Shining in new splendor, thanks to a modern lighting solution
Issue 01-2017:
read all articles online
read as pdf
The lighting system of the Imperial Cathedral in Frankfurt am Main has gotten along in years. The goal was to re-stage the many details in the area of the chancel in the former collegiate church, which is also the biggest ecclesiastical building in the city on the Main River, by using modern lighting technology, thereby bringing out their full beauty. The bright red of the walls as well as paintings and gold-studded ornaments provide an ideal basis for planners and light experts to show of the strengths of the LED technology.
To illuminate the impressive high altar and the so-called St. Bartholomew frieze, classic luminaire tracks with corresponding lights were mounted on the longitudinal walls behind the three columns at the beginning of the project. Barely visible to the viewer, these lamps used to provide sufficient lighting of the individual objects but without being able to set any true light accents. In addition, a chandelier and pendulum lamps above the choir stalls were used to illuminate the room. It was no longer possible to economically operate the existing track lights, due to their advanced age. It is not possible to procure adequate lamps, because of changes in the laws covering incandescent lamps and requirements relating to energy savings.
Project objective: an innovative lighting concept
Numerous valuable coats-of-arms and gravestones decorate the longitudinal walls in the area of the chancel and need to be illuminated with the aid of modern track lights. At the same time, adequate lighting still needs to be ensured in the practice and sermon area of the chancel hall. One requirement of the building owner was also the ability to switch the lighting of the individual objects separately and to dim the brightness steplessly. This task was not easy to accomplish, since the some of the lights for illuminating an individual object are distributed among all six tracks. A control solution therefore had to be found, which allowed the individual lights in each track to be controlled in groups without the unavailable cable connection between the individual luminaire tracks.
The implementation: successful teamwork
To provide optimum lighting of the altar, the existing luminaire tracks were replaced with new DALI-capable tracks with LED lights.
Due to the historic preservation requirements, the only option was to work with the six existing single-phase supply lines of the old luminaire tracks. There was no way to install additional control lines or bus lines for activating individual lamps separately. First, the existing luminaire tracks were removed and replaced by new DALI-capable tracks. The existing incandescent track lights were replaced by LED lamps with a DALI interface as well as a different fitting from the manufacturer ERCO. A lighting test with the total of 37 LED lights showed that it was possible to implement the building owner’s different requirements as planned.
The solution: Easy plug-in
The light control was implemented on the basis of plug-in modules for DALI luminaire tracks from DEUTA Controls in the BL-201 “FLEX” series. Every controller has an EnOcean-based wireless receiver. Placed at the lower end of each of the total of six luminaire tracks, the receiver can receive both the wireless signals of the permanently installed light switches as well as those of the desired remote control units. With the integrated DALI master and the DALI power supply, which is also preinstalled, the modules form a complete solution for this project. Up to 17 DALI lights in each track segment can communicate directly with the controller. The wireless configuration of the controllers via EnOcean using the PC made it possible to set up light scenes with the planner and client right on site and to configure the switching functions.
Different functions were configured for daily operation. It is thus possible to switch each group of lights separately and to dim them in a range from 0 to 100 percent. One group of lights, for example, is turned on only when the altar doors are opened on Special occasions. When the doors are closed, the lighting otherwise tends to be distracting. The maximum brightness of the individual lights was intentionally limited to a maximum value of 90 percent, which substantially extends the life of the lamps. Likewise, the light scenes for church services, guided tours or lectures, for example, can be made accessible at the press of a button by easily configuring them on the PC without any programming. Due to the use of the EnOcean wireless technology, light switches can be added at any time without any batteries or maintenance.
Exemplary solution in historic preservation
Unlike other solutions, this plug-in variant does not require any additional installation or mounting space outside the luminaire track, as is necessary, for example, for a WLAN router. Thus, the installation of the control system incurs almost no direct costs, and the system can be configured at any time wirelessly without having to establish a wired connection to the controllers with the PC.
New articles in Smart Lighting
Top articles
