Intelligent Lighting: Sustainable or Just Sci-Fi?

Imagine being able to control all of the lights in your office, storehouse or home through your mobile device - and when I say “control,” I’m not merely referring to the ability to turn the lights on and off. Instead, I’m talking about the hue, the intensity, the networking! We’ve come a long way from the innovative clap-on, clap-off lighting of the ‘80’s, to a time when unprecedented lighting efficiency and personalization are a complete possibility.

Less then two weeks ago, California utility firm PG&E reported findings from their efficiency study of intelligent lighting in a 44,000+ sq. ft. warehouse. After replacing 100 metal-halide high bay luminaires with LEDs, the warehouse saw a 50% reduction in it’s lighting electricity usage. Even more interesting, however, is that by diving deeper to include finely tuned controls for occupancy and daylight quality, the system saw a 93% decrease in energy consumption! While the control system cost nearly $120,000 to install, the report found that the most tightly controlled system would yield that shortest payback period (a mere 2.5 years).

But such cost savings and high-level granularity lighting control systems aren’t limited to the big boys of industrial buildings. Rather, there are numerous solutions for smaller residential and commercial outfits as well. Just last week, startup venture Goldee launched crowdfunding for its initial marketplace product - a hyper-intelligent light control. Not only does the technology allow the user to determine LED lighting color from photographs and change the intensity of the lighting with a mere hand gesture, but the system will actually self-conform to the occupants habits. Motion and daylight sensors help Goldee make organic choices about the homes lighting to further decrease energy consumption. Currently, the Goldee Light Controller is expected to ship in the summer of 2014.

Intelligent lighting is no longer restricted to made-for-TV movies or sci-fi novels. It’s here, creating an evolution for interior design and a revolution for energy savings within buildings of all sizes and functions.