Using light to manage space

May 30, 2018

Most facility managers are initially motivated to take up connected LED lighting to reduce energy costs. Based on the 2017 field study by the Design Light Consortium (DLC) in the US, network lighting control (NLC) systems can potentially produce an additional 47% of energy savings to an existing lighting system.  Connected LED lighting is also an obvious way to meet sustainability compliance and the investment pays for itself. No brainer.

What is less understood however, is that the savings don’t start and stop with energy efficiency. If you’re in charge of an office or building, connected lighting can help you get smart about occupancy and the use of space as well.

A sense of space by placing a sensor in every fixture

One of the simplest ways to save money is to only use lights when you need them. This means using occupancy detection in every fixture to understand when people are present and automate the use of lighting. Imaginative new IoT platforms from Signify and our partners are now extending this kind of control to capture, store and combine information. For the first-time facility managers can see how space is used. Most importantly, they can make adjustments to cater more accurately for what they need, when and where.

It’s all made possible by an innovation from Signify: a SR LED driver that makes it easy and affordable to integrate a sensor into the light fixture. When these are installed you create a ‘digital ceiling’ which also enables the transport of useful information about the building. Managers can understand their use of lighting and space and make savings. Workers get optimized and automated control of the lighting in their workspace.

More to come

We’re just at the start of what lighting with integrated sensors will make possible. Signify is working with partners who are bringing unprecedented innovation to buildings and public spaces the world over. Stay tuned.