Lighting and building controls, designed in from the first drawing.
Control systems specified, sequenced, and coordinated with the lighting and power design, so what gets commissioned matches what was drawn.
Controls are where energy-code compliance is won or lost, and they are usually the last thing anyone designs. When the control intent is left to the contractor or the manufacturer's rep, the result is a system that technically has sensors but never behaves the way the code assumed, and a commissioning process that turns into a negotiation.
We design the control system as part of the electrical design: which zones are controlled, by what, with what sequence of operation, and how it is wired. Occupancy sensing, daylight harvesting, time-based control, and manual override are laid out against the actual room types and the energy code that governs them.
For networked and integrated systems we document the architecture and the interfaces to other building systems, so the contractor is bidding a defined scope and the commissioning agent has a written sequence to verify against.
What it covers
- Lighting control system design
- Occupancy and vacancy sensing
- Daylight harvesting and dimming
- Networked and integrated controls
- Sequences of operation
- Energy-code control requirements
Control plans and riser
Zoning, device locations, and the control architecture shown on sealed drawings.
Sequence of operation
A written sequence per zone type, so the installed system can be commissioned against a defined intent.
Device schedule
Sensors, panels, and interfaces identified with their control function.
Code compliance documentation
The control strategies mapped to the energy-code requirements they satisfy.
Sectors served
Controls sealed by a professional engineer, in 22 states.
See where we are licensedControls: common questions.
Why design lighting controls instead of leaving them to the contractor?
Energy codes assign compliance credit based on specific control behavior. When the control intent is not designed, the installed system often has the right devices but never performs the sequence the code assumed, which surfaces at commissioning or inspection when it is expensive to fix.
What is a sequence of operation?
A sequence of operation is the written description of how a control zone is meant to behave: what triggers the lights, at what level, for how long, and how manual override interacts with automatic control. It gives the contractor a defined scope to bid and the commissioning agent something concrete to verify.
Do you design networked lighting control systems?
Yes. Vertical Design Services documents the control architecture, the device layout, and the interfaces to other building systems, so a networked system is bid and installed against a defined design rather than assembled from manufacturer defaults.
Are controls designed together with the lighting layout?
Yes. Controls are part of the same electrical design as the lighting and power, so zoning, circuiting, and control wiring are coordinated rather than reconciled after the fact.
Need controls on a project?
Share the project type, location, and timeline. A licensed engineer reviews every inquiry and responds directly.