DALI Summit Highlights: Shaping the Future of Lighting Control
Last week’s DALI Summit brought together top experts in the lighting industry to discuss DALI’s growth in North America and the benefits of DALI (Digital Addressable Lighting Interface) technology. This summit offered an in-depth exploration of market trends, technological advancements, and strategic insights to drive DALI adoption, especially in North America. Alongside Colleen Harper, CEO and Executive Director of the IES, your humble editor had the opportunity to introduce several of the event’s distinguished speakers.
Setting the Stage for Innovation
The summit began with a welcome address and agenda overview by Jeremy Ludyjan, Marketing Manager for the DALI Alliance. Following this, Paul Drosihn, General Manager of the DALI Alliance, delivered a “State of the Union” presentation, outlining recent progress, partnerships, and key initiatives aimed at expanding DALI’s presence in North America.
Paul highlighted noteworthy projects that utilize DALI technology, including the Abu Dhabi airport, which boasts an impressive 180,000 DALI-enabled luminaires. This example underscores DALI’s expanding role on a global scale.
Carol Jones, North American Market Development Manager, discussed the driving forces behind the growing interest in DALI, particularly its capacity for interoperability within the lighting industry.
A highlight of the day was the panel discussion titled “The Customer is Always Right,” where senior real estate owners and managers shared insights on the paradigm shift toward decarbonization in building design. The discussion emphasized DALI’s relevance not only as a lighting solution but also as a vital component of sustainable building strategies, reflecting the growing need for eco-conscious lighting control systems.
Diving into DALI Specifications
The summit included breakout sessions focusing on both DALI-2 wired systems and D4i wireless systems, where attendees gained hands-on experience with the technology. Presentations on DALI-2 Wired Systems were led by Avraham Mor and Casey Diers of Morlights, while sessions on D4i Wireless Systems were conducted by Michael Davidson from Synapse, Sree Venkit from Signify, and Stephen Zhou from mwConnect.
These interactive sessions provided step-by-step guidance on specifying and integrating DALI systems, from initial planning through to installation and project implementation. Attendees left with practical insights that will support real-world DALI applications.
Business Cases and Real-World Applications
One of the afternoon sessions analyzed the business cases for both DALI-2 wired and D4i wireless systems, focusing on the cost benefits, interoperability, maintenance requirements, and data reporting capabilities that set DALI solutions apart from traditional 0-10V systems.
In another notable session, Daryl Clasen of Loytec, a Delta company, presented a case study on integrating DALI with building systems. With over 25 years of experience in mechanical and metal fabrication, Daryl offered a comprehensive perspective on DALI’s versatility and scalability, showcasing its potential as a modern solution for large-scale facilities.
The DALI Alliance Leadership Panel
As the moderator of the DALI Alliance Leadership Panel, I facilitated an open Q&A session where the audience had the opportunity to engage directly with DALI Alliance representatives. This session covered a broad range of topics, from the future of DALI in North America to resources available for design professionals and strategies to accelerate DALI adoption.
Panelists included industry leaders such as Michael Davidson from Synapse, Sree Venkit from Signify, Robert Cilic from LEDVANCE, Naveen Tumula from Inventronics, and Rohan Patil from Acuity Brands. Our conversation delved into DALI’s practical applications, often-overlooked features that could enhance adoption in North America, and ways to deepen engagement with the design community.
Much of the discussion focused on empowering lighting designers with effective tools to streamline DALI specifications. Paul announced that the DALI Alliance is currently developing a comprehensive specification guide to meet this need, which promises to be an invaluable resource for the design community.
Looking Ahead: A Bright Future for DALI
With valuable insights from industry experts and discussions on real-world applications, the DALI Summit underscored the transformative potential of DALI technology in the North American lighting industry. As DALI continues to evolve, its capacity to support interoperability, sustainability, and innovation will undoubtedly shape the future of lighting control.
Watch my interview with Paul Drosihn from Light + Building earlier this year.