Lighting represents a major part of building energy use. Therefore, energy savings in a lighting system can be very important for reducing building energy consumption. This article presents a study of the energy performance of various lighting systems and control strategies applied in open-plan offices. All of the experiments were carried out on a test bed. The energy saving potential of various lighting control strategies is simulated and analyzed, and a combined lighting control strategy of background dimming lighting plus task lighting is studied on the test bed. Moreover, visual comfort is investigated to determine the optimal background dimming lighting illumination and energy performance of the combined lighting system. Savings from general lighting control can reach 50% or higher. With task lighting control combined with dimmable general lighting, the energy savings rate can be increased to 59%. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.