Tag Archives: led lighting

6 Reasons LED Lighting Will Take Center Stage In 2018

16 Jan, 2018
Posted by Rita Mailheau
3 Comment(s)

The LED lighting market, near 40 percent saturation as of this writing, is expected to reach 61 percent by 2020. That means 61 percent of all lighting is expected to be LED right when the Internet of Things (IoT) hits its 20 billion connected device milestone.

Gartner reports we’re at roughly 11.2 billion now.

It makes sense. From a purchasing perspective, LED bulbs last 20-25 times longer than a halogen, and 8-10 times longer than a typical CFL [corkscrew fluorescent]. Used 12 hours a day, a 50,000 bulb will last more than 11 years.

They cost more than other bulbs, true, but they produce healthier more natural qualities of light. And, when properly installed, they reduce the demands of electricity by 62 percent.

Let’s turn to the year before us and see why LED lighting will see exponential growth in 2018.

Factors In LED Lighting Growth for 2018

Though not necessarily new, they indicate larger technology trends. Simplicity and easy adoption are what people want. Consolidation and connection brings the IoT to life.

1. Power and data over single-layer infrastructure

Many of you read the announcement at the release of iPhone X [ten] of the wireless charging feature. As technology advances toward a fuller adoption of connectivity, it makes sense to reduce the requirements for powering and data sharing.

That capability already being developed in Ethernet, is now moving its way into other areas of technology.

2. Use of DC power

Direct current (DC) flows one way; alternating current oscillates back and forth.

Single-layer and DC power delivery characterize many Power over Ethernet [PoE] installations, including sensors, security cameras, and VoIP phone systems. You’ll see this trend expand as more device networks come online.

3. Ease of installation

Low-voltage devices do not require additional power outlets and are safe to install without the services of an electrician.

Since LED lighting is low power, you rarely need to calculate the load for an install. In case you are wondering how to calculate this, the formula is W = VA [watts = volts x amps]. If you had a 3-amp circuit at 110 volts, the results would be 330W.

For low voltage devices like POE, the current limiting system is built into the power supply.

4. Follows the latest IEEE 802.3 Ethernet standards

Tasked with saving money and providing a clear path forward, the IEEE Ethernet Working Group continues to publish their findings and information on current projects. They have strived for and achieved 2.5 and 5 Gbps speeds and are well on their way to 10.

Since lighting has become “smart” and is getting smarter, sensor capabilities in the installations allow organizations to save money, while lighting only areas that are occupied within a building.

Automotive is another area ramping up with smart Ethernet.

5. LED lighting may be reprogrammed and upgraded without significant costs

Because spaces change within office buildings due to staffing changes and business priorities, having the capability to change lighting function can save your client considerable time and money.

Manufacturers like CREE are constantly updating and innovating lighting designs. The Ethernet infrastructure supporting LED is highly responsive and adaptable to change.

6. LED systems can share network switches

The same ethernet switch provides network infrastructure for LED and other LANs. That can save time and money, especially for one-off installations. Lower financial investments and the plug and play dynamic of Ethernet is making LED a popular choice with decision makers.

What To Tell Your Customers About LED Lighting

As the market becomes saturated, bespoke products will begin to emerge. By bespoke, we mean customized designs for verticals, applications, and even customer specific requirements will differentiate LED lighting manufacturers.

Smart lighting will become the norm as the IoT rolls out even further.
LED will become mainstream.
Automotive systems will become more and more Ethernet based.

That’s it for LED lighting at this juncture.

If you’d like some help choosing the right switch for your customer LED lighting installation, we’d be happy to help. You can message us here, or call if that’s more convenient for you.

Optimizing LED Installs with Intelligent PoE Lighting Platforms

01 May, 2017
Posted by Rita Mailheau
0 Comment(s)

LED Lighting is booming! As all-in-one IoT lighting platforms become more affordable and easier to both install and use, consumers purchases are ramping up.

One such platform, is the “SmartCast” lighting system from Cree, Inc.

The all-in-one platform approach means components are pre-integrated and don’t require complicated setup. In fact, it’s a 1-touch setup.

Systems are intuitive, visually communicated and require minimal involvement from the consumer. This all amounts to one seriously consumer-friendly LED lighting platform.

While there are plenty of great companies developing platforms and system control panels, we thought we’d take a deep look at this one. It’s particularly well-suited to illuminate what exactly will drive the platform purchase decisions made by businesses and consumers alike.

So why is platform technology like the SmartCast so popular?

Why Is Platform Technology So Great?

All inclusive platforms make technology simpler, thus saving customers time and money.

The inherent simplicity and ease of use also means greater freedom for the organizations planning to implement the platforms. That also helps developers get applications to the customer faster and in more easily scalable ways.

Need an example? Look no further than the platforms that host software programs like GMail, Salesforce, and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) tools like NetSuite.

A platform in one of those examples would be comprised of operating systems, middleware and other software allowing applications to run in the cloud.

What makes this kind of technology so appealing is that system administration, management and other maintenance are all handled on the platform level for the end user.

Your service sets up servers and vms in the cloud. They install run times in libraries and middleware. The customer just needs to log in. No management staff required!

What Does the Customer Need for One of These Upgrades?

That’s where you, the installer, comes in. You’ll simply need to install the onsite infrastructure for a Smart LED Lighting system.

This would include bulbs, PoE switches, and Cat5a and Cat6 cabling. It would also include any equipment necessary for the larger network that these smaller networks and platforms are going to be attached to.

An install would not include anything on the other side of the Internet. Again, that is done by the provider according to customer specification.

All the end user needs to know is this: by the time their LED lighting system reaches them it will essentially be a ready-to-use dashboard. None of the inner workings fall under the customer’s jurisdiction, all of the grunt work would be done during the install.

A Detailed Look at Cree’s SmartCast Intelligent Lighting System

Now, let’s cover some of the specific features the SmartCast system brings to the table.

First of all, it’s a POE lighting setup. Hopefully you’ve read our coverage of this already, but suffice to say that LED lighting is amazing and has a huge number of applications.

We know off the bat that the operating costs will be low, making it an efficient platform. Low-power ethernet has been gaining traction in the manufacturing sector over the past few years. We think it’s an exciting phenomenon to say the least.

SmartCast also offers analytics software. That means it will collect data and use it to provide optimized lighting for different spaces and functions within any facility or campus of your customer’s organization in which you install it.

SmartCast can even lower costs by recommending ways to save energy and utilize space within your customer’s facilities.

Frankly, on-site IT admins are already generally overworked. They don’t need or want another system to oversee.

SmartCast Advisor was built for precisely this reason. It’s an analytics application built for the SmartCast. It’s capable of monitoring a number of things throughout any buildings in which the SmartCast lighting network is implemented. A large number of customer sites are already operating it with great success.

The application collects data and drives insights immediately upon installation, and can detect what spaces are underutilized.

So, if your customers are in the market for an LED system that provides these functions, Cree’s PoE Lighting network is looking like a pretty solid choice.

“SmartCast Advisor, the first analytics application available on the SmartCast Intelligence Platform, monitors buildings via the SmartCast PoE lighting network.”

Your customer can expect to see the following benefits:

Intuitive setup
Easy deployment
Occupancy / vacancy sensing
Daylight harvesting
Money aspects | program cost | potential savings through use

Conclusion

At the end of the day, everyone wants to save time and money.

Whether you’re installing a platform like SmartCast for your customers, or implementing it in your own commercial building, it’s a compelling choice that can have a large impact in a number of ways.

Fully integrated platforms like this one save hassle for the end users by featuring killer software, ease-of-use, and automated power saving measures.
If you’re looking for a great way to lower costs for your customers, we definitely recommend you check out the SmartCast!

PoE Lighting Systems Are Reaching Epic Popularity in 2019

01 Feb, 2017
Posted by Rita Mailheau
5 Comment(s)

As the economy struggled over the past number of years, there have been no shortage of tough times for businesses. That being said, there are a few positive outcomes that arose thanks to tighter budgets.

For consideration today, let’s look at the ultra-lean approach businesses have adopted regarding technological upgrades. Many business owners have become talented snipers, spending the bare minimum and focusing on value.

Unsurprisingly, Power over Ethernet (PoE) lighting systems have seen a meteoric rise. Improved control over light quality, lower energy bills, and substantially longer bulb life make them a no brainer.

Manufacturers have taken this opportunity to develop increasingly efficient and exciting lighting products. As a result of their efforts, business is booming!

Installers, too, are getting in on the action. After all, these systems are generally very easy to install. They can be retrofitted into existing infrastructure.

With all of this in mind, it’s safe to say that LED lighting over ethernet cabling is the future. In the near future, the only place we’ll be seeing incandescent, fluorescent and halogen bulbs is in the rearview mirror.

So, what does that mean for the lighting industry on the whole?

Well for starters, Yahoo Finance predicts the market will skyrocket to over $419M in revenues by 2025! They’ve based their claim on a study by Navigant Research, a Bay Area market research and consulting team specializing in supply side and demand assessment analysis.

This in-depth report on global clean technologies predicts 90 percent growth over the next 9 years (their current figure for 2016 is $35.8M).

In another report courtesy Grand View Research, a U.S. based market research and consulting company, revenues are expected to reach a towering $3.77B.

Those two estimates are concerning the same span of time, so we’ll have to wait and see which estimate turns out be most accurate. Regardless, the consensus is clear: stunning growth is on its way.

It’s also worth noting that in the Grand View study, the commercial market actually outpaced both industrial and residential markets.

This makes sense. A PoE lighting conversion not only positively impacts organizational costs, it also reduces strain on local power authorities to produce energy by lowering usage without any loss in quality.

Increased Demands for PoE Technologies

LED lighting isn’t the only way companies are harnessing the powerful potential of PoE. Many organizations are also capitalizing on its benefits in the VOIP and security camera sectors.

On January 9, 2017, MarketWatch reported that “The increasing adoption of VoIP among the various application industry has also contributed to the market demand.”

The ability to reuse existing infrastructure can be cited as one of the biggest attractions. Repurposing existing copper Cat5e and Cat6 cables, is at least one factor contributing to this exciting trend.

With Power Comes Automation

The capabilities of PoE technology are due to the simultaneous delivery and transmission of power and data.

This functionality enables a myriad of new possibilities. Communication to and from devices allows centralized control and monitoring. Organizations can thus operate an array of devices from remote locations. This eliminates the need for on-site maintenance staff in some instances, and faster troubleshooting options.

Automation Becomes Intelligent

Enter the age of Artificial Intelligence. 2016 saw increasingly widespread adoption of virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa. So much so that it was a large point of emphasis at CES 2017 a few weeks ago.

AI and automation technologies allows for lighting personalization, something that has otherwise required extensive manual control and fiddling. Check out our article on adjustable LEDs and workspace design for more info.

Suffice to say that environments can make a huge difference when it comes to optimizing spaces for their given purposes. Further they can be set to change depending on the time of day.

This allows companies to subtly encourage and optimize for productivity, creativity, etc. All while lowering operational costs.

If you’re curious, NuLED and CREE are two of the companies paving the way with these innovations.

These smart devices will continue to improve functionality as they accumulate increasingly large data sets. Deep-learning allows virtual assistants to make specific sense of and adjust to changing environments.

“Predictive Intelligence, Deep Data, and Analysis combined with all these sensors and Internet connectivity and the Internet of Things–is what the future is,” said Gary Shapiro, President & CEO, Consumer Technology Association.

If PoE LED Lighting Systems are any predictor of growth for this landscape, these changes are coming faster than expected.

Installers can be ecstatic at the amount of work coming their way.

If you’d like to learn even more about PoE technologies read our guide on the subject.

Largest PoE Lighting Installation Ushers Age of Innovation at Watt Family Center

28 Jan, 2016
Posted by Delia Hernandez
0 Comment(s)

Royal Phillips has announced its first large-scale lighting deployment powered by Power over Ethernet (PoE) at Clemson University. The University’s Watt Family Innovation Center now boasts state-of-the-art lighting that combines the energy efficiency of LED lighting with the simplicity of PoE cabling.

PoE Lighting is a cutting edge technology that provides a branding statement of innovation for the center which was built to encourage student-faculty collaboration. The 70,000 square building boasts PoE-based indoor LED lighting that can be regulated using the web-based Phillips Envision Manager. The control system features convenient remote control using a software console that can be accessed on different computers, smartphones, or tablets.

PoE-Based LED Media Facade

The Watt Family Innovation Center also pioneers the “largest media façade installation in the United States”. The LED display features Phillips very own high-intensity iColor Flex LMX Gen2 LED lights. The large LED strands of light create string-like curtain panels that can display messages and provides a new take on traditional digital marquees and billboards.

Real-Time Occupancy Monitoring

img src: http://www.clemson.edu/centers-institutes/watt/

Another additional feature of the smart lighting system is that the PoE system’s occupancy sensors can automatically power lights on or off. The occupancy sensors also gather data to provide historical and real-time usage trends.

How does PoE lighting work?

Power over Ethernet (PoE) originally emerged to power Voice-over IP (VoIP) solutions but has since been adapted to power applications beyond computer networking, such as LED lighting. Power over Ethernet (PoE) has the ability to deliver powe r and data via a single cable and eliminates the need for additional electrical circuitry.

Cat-5 cabling is comprised of 4-twisted pairs. As Mike Hornung elucidates in Energy Manager Today, if LED lights require low data speeds, up to 3 pairs can be used to provide power, reserving the remaining pair for data. Even though the off-switching of voltages in differentiated signals can transmit data, it’s also possible to shift the voltages (from 10V to 0V as opposed to -5V to 5V for example) and be left with a positive voltage that can be extracted from the adjacent end of a wire.

PoE traditionally supports low-powered devices, but 802.3 Ethernet standards are evolving to adopt higher power. For example, the 802.3at standards can supply up to 25.5 Watts of power and it is speculated that the ultra-PoE pre-standard will be able to supply 100 Watts of power.

PoE for IoT

With the ability to support power and data, PoE removes the cost of hiring expensive electricians making it possible for IT personnel to easily manage the infrastructure. The large-scale installation is a testament to the possible future of Power over Ethernet. The cabling’s flexible and versatile deployment options will help usher in the much-anticipated adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT). With the ability to deliver power and data, PoE can easily provide connectivity to a large portion of the IoT market— particularly because a large portion of the IoT market will be comprised of sensors that have low-power requirements.

Simple User-Interface

Clemson University’s PoE-based LED installation uses the Phillips Envision Manager, a web-based software configuration center, to allow system integrators to control and monitor the LED lights within a centralized control center. Another aspect of the interface is it also integrates other site services such as HVAC (heating, venting, and air conditioning). User-friendly interfaces such as these will curb learning time of new users and will contribute to the mass adoption of IoT components in both the consumer and industrial sector.

img src: http://www.colorkinetics.com/ls/rgb/flexlmx/

Energy-Efficient PoE Lighting

So how energy efficient is the Royal Phillips installation? According to their press release, “this new lighting solution will deliver up to 70 percent in energy savings compared to similar buildings using conventional lighting.” In fact, “Phillips and Cisco have both evidenced a 50% reduction in installation costs for Ethernet-based connected lighting systems compared with conventional AC-powered systems.”

The high-profile installation leads us to questions new devices can adopt PoE and if telecommunications can be solution to energy management.

Think PoE lighting is cool? Check out how Li-Fi lighting can transmit Wi-Fi signals!