The future of lighting management
From pioneer to trendsetter
What motivated you, more than 20 years ago, to develop a
special-purpose lighting management system?
Walter Werner In the winter of 1987, an electrical consultant asked us
to recommend a lighting control system. He showed us his wish list
for a perfect system. At the industry trade fair in Hanover that year
we were unable to find anything suitable. So we decided to develop
such a product in-house and came up with many ideas of our own
and took into account other customers’ preferences over a period
of several years.
What distinguishes the LUXMATE philosophy from other
manufacturers’ product concepts?
Walter Werner Zumtobel concentrated on lighting-focussed require-
ments: a large number of devices, often installed in the ceiling,
rapid switching, simple operation, gentle dimming, reliable lighting
control without oscillation effects. This gave rise to the concept of
lighting scenes, combined blinds control and daylighting using a
central daylight measuring head, the LUXMATE bus which offered
features that are outstanding even by modern standards, and a
range of control units that make complex settings easily accessible.
The sector has experienced breathtaking growth since
LUXMATE products were fi rst launched. What were and are
the key success factors in your opinion?
Walter Werner Our Sales department provides professional advice at
the start of every project. Our products are designed in a way that
focuses on individuals and their needs. Over the years, we have
added a large number of useful functions and devices which, when
used in combination, produce a perfect lighting solution. In doing so
we don’t just think about end-users, we realise that products also
have to be right for electrical consultants and electrical contractors.
Our control systems, for instance, support immediate testing after
installation without any prior commissioning or addressing.
What makes a perfect lighting solution?
Walter Werner A lighting control system must cater for people and their
needs. This always involves striking a balance between automated
intervention to infl uence the lighting situation and individuals’ freedom
to make adjustments. Light of varying colour and intensity is essen-
tially not distracting as long as it is properly controlled.
How would you describe Zumtobel’s roadmap?
Will the company continue to invest? What are your plans?
Walter Werner We attach great importance to using our control systems
to exploit the capabilities of LED technology. The challenge is to
integrate new technologies. The way lighting is operated has to be
adapted to take into account changing habits. Building auto mation
has now become widely established. Our task now is to exploit
open standards and push ahead with networking. However, despite
all this technology, we must never lose sight of human factors and
individuals’ wishes and abilities.
At Zumtobel Dr. Walter Werner is regarded as the father of lighting
control systems. Dr. Werner has a PhD in physics, joined the company
in 1985 and marketed the first lighting control system in 1991 –
LUXMATE PROFESSIONAL. This system is now available in various
product ranges and is subject to ongoing product development.
