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What are the benefits of Tunable White lighting?
The main advantage is the ability to adapt the light to the function of the room, time of day and individual user preferences. Warm white helps create a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere, while neutral or cooler white can be better suited to working, studying, product presentation or tasks requiring greater visual concentration.
White light colour adjustment can operate independently from dimming, allowing users to control brightness and colour temperature separately. The system can also be used to create lighting scenes and schedules, for example cooler light in the morning, neutral white during the day and warmer light in the evening.
Tunable White is often used in Human Centric Lighting and integrative lighting concepts. However, changing the Kelvin value alone does not automatically provide health-related benefits. Illuminance, spectral distribution, exposure duration and time of day are also important factors.
How can Tunable White lighting be controlled?
DALI TW and DALI DT8 – professional colour temperature control
DALI TW is a commonly used functional term for DALI Tunable White; it is not a separate DALI standard. In modern installations, Tunable White is most commonly implemented using DALI DT8, Tc type, defined in IEC 62386-209. DT8 allows both brightness and colour temperature of a multi-channel luminaire to be controlled through a single DALI address. This simplifies commissioning, scene creation and management of larger lighting installations.
DALI DT6 – how is it different from DALI DT8?
DALI DT6, covered by IEC 62386-207, is used for LED control and typically one address controls one output channel. In a conventional fixed-colour luminaire, DALI DT6 can be used for switching and dimming. Tunable White can also be implemented with DT6, but the Warm White and Cool White channels usually require two independent outputs or DALI addresses that must be coordinated by the control system.
This is why DALI DT8 is generally the simpler solution for Tunable White: one logical luminaire uses one DALI address, while the driver manages both light output and CCT. By comparison, the term “standard DALI without TW” usually refers to a DALI luminaire or driver that supports brightness control but does not provide adjustable colour temperature.
Zigbee TW – wireless Tunable White control
Zigbee TW, or Zigbee Tunable White, enables wireless control of switching, brightness and colour temperature in a compatible luminaire or LED driver. Control can be provided through an app, remote control, wall switch or smart home gateway. Unlike the wired DALI bus, Zigbee uses radio communication, making it particularly useful where flexible installation and easy system expansion are important.
In Zigbee 3.0 systems, CCT adjustment is handled through Color Control functions, while brightness is managed through Level Control.
When choosing Zigbee TW, it is important to check compatibility between the luminaire, driver and gateway. The presence of Zigbee alone does not guarantee Tunable White functionality or full compatibility with every smart home ecosystem.
DALI TW or Zigbee TW – which system should you choose?
DALI DT8/TW is a natural choice for professional lighting installations in offices, hotels, retail spaces, public buildings and larger homes where reliable operation, addressing and advanced lighting scenes are important. Zigbee TW is particularly attractive where wireless control, smart home integration and easier expansion without additional control wiring are the main priorities.
When selecting a luminaire, it is therefore important to check not only whether it is described as “dimmable”, but also its CCT range and supported control system. Dimming changes light intensity, while Tunable White additionally allows you to adjust the colour temperature of white light.
