Sensors with contemporary look and subtle design

Smart lighting control for comfort and energy savings

Design and ease of use go hand in hand at Niko. That this applies to the award-winning switchgear is common knowledge. The company applies the same philosophy to its line of detectors. With it, Niko once again offers smart solutions that make everyday life easier.

"Traditionally we focused mainly on the technical wholesaler and the installer," says Manager Projects, Boudewijn Hoekstra. "Since about ten years there have also been increasing contacts with the upper end of the construction column. A team of consultants is available to project developers, building owners and architects. For them, detectors can be an important product. Detectors measure daylight and motion. This is essential for smart lighting controls. Turning off lights is easily forgotten, but a sensor knows when a lamp can be turned on or off. In addition, the sensor can dim each row of fixtures individually, depending on available daylight. This adds comfort, but also saves on energy consumption."

Niko wants its detectors to provide a simple solution for users and building managers as well as installers. "People know us from switchgear. However, Niko took over a long time ago a Danish and a Swiss company with a lot of knowledge of sensors and lighting controls. Niko Denmark is the market leader in this field. Smart lighting control in offices, schools and hospitals is taken for granted there. In the Netherlands, however, this is not yet the case." 

So now Niko wants to change this. In addition to switchgear and smart home solutions, the focus from now on will be on detectors. The company will initially focus on smaller and "mid-sized" offices as well as on schools, stores, restaurants and healthcare.

Provide simple solution for both user and installer

"This is a new business and new challenge for Niko in the Netherlands. We are therefore working closely with our experts on this design from Denmark and our Niko headquarters in Belgium." 

The new detector series consists of a complete range of motion and presence detectors. "They have a contemporary look and a subtle design, so they fit almost seamlessly into the ceiling and into any interior. This allows our customers to use one series for all detectors in a project."

To increase ease of use, the detectors are quick and easy to commission. Mounting is done with a turn-click system, without clamping springs. Configuration takes place with the Niko Detector Tool app. "This is convenient for both the users and the installer. The installer or building manager can easily walk through the building and adjust the lighting control. You can send the settings of the sensors to a cloud environment, so there is always a backup."

The Niko detectors can be connected to building management systems, or communicate with each other via the Dali communication protocol. Hoekstra: "Our line already works with a few fixtures and a sensor. So this one is ideal for smaller offices." 

The detectors are also used in healthcare. "For example, we have equipped nursing homes with dynamic light control, which follows the rhythm of day and night. For elderly people with dementia, this is very important. During the day there is a lot of bright light, when it is time to go to sleep the light is automatically dimmed."    

In Aalborg, Denmark, workers are putting the finishing touches on the new hospital, the New Aalborg University Hospital. Here, the installer installed 2,500 units of the new Niko detector with SnapFit function. The installation exceeded all expectations and happened twice as fast as anticipated, with minimal effort and maximum troubleshooting. 

"They are much easier and faster to install than detectors with spring clips. In fact, it takes less than one minute to install a detector," said Emil Jakobsen, an installer at Bravida.