In open plan offices or similar scenarios, the lighting of the individual zones is controlled separately within a larger, open area. This ensures that lighting is only activated in occupied zones.

If late in the evening only a single area in the otherwise empty open plan office is occupied, only the occupied area is illuminated. This allows for high energy saving, but it is a rather unpleasant state of darkness for the remaining user. Therefore, in this scenario the neighbouring unoccupied zones can be automatically switched on at a configurable, low dimming value. This reduces the contrast between the occupied, illuminated zone and the surrounding unoccupied zones and increases the well-being and the subjective sense of security of the user concerned.