Computer scientists were looking for upgrading everyday appliances and objects by connecting them to the internet in the early 1970s and 1980s. The very first appliance that was connected to the internet was the Coke vending machine at Carnegie Mellon University. After that, a huge transformation can be noticed in the domain of the Internet of Things (IoT). Now, it is becoming all-pervasive in all sectors.

IoT lighting has revolutionized and every day an innovation takes place where new players become a part of the change. As a result, our perspective regarding lighting workspaces, homes, warehouses, and cities has also changed. Smart lighting fixtures by Wipro Lighting have played a major role in transforming the idea of illuminating commercial spaces.

Few pointers to highlight how the Internet of Things based smart lighting has modified the workplaces are listed below.

Workspaces turn into data gold-mine

The Internet of Things based lighting systems not only saves a huge amount of money for companies but also acts as a data mine. The elevation in the lighting system has made workspaces a treasury of data. By using this range of lighting fixtures, businesses can easily generate information and inputs that can work for a long time in space optimization and control.

Taking the lighting industry by a storm

IoT is transforming the way of interacting and connecting with the world, but there are few industries that are using this innovation with full potential like the lighting industry. Instead of just increasing the uptake of the lighting industry among other industries, IoT is opening the locks of novel functionalities and adding new dimensions to this domain.

With the involvement of IoT in lighting, professionals can use the required data anytime anywhere in the workspace. Moreover, with the inception of Li-Fi technology, Internet of Things based smart office lighting solutions can become a more secure and faster channel to provide high-speed internet using light.

Create a progressive workspace along with saving resources

Employee well-being and retention are the two sides of the same story. Internet of Things based Lighting improves productivity and imparts an enhancive experience at the workplace by providing the access to personalise a lighting plan based on one’s preferences.

Furthermore, data collected from the space optimisation tool can be utilized to determine the information and activity patterns that can be used to make correct decisions related to workplace design. The output of all the efforts and thoughtfulness is a highly efficient, productive and optimally used workplace.

The Internet of Things based technologies is constantly evolving and adding newer points of innovation, learning, and extending our reach to provide convenient solutions for our day to day problems.

In 2018, Wipro Lighting introduced the Internet of Lighting (IoL)® category of smart and connected lighting solutions. With this technology, we are revolutionarily designing the workspaces to deliver user-centric experiences. From human-centric lighting to Li-Fi and the Power over Ethernet based-technology solutions, you can explore numerous products from this category to uplift your workplace working pattern.

Integrated lighting solutions deployed by Signify and Honeywell

Signify a specialist in lighting and Honeywell, a global provider of connected buildings, have announced a strategic alliance to deploy integrated, smart lighting solutions for commercial buildings. Together, the companies aim to improve the occupant experience – focusing on productivity and wellbeing and to reduce energy consumption.

The collaboration integrates Signify’s Interact connected lighting system and software, and its UV-C disinfection lighting, with Honeywell Building Management Systems and the Honeywell Forge enterprise performance management platform.

The combined offerings will manage energy consumption while factoring in occupancy along with air quality indicators such as temperature and humidity. Signify’s lighting solutions will complement Honeywell’s Healthy Buildings air quality solutions beginning in early 2021, and can be controlled, measured and monitored via the Healthy Buildings dashboard to understand air and surface cleaning compliance and metrics.

Harsh Chitale

Signify offers additional elements to improve productivity and wellbeing. These elements include human-centric lighting, such as NatureConnect, and UV-C disinfection lighting. UV-C breaks down the DNA or RNA of micro-organisms, including viruses and bacteria, rendering them harmless. In laboratory testing, Signify’s UV-C light sources reduced SARS-CoV-2 virus infectivity on a surface to below detectable levels in as few as 9 seconds.

Additionally, building owners and operators will be able to better manage lighting systems and energy efficiency with smart LED lighting systems. Lighting represents 17% of all electricity used in US commercial buildings according to the Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey, making it the largest end use of electricity in buildings. Similar usage rates are seen globally.

Signify’s connected LED lighting system Interact Office can save up to 70% of the energy used for lighting and deploying advanced building controls and sensing, like those from Honeywell, can save up to 30% in facility energy costs.

“Increasingly we see lighting systems playing a critical role in buildings to improve occupant comfort, wellbeing and productivity as well as to help meet energy savings goals. We anticipate this trend will continue to grow,” says Vimal Kapur, president and CEO, Honeywell Building Technologies.

“Our collaboration with Signify will allow us to enable our customers to implement integrated lighting solutions that help improve the occupant experience with customisable, personal lighting options that can be integrated into our Honeywell Forge and Building Management Systems platforms.”

“There are known benefits of how lighting can improve occupant experience and wellbeing,” says Harsh Chitale, leader of Signify’s Digital Solutions Division. “Many of our customers expect our solutions to deliver value beyond the scope of lighting. We look forward to capitalising on this collaboration with Honeywell to jointly develop products and systems that provide greater value to our customers. We aim to deliver end-user benefits to building occupants, such as increased wellbeing and productivity, while providing channel partners with products that are easier to commission and maintain.”

Integrated building and lighting systems to serve patients at Malaysian Eye Clinics

Honeywell and Signify are deploying integrated offerings at OPTIMAX Eye Specialists, a network of leading eye specialist clinics in Malaysia, to help the organisation improve its air quality and surface disinfection efforts.

“Honeywell and Signify offered our clinics a complete solution for air, surface and object disinfection that allows us to clearly communicate to our clinicians, staff and patients how we are working to support wellbeing in our spaces,” says Tan Sri Dato’ Tan Boon Hock, founder, Optimax Eye Specialists Centre.

The clinics are using Signify UV-C lighting in upper air luminaries, stand-alone trolleys and in Honeywell-controlled fan coil units to increase wellbeing by contributing to disinfect air and surfaces in rooms. Honeywell’s Healthy Buildings dashboard will control and monitor the Signify lighting technologies in the clinics.

Vimal Kapur

The integrated Honeywell and Signify products can support the needs of any building and feature specific solutions for premium commercial buildings, airports, hospitality, healthcare, education, retail and stadia sectors. Honeywell and Signify are also currently deploying the integrated solutions, including Signify’s Philips UV-C disinfection upper air luminaires, in several Honeywell global offices.

Honeywell’s Healthy Buildings solutions help building owners improve their building environments, operate more cleanly and safely, comply with social distancing policies, and help reassure occupants that it is safer to return to the workplace. By integrating air quality, safety and security technologies along with advanced analytics, Honeywell’s Healthy Buildings solutions are designed to help building owners minimise potential risks of contamination and improve business continuity by monitoring both the building environment and building occupants’ behaviours.