Smart Home Lighting Systems: Save Energy & Money

Dr. Sreeram Srinivasan, Chief Executive Officer, Syrma Technology

In 2016, total global energy came from 80% of fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, and petroleum). The main fossil fuel being used is natural gas (32%), coal (30%), and petroleum (1%). Processing all three forms have numerous damaging environmental impacts, such as air and water pollution, soil contamination, etc. For example, 6% of greenhouse emissions in the world derive from energy used for lighting. Globally, 19% of electricity use is for commercial and residential lighting. With new smart lighting, residential energy use will decline by more than 50% in the range of 1,000 kW hours per household per year from 2012 to 2040. A typical lamp using a traditional light bulb consumes 60 watts of power and a compact fluorescent lamp emits the same amount of light while using only 13 watts. However, smart lighting using light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs consumes only 10 watts to give off the same amount of light.

Besides conserving energy, smart lighting systems enabled with the Internet of Things (IoT) technology can save people money by allowing them to remotely control their lighting, which lowers their energy use and saves them money. According to a report, new lighting technologies can reduce lighting energy up to 75%. Also, by using LED lights, which are more energy-efficient and last up to 10 years, smart home lighting systems lower energy bills over time.

Technology for Smart Lighting Systems

To design a smart lighting system, there are several products that need to be purchased and installed. The first step is to install smart bulbs or wall plugins. The next step is to install smart sensors and integrating them with the technology used for the bulbs or plugins with an operating system. The related app needs to be downloaded to a smart device to operate the system. Below are more details about the technology that’s needed for setting up a new smart lighting system:

• Operating System: Smart home systems network devices for the home and turn a smartphone or tablet into a universal remote, giving the user control over their smart home devices and other systems. They can be integrated with other smart devices and systems, so that they can remotely control locks, lights, thermostats, cameras, and sensors, either with a tap or a voice command.
• Smart Device Apps: To use a smart operating system, users need to download the corresponding app on their smart device. This makes it possible to control lighting on a phone or tablet from any location. Using an app, lights can be set to switch on gradually in the morning to simulate a sunrise or dim gradually at night when the user goes to bed. Bulbs can also be grouped together into rooms on the app, so that the user can switch the lights on or off in entire rooms or even floors at once, either with a tap or a voice command.
• Smart/Li-Fi Bulbs: There are many options for LED smart bulbs. There are ones that can be turned on and off, dimmed, or even change their color via voice control or smartphone apps, as well as integrate with smart home devices and home operating systems. There are also bulbs that use light fidelity (Li-Fi) technology, which creates fast wireless communications.
• Smart Wall Plugins: Some smart home lighting systems don’t use smart bulbs; they use smart wall Wi-Fi outlets, plugs, power strips, and plugins. With this technology, users can turn devices on and off remotely from anywhere with an Internet connection, set automation rules for intelligent usage habits, and monitor power consumption in real time.
• Smart Sensors: Almost all smart lighting systems use sensors, which consist of a detector (heat, light, motion, sound), an electronic control unit, and a controllable switch/relay. The detector can tell when there are occupants in a house or room. It also has a timer that signals the electronic control unit after a set period of inactivity. The control unit uses this signal to activate the switch/relay to turn equipment on or off.

Syrma: India’s Green Manufacturer

Our team cares about protecting our natural environment and resources. Over the years, we’ve designed and manufactured many products that are eco-friendly, such as energy-saving lighting systems. For example, we recently built smart lights for a company that allows consumers to operate their lights, such as turning them off remotely or dimming them, via a mobile app. We also worked with another company to build IoT lighting products for smart cities, which can be used for other applications, like traffic monitoring.

We’re excited to be manufacturing eco-friendly products, as well as for being certified as a Green-Rated Supplier on sustainability by one of our primary clients, a leading international electronics corporation ranking among the Forbes Global 500. Several of our other clients have been likewise impressed with our strong environmental record, indicating that they want to do more when it comes to helping preserve our environment while we still can.

About the author:

Dr. Sreeram Srinivasan is the Chief Executive Officer of Syrma Technology. Prior to joining Syrma in 2015, he worked for the Murugappa Group, Saint-Gobain and TVS among others. An alumnus of Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, he completed his Master’s and PhD in Material Sciences and Mechanical Engineering from North Carolina State University. He has also conducted research at the Los Alamos and Oak Ridge National Labs.

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