Controls

One year after its founding, in May 2018 the IoT-Ready Alliance released a standard specification allowing any type of Internet of Things (IoT) sensor or control module to connect seamlessly to a luminaire or other building system. Standardization is a significant step in enabling the IoT.

I recently had the opportunity to interview Robert Karlicek, Jr., Ph.D., professor and director, Center for Lighting Enabled Systems and Applications (LESA), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The topic? The future for lighting and the Internet of Things.

In each episode of NAILD’s official podcast, “Get a Grip on Lighting,” lighting veterans Michael Colligan and Greg Ehrich tackle some of the industry’s biggest issues. I was pleased to be featured in a recent podcast, where I talked about lighting controls. Click to check it out.

My contribution to the May 2018 issue of ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR talks about options for plug load control, now a requirement in many energy codes and an energy-saving control option for existing buildings.

To get an idea of how connected lighting is impacting the industry and where it’s going, I talked to six thought leaders in the lighting industry. Here’s what they said.

An increasing number of lighting control and home automation manufacturers now offer voice recognition as an input for their systems.

The Lighting Controls Association (LCA) has published guidance on troubleshooting networked lighting control systems.

Below is my contribution to the April issue of tED Magazine, the official NAED publication. Reprinted with permission. Networked lighting controls are control systems that use microprocessing (intelligence) and communication (hardwired or wireless connectivity) to enact layered and complex control strategies. This approach allows individually addressable control points, software-based setup and operation, simplified connections, and [...]

The lighting industry continues to undergo historic change marked by extraordinary trends enabled by rapid adoption of LED lighting. Connectivity and networked control, the Internet of Things, lighting and health, restrictive energy codes, and rebates are all driving change. For electrical contractors that compete based on lighting expertise, this presents the challenge of reviewing one’s skillsets and learning what needs learning to remain competitive. In this informative roundtable, ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR talked to six lighting industry experts to find out what impact these trends are having and where they’re going.