Care building · Lighting
Lighting in care building: what the SRI measures
For lighting, the SRI does not measure the lamp but the control: does the light switch off when nobody is there, and does it dim with daylight. This is often the cheapest domain to score points in.
In short
- 1This page shows how the Smart Readiness Indicator assesses the lighting domain in care buildings.
- 2In nursing homes, lighting carries significant weight: 2 of the 3 domains count here with extra importance.
- 3The SRI does not look at the lamp itself, but at the control system: does the light switch and dim automatically in response to occupancy and daylight.
Weight of this domain for this building type
Which services count
| Service | Lowest level | Highest level | Advice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Occupancy control for indoor lighting L-1a · A · 4 levels | Manual on/off switch | Automatic detection (manual on / dimmed or auto off) | level 2 or higher |
| Control artificial lighting power based on daylight levels L-2 · 5 levels | Manual (central) | Automatic dimming including scene-based light control (during time intervals, dynamic and adapted lighting scenes are set, for example, in terms of illuminance level, different correlated colour temperature (CCT) and the possibility to change the light distribution within the space according to e.g. design, human needs, visual tasks) | – |
Worked example
If everything in this domain is at level 0, the domain contributes nothing. At the highest level for all services, the indicative total score for this building type rises by about 4 percentage points (from 33 to 37 percent, with all other domains at level 1).
Why does lighting carry extra weight in a care building?
A care building operates 24 hours a day. Corridors, common areas and rooms are in continuous use, and night-time dimming as in offices is often not possible. This is precisely why smart lighting control offers extra benefit: if the light responds automatically to occupancy and daylight, energy is saved without compromising the comfort of residents.
For this building type, the lighting domain carries a weighting of 2 of the 3 possible points in the Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI), the measurement tool that indicates how well a building is prepared for smart technology. This is a relatively high weighting, meaning that improvements in this domain directly affect the overall score.
What exactly does the SRI measure in lighting?
The SRI does not assess the lamp or the fixture, but the way the lighting is controlled. This happens through two smart-ready services, functions that indicate how advanced a system is.
The first service, occupancy control for indoor lighting, has functionality levels from 0 to 3. Level 0 is a manual switch, level 3 is automatic detection where the light turns off automatically but can be switched on or dimmed manually. The second service, artificial light power adjustment based on daylight, ranges from level 0 (manual centralised control) to level 4 (automatic dimming with scene-based lighting control, where light intensity and colour temperature are adjusted for each moment).
What does this mean in practice at a care centre?
In residential rooms, per-room comfort is often a care requirement: residents must be able to adjust the light themselves. Automatic occupancy detection in corridors and common areas does not conflict with this requirement and delivers savings there without loss of comfort.
Fault reporting is crucial in care buildings, because a defective lighting system creates direct risks for vulnerable residents. A higher functionality level in lighting therefore contributes not only to energy savings, but also to the reliability of the building as a whole.
What this means for you
- Owner
- Invest in automatic occupancy detection and daylight control in corridors and common areas, as this domain carries significant weight in a care building's SRI score. Because lighting is often the most affordable domain to gain points in, this is usually the most cost-effective first step.
- Tenant
- As a resident or staff member, you will mainly notice that corridors and common areas light up and dim automatically, while you can still control the light intensity yourself in your own room. This comfort is preserved, even as the building becomes more energy-efficient.
- Advisor
- For this building type, first assess the current functionality level of the two smart-ready services in the lighting domain, and account for the high weighting of 2 of 3. Ensure that automation in common areas does not conflict with the care requirement that residents can control comfort in their own rooms.
Next step
Want to know where your building stands?