Benefits of using Exit & Emergency fittings on a zencontrol DALI solution

Typically, it has been common place that the lighting control system and the exit and emergency system in a building have been treated as separate systems, maintained by separate tools, and managed by separate contracts. From a single line diagram perspective, this might look as follows:

With the inclusion of DALI in a building, including DALI exit and emergency devices in conjunction with other DALI devices on the same line is possible. These devices consume a single ECG address but typically do not respond to any kind of control message (Off, Recall Max, Up, Down etc). Considering the previous diagram, this now allows us to consolidate the 2 separate disciplines, into a single cohesive solution.

The DALI alliance enacts strict performance requirements for all DALI devices as apart of the greater DALI-2 standards. DALI exit and emergency fittings are no exception to this and must comply to IEC 62386-202, otherwise known as DALI device type 1. This means that any manufacturer of exit and emergency luminaires can choose to develop a DALI-2 compliant fitting, knowing that it will work with any DALI solution that also supports DALI device type 1 fittings.

The DALI standard opens up building owners to choice when it comes to lighting control in their property. As DALI is an open standard that any manufacturer can choose to develop their products to, if DALI products in use within a building become end of life or no longer available for any reason, it can be replaced with something of the like from another manufacturer.

This offers a level of peace of mind as from a maintenance point of view, you do not need to concern yourself with finding replacement products in the situation of a product failure as its possible to find a replacement, alternative or otherwise. Additionally, as there are options on the market, this keeps the markets for the respective products competitive and affordable.

A benefit of consolidating lighting control as well as exit and emergency is that the entire lifecycle of the solution, from design and installation, through to monitoring and maintenance can now be undertaken by a single contractor. With the appropriate DALI platform, it can also offer simpler management through automatic reporting, and maintenance tools designed to look after every aspect of lighting within the building. Reduced points of contact, and reduced operating platforms in a building leads to streamlined management from a facilities point of view.

zencontrol has full support for the IEC62386-202 standard as apart of their platform, meaning that not only can DALI-2 compatible exit and emergency fittings be installed onto DALI lines connected to a zencontrol application controller, but that they can be configured, managed and have their health reported upon via automatic scheduled testing.

As apart of a zencontrol solution, the entire site can be managed via the zencontrol cloud platform, meaning that site monitoring can be managed safely and securely, anywhere in the world at any time. This capability allows for installers and integrators to perform maintenance tasks without having to attend site, reducing time to response and associated costs via reduced call out fees.

Since the zencontrol cloud platform is account based, adding additional users to a site, whether that be for maintenance or for access to controls on the system is a capability that can be quickly accessed as a facility manager. This allows for a greater level of support quicker, leading to faster paths to resolution.  

Exit and emergency reports are automatically generated after all tests, which collate data across the entire site for all relevant devices. These reports include data such as identification data and results on their runtime, as well as links to the relevant device within the zencontrol cloud. These test results can be designed to report data from the entire building, down to individual floors or tenancies, and given the appropriate access restrictions to the right people. This results in the right data going to the right people as soon as possible.

All these points here when brought together show that these benefits not only ensure that a site can comply with AS2293, they can make sure they exceed them, while making maintenance for the facility manager as streamlined as possible. This is done by reducing control systems, reducing the needed training to support the installed systems, reduced wiring, reduced costs, and reduced labour and expenses during the lifespan of the building.