Let There Be (Smart) Lights

Power your homes with smart lighting – they are convenient, energy-saving, and more affordable than you think.

- Nidhi Singal

Entering home at the end of the day to see the lights and ACs on, the subsequent guilt trip and inflated electricity bill…we have all been there at some point. Enter smart lighting: it detects your presence and turns lights and devices on/off accordingly, or lets your smartphone become the universal switch. The seemingly expensive idea which deftly offers both cost and energy efficiency, is fast catching up.

“Until a while back, smart lighting was only limited to commercial buildings and grand apartments. However, the concept is now transforming immensely as the idea of smart lighting and home automation is finding a place in the lives of many middle-class and upper middle-class families,” says Ripu Daman Sharma, Country Manager Sales, India Subcontinent, Lutron. As per a report by Global Market Insights, the smart lighting market is expected to reach $8.5 billion by 2023, growing at a CAGR of over 22 per cent from 2016 to 2023.

Smart lighting can be sensor based or connected/ IoT-based (Internet of Things). While sensor-based lighting involves technical know-how and is slightly expensive, IoT solutions are affordable and easy to instal.

Sleight Of Sensors 

“Incorporating natural light sensors, occupancy sensors and motion sensors, among others, ensure a significant reduction in energy. When used with energy efficient lighting (like LEDs), smart lighting control systems allow energy savings of 20-50 per cent by tuning the lighting smartly to the patterns of use and environmental dynamics,” explains Harshavardhan Chitale, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Philips Lighting India. Some of the control systems under home automation can be linked to control blinds and home appliances remotely.