The Importance of a Lighting Plan When Renovating

In a residential property, effective lighting creates a space that's more enjoyable to live in. Lighting can also have a direct effect on productivity. Read on to find out more about why and how you should create a lighting plan for your space.

Every Space is Different

Different spaces require different levels of illumination, combining a range of natural and artificial lighting sources. Planning the lighting design of your home will enable you to make the best use of these two sources of light.

Temperature Control

The sun isn't only a source of light but also a source of warmth. By managing the sunlight that enters your space through monitoring shades and shadows. You can keep the indoor temperatures under control and reduce the need for artificial heating and cooling. Somfy's Thermosunis Indoor Wirefree temperature sensor protects the inside of your house from the sun and heat by automatically lowering or raising your window coverings depending on the intensity of the sunshine or the temperature. This assists energy savings by automatically opening to benefit from the sun's heat in winter and closing once the temperature threshold has been reached.

Visual Comfort

There are three layers of lighting that should be considered in a well-designed system: task, ambient and accent. Task lighting is functional - using a lamp to read at a desk or spotlights over a kitchen bench. Ambient light is the overall illumination of an area or room; this relies heavily on using the natural light available from windows or skylights. The ambient light is what creates atmosphere and this is key to gaining best use of a space. For example, home offices should have plenty of light to make users feel energetic and focused while social areas such as dining spaces will be less bright to help people feel relaxed. Accent lighting is for creative interest and helps to create the overall aesthetic appeal of your home.

Save Energy

One of the biggest benefits of designing a lighting plan for your space is the significant energy savings that can be made. By using sensors, you can ensure that artificial light is only used when necessary to avoid wasting electricity. As well as this, temperature sensors can automate control of solar protection to minimise the use of air conditioning and heating. Somfy's Sunis Wirefree can even be used to control the angle of slats on external venetian blinds in response to the sun in order to achieve the best visual and thermal comfort and the least energy consumption throughout the day.

If you are planning your lighting design and wish to learn more about Somfy's range of sensors to aid natural lighting or wish to control your artificial lighting via your smartphone with Connexoon Window RTS, obtain a quote today!