More than a lighting system, actually, Dali is a protocol focused on digital control which aims to facilitate the installation of intelligent lighting networks that are both flexible and robust, and that can be implemented at different scales.
The Dali system arises from the DiiA (Digital Illumination Interface Alliance), also known as Dali Alliance, a consortium of lighting companies from all over the world with more than 310 members, whose objective is to to drive the digital lighting control market.
This protocol for intelligent lighting is an application standard for the industry that is framed within the concept of smart building or intelligent construction, which has its expression in the development of the home automation and building automation. Both terms refer to the application of intelligent building automation and control technologies, While home automation is more commonly used in the field of private residential construction, building automation focuses on larger buildings, often for public use.
How intelligent lighting is defined
The lights used in intelligent lighting systems often have chips inside them that allow the communication with other devices. This connects each of the luminaires or lighting structures with a mobile app, virtual assistant or other smart device so that they can be remote control.
That remote digital control is one of the keys to intelligent lighting, although there are also other measures that contribute to designing more efficient systems, which is, after all, its main objective. The use of LED lights or automation are other tools to increase lighting efficiency in buildings, open spaces or transit areas.
There are several technologies that allow connecting the elements of a lighting system and a device from which to control them remotely, but probably the most popular ones are the network connection wifiby technology bluetooth or Zigbee, which is a set of wireless communication protocols that allows networking with various smart devices. All of them have their pros and cons, although networks are being widely used. Zigbee because they are secure, have low energy and data consumption, work without a Wi-Fi connection and, unlike Bluetooth, are not limited to short distances, but can be installed in large spaces.
Benefits of intelligent lighting
One of the most important benefits of digital lighting control systems, as is Dali, is the energy efficiency. Being able to automate, remotely control and have information on the luminaires allows for a more responsible, sustainable and reasoned use that reduces energy consumption, resulting in economic savings and the reduction of polluting emissions.
Another important advantage of this control that allows intelligent lighting is the improvement of light quality. These systems not only allow lights to be switched on or off remotely, but also to control their intensity, color or design. This has consequences for the satisfaction of users, who their needs and preferences are met more precisely and also for your health, since it is possible to work with solutions that offer greater lighting comfort and well-being.
In addition, communication between the luminaires and the smart devices enables potential faults or deficiencies in the system to be detected more quickly and accurately, so that problems can be prevented or addressed more effectively. The intelligent maintenance contributes to strengthening the safety and extended service life of the systems.
Dali System: paradigm of intelligent lighting
The acronym Dali in lighting stands for Digital Addressable Lighting Interface or digital control lighting interface.
What is Dali lighting
As explained in the Dali Alliance websiteInitially, the Dali system was developed for the following purposes enable digital control, configuration and information gathering of electric ballasts for fluorescent lighting. The intention was to replace the simple, one-way analog control of 0(1)-10V dimmers as found in studio lighting with a system that, with a simple configuration, would be able to allow for the digital control of luminaires individually or by groups.
For situations where it is not necessary to control the light points individually or in groups, the Dali system also allows a simple form of control such as studio lighting, called Broadcast Dali, which allows operating between 1 and 100 dimmers at the same time. However, the Dali protocol is characterized precisely by its ability to offer greater flexibility in the control of lighting systems.
Dali is an international standard which is defined by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) in the IEC 62386 series standardwhich was ratified by the Spanish Association for Standardization in February 2023.
The latest version of the protocol is Dali-2, an enhanced certification program that includes more commands and control devices than the original standard.
How Dali lighting works
Except in Dali Broadcast systems, where all luminaires are connected to the same line, in a Dali system, each light point can be assigned a different control. Wiring is simple, since both data and power go through the same pair of wires, without the need to use a different bus cable.
Up to 64 Dali luminaires can be controlled with this individual control system. In addition, Dali fixtures can be configured to work as a group; up to 16 groups of luminaires can be programmed. The software is simply reprogrammed, there is no need to change the wiring. In this way, up to 16 groups of luminaires can be assign different functions or modes in the lighting of different rooms or areas in a simple and easy to adjust way.
The Dali system allows the lighting to be switched on, off and dimmed digitally; it manages the luminaires and their interaction with sensors or motion detectors, and also provides various data on the system's performance and operation.
At TalatDali lighting is a part of our projects of intelligent building programmingin which the objective is to combine comfort and sustainability, and to obtain the best performance and efficiency from the installations.
For the Ribas Winery, our team implemented a lighting and air conditioning management system using Dali and KNX technologies, also supervising the wine production control, as well as the electrical and telecommunications installations. On the other hand, the Talat BIM Engineering was responsible for developing both the complete architectural design modeling and the lighting design using BIM. We incorporated detailed luminaire models into the project, including technical specifications such as light intensity, color temperature and photometry data. In addition, we facilitate the visualization of the project through virtual tours created with real-time rendering software.
If you need more information about the Dali system, contact Talat's team.