For a building to be considered “smart,” its systems, such as lighting and HVAC, must be connected and communicating with one another. By working together, the smart building’s systems are able to optimize efficiency, comfort and safety. Lighting is often crucial to this inter-system communication, as lighting fixtures and sensors are positioned at key locations throughout the building’s interior and exterior.
“Increasingly, we see lighting systems playing a critical role in not only meeting energy-saving goals, but in improving occupant comfort, well-being and productivity as well,” said Vimal Kapur, CEO of Honeywell Building Technologies. “We anticipate this trend will continue to grow.”
The most advanced lighting controls, such as Luminaire Level Lighting Controls (LLLCs), can further increase building efficiency, comfort and safety by providing even more data. These integrated, intelligent wireless sensors can report a wide variety of information based on the needs of the facility. For instance, LLLCs can provide temperature readings in a cold storage warehouse and asset tracking in a hospital (such as wheelchairs or defibrillators).
LLLCs can help a building operator take advantage of features including occupancy sensing, high-end trim (setting light levels) and daylight harvesting to achieve significant energy savings—as much as 70%, according to a 2018 Department of Energy Study. LLLCs can further connect with building management systems (BMS) such as HVAC, Security and Fire/Safety to realize additional savings, all while improving occupant comfort and streamlining building operations.