Demonstrating Lighting Automation Design Solution

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Farrer House Albury Lighting Automation Solution.

Farrer House is a mixed tenancy commercial building located in popular Swift Street, just one block from Albury’s Dean Street and surrounded by professional practices and entertainment. 

Bobby Jones-Davies of Positive Electrical Service and Adam Goudie from Middy’s Wodonga were the masterminds behind the solution

Business NSW, located on Level 1 of Albury’s Farrer House, recently underwent a major refurbishment which included the construction of a large multi-purpose conference room featuring state-of-the-art video conferencing technology where local and regional businesses can meet for conferences, functions and training.

It was at the late stages of the project, just before final fit-off, that the client enquired to the Electrical Contractor about automating the lighting and wanted to be able to control the lighting from a tablet located at the A/V console opposite the rooms entrance, where the switch plates were located.

Damon Ferguson, Owner of Positive Electrical Service in Wodonga, contacted Adam Goudie from the Middy’s Wodonga branch and immediately a site visit was arranged to discuss options and see what could be done to achieve the desired outcome.

As the entire job had already been roughed in, and the light fixtures originally installed now requiring automation, whatever solution was proposed had to work with the existing dimmable lights as well as fit off without any changes to the existing cabling. An extra condition was that there were to be no devices connected to the network within the building which narrowed down the available solutions. After discussing the client’s requirements it was decided to use the SAL Pixie Bluetooth range of smart products. For this particular installation, all that was required from the contractor was the number of dimmable and non-dimmable circuits and the type of switch plates being used, which ended up being the Clipsal Saturn series.
 
With the installation of smart switches and dimmers in place of standard rocker mechs, and with some simple setup via the Pixie app, all circuits in the room are now controllable either through the digital push button mechanisms, or via the APP. Further to this, by using the Pixie app, multiple circuits have been added to groups so the three banks of downlights can be dimmed simultaneously. Several scenes have been set up, and with just one touch of the Tablet, all downlights are turned off, while stage lighting is ramped up over a 10 second period, giving a smooth transition, and then switched back on in the same manner.

Another feature of this system is the simplicity of the setup. If changes are required, the end-user can set light levels, create new scenes, and modify all the switching options on the spot without having to call the installer every time a change is required.
 

The Install:

• Sal Pixie Bluetooth Range of Smart Products
• Clipsal Saturn Series of Switchplates

"I couldn’t have asked more of the team at Middy’s Wodonga. There was no hesitation in offering to have Adam come and do a walk through and assist in finding a solution. From my initial enquiry, we had a site visit the next day and a proposal ready to present to my client the day after. Assistance with commissioning was offered but with the simplicity of the app and its functions, assistance was not required, but it’s always nice to know our suppliers have got our backs if and when needed." - Damon Ferguson, Owner, Positive Electrical Service

Lighting Automation Design Case Study - PDF Download