Lutron and Siemens integrate building and lighting controls

Lutron Electronics and the Building Technologies Division of Siemens Industry are collaborating to make their respective control systems work together to help make commercial buildings more energy efficient. The companies announced the partnership with a new technical whitepaper offering instructions for integrating the systems.

Using BACnet protocols, Lutron’s Quantum Total Light Management System, which controls lights, shades and small appliances, can be integrated with the Siemens APOGEE Building Automation System, which allows multiple building systems to work together regardless of their architecture, so that the two systems can be managed in a ‘single pane of glass’ approach, said Mark Jenner, director of new business alliances at Lutron, in a release about the collaboration. “Instead of disparate pieces of software to manage all of the different building systems – lighting, shading, HVAC, door access, fire/safety, energy metering – BACnet makes it possible to integrate all of the software tools into one, saving valuable time and maximizing efficiencies,” said Jenner.

Having the two systems sharing information not only helps make a building more energy efficient, but also can help improve maintenance efficiencies, allowing facility managers and building owners to better evaluate the energy usage within their buildings, the companies said. The whitepaper is available to all Siemens branch offices and APOGEE dealers, as well as to Lutron sales and field service representatives.