What are the advantages of DALI?

The introduction of DALI

DALI (Digital Addressable Lighting Interface) is an international standard lighting control communication protocol, with powerful dimming functions such as group dimming, addressing dimming, multiple scene mode settings, monitoring and control of each device through two-way data exchange. It is also a two-wire bi-directional serial digital communication protocol, which is a digital lighting control communication system researched and developed by lighting manufacturers due to the demand for energy saving.

The standardization of DALI communication protocol has accelerated the promotion and application of group control and intelligent lighting energy-saving products. As a standard protocol for lighting interfaces, DALI has been favored by lighting equipment manufacturers in the industry for its flexibility.

According to DiiA, with the world facing an unprecedented climate crisis and rising energy costs, all businesses need to think about sustainability and reduce their energy consumption and carbon footprint especially when it comes to lighting, which accounts for 15% of global electricity consumption and 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. So we have to make green sustainable development, friendly to the environment. Therefore, we are supposed to build an environment-friendly society and achieve sustainable development. DALI intelligent lighting system can provide us and meet our demands.

The advantages of DALI   

DALI is a standard, so for example, dimming curves are standardized, which means devices are interoperable between manufacturers.

These are DALI's advantages as following:

1. Smart and Flexible

DALI can manage color control, color change, emergency lighting testing and feedback, complex scene setup, and achieve zone individually control or synchonously control. If the temperature of the power supply is too high, over-voltage, overload, DALI intelligent system can achieve short-circuit protection and can be automatically recovered. DALI compatibility performance is excellent, can be perfectly compatible with the mainstream DALI Mainframe and improve work efficiency. Recently, the DALI Alliance standardized the interfaces between DALI systems and two wireless ecosystems: Bluetooth mesh and Zigbee. The two distinct specifications for these “wireless-to-DALI gateways” enable the use of existing wired DALI lighting products in non-DALI wireless network. Now a Bluetooth mesh network can control DALI luminaires that each have a gateway device; or the wireless network can control a subnet of DALI luminaires and sensors via a single gateway. With no new cabling, labor and material costs are reduced, and the risk of damage to the building drops.

2.Environment-friendly and Sustainable

Circular economy, including the EU policy and regulatory framework and promote reuse, refurbishment, upgrading and recycling to reduce waste, lower energy consumption and save cost. DALI smart system can save energy and reduce consumption as well as improve lighting comfort and aesthetics.

3. Proven track record for decades

DALI is addressable. This opens the way for many valuable features such as grouping, scene-setting and dynamic control, such as changing which sensors and switches control which light fittings in response to office layout changes. All devices have their own unique address in the system opening a very wide range of possibilities for flexible control. This also allows all devices to be individually monitored and maintained. DALI is digital, not analogue. This means that DALI can offer much more precise light level control and more consistent dimming.

4. Ease of use/plug&play

Installation is simple. Power and control lines can be laid together and no shielding is required.

The wiring topology can be in the form of a star (hub & spoke), a tree or a line, or any combination of these and the signal of DALI won't affect.

In a conclusion, DALI dimming technology is an efficient, accurate and flexible lighting dimming technology, which has significant advantages of energy saving, environmental protection, comfort and aesthetics. DALI enables future-proof, efficient lighting control systems, creating a more comfortable environment for people and will be widely used in the future.