Now that you’ve made the switch to LED lighting, you might also want to add dimming controls to your lights so that you have more choices for the intensity of lighting for your various spaces and rooms. For commercial or residential applications that require different amounts of light intensity for different tasks, having your LEDs equipped for dimming will allow you to get just the right amount of lighting power to fit the needs of all of your spaces.
This blog will touch on a few effective applications for 0 to 10V LED dimming in both commercial and residential buildings. Then we will walk you through the steps of installing 0 to 10V LED dimming as part of your lighting system, allowing you to start reaping the benefits of increased lighting control.
Applications for LED Dimming
We already know that LED lighting is a great way to cut down on lighting energy costs in your home or business, sometimes helping people to reduce their annual lighting costs by hundreds and even thousands of dollars. By adding dimming capability to your already efficient LED lights, you’ll be saving even more energy while also improving the look and feel of your various spaces.
By implementing dimming controllers with your LED lights, you’ll be able to adjust the lighting in the various rooms of your residential or commercial space, allowing you the ability to enjoy both energy savings and the elevated atmosphere of a well-lit room or space.
There are many different applications where dimming will make a huge difference in your lighting design. Restaurants, lounges, and bars all have distinct aesthetic needs when it comes to lighting, and LED dimming controls can allow you to capture the right mood or atmosphere for your guests. Retail spaces or museums can also benefit from LED lighting equipped with dimming control, helping to amplify and accentuate the artistic and design elements that are crucial to galleries and showrooms.
Whatever the application, it’s simple to set up your LED lighting with dimming controls. All it takes is some basic knowledge of how 0 to 10V dimming works and some instructions on how to set up the LED dimming controls in your residential or commercial space.
How 0 to 10V Dimming Works
0-10V dimming is an effective way to control the energy level of your lights, in this case LEDs. You can alternate the amount of energy the light receives between 0 to 10 volts, switching between high levels of bright, expansive lighting perfect for working, cooking, and housework or warm, ambient light for relaxing or reading.
These dimmable lights use an LED driver connected to a dimming controller to set the amount of light you want your LEDs to put off. With proper settings, you’ll be able to enjoy the full range of light available from your fixture, from the lowest dim possible to 100% bright, full light. A properly installed LED dimming controller will have proper correlation between the controller setting and lighting intensity, meaning that a 10% dim will equate to 10% lighting intensity.
Now all you need to do is to install 0 to 10V dimming as part of your lighting system.
How to Install 0 to 10V LED Dimming
When it comes to installing a 0-10V dimming as part of your light fixture, you first need to know what kind of circuit you have. If you have a class two circuit, then there are no safety protection warnings on the circuit. If it’s a class one circuit, there is a major safety protection warning on the device. Working with class one circuits means you have to take serious precautions to avoid electric shock.
The dimming signal is usually connected to the lighting driver with a purple wire, which carries the 10 volt charge, and a grey wire, which is the common wire carrying the signal. These connect the dimming controller to one or more LED drivers that have the correct input for 0-10V dimming.
All you must do then is connect the dimming controller with the appropriate wires to the LED driver. With the purple and grey wires installed at both ends, you’ll have a 10 volt signal going out to your LED lights. What the controller does is connect these two wires, causing the power signal to drop correspondingly with the dimming setting.
One other concern is to ensure all class two control circuits are separate from class one line voltage wiring. This will keep you in line with the National Electric Code and limit the chance of higher-voltage wiring inducing alternating current voltage to lower-voltage signals, which could cause dangerous issues in the electrical system. If you have any questions about staying in line with this code, or any other safety issues, please feel free to reach out to our customer service team.
Dimming And All Your Other Lighting Needs
Installing a dimming controller for your LED lights is not difficult, and you won’t regret the aesthetic benefits and energy savings of doing so. Implementing LED dimming controls as part of your lighting system helps you make your LED lights even more energy efficient, helping you cut down on costs while also getting the lighting of your space just right.
