Lighting disruption

3/6/2015

The normally staid lighting industry is in a state of flux due to disruptive technologies, such as solid-state light sources and intelligent lighting control. Here’s a look at four metatrends that are likely to shape the future of lighting:


1. Sustainability will be the major driver for technological change in lighting.



Over the past 10 years, increasingly strict generations of commercial building energy codes have reshaped how lighting is designed, putting lighting power front and center. Meanwhile, federal product regulations have steadily removed the least-efficient, lowest-cost options from the market. Rising energy costs and the goal of net-zero buildings will continue this trend, particularly as LED and intelligent control technology develops.



A wildcard is the existing buildings market, which presents a dramatic opportunity to save energy. Energy codes are now beginning to regulate many lighting retrofits. Another wildcard is green building standards, which are being harmonized across ASHRAE/IES 189.1, IgCC and LEED. As sustainability grows in importance, we may see green codes gain traction.



Tougher energy codes not only favor high-efficiency lighting options, such as LED and intelligent lighting control, but also more sophisticated design. Some manufacturers are beginning to develop vertical lighting solutions and packages around specific applications.



2. Solid-state lighting will be predominant.



Not long ago, LED was considered the light source of the future. This future is coming fast. While LED is still a tiny fraction of the total installed lighting inventory in the U.S., some manufacturers report that LED represents up to half of their new interior luminaire sales. LED sources are continually improving in efficacy, longevity and cost, with room to grow. Meanwhile, other SSL sources, such as OLED, continue to hold promise.



No technology has been as disruptive to electric lighting as the LED, which has required new approaches to design and manufacturing, as well as new standards. Manufacturers are beginning to introduce slimmer, sleeker luminaires, new form factors for common applications and integrated control solutions that are relatively simple to design and commission.



While LED is positioning itself as the predominant light source in the future for new construction, the continuing decline in cost is increasingly making this light source competitive for retrofit for existing buildings. The energy- and cost-savings potential in that market is huge.



3. Longer life cycles will disrupt the industry.



The long service life of LEDs will be disruptive in several ways.



LED products that fail due to lumen depreciation in applications where maintaining light levels is critical will require some form of light-level monitoring by owners as part of their maintenance programs. While LED luminaires must be maintained (periodically re-aimed and cleaned, associated controls recalibrated), maintenance is expected to shift in focus from ongoing lamp replacement to replacing luminaires every 10 to 20 years.



Some LED luminaires now offer some type of servicing of the light source and/or the driver, increasing longevity. Currently, this requires the owner to replace the component with a component made or approved by the OEM, which may no longer be available (the product discontinued as the technology advances, or the manufacturer ceased operations during this disruptive period). Ideally, component replacement will permit the owner access to more than one vendor; toward this goal, the Zhaga Consortium has developed specifications, which are seeing some adoption.



Longer service life will be particularly disruptive to manufacturers and distributors relying on steady MRO sales in lighting. In response, some manufacturers have already begun to talk about selling light as a service.



4. Intelligence will be commonplace, creating more responsive lighting.



The LED revolution has been shadowed by another quieter revolution in lighting controls, notably intelligent lighting control. LED lighting is highly compatible with dimming and switching and even color control, with intelligent control providing the most responsive option.



The ultimate in intelligent control is a building-based centralized system in which each luminaire is individually addressable and controlled by its own dedicated sensors, and which produces data that can be used for energy management and maintenance. RF wireless control has advanced from retrofit devices to advanced systems, such as luminaire-based systems in which LED luminaires feature onboard sensors and controllers that communicate with each other wirelessly.



The primary driver for LED dimming, however, may ultimately not be the incremental energy savings offered, but the ability to affect constant light and color output and extend product life. Luminaires can be programmed to provide constant light and color output over their life, extending life while ensuring consistent lighting quality.



The ability to control color temperature and intensity is only now being explored; however, it offers significant potential to transform spaces and make them more versatile and personal. An emerging control capability that may become common is the ability for lighting to interact with individual users through a range of inputs, including touch, mobile devices, cameras, sound and proximity sensors. The control system will be able to recognize individual users and provide custom lighting conditions.



Another control capability being pioneered is using LED lighting for communication. Intelligent control systems can measure energy consumption and monitor lighting status. The installation of LED luminaires offers the potential to use those luminaires as infrastructure for additional sensors that could measure almost anything useful — temperature, occupancy patterns, carbon monoxide and so on. Tying all of this together into the Internet of Things is the next stage in the evolution of building control.



Additionally, LED technology offers the ability to embed data directly into the light beam, called visible light communication (VLC). With VLC, retail stores could communicate with shoppers via a store app loaded on their mobile phone or tablet, facilitating wayfinding and transmission of targeted marketing information, such as coupons and recipes.



The integration of advanced lighting control capabilities in common lighting applications will put pressure on the construction industry, requiring closer integration and greater sophistication. Advancing capabilities will be aligned with customer needs, though customers may not understand their opportunities. The need to educate the owner about lighting, already critical, will increase in importance. As things change, one thing will stay constant, which is that education is the key to successful utilization of new technologies and opportunities.



Craig DiLouie, LC, education director, Lighting Controls Association (lightingcontrol-sassociation.org).


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