Energy & Cost Impacts: Luminaires with Integrated Controls

LICs reduce energy use through automatic control strategies that respond to occupancy, daylight availability, and programmed output limits. Because sensing and control hardware are embedded directly within each luminaire, LICs deliver these strategies without requiring separate sensors, low-voltage wiring, or centralized control equipment.

Control strategies that affect energy savings:

• Occupancy Sensing: Integrated occupancy sensors adjust light levels based on detected motion, reducing lighting power during periods of vacancy. Since the sensing hardware is contained within each luminaire, occupancy-based energy reductions occur at the fixture level. Performance characteristics such as detection range and reliability influence the extent of savings achieved.
• Daylight Harvesting: Embedded photosensors monitor available daylight and reduce electric lighting accordingly. Sensor characteristics such as angular sensitivity, amplitude response, and dynamic range affect how effectively daylight harvesting is implemented.
• High-End Trim / Institutional Tuning: LIC commissioning tools allow maximum light output to be reduced from the luminaire’s native maximum.

While LICs may introduce repetitive, distributed control electronics across all installed luminaires, laboratory measurements show that the energy use of these embedded control components represents a small portion of total luminaire power. Testing indicates that per-unit power consumption of the controls portion is typically on the order of 1–2% of the overall fixture power. With control electronics exhibit minimal variation between active and standby modes.

The primary cost impact of LIC stems from the fact that sensing and control hardware are embedded directly into each luminaire at the factory. Because the occupancy sensor, photosensor, and processing components are built into the fixture, installation typically follows the same process as installing a standard luminaire. This eliminates the need to mount separate sensors, install external photocells, or run additional low-voltage control wiring between devices. As a result, projects do not require the added labor associated with coordinating multiple control components, wiring pathways, or ceiling access related specifically to lighting control equipment.

Commissioning costs for LICs are also influenced by their integrated design. Most LIC systems use mobile app–based commissioning tools, allowing installers or facility personnel to adjust settings such as occupancy timeout, high-end trim, and daylighting setpoints without specialized software or network infrastructure. Commissioning does not require a central controller or internet connection, and access to the commissioning interface is generally maintained throughout the system’s life, reducing the need for repeated third-party involvement.

In terms of equipment costs, LIC-enabled luminaires do have a higher unit price than luminaires without embedded controls due to the integrated sensor and logic components. However, LIC systems do not require separate sensors, gateways, control modules, or communication hardware beyond what is built into each luminaire. This reduces the number of external devices that must be purchased for a project and allows the full control capability to be delivered through the luminaires themselves.