IoT Lighting Platform Slashes Energy Costs

Claiming to cut lighting energy costs by more than 90%, Osram’s Lightelligence IoT software for light management understands space and features the ability to integrate the management of lighting, air conditioning, alarms, emergency power supply, and other systems. For example, in a one-year trial, the platform reduced energy consumption by over 90% at the company’s site in Traunreut. The initial step was to switch the conventional lighting to LEDs, which reduced energy consumption by more than 60%. By employing intelligent light-on-demand control that uses movement detectors, this was reduced by a further 75%, giving a total reduction of over 90% in the site’s warehouse and logistics area.

 

One of the first Lightelligence platform users is Bamberg-based luminaire specialist RZB. The platform, an example of Internet of Things technology, allows RZB to automatically carry out remote function tests on emergency lighting systems. Regular testing of emergency lighting systems is a legal requirement in public and commercially used buildings. Until now, employees often had to walk through the buildings and check each emergency exit sign separately. But now, the checks can be carried out and documented remotely at the click of a button using sensors and Lightelligence, reducing the buildings’ running costs considerably.

 

A wide range of components and control systems can be integrated into the Lightelligence platform, as the system is open to products, applications, and interfaces from all manufacturers. This reaps synergies and reduces costs. For example, movement detectors installed to control lighting can also be used by alarm systems and in heating management. Air quality sensors can be leveraged by systems such as air conditioning, automated window control, and fire alarms. Brightness sensors that control blinds can also be used to dim interior lighting and can be accessed by fire alarm and intrusion alarm systems. Installation and running costs can be significantly reduced through multiple analysis of sensors across various control systems.

 

A broad variety of software can run on Osram’s Lightelligence platform, making new applications possible that go beyond lighting. Osram’s sensor-based logistics solutions, for example, can use a warehouse’s lighting infrastructure to record inventories, monitor temperature and humidity for perishable goods, or optimize the way in which warehouses are used. Motion detectors in office buildings can be used to manage meeting rooms more efficiently and arrange targeted cleaning. In retail stores, customers can be better addressed via localized digital services. Mobile assets, such as beds and medical equipment in hospitals, can be located immediately. Beyond buildings, smart city solutions, such as the identification and reporting of free parking spaces through intelligent street luminaires, become feasible.

 

Programmers of these intelligent applications can save a lot of development time thanks to the structured development environment and the large number of software modules available. For more information, checkout the Lightelligence platform.