In recent years engineers have been able to offer both client and architect energy saving devices when designing open plan offices, warehouses and even hotel rooms. However at the actual switching position the architect has always been left with a large non-aesthetic multi gang grid switch (e.g. an eight gang switch plate). Now the engineer can offer the architect an eight (or sixteen) gang switching device on a single faceplate.
Jung have developed the Sensor Module to provide the designer and engineer with a multi-circuit switching device that is the size of a single gang plate, doing away with the traditional use of large multi gang grid switches on installations such as open plan offices, warehouses and hotel installations.
Not only is the new sensor module smaller, neater and more aesthetically appealing, it is also much more practical. Each circuit is represented individually on the touch screen device and they can all be identified either with a written description or by inserting a digital image of the room. As a result, even someone who has never been to the location before can see instantly which controls they need to touch on the sensor unit in order to switch the lights they need.
Cutting edge technology
Installed in conjunction with the Jung Universal Relay Station, the new Sensor Module can switch up to eight circuits from a standard single gang plate-sized device and up to four devices can be connected to a single relay station. One can also wire two relay stations in parallel and achieve sixteen circuit control from a single gang module. Installation is via two core cable and it is simple to add sensor modules to the area as the device has a clone mode, which allows additional sensor units to be programmed automatically to match the settings on the master unit.
Ease of use is central to the design and the devices have been created to allow individual users to tailor their needs to their environment. For example, the brightness of the status LED lights on the sensor module can be set to three different levels – 100%, 50% or 0% – depending on how important it is to be able to read the status of individual lights at a glance. In an average-sized hotel room, it is simple to see which lights are switched on as there are only a few in the room. In a large-scale industrial unit or open plan office, however, it may be much more difficult to spot which areas are illuminated. What’s more, the LEDs can be grouped as required, allowing the sensor module to indicate which area of the building is illuminated.
In order to ensure true flexibility and ease of use, programming of the sensor modules has also been made easy, so if the building’s layout should be re-configured or there is a change in the way the space is used, altering the sensor module’s controls to adapt to those changes is quick and simple. What’s more, the settings on each module are saved securely and will remain operational even after a mains failure so no re-programming is required. And if an image is used to indicate which touch panel switch operates which light(s), a new image can simply be inserted if for any reason the lights are re-configured.
Room with a view
One of the biggest markets for sensor modules is the hotel industry, where energy is frequently wasted thanks to guests switching lights on unnecessarily, often because they do not know the switching layout, and whilst the client would like a sophisticated guest room control system, the budget more often than not will not allow this level of sophistication. Enter the Sensor Module, put into a two gang frame alongside a standard Jung Hotel Card energy switch and the client has simple switching with energy in mind and a wow factor for the guest.
Typically, at the entrance to a hotel room there tends to be a group of light switches by the door and these will be used to illuminate all the lights in the room including the entrance area, the main bedroom light, the bedside lights, and the desk, dressing table and wall lights. There may also be additional switches around the room located next to these lights. By using a sensor module with an indicative image that allows guests to see which touch panel switch operates which light, the hotel operator can make it much easier for guests to switch on only the lights they actually need when they enter the room. Furthermore, by positioning additional cloned units around the room the hotel designer can dispense with numerous, confusing switches and achieve a much more streamlined, sophisticated look using sensor modules alone.
Indeed, the compact nature of the sensor units and their high-tech aesthetic is another key factor in their suitability for this application. Increasingly, hotel guests have come to expect state-of-the-art gadgetry as standard and the sensor modules meet those expectations. What’s more, the ability to use an image to indicate which switch operates which light is ideal for an environment where people are likely to be drawn from a number of different countries: even where conventional switches are labelled, labelling can only be offered in one or two languages, whereas an image is universally understood.
The ability to control blinds, shutters or motorised curtains as well as lights using a single sensor unit also makes it an ideal product for the hotel industry. The units offer push button control to adjust blinds and curtain settings just a little as well as on/off switching, which allows the user to open or close them with a single touch – perfect for the hotel guest that wants to admire the view before he gets up in the morning.
Working smarter
Helping to control the use of lights and shutters in large industrial environments was also one of the main drivers for the development of the Jung Sensor Module, as large industrial units often require numerous circuits of lights. Generally, however, the lights are either all switched on or all switched off in this type of workplace, even if some of the space is not in use.
Here the Jung sensor module easy cloning provides significant advantages, as a single warehouse or industrial unit may require numerous sensor units with identical programming to allow the lights to be switched from several locations. This not only allows the end user to improve energy efficiency by creating a culture where lights are used on a ‘need to use’ basis, it can also impact positively on health & safety as lights can be controlled from several locations, enabling workers to avoid using switches where dangerous plant equipment is in operation, for example. And because one of the functions can be set as an ‘all off/on’ control it allows all the lights to be switched on or off from any exit where a sensor module has been fitted with a single touch.
The ability to control shutters using the same device is also an advantage in this type of environment as, conventionally, the control switch for these is located next to the shutter and can only be operated from that point. It is small benefits such as this that can offer significant savings in the workplace, both in terms of energy consumption and in making life simpler for those on the factory floor.