Essential Install June 2017 | Page 27

Essential Install | Lighting DID YOU KNOW: In 1875, Henry Woodward patented an electric light bulb Lighting controls from Rako The RTI GUI enables users to move easily from AV control to lighting control Mike says: “This makes HomeWorks QS the perfect complement to the high-end cinema equipment distributed by us.” Pulse has been working with Lutron’s lighting control solutions for more than 20 years and is delighted to have recently become a distributor for the HomeWorks QS system. Mike says: “We’ve always been great fans of Lutron and they’ve always been an important part of what we do. HomeWorks QS is just so far superior to any other system for controlling lighting. Once dealers have experienced it, there’s no going back.” Mike says Pulse’s decades of experience of working with Lutron lighting control technology allows it to support dealers in getting the best out of it and integrating it with other systems. He says: “Pulse can help dealers to specify the right kit and train them to install and programme it successfully – ensuring the end customers gets the exact result they wanted. Pulse’s partnership with Lutron also gives its customers access to Lutron’s recently opened, Experience Centre in central London. The 585m 2 showroom and education space demonstrates Lutron’s innovative light and blind control solutions. Pulse uses the centre to demonstrate Lutron’s lighting control products and to train dealers on what they can do. It complements Pulse’s own showroom in Stansted, which also demonstrates HomeWorks QS. Rako Controls says that it continually develops new and improved products to ensure its offering is able to meet the changing demands of both installers and their clients. The company says that dealers and installers are the interface between any manufacturer and the end customer. As such training, updating and supporting them Rako says is crucial. The company say that year-on-year, it has seen a demand for training grow by around 20° and it has subsequently announced additional training days at its head offi ce in Kent and at its regional offi ces near Manchester. Rako says: “The appetite for this training and its benefi ts are twofold; well trained dealers are better able to specify and install the best products for any application, but also the close contact required for an ongoing training program allows us as the manufacturer to get good feedback from dealers about market trends and suggestions for product improvement. “Undoubtedly IoT and voice control are the key factors driving current trends and developments in the smart home sector with the ability to control lighting forming an intrinsic part of that. The simplicity demonstrated by these systems are what clients are ultimately coming to expect from their connected home.” Rako is working on the launch of its new Cloud Gateway that will enable voice control of its lighting control system from the many voice recognition systems becoming available, such as Apple Home Kit, Amazon Alexa and Google Home. Invision points out that new light sources such as LED bring a plethora of lighting options and the need to control multiple circuits per room simply and energy efficiently. Lighthouse With timelock events, your pathway lights are on to guide you home. June 2017 | 25