LIGHTING AND CONTROLS
Commercial lighting and controls contractor
MORE THAN FIXTURES
Lighting a commercial space to the code and to the use
Commercial lighting has two jobs that pull in different directions. The tenant wants a space that looks right and is comfortable to work in. The energy code wants the lowest reasonable lighting power and controls that turn lights down or off whenever nobody needs them.
Modern LED fixtures make the power limits easy to meet. The controls are where projects go wrong. Occupancy sensors, daylight zones near windows, time schedules and dimming all have to be installed, programmed and tested, and a control system that was never commissioned is one of the most common complaints after move-in.
We treat controls as a system, not a list of devices. That means confirming the sequence of operation before rough-in, placing sensors where they will actually see people, and commissioning each zone before the final inspection — then showing the tenant how to adjust it.
What a lighting package includes
- Fixture layout checked against the reflected ceiling plan
- Lighting power verified against the adopted energy code
- Occupancy, vacancy and daylight control zones
- Emergency egress lighting and exit signs
- Exterior and sign lighting on time clocks or photocells
- Controls commissioning and a tenant walkthrough
SCOPE OF WORK
What we install
Interior fixtures
Troffers, linear, downlights, pendants and accent lighting installed to the reflected ceiling plan and coordinated with diffusers, sprinklers and speakers.
Controls and dimming
Occupancy and vacancy sensors, daylight harvesting, scene controllers and time schedules, wired and programmed to the sequence of operation.
Emergency and egress
Emergency fixtures, battery units or an inverter, and exit signs placed so every path of egress stays lit when normal power fails.
LED retrofits
Replacing older fixtures in occupied space with minimal disruption, with the control upgrades a retrofit may trigger under the energy code.
Exterior and site
Building-mounted, canopy, parking and sign lighting, controlled by photocell or schedule and aimed to keep light where it is needed.
Commissioning
Functional testing of every control zone, documentation of settings, and a walkthrough so the tenant knows how to make adjustments.
HOW THE JOB RUNS
Getting lighting and controls right
01
Confirm the sequence of operation
02
Coordinate the ceiling
03
Install and program
04
Commission and hand over
COMMON QUESTIONS
Lighting and controls questions
Often they do. Many energy codes treat replacing a significant share of the fixtures in a space as an alteration that must meet current control requirements. We check your jurisdiction’s threshold before pricing a retrofit.
Usually because the occupancy sensors were placed badly or left on default settings. Commissioning — adjusting each sensor’s sensitivity and timeout to the space — fixes most of it, which is why we do it before turnover rather than after complaints.
Lights near windows are dimmed automatically when enough daylight is available. Most commercial energy codes require it in spaces with significant glazing.
Yes. Emergency egress lighting and exit signs are part of every commercial lighting package, and they are tested before the final inspection.
Yes. Retrofits in occupied space are usually phased by area and scheduled after hours so the business keeps running.