Personnel sensors are desirable for lighting control in an exceptionally broad range of applications. For example, a lighting retrofit program for a large, diverse research hospital found personnel sensors to be the most efficient method of lighting control for a large fraction of the spaces in the hospital, including offices, laboratories, stock rooms, loading docks, etc. Figuref1shows yet another possible application.
See Reference Note 11, Personnel Sensors, about the conditions that are required for reliable, safe lighting control using personnel sensors. Personnel sensors are not a panacea in the realm of lighting control. In many applications, personnel sensors are simply the wrong tool. Some applications have quirks that make it inadvisable to use them, for reasons that may not be obvious.
In brief, there are three conditions that must be met for a successful installation. One is that the sensor should be able to reliably detect the presence of people anywhere within the controlled area. This requires that people move continually, but only small motions are needed. The second condition is that the sensor should not be subject to an excessive amount of false triggering by things other than people. The third condition is that the lighting must be able to respond quickly enough to the presence of people. This excludes HID lighting, and it excludes some types of fluorescent lamps in some applications.