DALI lamps and DALI luminaires

DALI lights & control: Intelligent lighting for your company

If you are looking for a modern, flexible and energy-efficient luminaire for your commercial property, office building, production hall or shop, DALI (Digital Addressable Lighting Interface) is the technology of choice. We briefly explain why DALI is now the standard for professional lighting control and how you can use it to your advantage.

What is DALI?

DALI is a globally standardised protocol (IEC 62386) for the digital control of lighting systems. In contrast to analogue systems (such as 1-10V), DALI enables interactive communication between the DALI luminaires (or their control gear, LED drivers) and the control components (sensors, switches or the DALI gateway). Each luminaire or created group of luminaires can be individually addressed and controlled.

Advantages of DALI at an overview

The use of DALI offers numerous advantages that pay off particularly in a professional environment:

Maximum flexibility & scalability

Rooms and their utilisation change, uses adapt. You can easily reassign and reconfigure DALI lamps and luminaire groups using software - without the need for time-consuming rewiring. The DALI bus is easy to expand and adapts to future requirements.

High energy efficiency & cost savings

DALI enables precise dimming, preset brightness of individual luminaires and luminaire groups (scenarios), daylight-dependent dimming and adjustment by external sensors and lighting. Demand-led lighting control allows you to significantly reduce the energy consumption of your lighting system and thus save on operating costs.

Savings on installation & maintenance

The DALI bus cable (a simple 2-wire cable that can often be laid together with the mains supply) simplifies cabling. Bidirectional communication also enables status feedback from luminaires and control gear, which makes maintenance and troubleshooting easier. This means that defective luminaires signal a problem to the central control unit and building services can replace the luminaires in a targeted manner.

Acquisition costs

DALI components are often more expensive to purchase than conventional variants. The complex digital control gear / DALI drivers are particularly significant here. Costs for control components such as the DALI master or gateways, somewhat more expensive cabling and the purchase of sensors and actuators cost money. Planning, configuration and commissioning must also be taken into account.

Operating costs & total costs

This is where DALI scores over the course of its service life and in use. Significant energy savings, high flexibility in the event of changes of use (avoiding expensive conversions) and potentially lower maintenance costs due to status feedback often lead to rapid amortisation.

Future-proof & integration

As an established international standard, DALI is future-proof and compatible with products from many manufacturers (especially with DALI-2). DALI can also be easily integrated into higher-level building automation systems (e.g. KNX, BACnet).

Advantages of DALI-2 compared to DALI (version 1)

DALI-2 is the latest version of the standard and offers significant improvements: Standardised input devices: DALI-2 standardises not only the operating devices (like DALI-1), but also control devices such as sensors, push-buttons and controllers. Guaranteed compatibility: Products with the DALI-2 logo must undergo a strict certification process. This guarantees significantly better compatibility between devices from different manufacturers.

More functions & reliability: DALI-2 enables extended functions (e.g. more detailed feedback, colour control type Tc and xy) and ensures more stable bus operation. Clear separation: DALI-2 clearly defines application controllers, input devices and control gear, which simplifies system planning. Recommendation: For new installations, you should always use DALI-2 certified components to ensure maximum compatibility and future-proofing.

Requirements for a DALI system

To be able to utilise the benefits of DALI, you need the following components: DALI-capable luminaires

• DALI-capable luminaires

The luminaires must have an integrated DALI control gear (driver/ballast) or be prepared for connection to an external DALI control gear. Look out for the ‘DALI’ or ideally ‘DALI-2’ labelling. DALI control devices

• DALI-Steuergeräte

Depending on the requirements, you will need: DALI Controller/Master (Application Controller for DALI-2): The ‘brain’ of the system. DALI sensors & input devices (input devices for DALI-2): Presence detectors, light sensors, push-buttons, control panels. DALI gateways: For connection to other systems (e.g. KNX, BACnet). DALI power supply (bus power supply): Each DALI line requires its own power supply.

• DALI bus line & system size

A 2-core control cable connects all DALI components. It can often be laid together with the mains cable (observe national regulations!). Important parameters: A maximum of 64 DALI operating devices (luminaires, ECGs) can be connected to a DALI line (also known as a string). Larger systems are realised using several DALI lines, which are often connected via gateways or higher-level controllers.

• Professional planning & commissioning

A DALI system requires careful planning (topology, addressing) and professional commissioning (addressing, grouping, scene configuration) in order to function efficiently and without errors.

Integration in building systems & known gateway providers

The strength of DALI also lies in its seamless integration into higher-level building automation systems, particularly via gateways. This enables centralised control and monitoring of the lighting in the context of the entire building technology.

Typical connections

KNX: Very common in German-speaking countries for building automation. KNX-DALI gateways enable the control of DALI lights via KNX push-buttons, sensors and visualisations.

Well-known providers of DALI gateways

A large number of manufacturers offer DALI gateways. Here are some established providers in the German-speaking market (not exhaustive):

• ABB / Stotz-Kontakt (KNX, free@home)
• Siemens (KNX, Desigo)
• mdt Smart Building Made in Germany
• Jung (KNX)
• Gira (KNX)
• Theben (KNX)

Discover our DALI product range

Browse through our selection of high-quality DALI-2 lights and components. From LED panels and recessed luminaires / downlights to industrial luminaires and matching control devices - we offer professional solutions. Do you have any questions or need support with planning your DALI project? Our experienced team will be happy to help you. Contact us for a personalised consultation!