How to Retrofit Casambi Lighting Control: A Trade Guide

What Is Casambi Lighting Control?

Casambi is a wireless lighting control platform built on Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). Developed by Finnish company Casambi Technologies, founded in 2011 and headquartered in Espoo, Finland, the platform has grown into one of the most widely adopted wireless lighting control systems on the market.

At its core, Casambi uses a proprietary mesh network. Every node in the system (whether a driver, sensor, or switch) holds the full system intelligence. There is no central hub and no single point of failure. If one device drops out, the mesh self-heals and reroutes automatically.

A standard Casambi network supports up to 250 devices, with larger multi-network site configurations scaling well beyond that for building-wide deployments. No Wi-Fi or internet connection is needed for local operation. A smartphone or tablet communicates directly with the mesh over Bluetooth; a gateway is only required for remote access.

With over 5 million devices sold worldwide and approximately 10,000 new projects commissioned globally every month, Casambi has proven its scale and reliability across commercial, industrial, and heritage applications.

Why Retrofit Casambi Now? The Regulatory and Commercial Case

The EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) is creating real urgency. All non-residential buildings with a rated energy output over 290kW must implement automatic lighting controls, including occupancy detection and suitable zoning, by 31 December 2027. Non-commercial buildings over 70kW face the same requirement by 31 December 2029. For UK trade professionals working on commercial sites, these deadlines are fast approaching.

The commercial case is equally compelling. Lighting accounts for 15 to 20% of a commercial building's total electricity consumption. Smart lighting controls can cut energy costs by up to 83% through automation, occupancy sensing, and daylight harvesting. Those are significant savings for any building operator.

Only 34% of UK businesses had integrated smart technology in their buildings as of 2023, leaving a large, addressable retrofit market open for engineers and installers with the right product knowledge.

Buildings account for roughly 40% of global energy consumption and nearly 33% of greenhouse gas emissions. Casambi retrofit is a practical, tangible decarbonisation tool, not a theoretical exercise.

On the security front, Casambi achieved EU RED cybersecurity compliance (EN 18031 series) ahead of the August 2025 mandatory deadline. For specifiers concerned about connected product security, that proactive compliance is a genuine differentiator.

Assessing Your Existing Installation Before You Start

Step one: identify the dimming interface on your existing LED drivers. Casambi supports 0 to 10V, 1 to 10V, DALI (standalone and addressable), and PWM. The driver type dictates which CBU module you need, so this is where every retrofit project begins.

Check whether your site already has a wired DALI bus infrastructure. This is a critical fork in the road. If there is no existing DALI bus, you will typically use a standalone DALI module such as the CBU-ASD or CBU-ASD-LR. If a wired DALI network is already in place, look at a DALI gateway approach using the CBU-DCS or the Salvador Series.

A practical issue that comes up regularly on site: some 1 to 10V drivers do not fully switch off at the minimum dimming signal. In these cases, a relay must be wired in series to achieve a true off state. Verify this during your site survey. Missing it leads to callbacks and frustrated end clients.

Note the physical installation constraints. CBU modules can be fitted inside luminaires, electrical enclosures, or ceiling outlet boxes. No structural modifications are required, making Casambi viable in occupied buildings, schools, retail environments, and listed structures where disruption is not an option.

Finally, count devices per zone and per building to plan network scaling. A single Casambi network handles up to 250 nodes. Larger sites will need a multi-network site configuration, so factor this into your design at the survey stage rather than discovering it mid-install.

Choosing the Right Casambi Module

CBU-ASD / CBU-ASD-LR

The CBU-ASD is a wireless controller for DALI and 0 to 10V drivers. It acts as both a controller and a standalone DALI power supply, making it the right choice for new DALI installations where no existing DALI bus is present. The CBU-ASD-LR variant uses Bluetooth 5.0 and offers extended range.

Critical distinction: the CBU-ASD-LR operates a closed standalone DALI system and is not IEC 62386 compliant. It cannot be connected to an existing powered DALI network. Connecting it to a live DALI bus will cause conflicts. This is a common specification error that wastes time and money on site.

CBU-DCS

The CBU-DCS is a DALI gateway powered directly from the DALI bus. Use this when a wired DALI network is already in place and you want to add Casambi wireless control without replacing the existing infrastructure. It sits on the bus and brings the DALI devices into the Casambi mesh.

CBU-A2D

The CBU-A2D is a 2-channel 0 to 10V/DALI controller suited to installations with multiple driver channels requiring independent dimming control, such as tunable white luminaires or dual-circuit fittings.

Salvador Series

The Salvador Series bridges traditional wired DALI infrastructure with the Casambi wireless ecosystem. It enables individual addressing, programming, and monitoring of DALI luminaires through the Casambi app. This is the correct choice for hybrid wired/wireless retrofit scenarios where existing DALI addressing must be preserved. For many commercial refurbishments it is the most cost-effective path, though it is frequently overlooked in competitor specifications.

Commissioning the Casambi Network via the App

Download the free Casambi app on iOS or Android. No specialist software licence or proprietary programmer is required.

Power up the CBU modules and they appear automatically in the app as unpaired devices within Bluetooth range. Create a network and add devices individually or in bulk. The process is straightforward, but label devices clearly during commissioning. It saves hours later.

From the app, assign luminaires to zones, configure lighting scenes, set schedules, and enable daylight harvesting and occupancy or presence detection. Everything is handled within the app interface.

Over-the-air (OTA) firmware updates allow the system to be upgraded remotely after installation, without revisiting the site. For trade customers and end clients, this is a strong total cost of ownership argument. The system improves over time.

Network planning note: consider device spacing and RF signal attenuation through dense brick or concrete walls. Position nodes to maintain mesh continuity and be aware of potential 2.4GHz interference from Wi-Fi and other BLE devices on site. A quick RF survey during the initial site visit can prevent commissioning headaches.

For remote monitoring and control beyond Bluetooth range, add an optional Casambi gateway. The rest of the system continues to operate locally if the gateway goes offline, so there is no dependency on cloud connectivity for day-to-day operation.

Casambi for Occupied Buildings and Historic Structures

Casambi's wireless-first approach eliminates the need to open walls, chase conduit, or run new control cabling. This is the single most important practical advantage for retrofit in occupied commercial buildings.

In listed buildings and historic structures where structural modification is prohibited or cost-prohibitive, Casambi modules fitted inside existing luminaire housings or ceiling outlet boxes represent the only viable smart control route. No chasing, no containment, no heritage officer objections.

Installation can be carried out zone by zone without shutting down the whole building. Zero downtime is critical for schools, hospitals, retail, and offices where operations cannot stop for a lighting upgrade.

The Casambi and Somfy integration, available from April 2026, enables coordinated control of motorised blinds and artificial lighting from a single app. This opens up daylight harvesting strategies that reduce reliance on artificial light during occupied hours, cutting energy consumption further.

Casambi's open ecosystem is compatible with nearly 2,100 third-party products from over 300 partner manufacturers, including Tridonic and Helvar. Specifiers are not locked into a single luminaire or driver brand, which is essential on retrofit projects where you are working with existing fittings.

Sourcing Casambi Modules and Components in the UK

When sourcing CBU modules and compatible LED drivers for a Casambi retrofit, work with a UK trade supplier that holds genuine stock and can dispatch same-day. Project timelines on commercial sites rarely allow for long lead times.

LED Retro stocks a range of Casambi-compatible LED drivers and lighting components from trusted brands including Tridonic, with free UK delivery on orders over £50 and expert technical support for engineers specifying retrofit solutions.

Always verify that drivers are sourced as genuine original components. Counterfeit or grey-market drivers can cause compatibility issues with Casambi modules and void manufacturer warranties.

Is Casambi the Right Wireless Control Platform for Your Project?

Casambi suits the majority of commercial LED retrofit projects. It is protocol-agnostic (DALI, 0 to 10V, PWM), hub-free, scalable to 250+ devices, and requires no new cabling.

It is particularly well-suited to projects with EPBD compliance deadlines, occupied buildings, historic structures, or sites where a wired controls upgrade would be disruptive or cost-prohibitive.

The self-healing mesh architecture and OTA updates provide long-term resilience. There is no single controller to replace, and the system improves over time without site visits.

If your site already has a wired DALI infrastructure, the Salvador Series or CBU-DCS allows you to bring that investment into the Casambi ecosystem rather than replacing it. That is a cost-effective hybrid path that preserves existing wiring and addressing.

The practical steps are clear: assess your driver interface, select the correct CBU module, and commission via the app. If you are unsure which module fits your installation, contact our technical team before ordering. We are here to make sure you specify correctly first time.