State-of-the-art lighting control for critical building infrastructure
The new Grafton Central Plant Building, A40, is a critical infrastructure facility designed to support the wider hospital campus with essential plant, services and operational systems.
Located on an existing at-grade car park adjacent to Buildings A21, A11 and A35, the new six-level facility connects back into the wider campus through a new services tunnel to Building A01. This tunnel provides key infrastructure links between the new central plant and existing buildings, supporting the ongoing operation and resilience of the site.
A40 houses a wide range of essential services, including the central chilled water system, electrical generation system, electrical distribution network, water treatment plant, domestic water storage, diesel storage, medical oxygen storage and facility management offices.
For a building of this nature, the lighting control system needed to be reliable, practical and easy to manage across multiple levels and operational zones.
Intelligent Environments worked with Caldwell & Levesque to deliver a DALI lighting control solution by zencontrol that supports the functional needs of the building while helping improve energy efficiency, automation and integration with wider building systems.
The requirement
Central plant buildings are highly operational environments. They are not designed around one single pattern of use. Different spaces have different requirements depending on how often they are accessed, who uses them, how critical the area is and whether the space needs simple manual control or more automated operation.
For A40, the lighting control system needed to support:
- Six levels of plant, services and facility management areas
- A mix of simple rooms, technical spaces and shared operational zones
- Energy saving after hours
- Daylight optimisation where natural light was available
- Integration with wider building management systems
- A control strategy that remained practical for day-to-day operation and long-term maintenance
The challenge was not simply to control the lights. It was to create a system that could respond intelligently to how different areas of the building are used.
The solution
Intelligent Environments delivered a lighting control system consisting of 22 DALI networks across six levels, with BACnet integration to support communication with the wider building management environment.
The control approach was designed around the function of each area.
Simple spaces were kept simple, with manual control where that was the most practical and appropriate solution. More complex and shared areas were supported with automated control, helping maintain consistency, reduce unnecessary energy use and improve operational efficiency.
This balance is important. Not every part of a building needs to be automated in the same way. A well-considered lighting control strategy should match the space, its users and its operational purpose.
For A40, this meant providing the right level of control in the right areas.
Energy saving after hours
Movement sensors were used to help reduce unnecessary lighting operation after hours.
In areas where lights may otherwise be left on when no one is present, sensors automatically turn lights off when movement is no longer detected. This helps reduce wasted energy while still ensuring lighting is available when spaces are occupied.
For a central plant environment, where areas may be accessed irregularly by maintenance teams, engineers or facility staff, this type of automation provides a practical energy-saving benefit without relying on users to manually switch lights off every time.
Daylight optimisation
Photocells were used to support daylight optimisation in outdoor areas and spaces near windows.
By measuring available natural light, the system can reduce unnecessary artificial lighting where daylight is already contributing to the space. This helps improve energy performance while maintaining appropriate light levels for the environment.
This is particularly valuable in perimeter zones and external areas where daylight levels change throughout the day.
Rather than operating lighting at a fixed level regardless of conditions, the system can respond to the available light and help avoid unnecessary energy use.
BACnet integration
BACnet integration allows the lighting control system to connect with wider building management systems.
For large and technically complex facilities, this is an important part of creating a coordinated building environment. Lighting control should not operate in isolation when it forms part of a broader network of building services.
Through BACnet integration, relevant lighting control data and system status can be made available to the wider building management platform, supporting better visibility, coordination and operational management.
A practical control strategy
One of the key strengths of the A40 lighting control solution is the way control was matched to the requirements of each space.
Simple areas were given manual control, keeping operation straightforward for users.
Complex and shared areas were automated, helping ensure lighting performance was more consistent across spaces used by multiple people or accessed at different times.
This approach avoids unnecessary complexity while still delivering the benefits of a smart DALI lighting control system.
For Intelligent Environments, the best lighting control outcomes are not achieved by over-automating every area. They are achieved by understanding how the building will be used and designing the control strategy around that.
The outcome
The completed lighting control system at Grafton Central Plant Building A40 provides a reliable and scalable control solution across six levels of critical infrastructure space.
With 22 DALI networks, BACnet integration, movement-based after-hours control and daylight-responsive optimisation, the system supports the practical operation of the building while helping reduce unnecessary lighting energy use.
The result is a lighting control solution that is fit for purpose, easy to manage and aligned with the operational needs of a complex central plant facility.
Project summary
Project: Grafton Central Plant Building A40
Contractor: Caldwell & Levesque
Lighting control specialist: Intelligent Environments
System: DALI lighting control
Scale: 22 DALI networks across six levels
Integration: BACnet
Key features: Movement sensors, photocells, manual control, automated control, after-hours energy saving and daylight optimisation
Grafton Central Plant Building A40 demonstrates how a well-designed lighting control system can support the performance of critical infrastructure – not just by controlling lights, but by creating a smarter, more responsive and more efficient building environment.
