SMART BUILDINGS
human biorhythms are also becoming increasingly more
important. Active light regulation ensures that employees
are active and motivated throughout the workday.
The introduction of LED technology has brought about an
enormous transformation in the area of lighting. By 2027,
the widespread use of LEDs could save about 348 TWh of
electricity in the United States alone. This is the equivalent
annual electrical output of 44 large electric power plants,
producing 1,000 megawatts each, and total savings of more
than $30 billion at today‘s electricity prices.
Fundamental changes in electronics had to be developed
to be able to efficiently control and regulate the new
lamps. Occupancy sensors, for example, make it possible
to automatically turn off lamps that aren‘t needed. This is
particularly sensible in large office environments in which
not all areas are occupied all the time. Light sensors can
adapt the brightness of indoor lighting to the amount
of available ambient light (daylight connection). This is
especially beneficial for buildings with large glass fronts
where a great deal of ambient light is available. Defining
maximum brightness settings for dimmable lights (task
tuning) avoids areas being too brightly lit, and optimises the
light level for individual areas.
Other sensors can also provide real-time insight into
the building‘s condition and technical health. Current
sensors measure energy consumption and energy savings
per luminaire, per floor and for the entire building. Motion
sensors collect occupancy data and thus provide information
on the use of office rooms, which helps to optimise
economical use. With an IoT infrastructure, the data
collected by sensors can provide insight into the operating
hours and usage history of lighting systems, for example,
in order to improve the maintenance process. Maintenance
history shows events within the system, such as current
peaks, voltage drops, devices that are offline and other
sporadic problems.
This is not only possible for newly built facilities but for
retrofits in existing buildings in particular. The Columbia Ivy
League University in New York, consisting of 360 buildings
and hundreds of thousands of lighting fixtures, is a good
example of how an existing building can change its system
to IoT-enabled lighting control.
Connected disciplines
The IoT‘s enormous potential lies in its interdisciplinary
use of sensors. For example, a motion sensor can control
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