LIGHTING
THE ROLE OF LIGHTING IN SMART BUILDINGS Chris Irwin, VP Sales EMEA & VP Global Marketing at J2 Innovations
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ighting plays a major role in the infrastructure of a building, and with advances in smart building technology, energy efficiency and lighting control is easier than ever. Whilst Building Automation Software (BAS) give facility managers the ability to set lighting schedules, dedicated lighting controls systems also enable dimming control and “daylight harvesting”; turning off lights near windows when the outside light level is high enough. These are the most common ways lighting in buildings is managed to save energy, but the role of lighting in a smart building doesn’t have to end there. IoT platforms such as Enlighted provide lighting controls that enable the building to sense occupancy patterns, and become more smartenabled. This new breed of lighting control features a small smart sensor that can be fitted into light fixtures and elsewhere. The sensor can track motion, power usage, ambient light and
ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020
temperature, and act as a Bluetooth beacon. Apart from the obvious benefit of saving energy, occupancy monitoring provides plenty more. If every light in your building had sensors, the data captured could help building managers make smarter decisions. Data from motion can show how often a space is used, typical pathways through the building, and how the ambient light and temperature changes throughout the day. It helps make an intelligent building more intelligent. How else can lighting technology such as Enlighted and a BAS be leveraged?
ASSET TRACKING Beacon technology can help track the way objects or people move within a space. In settings such as hospitals, nursing staff can spend a big part of their day trying to locate medical equipment; this can be significantly
