What is Smart Lighting?
Smart lighting is a category of smart building technology that often acts as the first step in automated IoT technology adoption. Smart lighting uses intelligent, connected devices to make buildings more sustainable, responsive, secure and healthy for the people in them. It uses networked lighting sensors to control all lighting throughout a building or campus. Some smart lighting systems use “smart bulbs” or smart LED light bulbs that connect to the Internet of Things (IoT), collect usage data and allow lighting to be completely automated or controlled remotely through smartphone apps. Smart lighting systems may also use "smart lights” which may refer to a single connected bulb or an intelligent socket, both of which are also connected to an Internet-based system that lets the user remotely control or automate a building’s lighting.
Why Smart Lighting?
A smart lighting automation system leverages the data it collects to help optimize space, enhance security and automate ambient control. With a smart lighting solution, companies can reduce energy consumption, save money and more easily meet corporate sustainability targets. Those that install highly efficient, networked light bulbs may also receive utility incentives. Smart bulbs and smart lights make homes and businesses more energy efficient and also reduce costs by minimizing consumption. They ensure comfort control and can improve security through automatic timers that give the appearance that someone is home. Smart lighting systems automatically respond to changing room occupancy and use collected data to optimize the energy consumption of lighting systems, which typically accounts for 20 percent of a building’s overall energy consumption.