It’s become very difficult to keep up with the avalanche of new lighting technology coming onto the market but a visit to LuxLive, 23-24 November, ExCeL London, will guide you through the minefield…
The earliest LED luminaires were extremely limited in terms of their functional and aesthetic performance. The rush to adopt LEDs back then was all about energy reduction at the expense of visual effect and, for many manufacturers, performance didn’t matter. Never mind full compliance; as long as it looked bright, then brilliant.
However, there’s been a paradigm shift in the way LED luminaires are being used and adopted by designers, specifiers and end users. It’s no longer about saving energy and money at the expense of visual quality and the wellbeing of individuals. The question is now ‘how much energy and money can we save, while creating a pleasant and engaging environment for the individuals within the space?’
And this is precisely the kind of question, which will be answered at Europe’s largest annual lighting event, LuxLive where thousands of building and electrical engineers, as well as end-users, will be gathering together to explore the options and to examine the benefits of the very latest technologies, which will be showcased by more than 300 big-name exhibitors.
It’s all about control
The key issue in establishing LEDs as a viable technology is control. Manufacturers are gaining confidence in developing optical control of LED light sources, which will now create a chasm between good manufacturers, who have in-depth knowledge of luminaire design, and those who have simply jumped on the LED bandwagon. It’s safe to invest in LEDs – but be sure to source from a reputable manufacturer by visiting LuxLive. And when specifying controls, go for suppliers with the right combination of knowledge, experience, product range and a proven track record.
Connected lighting is a step change in the evolution of lightingÂ
Keeping ahead of the curve, LuxLive will offer you a chance to see how the worlds of lighting and big data are set to merge in a dedicated theatre, the Internet of Things (IoT) experience. Imagine a world in which all of a building’s subsystems can talk to each other along a unified protocol, and integrate together in a seamless intuitive interface, reacting to the needs of users with minimal effort.
Then compare this to what we have today: separated systems, different protocols and multiple wiring layers. This adds a huge cost to building construction and life-long maintenance. Yes, you can integrate these systems today, but this only happens on high-end projects and requires multiple system providers – many skills and little black boxes to convert one set of data to another, or connect one set of wires to another.
In the future you will only need one type of sensor module as the input for your fire alarm, security system, HVAC and lighting control. It may also act as the antenna for access to the internet via wireless or Li-Fi (data carried in light). Imagine the services you could provide. A fire alarm system that not only detects fire, but also tells where people are within a building and changes the lighting pattern to direct them out of the building via the fastest route. A security system that recognises no one is in the building and turns itself on – and can show in real time when someone has entered the building and by which route.
This technology is all very deliverable today, and sensors have got so cheap that they can be added to humble systems at very low cost.
But how do you get this stuff into buildings? If only there were a network that already covered the whole of a building… maybe one that people were already looking at upgrading in order to make energy savings, providing an opportunity to add new technology… Wait a minute…
There we have it: lighting’s role mapped out as the essential element in the IoT. Find out what this means for your organisation and – from healthcare to transport, residential to outdoor, is smart lighting the future? Find out for yourself at LuxLive’s IoT Experience.
Visitors to LuxLive will enjoy an extensive programme of free talks, demos and debates which have been divided into the key sectors that are feeling the effects of the lighting revolution including commercial, healthcare, leisure, housing and education as well as financing and emergency lighting. In each sector, sessions will look in depth at some of the best exemplar projects, drill into some of the key technologies and debate the issues in that sector in a dedicated panel discussion. And all the events focusing on any one sector will be on the same day, to create a must-attend day’s programme packed with content that’s relevant to you. For instance, Thursday 24 November is the commercial lighting day, when the discussion will be about the latest thinking in lighting offices.
To keep up-to-date with the latest in lighting technology and learn how you can make the most of it, don’t miss LuxLive on 23-24 November.
Register now for your free pass at www.luxlive.co.uk
LuxLive – key facts
What: Europe’s biggest annual lighting event
When: 23 November: 0900-2100 and 24 November: 0900-1700 hrs
Where: ExCeL London
Admission: free of charge
Register now for your free pass