Ecmweb Com Sites Ecmweb com Files Outdoor Lighting 0719 1
Ecmweb Com Sites Ecmweb com Files Outdoor Lighting 0719 1
Ecmweb Com Sites Ecmweb com Files Outdoor Lighting 0719 1
Ecmweb Com Sites Ecmweb com Files Outdoor Lighting 0719 1
Ecmweb Com Sites Ecmweb com Files Outdoor Lighting 0719 1

The State of Outdoor Lighting

July 17, 2019
Why the combination of LEDs and connected lighting and control solutions helps electrical contractors deliver stronger ROI to customers

Gone are the days when metal housings with a ballast and reflectors reigned supreme. Today, innovative LEDs and connected lighting control solutions are at the forefront of the industry. Intelligent integration, sensing capabilities, positioning, and improved wireless communications make it possible for lighting to achieve more than ever before. To stay ahead of the curve, electrical professionals must understand how to deploy connected solutions that resolve critical issues for their customers.

Although navigating the site and area lighting environment can be challenging, those who are knowledgeable in this area can deliver premium solutions that enhance credibility with their customers and lower operations and maintenance costs.

The Bright Side

When it comes to site and area lighting, today’s luminaires provide more optical control and deliver more energy savings. Unlike in years past, you can now choose from various product options that minimize the number of luminaires that must be installed without compromising light output and quality. Some outdoor lighting solutions can deliver 70,000 lumens in a single housing unit.

The latest advancements in outdoor lighting provide commercial-quality, factory-installed security cameras in a luminaire with no additional wiring required. 

Advancements with lighting controls make it possible for these systems to mature far beyond installing one photocell per site, instead providing individual luminaire control to optimize light levels and energy savings. Many sites are deploying motion sensors to further reduce energy use with passive infrared motion sensors (PIRs). California and Texas, among many other states, have implemented codes that require these types of solutions on new installations.

As more property owners and developers adopt the concept of smart buildings and city officials push for smarter city infrastructure, LEDs will remain at the forefront of lighting innovation.

Connected Controls

More and more companies are offering network services and software that connect outdoor lighting products to the Internet, allowing facility managers and electrical contractors to remotely manage lighting systems from a desktop or a mobile app.

For facility managers, maintaining visibility to performance data is critical for evaluating the success of these connected solutions. This success is realized when numerous insights — not just lighting insights — can be analyzed in real time.

By grouping in zones, connected controls capture additional energy savings but still provide a consistent pedestrian experience, even in lightly traveled areas.

From leveraging motion sensor data to determining how commonly a specific part of the parking lot is used to track assets through Bluetooth beaconing, facility managers can better understand a system’s capabilities and improve their operations. Often, electrical contractors play an integral role in this process because they maintain and monitor the various systems needed to run a facility smoothly.

Sometimes running smoothly entails the use of dedicated control systems that make overall facility optimization possible. Oftentimes, plug-and-play connectivity is part of this process because it helps improve functionality while reducing costs.

When manufacturers integrate the motion sensor and wireless communications radio inside the luminaire, electrical contractors can simply install the luminaire as they normally would, and then turn on the wireless system so that it can commission and program itself. Today’s systems require more hands-on commissioning, but manufacturers and lighting control companies continue to mature the commissioning processes to improve the simplicity of these solutions.

Factory-installed motion sensors with integrated wireless controls require no additional labor to install, and commissioning processes are continually improving. 

Lighting the Way

Electrical contractors have a lot to consider when it comes to navigating the landscape of outdoor lighting controls. When recommending, installing, and maintaining site and area lighting systems, having an informed perspective about available offerings and their capabilities is key — and leveraging these insights to determine which offerings deliver the most value matters, too. For instance, connectivity and efficiency of operations are a top priority for most customers. How can facility managers remotely manage lighting systems for ON/OFF capabilities, dimming, energy monitoring, and failure notifications? Understanding how innovative solutions, such as a lighting monitoring service, add value for customers and contractors alike enhances customer engagement and provides a continuous revenue stream for the contractor.

Cybersecurity, ease of commissioning, and understanding system stability to minimize alarms and call backs are other considerations to keep in mind. Flexibility and integration are essential as well.

Technology integrated to the luminaire makes all new solutions possible with benefits from a streamlined look and reduced installation costs.

When recommending a lighting control system to your customer, you should look for systems that use open standards to maximize long-term benefits. This flexibility ensures seamless integration with other software and data sources impacted by lighting. Ultimately, delivering well-rounded choices allows you to offer economical options that integrate with customers’ existing systems. And when it comes to differentiating your business from the competition, the ability to demonstrate performance in the lighting controls space helps move beyond transactional relationships to build deeper connections that ultimately drive revenue.

A Look Ahead

Security-based solutions for outdoor lighting and analytics, such as assessing the number of cars in a parking lot, are becoming the new standard. Plus, communications-based offerings like vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) and micro-positioning as well as threat detection are emerging as the “next big things” to be enabled by lighting. But for now, realizing how the combination of LEDs and connected solutions for outdoor lighting can significantly help you deliver strong ROI to your customer while reducing costs and saving energy should be top of mind.

Sachetti is the director, IOT alliances with Eaton Lighting. He can be reached at [email protected].

About the Author

Jay Sachetti | Director, IOT Alliances

Sachetti is the director, IOT alliances with Eaton Lighting. He can be reached at [email protected].
 

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