be of primary use in the entertainment industry, DMX has been used in architectural projects for over 20 years – due to the protocol’s fast speed and now easy incorporation of LED technology. Furthermore, the evenly placed distribution points aid fault finding as any fault will only affect one distribution point, thus making fault finding far easier during the whole life of the installation. The sophistication that Control Lighting brought to this project can be seen in the use of automated light sensors which gave the client peace of mind that whatever external weather prevailed (as we have seen recently!) the lights will automatically adjust to provide appropriate lighting. Overall this project was both rewarding and challenging as it took place within a short time period due to the exciting summer London has planned!
Lighting Another Top London Restaurant
Another recent project comprised lighting a brand-new hundred seat restaurant in Central London. This beautiful building comes complete with triple height chandeliers and skylights. This project was a huge technical challenge with different colour changing required from uplighters to create different colour washes etc. Each restaurant table is lit by an individual spotlight that can be redirected electronically by remote control allowing the tables to be repositioned as needed. Although the solution was very complex, it was important that it was made very simple for the users to use. For example, should a client book the venue for a corporate event, it is now really easy for the staff to change the background colours to match their corporate colours. This was achieved with unbreakable pre-sets that the users can press to reset all the lighting to pre-agreed defaults. These presets were combined with a simple menu system that “holds the hand” of the user as they navigate logically from an entire room, to a small group of lamps etc. These users can then save and reuse their own programmes in a User Settings area. It did require complex programming but we achieved a seemingly simple “easy to use” solution for the client. This also means the client doesn’t need to call Control Lighting in to assist with any reprogramming which further reduces the ongoing cost of the solution.
Colour In Crawley
Working in partnership with the team at Nulty, Control Lighting Ltd was invited to create the lighting control at the refurbished County Mall in Crawley. Our work concentrated on their light art feature installations which, in recognition of Crawley’s long connection with the aviation industry, represented a flock of birds flying majestically through the Shopping Centre. One of the reasons that we were chosen was our previous projects show we can deliver a very “organic” programme so colour changes appear to move smoothly through the sculpture giving a wonderful effect of flight and lift to the installation. We know the right combination of technologies and programming to ensure the lighting transitions by the colour-changing LED’s flow smoothly like a film or video. We delivered full plans up-front detailing every single light fitting and complete with all of the configuration details of each LED fixture, which enabled the manufacturer to pre-address and test every fitting before installation. We then pre-assembled and pre-programmed everything before we travelled to the site. This is significant as Crawley County Mall is a fully functioning shopping centre so installation and commissioning was all done overnight. As we were fully prepared and knew everything was working in advance, we limited onsite disruption and were able to avoid any unnecessary delays. Another of our major strengths is great project management. Enabling proper co-ordination between all of the involved parties at each stage dramatically increases the likelihood of the project being delivered on time and working perfectly. This project was a classic example – it went well because of the up-front work and preparation.
Using Colour To Illustrate A Brand
Many outlets, from shopping centres to arenas to hotels and conference centres, all understand the value of changing the background lighting in a seminar or conference room to match the corporate colours of the guest of the day. However, this idea is often confined to the specific room and for a specific client event etc. We’ve recently worked with a major shopping centre to take this idea a lot further. For example, Cadburys are relaunching their Cadburys Dairy Milk Tiffin this summer after a 13 year absence. A shopping centre supporting their advertising promotion could offer to publicise and “brand up” their campaign with banners and literature in the appropriate retail outlets etc. However, they could also take the message further by spreading the “Cadbury” purple across all of the public spaces – the walk-through area with shared seating, the loos and the corridors etc. This could be done in a sophisticated and subtle way – the main areas will continue to be lit with white light etc but the branded colour could continue throughout the centre – on the ceiling coving, for example. As ever, technology is getting more and more advanced and so the opportunities to be more and more creative are also increasing.
The Macallan’s New Distillery And Visitor Experience
On Saturday 2nd June 2018, The Macallan’s new distillery and visitor experience formally opened its doors to the public. The new buildings are located on their Easter Elchies Scottish estate in Speyside, where the leading luxury single malt whisky distiller has been based since 1824. The project was announced in 2012 and the build began in December 2014. Robertson Construction delivered the complex architectural design, working with 25 contractors to bring the vision for the new distillery and visitor experience to life. During construction, up to 400 people specialising in more than 20 different trades were employed on site. The team at Control Lighting Ltd was asked to deliver a lighting control solution for the lighting design created by Speirs + Major, and we also worked alongside Arup’s electrical consultant. We were charged with delivering all of the lighting control – not just the public spaces, but the back office, corridors, offices, toilets, staff spaces, loading areas and plant rooms etc. Essentially, we provided the control for every single lamp in the new buildings! Uniting Front Of House And Back Office In many projects, the lighting control for the front of house areas is separate to the back-office areas. They will often have two distinct lighting control systems that operate independently. In consultation with our client and partners, it was decided that a unified approach with one lighting control system would provide the best user experience for both environments. Full Integration As integration specialists, our overall lighting control solution uses a plethora of lighting protocols such as DALI, DMX and Ethernet and integrates seamlessly with their other media products such as their Audio/Video system, for example. Due to the complexity and sophistication of the solution, we have used over 15,000 channels of lighting control for the combined visitor experience and process areas. This gives almost limitless options to the user as every single lamp fitting can be separately controlled. However, with the exception of performing maintenance tasks, this level of control is not helpful to the tour guide, for example! Sophisticated User Interface Therefore, as with all of our projects, the user interface is critical. We provided different interfaces for different levels of users using 24-inch and 7-inch touchscreens and portable tablets, as well as PIR’s and room control plates. The days of a text only hierarchical menu structure are long gone fortunately and working closely with the design team at Speirs + Major, we created a touch screen layout appearance that closely maps the physical world of the visitor experience. Individual lamps are brought together into virtual groups based on their function, location, or specific exhibit etc. Some of the screens show a side elevation of the visitor experience and authorised users can touch and highlight an area that they wish to affect – walkway 6 or Pod 4 for example. Another screen shows a plan of a specific room and again the user can change a specific area or group of lamps, maybe whilst standing in that space with a tablet. Users can experiment and make adjustments before saving their new choices into their own settings library or at any time can revert back to use the saved pre-sets that cannot be accidentally overwritten. Assembled And Tested Offsite First One of the reasons why our implementation was so successful is that every element of the complete lighting control system was assembled at our testing centre at Long Crendon, before anything was shipped to Speyside. All twelve lighting control racks were road tested at our HQ before delivering them as a fully wired solution in secure trunks to the site. Every single component is labelled in detail. For example, an individual lighting control plate destined for one of the manager’s offices not only carries a unique identification number but also details the corresponding control rack and specifies which cables to attach. Full And Comprehensive Documentation As ever, our delivered project documentation is second to none. From a technical standpoint, users can see the schematic for every single lamp, can trace the physical wiring, and see the virtual groups to which it belongs and the various settings that will affect it when each pre-set setting or scene is run. Again, we realise that different levels of user require different levels of detail and therefore we provide three comprehensive manuals – a system build manual, a system maintenance manual and some user operations manual. Conclusion “We loved working on this project,” said Ray Dolby from Control Lighting Ltd. “Working with an experienced lighting design team and proactive electrical contractors meant that we could develop and implement a really special solution. Extra recognition must go to the client project team, who fully understood what they wanted to achieve and were prepared to spend the time and get involved in the detail of this project to ensure its success.” “Fine tuning the touchscreen user interface with end users gave excellent feedback for any improvements but also acted as a mini-training session so that everyone was super confident when the visitor experience opened its doors.” We urge our readers to visit The Macallan Distillery – not only to enjoy the lighting design but it’s a fabulous, well thought out visitor experience and you don’t have to be a whisky drinker to enjoy an amazing day out.”