Advanced indoor lighting systems maximise energy-efficient LEDs

The new generation of indoor lighting systems that have been recently introduced into the market offer control and monitoring capabilities to address lighting challenges and maximise the full potential of energy-efficient lighting units, such as LEDs. The new solutions can be integrated into a new build at the design phase or retrofitted into existing sites as part of a refurbishment plan. With the aid of wireless networked controls, the new lighting solutions will help avoid costly rewiring of current buildings, as well as disruption to the usual business operations.

Technological advances in monitoring and control solutions for indoor lighting offer designers, engineers and managers an array of benefits from significant reductions in a building's energy consumption, and the associated cut in CO2 emissions, to unrivalled dynamic control of all lighting output. Innovative lighting systems are inherently flexible and offer completely customisable solutions for every client.

There is huge potential to make significant savings on energy costs by taking control of indoor lighting. Of all the controllable lighting sold in Europe today, 75 per cent is currently not being controlled by anything more sophisticated than an on/off switch. As lighting accounts directly for 50 per cent of the electricity consumed in Europe's office buildings, control of this expenditure would be hugely beneficial to those organisations wishing not only to cut energy costs but also boost their green credentials.

Figure 1: Harvard Engineering's EyeNut LED-lighting control infrastructure.

Traditional lights are extremely energy inefficient or lack controllability. For instance, incandescent light bulbs convert less than 5 per cent of the energy they use into visible light and the remaining energy is converted into heat; an unwanted output and unnecessary expense in offices that then have to rely on air-conditioning to regulate the temperature.

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Advanced indoor lighting systems maximise energy-efficient LEDs