A control system for a variable transmittance optical filter assembly, the control system comprising: (a) a controller communicatively coupled to a pair of load terminals for electrically coupling to a pair of terminals of the optical filter assembly; and (b) a memory communicatively coupled to the controller and having encoded thereon statements and instructions executable by the controller to transition the optical filter assembly between operating states, and to maintain the optical filter assembly in a hold mode by applying a pulse width modulated voltage signal across the load terminals, and to hold a transmittance of the optical filter assembly at a certain average value and variance in the hold mode, the average value being between a lower transmittance threshold and an upper transmittance threshold, wherein the pulse width modulated voltage signal comprises a plurality of voltage pulses, and an initial one of the voltage pulses comprises a pulse width sufficient to bias the optical filter assembly to at least meet the certain average transmittance value, the control system comprising a detector communicatively coupled to the controller to provide a detector output signal, wherein the statements and instructions encoded on the memory are executable by the controller to perform a method comprising: comparing the detector output signal to a look-up table stored in the memory; and determining the pulse width modulated voltage signal from the look-up table, wherein the detector is a light sensor, and the detector output signal comprises a luminance value and wherein the biasing times, voltage levels, duty cycles, and periodicities of each pulse width modulated signal in the look-up table are specifically modeled to achieve a desired operative state for the assembly for measured ambient lighting conditions. (a) a controller communicatively coupled to a pair of load terminals for electrically coupling to a pair of terminals of the optical filter assembly; and (b) a memory communicatively coupled to the controller and having encoded thereon statements and instructions executable by the controller to transition the optical filter assembly between operating states, and to maintain the optical filter assembly in a hold mode by applying a pulse width modulated voltage signal across the load terminals, and to hold a transmittance of the optical filter assembly at a certain average value and variance in the hold mode, the average value being between a lower transmittance threshold and an upper transmittance threshold, wherein the pulse width modulated voltage signal comprises a plurality of voltage pulses, and an initial one of the voltage pulses comprises a pulse width sufficient to bias the optical filter assembly to at least meet the certain average transmittance value, the control system comprising a detector communicatively coupled to the controller to provide a detector output signal, wherein the statements and instructions encoded on the memory are executable by the controller to perform a method comprising: comparing the detector output signal to a look-up table stored in the memory; and determining the pulse width modulated voltage signal from the look-up table, wherein the detector is a light sensor, and the detector output signal comprises a luminance value and wherein the biasing times, voltage levels, duty cycles, and periodicities of each pulse width modulated signal in the look-up table are specifically modeled to achieve a desired operative state for the assembly for measured ambient lighting conditions. comparing the detector output signal to a look-up table stored in the memory; and determining the pulse width modulated voltage signal from the look-up table, wherein the detector is a light sensor, and the detector output signal comprises a luminance value and wherein the biasing times, voltage levels, duty cycles, and periodicities of each pulse width modulated signal in the look-up table are specifically modeled to achieve a desired operative state for the assembly for measured ambient lighting conditions.