Network Lighting Control Sensors

What are Lighting Control Sensors?

Lighting control sensors are the “set it and forget it” tools that help lights respond automatically to what’s happening in a space. A solid occupancy sensor turns fixtures on when someone enters, then shuts them off after a time delay. A sensor tied into ambient light can dim fixtures for daylight harvesting, which is a significant benefit near skylights or open doors. Outdoor setups usually lean on a photocell sensor so fixtures run dusk to dawn without anyone touching a switch. The end result is cleaner energy use, less manual control, and fewer hours burned for no reason.

What Are the Different Types of Lighting Control Sensors?

Different jobs call for different control setups, and the best results come from matching the sensor type to the space. A busy warehouse aisle needs something totally different than a parking lot or a stairwell. Here’s the lineup we see contractors using most often:

• PIR Motion Sensors: Great for indoor spaces where movement is predictable. Strong for automatic on/off with adjustable time delay.
• Photocell Sensors (Dusk-to-Dawn): Classic exterior control. Perfect when you need lights on at night, off in daylight
• Daylight Harvesting Sensors: Dims fixtures based on available daylight to maintain consistent light levels and reduce energy use.
• Integrated Sensors: Combines occupancy and daylight features in one unit for maximum efficiency.
• Networked Sensors: Built for larger projects using LLLC lighting and networked lighting control across zones and schedules.
• High Bay Sensors: Built for tall installs, including high bay LED lights with motion sensor setups without false triggers.

Where are Lighting Control Sensors Used?

You’ll find lighting control sensors everywhere that wasted run-time turns into wasted dollars. They’re a go-to upgrade when a customer wants efficiency without monitoring their lighting all day.

• Warehouses and distribution centers
• Manufacturing facilities
• Parking garages and structures
• Office buildings and restrooms
• Retail stores and stock rooms
• Schools and universities
• Healthcare facilities
• Stairwells and corridors
• Outdoor parking lots and pathways
• Loading docks and shipping areas

Whether it’s indoor automation or exterior security lighting, the right sensor setup helps keep light where it’s needed and cuts it when it’s not.

Benefits of Lighting Control Sensors

Quick win for budgets, energy codes, and real-world usability.

• Energy Savings: Cut waste by shutting off unused lighting automatically
• Extended Fixture Life: Less run-time means fewer driver and LED failures
• Utility Rebates: Many installs qualify when occupancy or daylight controls are added
• Automatic Operation: No more relying on someone flipping switches
• Code Friendly: Helps with Title 24, ASHRAE 90.1, and IECC compliance
• Flexible Setup: Adjust sensitivity, delays, dimming levels, and zones easily
• Wireless Options: Great for retrofits when you want less control wiring
• Remote Visibility: Monitor zones and usage in bigger facilities
• Improved Safety: Lights come on fast in dark aisles and stairwells

How Do You Connect Lighting Control Sensors?

Most lighting control sensors are straightforward once you know what style you’re working with. Some are built into the fixture, some twist-lock into a base, and some tie into a circuit like a traditional control.

• Integrated Sensors: Installed from the factory or mounted in-fixture with no extra wiring
• Zhaga Sensors: Twist-lock into the fixture receptacle, quick and clean install
• Standalone Sensors: Ceiling or wall mounted, hardwired into line voltage and switched outputs
• Photocells: Installed via receptacle or hardwired for dusk-to-dawn control
• Networked Systems: Sensors installed, then commissioned by app or gateway using zoning and schedules

Any hardwired connections should be handled by a licensed electrician, and commissioning on bigger control projects is usually done by whoever’s managing the lighting controls package.

Maximum Run of Lighting Control Sensors

With sensors, maximum run is less about wiring distance and more about coverage and system capacity.

• PIR Motion Sensors: ~500–1,000 sq ft at typical ceiling heights
• High Bay PIR Sensors: ~2,000–4,000 sq ft at 20–40 ft mounting height
• Photocells: Usually control individual fixtures or small exterior groups
• Networked Systems: 50–250 sensors per gateway depending on platform

For large facilities, wireless controls remove most wiring limitations. The real key is smart sensor placement so you don’t end up with dead zones, nuisance triggers, or inconsistent dimming.

Why Buy Lighting Control Sensors from Duralec?

Lighting controls get spec’d wrong all the time. Wrong coverage, wrong mounting height, mismatched bases, settings that sound good in a brochure but don’t work on-site. That’s where Duralec makes life easier. When you’re choosing lighting control sensors, we’ll help you match sensor type to the space, fixture, and install conditions, so your controls actually behave the way your customer expects.

Need a clean indoor automation setup? We can pair motion sensor lighting with the right time delay and sensitivity for real-world traffic patterns. Dialing in energy savings near overhead doors or skylights? We’ll guide you toward daylight harvesting setups that don’t over-dim and annoy the crew. Exterior jobs are covered too, with photocell lighting options that give reliable dusk-to-dawn operation without constant call-backs.

If you’re building out bigger upgrades across multiple zones, we can support networked lighting control packages and sensor-ready fixtures so commissioning stays smooth. And if you’re using IntrinsiX fixtures, we can help you match IntrinsiX sensor compatibility the right way from the start. A lot of contractors like keeping it tight with IntrinsiX since it’s built for practical installs and repeatable results.

Add in Commercial Account pricing, fast shipping out of our Illinois warehouse, and a team that actually picks up the phone, and you’ve got controls that help you finish strong.