nLUMINAIRE provides a cutting-edge PoE Connected Lighting System solution that not only reduces costs and energy use but also provides increased safety and security. Our economical and efficient lighting solution utilizes ethernet cable to transmit DC power and data. The valuable data collected from sensors and controllers can further improve system performance and anticipate users’ needs. Barriers faced by traditional controls or non-LED lighting will be broken down, and a simplified, adaptive, economic, and efficient system can be installed to enhance user experience across the sectors.

The potential of widespread connected lighting systems substantially increases sustainability, safety, and security and reduces operational costs, carbon footprint, and overall energy use. Our simplified approach of utilizing easy-to-install and configure nLUMINAIRE hardware devices and software is realizing that potential. Our goal is to simplify the future of lighting, and with nLUMINAIRE, we can reach our own goal while contributing to impressive energy savings through intelligent PoE-connected lighting systems.

Considerable energy savings results in significant cost savings. In fact, the cost-savings are substantial and in the realm of 50 billion US dollars by the year 2035. The US Department of Energy’s Connected Lighting Systems Initiative forecasts an annual savings of 5.1 quadrillion BTUs (quads) by 2035. Yes, you read that correctly: 5.1 quads! You might ask yourself, “How is that much savings possible?”. In short, the use of LED lighting is critical, but beyond that, the widespread use of connected lighting systems is essential to meeting a goal as lofty as 5.1 quads. If the DOE’s CLS Initiative targets are met, the impact could reach a 75% reduction in energy consumption, worth billions of US dollars.

According to the US DOE, the penetration of connected LED lighting together with traditional controls accounts for 2.28 quads of these savings. The most significant savings from connected lighting are found in the commercial and outdoor sectors, accounting for 1.76 quads and .39 quads of the 2.28 quads previously mentioned. These savings are substantial, and nLUMINAIRE can make the goal a reality across all sectors. 

According to the 2016 DOE’s Connecting Lighting Systems Meetings Report, the DOE’s CLS Initiative focuses on five target areas. These targets must be hit to meet the savings goal put forth within the Initiative. Let’s explore each of these target areas and how nLUMINAIRE provides an energy-saving, economical, and efficient lighting solution that hits each target.

Target 1: Energy Reporting

Effectively managing energy use and determining the efficacy of connected lighting systems relies on accurate measurement. The capability to self-measure and report actual energy use is essential for a connected lighting system to make the maximum impact on energy savings. Due to the centralized configuration of the nLUMINAIRE devices, each connected device can send real-time data to the nManager application. Energy usage, light level, occupancy status, and many other data points are monitored and reported, making the management of the system simple and efficient for an entire building or an individual LED fixture. The dashboard in the nManager application displays the data, and the nSwitch can be used to override any configured parameters. The nLUMINAIRE system is intuitively driven by valuable data collection and reporting, and its user-friendly framework makes the overall design simple, efficient, and secure.

Target 2: Interoperability

The US DOE expresses concern about the need for more inoperability among the recent market-available lighting-control devices. Of course, manufacturers are developing technologies and promoting their specific systems. Us included. Yet, we understand and recognize the importance of interoperability to meet the energy-savings goals and overall system efficacy. With intelligent easy-to-configure hardware devices and software suites, the nLUMINAIRE system can be used with any star topology network infrastructure. It can be used with any network switch which supports PoE technology. Our devices are compatible with any 3rd party LED fixtures and can even be installed when renovating or upgrading existing LED lighting networks.

Target 3: System Configuration Complexity

If systems are too time-consuming or overly complicated, they are less likely to be successful, not to mention extremely difficult for users to use and maintain. Wide deployment of connected lighting systems can only become a reality through AI and automated configuration of multifunctional sensors. A simplified user experience, from installation to maintenance, can contribute to the widespread deployment of connected lighting systems. nLUMINAIRE hits this target from various perspectives, but its simplicity is based on using the nLUMINAIRE Manager application. The nLUMINAIRE CLS is easy to install and deploy, then its management is centralized in the nManager application. Users can update configurations and control devices remotely, resulting in optimized performance and energy savings.

Target 4: Key New Features

The US DOE’s report highlights the potential of new features to facilitate lighting and non-lighting gains. New features extending beyond lighting-related data collection can reveal various benefits and services for commercial, industrial, residential, and even outdoor sectors. Collecting and exchanging valuable data can offer sustainable solutions for energy-saving lighting and economic improvements to infrastructure across the sectors. nLUMINAIRE offers a multifunctional sensor, the nSensor, which gathers a plethora of data. It adjusts the lighting to meet the occupants’ needs and addresses the building’s conditions. Directly connected to the nController via a dedicated  port, the nSensor delivers multidirectional coverage and real-time sensing. The data collected by lighting systems through devices such as the nSensor provides informational feedback loops that will further the development of lighting systems technology.

Target 5: Stakeholder Collaboration

The convergence of industries from lighting to computing and IT is essential to successful, energy-saving connected lighting systems. Advancements in all related areas are necessary for the efficacy of CLS to improve and further develop. We rely on the communication and collaboration of departments for our nLUMINAIRE CLS to reach its fullest potential. nLUMINAIRE devices, from the nController and the nDriver to the nSensor, nSwitch, and nManager, work together to create the most straightforward, efficient, cost-effective connected lighting system possible. Collaboration among experts in smart technology (PoE, AI, IoT, etc.) produces effective outcomes for reducing energy consumption and all related benefits, as well as the desire to keep innovating and improving. And that’s what we intend to do.

Conclusion:

The benefits of PoE CLS, from the reduction of energy use to sustainability and economic savings, are substantial. The goal set forth by the US DOE to utilize LED to considerably reduce energy use by 2035 is reachable. Since much of the savings can be attributed to the widespread use of connected lighting systems, we at CABSY provide the path with our IoT- and PoE-based nLUMINAIRE system to hit that target and reach that goal. Although the 5.1 quads of savings are undoubtedly substantial, we are confident in making this projection a reality.