The Internet of Things: Lights, HVAC, emergency, WiFi, elevators, even refrigerators are becoming connected. In this episode of The Lighting Controls Podcast, Mike Skurla, Chief Product Officer at Radix IoT, LLC, talks about how to take advantage of this developing market–and where lighting control fits.

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) has published two new standards for reporting energy data and tagging metadata.

While networked lighting controls can deliver significant value in both energy and non-energy benefits, a challenge remains in translating these capabilities to one’s applications. What could be done with greater lighting control in my building? How is the system operated to save energy while deriving other benefits specific to my applications? How could the data be used to benefit my stakeholders? To answer this question, let’s look at three theoretical applications.

In this article published by BUILDING OPERATING MANAGEMENT, building owners and managers are introduced to networked lighting control and shown examples of what pulling data from the system can do to solve business problems.

The Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) recently published ANSI/IES LP-12-21, IoT Connected Lighting. This 43-page Lighting Practice and American National Standard provides guidance for lighting professionals to consider and evaluate connected lighting and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions and applications.

“In my latest education express course, Integration and Building Automation, I discuss basic uses for a Building Automation System (BAS). One use not mentioned is Contact Tracing, which has been brought to the foreground primarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic (also known as Coronavirus). Contact tracing is potentially an essential part of safely re-opening businesses during Coronavirus and since lighting fixtures and lighting controls are necessary wherever people occupy a building, building management can make use of intelligent lighting control systems to improve their contact tracing methods to ensure their occupants are safe.”

In this article published in LD+A, Chris Davis talks about how collaboration, not technology, is key to implementing smart cities that solve problems and satisfy users.

The Lighting Controls Association (LCA) now offers EE304: Lighting Control and the Internet of Things, as a new course in its popular Education Express program.

In a recent issue of LD+A, Gaurav Agarwal, Product Manager for Hubbell Control Solutions, talks about how the proliferation of intelligent lighting and the Internet of Things has expanded the capabilities of what lighting can do, it’s more essential now than ever to ask the client the right questions to determine the best overall solution.

In a recent issue of LD+A, consultant Rich Schuett talks about how the proliferation of intelligent lighting and the Internet of Things has broadened lighting’s value proposition, but also made targeting the right decision-maker more complex.

Space utilization and indoor positioning are key non-energy benefits of networked lighting controls, writes Steve Mesh, adding that they can provide additional value in a project beyond simple energy savings.

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) recently published NEMA CPSP 3-2019 Cyber Hygiene Best Practices Part 2, a new white paper that identifies industry best practices and guidelines that electrical equipment and medical imaging manufacturers may consider when providing cybersecurity information to their customers.

Courtesy of Bluetooth, this infographic provides information about how connnected lighting systems are being used as a platform to enable advanced building services such as wayfinding, asset tracking, and space utilization to improve the ROI of smart building investments.

Though much can be said about increasing communication with other building systems to offer a myriad of value to the digital building, lighting systems offer the building blocks to a smarter building now.

At the National Lighting Bureau’s 7th Annual Lighting Forum, a panel of experts discussed the development of the Internet of Things and its potential impacts on lighting.

The Internet of Things (IoT) has become the talk of technologists everywhere, on every product level imaginable. Lighting is no exception. Understanding why this is such an energetic field requires thinking beyond conventional control and connectivity models. The integration of smart features opens the door to intelligent utilization of data and energy that cannot be achieved using closed, localized technologies that cannot be accessed beyond their limited utilitarian functionality.

In September, California passed SB-327, a cybersecurity law that will affect manufacturers of Internet of Things (IoT) and operational technology (OT) devices.

This article at Eaton’s THE SOURCE website provides an insightful look at how connected lighting can facilitate space optimization.

“As the lighting industry attempts to morph from its conventional role of illumination and become more of a provider of smart networks that collect data through chips and sensors embedded in the lighting infrastructure, it should focus its sales efforts on IT groups rather than on the customary facilities departments,” Mark Halper writes for LEDs Magazine.

Networked control and connected luminaire manufacturers are now promoting their products as “IoT enabled.” This means when the IoT does arrive, the lighting system will stand ready to play a part in it without significant additional cost. The converse may also be regarded as true, which is without connected lighting, any new LED lighting may instantly become obsolete after installation.

Craig DiLouie, LC, CLCP recently interviewed Gary Trott, VP of Intelligent Lighting and IoT Platform, Cree for an article for the October issue of tED Magazine, the official publication of the NAED. The topic: connected lighting’s potential role in the Internet of Things.

Craig DiLouie, LC, CLCP recently interviewed Jamie Britnell, Director of Product Marketing – Lighting, Synapse Wireless for an article about the Internet of Things, which will be published in the October issue of tED Magazine.

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) published NEMA IOTP 1-2018 Standby Power of Connected Devices and the Internet of Things. This new white paper explores the conflict between limitations on what is commonly referred to as standby power, and the potential services and benefits of connected devices in the Internet of Things (IoT) and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).

The IoT-Ready Alliance™ recently introduced its first specification, The IoT-Ready™ Interface Specification V1.0. The Specification defines a socket that allows any type of Internet of Things (IoT) sensor or control module to connect seamlessly to a luminaire or other building system.

If you’re installing a lighting control system in 2018, you have to be concerned about cyber security. Why? Very simply – because many current lighting control systems are networked.

The National Lighting Bureau convened a panel of industry experts to talk about outdoor lighting being used to implement Internet of Things/Smart Cities solutions, part of the organization’s 2017 Annual Lighting Forum. Click to watch this informative discussion.

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) and The Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC) agreed to enter a formal liaison to advance the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). A liaison relationship between IIC and NEMA fosters common understanding of new technologies for the digital economy.

The general concept of the Internet of Things (IoT) is expansive and virtually without limit. The basis of the technology is that devices, appliances, building systems, computer networks, vehicles and personal smart devices become connected together in such a way as to exchange and process information or facilitate integrative control functionality. The impact this will have on industries and individuals is potentially profound.

In this LCA column, Kevin Willmorth looks at the Internet of Things and the role lighting is likely to play in it.

Power over Ethernet (PoE) lighting is part of a brave new world. The ascendance of LED fixtures has given rise to some new methods of providing and controlling light in our environments. Since LEDs are low-voltage devices that use direct current, they are a good match with a system that provides low-voltage DC power over Ethernet cables. Guess what? That’s a computer network! For several years, lighting (and computer) companies have been developing the idea of powering LED fixtures from what is essentially a computer network switch. As you might imagine, this gives rise to a host of questions about a variety of issues.

In this LCA column, Steve Mesh takes an in-depth look at power over Ethernet (PoE) systems.

The TALQ Consortium formally updated its consortium scope to address smart city applications beyond smart outdoor lighting. The new objective of the TALQ Consortium is to extend its standardized software protocol for use between Central Management Systems and generic Outdoor Devices Networks to enable compatibility between systems from different verticals.

In an article recently published by Oracle’s Profit, Current by GE CTO David Bartlett saves LED lighting not only saves energy but also presents new capabilities due to it being a digital platform. He compares it to a smart phone, which bundles multiple functions into a single device. “It’s to the point where I don’t [...]

The Continental Automated Buildings Association (CABA) has completed its “Intelligent Buildings and the Impact of the Internet of Things” research project, conducted by IHS Markit. Intelligent Buildings Council, a core working council of CABA, commissioned the landmark research project to examine the impact of IoT related to intelligent buildings. The research report provides actionable data [...]

Craig DiLouie, LC, CLCP recently had the opportunity to interview Susanne Seitinger, PhD, Philips Lighting, Professional Systems for an article about smart cities for Electrical Contractor Magazine. DiLouie: What is the concept of the smart city? Seitinger: A Smart City should reinforce the best of what a city can offer to the people who want [...]

The Fairhair Alliance and the ZigBee Alliance have signed a liaison agreement to collaborate on driving higher levels of product interoperability and standards unification in smart commercial buildings. The two organizations will explore opportunities to combine their technical specifications and take advantage of the ZigBee Alliance’s extensive testing, certification and branding resources and expertise to [...]

The EnOcean Alliance has significantly expanded, and strengthened its program in building automation and the Internet of Things, with IBM supporting the EnOcean Alliance as a Promoter Member. The EnOcean Alliance is a consortium of more than 400 companies that standardize and develop intelligent building solutions integrating energy harvesting wireless technology. Together, IBM and the [...]

Craig DiLouie, LC, CLCP recently had the opportunity to interview James Benson, GM Global Marketing – Current, powered by GE, Intelligent Cities for an article about smart cities for Electrical Contractor Magazine. DiLouie: What is the concept of the smart city? What are the basic capabilities and benefits? Benson: A smart city is a place [...]

Republication of Postings from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solid-State Lighting Program by Jim Brodrick, SSL Program Manager, U.S. Department of Energy The rapid emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT) has helped put connectivity in a prominent position on lighting’s cutting edge. [Earlier this year] in Santa Clara, CA, at DOE’s second Connected [...]

This article published in TechCrunch identifies intelligent lighting as a platform for developing Internet of Things strategies in buildings. “The LED revolution is over. To no one’s surprise, LEDs have won. Solid-state lighting is changing how we light the world, successfully displacing traditional illumination sources across every part of the global lighting market. Over the [...]

This post by Current by GE talks about how many of the same principles applying to smart cities can be applied to business enterprises: I spend a lot of time working with cities to create digital cities – open, secure technology platforms that enable equitable economic growth. I’ve been building off a belief in recent [...]