7 top benefits of smart building lighting not to overlook
A recent study shows the use of electrical energy is over 19% globally. In the past, little thought went into how to interlink lighting with other internal systems to optimize a building’s operations.
Smart buildings have sprung up to counter the problems faced by traditional buildings. These are:
- huge carbon imprint
- high energy bills
- low workforce productivity
- inefficiency
A smart building lighting system improves the aesthetic value of a building. It also boosts workers’ productivity, security, safety, energy consumption, and environmental conservation.
Let’s explore the seven benefits of smart building lighting that you should not overlook:
1. Enhanced safety
Smart lighting relies on sensors to detect movement in an area. This is key in high-traffic areas such as hallways, bathrooms, and dark storerooms. A well-lit space enhances the safety of the occupants in a building by reducing accidents.
Dark storerooms are a breeding ground for dangerous slips and falls. They are either musty, dark, tiny, or full of clutter. Things loosely stack on top of each other are also a storeroom hazard. Automated lighting minimizes all these risks.
Eliminating the need to fumble with switches, especially in the bathrooms, reduces the exposure to disease-causing germs.
Smart building lighting reduces break-in attempts by thugs. It relays any movement detected beyond the normal working hours to the security personnel. Integrating the lights with the alarm system helps to automatically raise an alarm.
2. Upgrading is easy
Upgrading a standard building to a smart building using the lighting system is easy. You do this by linking it with the same old wiring system. It also utilizes the existing internet networks for connectivity.
You can consider installing a wired or wireless connection, or one that is Bluetooth or Wi-Fi enabled depending on your needs.
3. Aesthetics appeal and comfort
Some industries heavily rely on light to create different moods depending on the time of the day, the events happening, and how much natural light is filtering into a space.
To create a cheery effect on a gloomy day or tone it down on a bright day. You can also dim them to mimic an intimate moment.
A comfortable workspace results in a contented workforce. A University of Oxford study shows that happy employees are 13% more productive than those who are not.
Manipulating the lighting and other facets, such as temperature, improves fresh air circulation. It reduces the light glare, thereby creating a calming effect for the workers. This aesthetic appeal enhances the workers’ happiness and thus their productivity.
4. Smart decision making
Smart sensors are fit into light fixtures to monitor movement, power consumption, and temperature. The real-time data you capture from all these elements assists the facility managers in making smart decisions.
For instance, it can show the busiest spaces, the less occupied areas, how light and temperature adjust themselves at different times of the day. Analysis of the information captured then allows the managers to track and implement changes as required.
The gained data help during pandemics such as COVID-19 to enhance social distancing and speed up contact tracing. Should an emergency happen, it’ll also show the exact number of people in the building and probably needing evacuation.
5. Keeping track of assets
Assets are an important part of any organization. Some are movable, while others are immovable. It’s annoying when workers waste a large part of their productive hours tracing movable assets.
To fix that gap, you can fit them with sensors integrated with the lighting controls to monitor their location. This significantly reduces time wastage as workers receive alerts showing where different assets are.
6. Reduce energy consumption
Many things consume energy in an organization and contribute to high energy bills. These include:
- Security lights
- Machines
- Electric fans
- Server rooms
- Normal lights
A smart building lighting system will automate the usage of these devices as required. IoT technology allows all the appliances in a smart building to communicate with each other. They also give alerts when a machine is not being fully optimized and when regular maintenance falls due.
Providing data on workplace trends, such as how often a room is in use, the number of occupants, and the time spent in each room can harmonize how resources utilization.
This will allow the implementation of cost reduction measures.
7. Productivity
In the heat of things, stopping to switch on/off lights as the employees work and move from place to place can slow things down. The temperature in the working space also affects how fast people and concentrate. When it’s too hot or too cold, the productivity level goes down.
A workspace that is too bright or dim affects productivity. A smart lighting system comes in to give a solution to all these issues.
With it, you set the right working, create a good ambiance by altering the light tone, thus improving concentration.
Other features in a smart building, such as voice control, detecting slips, and voice control, can increase the output of the disabled workforce in an organization. The inclusivity not only builds their morale but also allows for more peer-to-peer collaboration. This positively affects the overall workforce output.
What should you consider when installing a smart building lighting system?
Smart lighting does more than just light up a space. It augments efficiency and productivity while bringing costs down. It allows you to be in touch with your building from any location through connected devices.
As the installation is easy, you should consider the following factors before flipping the switch:
- Dimming and color change
- Energy efficiency
- Safety and security features
- Whether cabled or wireless
- Bluetooth or WiFi-enabled
Wrapping up
Upcoming buildings, as well as renovations, are moving towards smart technology. There’s a surge of smart cities, smart schools, intelligent hospitals, and retail outlets. The smart building lighting system is all about maximizing security, optimizing productivity, saving costs, and conserving the environment.
A smart building harmonizes all the controls, including lighting. This leaves a load of benefits to its occupants and owners, as outlined above.
