Controls

In this article for LD+A, Michael C. Skurla takes a hard look at lighting’s potential as a player in the Internet of Things.

As an energy-saving and long-life product, TLED lamps are generally well suited to applications with high energy costs, long operating hours, or where the owner wants to minimize maintenance. Compared to other options such as replacing the luminaires, they are specifically well suited to applications where the owner wants to maintain a similar space appearance, has a limited budget, or is spot relamping a large facility. However, control options are often limited. Enter connected TLED lamps, which offer sophisticated wireless control.

I recently contributed an article to the Lighting Controls Association website breaking down the new lighting control requirements in the 2018 version of the International Energy Conservation Code.

Manufacturers may market their connected lighting products as IoT-enabled, which means it features connectivity, intelligence, sensors, and bi-level data communication. This enabling has led to claims that installing a connected lighting system proofs a facility for future IoT enactment, which is true in theory but requires diligence in specification, addressing issues such as interoperability, scalability, security, and more.

One year after its founding, in May 2018 the IoT-Ready Alliance released a standard specification allowing any type of Internet of Things (IoT) sensor or control module to connect seamlessly to a luminaire or other building system. Standardization is a significant step in enabling the IoT.

I recently had the opportunity to interview Robert Karlicek, Jr., Ph.D., professor and director, Center for Lighting Enabled Systems and Applications (LESA), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The topic? The future for lighting and the Internet of Things.

In each episode of NAILD’s official podcast, “Get a Grip on Lighting,” lighting veterans Michael Colligan and Greg Ehrich tackle some of the industry’s biggest issues. I was pleased to be featured in a recent podcast, where I talked about lighting controls. Click to check it out.

My contribution to the May 2018 issue of ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR talks about options for plug load control, now a requirement in many energy codes and an energy-saving control option for existing buildings.

To get an idea of how connected lighting is impacting the industry and where it’s going, I talked to six thought leaders in the lighting industry. Here’s what they said.