Smart Electriciand2uftzox6cgv09.cloudfront.net/sites/...We present the first issue of ‘Smart...

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Smart Electrician Th e I nt e rn e t of Thing s fo r E l e ctrician s

Edition 2

Here we go again... this time with smart lighting!

We present the first issue of ‘Smart Electrician’ of 2016, designed for all of you who want

to go beyond traditional electrical installation and delve into the exciting world of new

technologies that are already changing our world.

This is the world of the Internet of course, but also that new buzzword, the Internet of Things

(IoT), its industrial counterpart, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), as well as smart and

connected LED lighting, OLED displays and other marvels.

Smart Electrician Th e I nt e r n e t of Thing s fo r E l e ctr icia n s

There are also some new and potentially very exciting ways of making LEDs much more

energy efficient. This involves nanotechnology techniques and you’ll find out more in this

issue.

Other fascinating new technologies that will bring many new possibilities – including

significant extra business opportunities for you – include Wi Fi wireless communication.

Our first issue of ‘Smart Electrician’, was mainly about the almost exponentially expanding

Internet of Things.

This edition is much more about smart and/or connected lighting.

It is the very fact that LED lighting is digital that is now making the real waves. Being digital, LEDs are controlled very differently

from conventional lamps – and in ways that are opening up entirely new possibilities. One of these is connectability, leading to

lighting’s easy integration into the already massively growing IoT. Indeed, Philips considers lighting to be ‘the foundation of the

IoT’ – well, it’s certainly one part of that foundation.

So take a look at this issue of ‘Smart Electrician’, which reports on smart lighting, the voice control of lighting and switches, the LED

revolution, how lighting can now send promotional messages to shoppers, personalised lighting experiences, connecting lighting

to Apple’s watch, plus that exciting nanotechnology development.

Home advantage! Marie Parry, group marketing manager at Scolmore Group, examines the trend towards

smarter homes, and looks at some of the options available for wholesalers.

Home automation technology has been available for many years but

demand for systems have until recently been largely limited to luxury

homes and specialist projects. However, with declining costs and

complexity, plus greater awareness of system benefits, industry experts

predict that home automation is set to become one of the fastest

growing markets.

Forecasts indicate that the pace of growth will increase

over the next five years as the home automation market

becomes more established. This can be partly attributed

to growing concerns about energy efficiency and the

environment and technological developments that will

make home automation system products cheaper and

easier to use.

Smart Electrician ISSUE 01 | 2016

The further development of super-fast broadband

services is likely to support demand for home automation,

with new and improved products taking greater

advantage of digital technology. These will deliver a

better and more efficient service to the homeowner.

Continued growth in this market sector will depend on

the extent that home automation technology becomes

affordable and accessible to the mainstream market.

Declining prices and the increasing availability are likely

to accelerate market demand for these systems.

No longer the preserve of the rich and famous, the smart

home is becoming accessible to us all and a raft of new

products, specifically designed to enhance our lifestyles

and save energy, is now available. Electrical wholesalers

and contractors are in a prime position to take a share of

this growth by understanding the products and systems

available.

Whether the project involves updating an existing

wiring system, or is the start of a brand new domestic or

commercial building project, there is a home automation

system that will deliver the right solution while meeting

the required budget. From RF wireless control of lighting

and heating through to the all-singing, all-dancing,

interactive multimedia systems, smart technology is

certainly here to stay.

Intelligent energy saving

By intelligent controlling of the lighting and heating

throughout a home it is possible to make significant cost

and energy savings, and this is the case with wired and

wireless automation.

For instance, central heating systems, rather than

heating the whole house, can be split into different zones

so that rooms or areas are warmed as and when they

are required. In the same way, lighting systems can be

controlled so that the right light output is delivered when

and where it is needed.

Wireless control

To enjoy the benefits of home automation in an existing

dwelling but with minimum cost and disruption, a wireless

system is the answer. Complete control of the heating,

lighting, shutters, blinds, gates, garage doors and

appliances is achievable without the need for additional

cabling or cutting into walls.

Receivers are simply fitted behind the light fittings or

into suitable installation boxes and the transmitters are

powered by battery, so require no additional power

supply.

Once a decision has been made on which features are

to be controlled, the system can be installed and up and

running in a very short space of time. Heating, switching,

dimming, control of shutters, window and door opening

can all be quickly and easily set and adjusted.

Daily and weekly switching programmes can be set and

it is also possible to simulate occupancy when a house

is empty - setting the lights to come on and curtains to

close in the evenings, for example - giving peace of

mind.

Wired for sound

Operating at the other end of the market is the wired

home automation - or BUS - system. This high-specification

type of system allows a myriad of different functions to

be operated throughout the home or the work place -

even where is there no-one on the premises - thanks to

the remote control capability of the whole system via a

computer or mobile phone.

With the click of a mouse, a quick text or the sound of

a voice, any number and combination of commands

can be set in motion to operate the gadgets in a home

- lights switched and dimmed, heating regulated and

curtains and blinds set to create the desired ambience.

It offers total control over the number of features and

appliances to be managed, as well as the configuration

of the controllers that will operate them - from wall

switches, voice control units, touch screen panels and

IR remote controls. Sensors, switches and actuators ►

2016 | ISSUE 01 Smart Electrician

LED lighting can now send promotional messages to shopper’s mobile devices

Adding to the seeming avalanche of ‘smart’ lighting and

other devices that can communicate - and which are

part of the ‘Internet of Things’ - is news that an LED lighting

technology has been developed that not only provides light

in all the right places, but also gives helpful tips to shoppers.

If you thought you’d heard it all with LED lighting, well you

probably haven’t, because here’s a new application that

has very direct implications for businesses.

LED lighting technology is now being used in a bookstore

to make the whole retail space highly attractive…so far so

good…

….but what is really different (and perhaps slightly scary)

is that the technology uses Bluetooth and location

information to send promotional messages and helpful

tips to shoppers and book browsers. Of course, while this

innovative lighting scheme enhances the look of the shop

and makes the book covers ‘leap out’ of the shelves, it has

also been designed to make customers linger longer and

spend more money.

It works this way - sensors mounted directly inside the

lights transmit Bluetooth signals, which are received by

smartphones that have the Bluetooth option enabled. Using

software from ByteLight, the fixtures enable the bookshop

to send a variety of messages to its customers.

Because the sensors are integral with the LED lights, they

connect to the same power source instead of relying on

batteries, which need far more frequent maintenance and

which would reduce the cost-effectiveness of a stand-

alone messaging system.

ByteLight claims to be the first to combine Visible Light

Communication (VLC), Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and

inertial device sensors to transform LED lights into indoor

location waypoints. ByteLight does not make the LED

lighting or the fixtures, but does provide the mobile apps,

and the lighting companies, with the software to integrate

ByteLight into their products.

What it can do…

The customer specific messaging is possible because the

data communicated between smartphone and the light

fittings tracks each customer’s movements and sends

helpful information depending on where they are in the

store.

Take a couple of examples – in one scenario, a customer

going into the children’s book area could receive an offer

direct to his / her phone for (say) 10% off certain titles.

Another customer browsing the science section might

receive a list of recommended reads. Many more scenarios

are possible, but the shoppers must have Apple’s Passbook

App for the system to work. And, of course, they must

have their smartphones switched on with the geo-location

enabled.

The high accuracy and sub-second latency means that

shop customers can be pinpointed down to a one metre

section of a store’s shelving in under a second. Unlike other

solutions that require additional infrastructure – such as Wi-Fi

hotspots or Bluetooth beacons - this software works with an

existing infrastructure, which - in this particular case - is the

LED lighting fixtures.

Because LED light sources now last longer than earlier LEDs,

and far longer than conventional technology lamps, and

also save lots of energy into the bargain, it now makes

financial sense for lighting companies to add other features

to the LED lamps – in addition to those we are already used

to, such as daylight sensing and so on.

There’s more to come

This technology is likely to pave the way for a new era of

in-store advertising, and may well also be a new frontier in

LED lighting solutions.

However, this is just the beginning, because ByteLight is also

developing a technology that uses pulses of light, emitted

from a lighting fixture, to calculate a shopper’s precise

location without Bluetooth. However, as a camera is

needed to receive the light pulses, currently, this technology

only works when the customer holds a camera-equipped

smartphone in line of sight.

As it happens, this first bookstore application is in the USA

– Green Apple Books, San Francisco – but the technique

could, and probably will be, applied widely and in

any country. Such scenarios clearly illustrate the way in

which digital (LED) lighting is going, because of its easy

connectability. ■

Smart Electrician ISSUE 01 | 2016

2016 | ISSUE 01 Smart Electrician 11

SMART HOME

ABB Low Voltage Products division

manufactures low-voltage circuit

breakers, switches, control products,

wiring accessories, enclosures

and cable systems to protect

people, installations and electronic

equipment from electrical overload.

Now, the division has come up with a

new home automation system:

In addition to the above, ABB Low

Voltage Products division is also

involved with smart building and

home automation products and

systems. For example, it makes KNX

systems that integrate and automate

a building’s electrical installations,

ventilation systems, and security and

data communication networks.

ABB has vast experience providing

advanced products for a broad

spectrum of applications in homes,

public buildings, retail outlets and

industrial plant. It therefore has the

expertise to design an advanced yet

low cost smart home system.

Success with home automation

has never been so easy. ABB-free@

home is innovative home automation

with which home owners and the

family can easily control blinds,

lights, heating, air conditioning and

door communication with a simple

operatable function - whether via

switch, ABB-free@homeTouch, web

interface, or via app for smartphone

or tablet. It is, therefore, suitable for

controlling the entire technology in

the networked house.

This brings new freedoms, because

lights can be switched on/off,

blinds moved or rooms heated or

cooled from anywhere in the house

- or indeed anywhere in the world,

if required. As an example, such

control allows a living room to be

transformed in a matter of seconds

to suit an occasion - for welcoming

guests or for a pleasant evening of

relaxation.

It allows people to turn on their

heating while still in work, so that they

can return home to a nice warm

house on a winter’s evening.

ABB-free@home, transforms the

house or the flat into an intelligent

smart home. Whether for blinds,

lights, heating, air conditioning,

door communication or scenes,

there is easy remote control via a

switch on the wall, with the laptop

or with the smartphone. It is very

convenient, extremely comfortable,

and importantly these days, very

energy efficient. Only minimal costs

are involved when compared with

conventional electrical installations.

How it works

The heart of the system is a Wi-Fi access

point (AP), which provides access to

the outside world and coordinates

the system. The various components

of ABB-free@home interact with

each other using a two-wire bus

that supports both centralised and

decentralised management. In the

first case the function is mounted

on the DIN rail. In the second, the

actuators are distributed according

to standard mounting boxes.

The access point enables access to

the project planning, startup and

visualisation using a PC or tablet.

Then, the functions of the system can

be defined and programmed by

using a ‘wizard’ which guides the user

step by step through the required

programming steps. Preconfigured

sensor/actuator units for the flush-

mounted box already offer basic

functions without any programming

at all.

Simple to install…

Free@home is easy to install; only

a few components are required - a

two-wire bus line, a system access

point, power supply and the desired

sensors and actuators (up to 64 in

one system). It requires no additional

construction measures.

In new buildings, the walls should

be already open for the electrical

installation – which means that the

bus cable can simply be added.

This makes planning easy for the

electrician since the line routing does

not determine the function.

When carrying out the wiring, the

electrical installer can implement a

series connection, star connection

or tree structure. The system needs

no special cable routings or its own

installed cable ducts.

…and easy to configure

Free@home can be made

operational in just a few steps. First

the tablet or laptop is connected

with the system access point wire

Wi-Fi. This starts the app on the

tablet or laptop and a wizard guides

the installer (or user) through the

configuration and sets up the floor

plans of the building. The sensors and

actuators are inserted into the floor

plan. All that remains to be done is to

adjust the desired settings. ■

12 Smart Electrician ISSUE 001 | 2016

Future proof & easy to use home automation?

14 Smart Electrician ISSUE 01 I 2016

The past decade has been an incredibly exciting one for the global lighting industry because of

the LED revolution that is the result of the successful development of affordable white LED lighting.

It doesn’t seem long ago – 12 years or so - that we

interviewed Wolf-Dieter Bopst, then OSRAM CEO, in the

company’s Munich HQ, who said: “Light emitting diodes,

particularly the white LEDs, are opening up entirely new

market opportunities, including general lighting in the

medium term. The opto semiconductor market will be an

important cornerstone for the future of OSRAM.”

Apart from the internationalisation of the group, Bopst’s

name is very much associated with the boosting of

OSRAM’s portfolio expansions, in particular, the group’s

entry into the opto-semiconductor market for LED

development.

Yet at the same time he said that LEDs for general

lighting were still a decade away because they were not

sufficiently affordable, and in this he was perhaps wrong,

because the pace of LED lighting development was such

that the technology was being applied considerably

sooner than this. Now, of course, the revolution is still

gathering place as ever more conventional lighting

types – even good and efficient solutions – are being

superseded by LED systems.

For example, in its latest company figures, OSRAM’s

LED-based business (LED lamps, light engines and LED

drivers) showed substantial growth again and reached

39% of total revenue. While the company’s traditional

business performed well, despite a still very challenging

environment, the market trend toward LEDs has continued

to have a negative impact on the firm’s Classic Lamps &

Ballasts (CLB).

This situation is broadly reflected at Philips Lighting. By

2018, Philips’ management anticipates that the LED

lighting proportion of sales will have risen to between 60

and 65%. This is a massive change.

Moreover, financial analysts believe that the global LED

lighting penetration rate will reach 70% by 2020, but

because of the exponential growth and demand for the

technology, this might actually grow much faster.

However, there’s always a ‘fly in the ointment’ and in this

case it is that high quality LED lighting costs far more to

make than the now-banned incandescent lamps, yet

the demand is always for ever lower prices. This is causing

problems for a number of bona fide manufacturers.

In general, the current R&D drivers of LED lighting

development include both LED and organic light emitting

diode (OLED) technologies, maximising the energy

efficiency these products in the market place, removing

market barriers through improvements to lifetimes, light

output, colour quality and lighting system performance,

reducing the costs of LED light sources and luminaires,

improving product consistency while maintaining high

quality products. The development of suitable standards

and testing benchmarks (such as Zhaga, IEC 62031, IEC

62612, IEC/PAS 62722 and IEC/PAS 62717) is seen as

being crucial.

Then there is the LENI methodology, which promotes

the intuitive use of lighting controls and best practise to

minimise energy consumption.

Good news for specifiers and installers

From the lighting designer’s perspective (as well as those

of lighting specifiers, contractors and installers’), the ►


news is all good as LED lighting has really significant

benefits that can’t be ignored. These include a very

long life indeed (if high quality LED light sources are

chosen and if they are properly installed with the

correct drivers in suitable luminaires), good quality

white light with colours available if required, high

energy efficiency, low total cost of ownership and

very high lighting scheme design flexibility, among

others. Even good dimming is now available.

key industry figures predict that

IT companies may take a significant

share of the wireless lighting

controls market in the future

Very importantly, another LED lighting benefit is that

it is highly energy efficient – sometimes more so

than more conventional very efficient light sources.

Bearing in mind therefore that currently, lighting

accounts for around 19% of global electricity

production, according to the International Energy

Agency, and that two thirds of the current lighting

is based on older, energy-inefficient technologies

developed before 1970, a full switch to the latest

LED lighting solutions would provide – it has been

estimated - an average of 40% energy savings and

a big reduction in CO2 emissions.

Because of these benefits, LED lighting is now

being very widely installed – even in domestic

homes – and there is a drive to install them into as

many applications as possible that previously used

conventional lighting technologies.

However, LED lighting technology is not, in fact,

suitable for every application. Required illumination

patterns and coverage, desired lifetimes (not

all LEDs last as long as others, depending on

price, application and colour), confusion about

advertised light outputs and wattages, dimming

possibilities and driver options are all issues that

need to be considered before making your choice

– conventional or LED?

Many opportunities

Important factors driving the LED lighting market

include the rapid growth of street lighting systems,

the expansion of the technology into the so-called

‘smart cities’ and intelligent lighting control.

As an example, there’s OSRAM’s LIGHTIFY, with

which users can control their complete lighting

system at home or in the garden just with one app

via smartphone or tablet PC. Every LIGHTIFY lighting

product can be controlled via a Wi-Fi router and the

LIGHTIFY gateway.

Another technology that is fast becoming very

important is the fast expanding ‘Internet of Things’

(IoT), where just about everything can be IP- or

otherwise wirelessly connected, i.e. lighting can

‘talk’ with other devices and systems and to your

smart phones and tablets.

This is happening already, with for example, Philips’

innovative Hue LED lighting system, which is now –

proverbially-speaking – in bed with Google’s Nest

smart thermostat and security devices.

So wireless networking technologies are bringing

intelligence to a new generation of smart lighting. It is

partly for this reason that key industry figures predict

that IT companies may take a significant share of

the wireless lighting controls market in the future –

possibly as part of the IoT. LED based lighting devices

combined with wireless technologies are changing

the market and finding good opportunities. ■


The

LED revolution it’s digital & limited only by

imagination! The LED revolution has ensured that the past ten years or so

has been an incredibly exciting time for the global lighting

industry. This vast change is gathering pace as more

conventional lighting systems are being superseded by

LED systems. And now the Internet of Things (IoT) promises

another revolution.


“

Why is this LED revolution taking

place? It’s for many reasons. One

output, colour quality and lighting

system performance, and reducing

is that - bearing in mind lighting

accounts for around 19% of global

electricity production (according to

the International Energy Agency),

and that two thirds of the current

lighting is based on older, energy-

inefficient technologies developed

before 1970, a full switch to the latest

LED lighting solutions would provide

massive energy savings. These, it has

been estimated, would average 40%,

with a corresponding big reduction in

CO2 emissions.

The major lighting companies that

do most of the LED research – such

as OSRAM, Philips and Megaman –

have seen very substantial growth

in LED modules, lamps, light engines

and drivers over recent years, despite

an often challenging financial

environment, while financial analysts

believe that the global LED lighting

penetration rate will (possibly very

conservatively) reach 70% by 2020.

A downside for the serious lighting

manufacturers is that LEDs are now

becoming virtually commodity items,

with many suspiciously low-cost items

on sale from across the world. While

high quality LED lighting costs far

more to make than the now-banned

incandescent lamps, the demand

is always for ever lower prices. This

is causing problems for a number of

bona fide manufacturers.

The latest trends

Currently, the main R&D drivers of

LED lighting development have

not changed much. They include

maximising the energy efficiency of

these products in the market place,

removing market barriers through

improvements to lifetimes, light

the purchase costs of LED light

sources and luminaires. Then there is

the rapid growth of LED street lighting

systems.

Another important task – with a

number of advanced and reputable

manufacturers taking key roles – is to

improve product consistency while

maintaining high quality products.

‘Binning’ is one aspect of this and is

crucially important. As Philips Lighting

has noted: ‘During production,

LEDs will vary in colour, flux and

forward voltage and this is also true

for products from the same batch.

The differences are significant and

therefore LEDs are measured and

delivered to the market in subclasses

or groups called bins and this process

of segregating LEDs is called binning.

‘So a particular bin may contain

LEDs, which emit light within a range

of wavelengths, range of flux values

and also the range of forward

voltage that can be applied safely

to the LEDs. For instance a bin might

only contain LEDs having Max - Min

dominant wavelength in the range

of 587 - 584.5 nm (i.e. a range of 2.5

nm, thereby guaranteeing colour

consistency) and LEDs emitting flux

in the range of 6.3 - 8.2 lm (thereby

ensuring that LEDs in the bin have

similar brightness) and the same LEDs

must have their forward voltage in

the range of 2.31 - 2.55 volts (thereby

ensuring that when LEDs from the

same bin are electrically connected

the applied voltage will not destroy

any LEDs)’.

Binning is essential for the ultimate

success of most LED applications, so

a lot of work is going into improving

consistency - and this is happening. ►

OLEDs future applications

will also include car

dashboard

displays, ‘billboard’

displays, and

certain types of

flexible lighting

systems for homes,

retail and offices.



“

OLEDs – any progress?

Organic light emitting diode (OLED)

technology is still very much in the

development phase, and progress is

moment and there’s no denying the

excitement it is causing.

With the IoT, just about everything

can be IP - or otherwise wirelessly-

LEDs also have the

potential to ease

pain, revolutionise

agriculture, reduce

traffic accidents and

improve urban safety.

indeed being made. Even so, it is now

generally recognised that even longer

term, OLEDs are likely to find only

niche applications, such as for small

screen devices (smartphones, tablets,

computers and some instruments),

but future applications will also likely

include car dashboard displays,

‘billboard’ displays, and certain types

of flexible lighting systems for homes,

retail and offices. OLEDs are currently

thought unlikely to compete with LEDs

(or traditional types) for most general

lighting applications.

Lighting and LED standards

The development of suitable standards

and testing benchmarks is also crucial.

This is continuing, and examples

include IEC 62031, IEC 62612, IEC/PAS

62722 and IEC/PAS 62717 and Zhaga.

Then there is the LENI methodology,

which promotes the intuitive use of

lighting controls and best practice to

minimise energy consumption.

Then too there are environmental

standards for lighting, such as Part L1a

of the Building Regulations (referring

to dwellings), which has been in

force for some years. This is a set of

requirements that, among other things,

will greatly increase the use of low

energy lighting. It is noteworthy that

intelligence suggests that many in the

building sector – some say over 50% -

claim to have no knowledge of Part

L1a requirements. Such findings raise

serious concerns.

Lighting becomes part of the IoT

And then there’s the ‘IoT. The fast

expanding IoT is the buzzword of the

connected and is being so. For

example, your lighting can ‘talk’ with

other devices and systems and to your

smart phones and tablets.

Yet some in the lighting industry believe

that the future is no longer merely

in manufacturing LEDs to provide

light; because of the almost limitless

possibilities offered by intelligent

lighting control and the IoT – together

with LEDs, which are of course digital

devices – the future instead will be

much more environmental and all-

encompassing.

Examples include circadian lighting

(already here), which – for example

– can control the amount of blue

light throughout the day, from a

stimulating ‘biological light’ to a restful

‘biological darkness’, or permanent

digital ‘skylights’ that change in color

and intensity as the day progresses.

Others include LEDs to improve your

health in other ways, such as better

sleep. And LED lighting now also has a

fast-growing market in the healthcare

sector for similar reasons.

LEDs additionally have the potential

to ease pain, revolutionise agriculture,

reduce traffic accidents and improve

urban safety. After all, the clever use of

lighting (and not just LED) to boost retail

sales has been used in retail outlets and

supermarkets for years.

This sort of thing is important for

electrical contractors and installers too,

because when an LED lasts 15 to 20

years or more, who is going to change

them often? It will be more important

to be able to work with LED lighting’s

connections to the IoT. ■


Technology is evolving at an amazing speed. Every day

there are new scientific discoveries, new equipment,

new developments in engineering, computer science,

medicine, biomedicine, and yes, lighting too.

Lighting is a vital aspect of our existence. However the

world is fast running out of natural sources of energy

including fossil fuels, meaning the need to find green

and efficient lighting sources has become even more

important.

Nanotechnology may be a new word to many of

us but this technology has accelerated the pace of

technological advances, shaping our world. It has also

contributed greatly to our electrical industry and now

promises to start a new era in lighting.

Nanowhat?

Invented in 1947 - just over 60 years ago - nanoscience

or nanotechnology is the study and application of

extraordinarily small things and can be used across all

the other scientific spheres such as physics, engineering,

biology and chemistry.

Advances in this field have allowed a huge boost in the

development of electronics, IT and telecommunications,

and have created all the equipment that we use on a day-

to-day basis: plasma TVs, digital cameras, smartphones,

GPS’s, DVD players and recorders, computers, laptops,

tablets, and many other gadgets.

The use of nanotechnology is defined as the ability to

see and, to manipulate individual molecules and atoms.

On Earth, everything is made up of atoms — the food

we eat, the clothes we wear, the buildings we live and

work in, and even our own bodies. So can you see the

potential?

The essence of nanotechnology is the ability to create

structures with new molecular organisation.


Today,

we can

build transistors

that function

by manipulation of

individual electrons. Lighting

is no exception.

Green lighting can blind you

CFL (compact fluorescent light) and LED

or light emitting diode lights are just two of

the most common examples of green lighting

sources. Despite that, as new ground is covered

in science and technology improves, the use

of nanotechnology to increase the efficiency of

LED lighting has started to look more of a realistic

proposition.

Currently, LED is efficiently replacing traditional lamps

and conventional fixtures in external and internal areas.

Why? Because LED lighting uses only a small percentage

of energy as required by regular bulbs and they don’t

contain any toxic metals ( e.g.. mercury) which are used in

CFL bulbs. Consequently this makes LED lights more efficient,

green, durable, and long lasting.

The standard bulb, for example, only has ten thousand

hours of life span. This value was expanded in fluorescent

lamps and LED but, on the other hand, these technologies

generate a very artificial light, so white that it surpasses

what the human eye is naturally prepared for.

That’s why, for example, the LED headlamp of a car can

completely obscure the driver’s vision. But nanopower

could be the answer.

Nanotech LED Lighting

New nanotechnological advances

can change the rules of how we

manipulate light. We can use this to make

the latest devices having an unprecedented

performance level.

Passing electrons through nano-semiconductors,

also known as ‘quantum dots,’ emits light which has

many applications in fields including solar heating and

lighting. Therefore there is a huge focus in researching

the use of different nanotechnologies to develop more

energy efficient LEDs.

Companies like Nanosys are using semiconductors of

remote phosphorous to develop LEDs that turn blue

light into a warmer shade of white that is similar to the

currently used traditional white of fluorescent bulbs. The

phosphorous used in this experiment is created from

‘nano-materials.’

Since human eyes are hyper-sensitive to the colour

green, the LEDs have an increased level of green

that give us a false sense of brightness, without

actually heightening the brightness level of

the display itself.

This helps create an excellent

picture quality, but uses only very

little energy, making it the primary

method to be employed in devices that

have display panels.

This is encouraging news for those following the use of

nanotechnology in various fields. With this endeavour,

Nanosys believes that it will be able to design LEDs in just

about any colour, which will be a huge leap forward

from the current LED displays (as well as in other

electronic devices that emit stronger hues).

While the company has created many experimental

LED lamps, these LED quantum dots will firstly be used for

notebook displays and TV to offer consumers a wider

range of colours. However, a larger range of colours will

lead to inferior battery life, especially in case of laptops

and other devices etc.

The day when nanocrystals can be ‘painted’ on flat

surfaces and create paper-thin displays is not too

far from now. We’ll be able to use LED to paint our

walls and use any colour of our choice, rather

than actual paint. Yes, truly with use nanotech,

life is only going to be more exciting and,

dare we say it, vibrantly colourful! ■



Philips Hue integrates with Apple Watch to instantly deliver personalised lighting experiences

Royal Philips has announced that its LED-powered

coloured ‘Hue’ lighting system that features

personalised control via a smartphone or tablet

app, can now be controlled through the new

Apple Watch:

Easy and intuitive to use, Philips Hue can now be

instantly accessed and controlled by a device

you wear all day every day, making certain that

light personal to you is always at hand.

“We know that light is at the heart of the digital

home,” said Eric Rondolat, CEO at Philips Lighting.

“With Apple Watch you can instantly adapt

Philips Hue lighting to suit every moment and

occasion. Together we are making personalised

lighting simpler and more accessible through the

convenience of Apple Watch.”

Apple Watch uses the widgets from the Philips

Hue app to control the lights in the home and

activate the occupants’ favourite light scenes,

ensuring that they have the light that they want

wherever and whenever they are in the house or

other building.

If a homeowner or a building occupant has

‘Geofencing’ activated on his/her iPhone, a

notification on the Apple Watch will inform the

wearer that the lights are on as he or she arrives

home, so there’s no longer any need to look for

the switch in the dark.

Also through Apple Watch, precise personalisation

of the lighting is possible within the same room.

Whether preparing dinner, working or reading a

book, new lighting zones can be created using

Philips Hue and Apple Watch.

As a part of what Philips calls ‘a seamless

ecosystem’ covering bulbs, lamps and controls,

as well as integration with the Apple HomeKit,

Hue offers new lighting experiences that are

personal.

From functional white light recipes that help

people to relax or concentrate, to creating their

own light scenes using a favourite photo, to

syncing their lights to their TV via one of over 230

third-party apps – with Hue, the possibilities are

limited really only by imagination. It’s all part of

the rapidly developing Internet of Things.

The Philips Hue starter kit, comprising three Hue

bulbs and a bridge, will get those interested

going. ■


As LEDs become commodity items,

lighting design and control strategies

come to the fore

Although LED light source development is continuing

strongly, we’ve become used to these amazing

devices. Indeed, it can be argued that they’ve

become virtually commodity items. So where are

the obvious developments? And where is LED lighting

going?

LEDs for white (and indeed coloured) lighting are

now becoming almost ubiquitous, being increasingly

installed into as many applications as possible that

previously used conventional lighting technologies.

This is starting to take place even in peoples’ homes.

I, for example, have eight LED downlights installed and

an OLED decorative light panel, plus a set of three

Philips Hue LED lamps - wirelessly controlled via an app

– waiting to be fitted in my home. Many householders

are beginning to see the many benefits through

greater exposure and better education.

Even so, the first cost of good quality LED lighting is

still considerably higher than conventional lighting,

so the benefits of LEDs to householders should be

emphasised by installers, especially in terms of their

total cost of ownership (deriving from a very long life

and low energy consumption), which is where the real

money will be saved.

Other benefits that need amplifying are the no-flicker

instant start-up, the controllability and connectability

of some lighting systems as part of the fast growing

Internet of Things (IoT), as well as special dimming

options and colours for mood changing.

The benefits for professionals – retail outlets, the

hospitality industry, public buildings, local government

and industry – are also extensive. A low total cost

of ownership is again key, but so is the good,

highly directional light, the reduced maintenance

requirement and toughness (not easy to break), as

well as special attributes such as LEDs being ideal for

use at very low temperatures.

Another excellent attribute to emphasise is the

ability of LED lighting to allow extreme or otherwise

highly imaginative lighting products and schemes –

delineating bridges and buildings, embedded into

building fabrics, highly sculptural luminaires, woven

into textiles – it’s really only limited by imagination (and

sometimes money). And all of this is here now…it will

only grow…

…so, while new LED lighting developments still come

thick and fast, the LED light source technology might –

whisper it – be becoming almost mature, so what else

is coming along?

Latest developments and trends

The question of choice – what to look for, especially

as there are an awful lot of very poor quality LEDs on

the market.

I know, as I’ve experienced them. I’ve had LED

downlighters that (sometimes but not always)

flickered continuously and others that failed in less

time than the old halogens did. I’ve had to learn too –

only buy high quality LED light sources from reputable

manufacturers like OSRAM, Philips, Megaman and

General Lamps (among others). Only purchase

good quality luminaires and fittings that have been

designed specifically for LEDs (as they must be for

correct operation, efficiency and long life) from firms

like Thorn and Scolmore.

Connected LED lighting systems are set to change the

future of illumination forever

In terms of the latest LED lighting technologies, these

include ever greater functionality and controllability,

often via smartphone or tablet apps (examples

include OSRAM’s Lightify and Philips’ Hue, which

are still generically the ‘connected future of

lighting), greater connectability as part of

the IoT, integration into building structural

elements, fabrics and other substrates, ever

more innovative, imaginative and stylish

luminaires, plus dimming to warm.

Since for professionals, light angle and

intensity of light is far higher in demand

than colour temperature, LED lighting

designs are starting to reflect this.

There is also Chip On Board (COB)

technology, which keeps things

simple for the installer by reducing

the install-time. ■

By James Hunt, voltimum’s Editor



In a new ‘Internet of Things’ coupled with home automation and Cloud move, Internet giant Amazon Echo

has unveiled its latest innovation - support for Philips Hue and other products, such that you can activate

lights and switches using nothing but your voice.

Hot on the heels of the Amazon Echo

voice-activated speaker, comes

the next stage in the product’s

evolution. Now, in addition to its

initial music duties, the unit can

accept spoken commands to

enhance home automation – and

one of the products it works with is

Philips’ Hue LED lamps. It also now

works with Belkin WeMo home

automation gadgets, including

light switches.

Philips’ Hue is the connected

lighting system that can become

an integral part of its users’ day-to-

day lives, being able to respond to

alarms, timers, alerts and moods.

Using Hue, householders can even

link to data feeds so that these

innovative coloured LED lights can

tell them – for example - when

they receive an important email.

And now, using Amazon Echo’s

newest incarnation, Hue can now

be operated using the voice.

Once Hue and the other devices

that work with Amazon Echo

are connected to a home’s WiFi

system, an easy ‘discover my

appliances’ routine automatically

matches the devices to that they

will communicate together. Then,

all that is needed to operate them

is to utter suitable phrases.

Amazon Echo is a high quality

audio speaker, but it has been

designed around the human

voice. It’s always on, so all users

have to do is ask for information -

news, weather, music and more.

The system starts working as soon

as it detects the ‘wake word’.

The system’s intelligence is in the

Cloud, running on Amazon Web

Services, so that it continually learns

and adds more functionality over

time. The more Echo is used, the

more it adapts to a user’s speech

patterns, vocabulary and personal

preferences. Users can switch a

lamp (or lamps) on before rising

from bed, turn on the fan or space

heater while reading in a favourite

chair, or dim the lights from the

settee to watch a film – “all without

lifting a finger ...or even raising your

voice”, says Amazon Echo.

Being Bluetooth-enabled means

that the system can stream a user’s

chosen music services like Spotify,

iTunes, and Pandora from his or her

smartphone or tablet.

Moreover, the system continues

working when the user is away

from home, so - with the free

companion app on Fire OS,

Android, iOS and desktop browsers

- users can easily manage their

alarms, music, shopping lists and

more. Importantly, the same

companion app enables simple

set up to the home network.

How it works

The system is simple in essence and

in use, yet doubtless complicated

in practice. Amazon Echo works

via an array of seven microphones

under its light ring. These sensors

use beam-forming technology to

‘hear’ the user from any direction.

With enhanced noise cancellation,

the system can hear users ask

questions even while music is

being played. On-device keyword

spotting detects the wake word,

when the system lights up and

streams audio to the Cloud. There,

Amazon Web Services recognises

it and responds to users’ requests.

Part of the Internet of Things

Looked at along with the growing

numbers of devices it will work with,

such as Hue, Echo is also part of the

‘Internet of Things’ (IoT), the fast

growing scenario in which objects,

animals or people are provided

with unique identifiers and the

ability to transfer data over a

network without requiring human-

to-human or human-to-computer

interaction. This can be achieved

locally or from around the world.

Amazon Echo, therefore, relies

on ubiquitous computing and

smart home technologies, so its

efficiency ultimately depends on

its compatibility with third-party

products – such as Philips’ Hue.

Google’s Nest is yet another

example of the IoT trend, with its

wirelessly-connected thermostats

and alarms, Philips Hue, plus LG

smart fridges recently added to its

‘Works with Nest’ programme.

The smart devices that are part

of the IoT are growing in number

fast, and one prediction is that by

2020, there will be at least 50 billion

devices connected to the Internet

(some say this is very conservative

and it’s more likely to be 200

billion).

There are, of course, potentially

big implications for electrical

contractors and installers;

wholesalers too – not least because

many of the devices are consumer

items designed for retail outlets

and are simple for householders

to install. However, the market will

be so huge that there should also

be very real business benefits for

the professional electrical sector.

We’d like to hear your views on this.

Where’s the catch?

Is there, indeed, a catch? Well,

apart from very real concerns

about security in a future where

everything ‘talks’ to almost every

other thing and to people too,

there is another issue here as if you

want to buy Amazon’s Echo, you’ll

need to buy one through eBay.

But be prepared to pay extra for

the privilege - around £220 on the

auction site. ■



The DALI lighting protocol has been around since 1984 and has

become widely used as a standard throughout the world. But

with the ‘Internet of Things’ now expanding fast, how will DALI fit

into the lighting scheme of things?

Smart control of household lighting as part of building automation

and the smart home has been a dream and even a sometimes

difficult reality for over 50 years, but the Digital Addressable

Lighting Interface (DALI), accepted as an international standard

in 2002, has made things a lot easier.

DALI is the now well-known data protocol and transport

mechanism that was jointly developed and specified by several

manufacturers of lighting equipment, including Philips Lighting.

DALI’s common platform enables lighting equipment from

different manufacturers to be connected together.

The capabilities of DALI lighting controls are ideally suited to

commercial buildings - particularly hotels - but an increasing

number of large domestic homes have also turned to DALI for

lighting control. There are many and varied reasons for DALI’s

success, but possibly the most important of these is that it is an

‘open’ protocol that allows for many different vendors to be

involved – indeed, its interoperability is huge.

So, it might be thought that the future for DALI is rosy – and it

certainly should be – but with the onset of the IoT, will DALI’s

future be quite so rosy?

The IoT and what it means

One definition of the IoT is that it is a network of physical objects

(or ‘things’), each endowed with electronics, software, sensors

and connectivity that will together enable it to achieve greater

value and service by exchanging data with the manufacturer,

operator and / or other connected devices.

To achieve this, every ‘thing’ - which could be an LED light source

or luminaire, or thermostat, for example - must be uniquely

identifiable through its embedded computing system, yet it

must also be able to interoperate within the existing Internet

infrastructure. Such devices already exist and are becoming

available at an ever-faster rate.

Typically, the IoT covers many protocols, domains and

applications, and offers advanced connectivity of devices,

systems, and services that goes beyond machine-to-machine

(M2M) communications. These are very important benefits, yet

those many protocols and domains can pose tricky compatibility

issues.

Will the IoT damage DALI?

The technology to provide the ‘domestic lighting meets IoT’

solution is even now available, but there are also many practical

implementation questions. So, with IoT lighting devices and

systems starting to become more widely available, does this

pose a threat to DALI?

Some think so. But why? This is because of a number of reasons,

but one is that the IoT is likely to result in the lighting industry

moving towards having far more proprietary protocols that are

not interoperable or have much less interoperability than DALI.

With many of the devices (‘things’) being wireless, this doesn’t

help either, as there is a plethora of wireless standards (Bluetooth,

ZigBee, 6LoWPAN, EnOcean, Z-Wave and many others).

There also are many other choices for IoT lighting controls – what

hardware platform to use? Will the system be wired controls (still

common for industrial and commercial lighting systems)? Or will

the customer want a wireless standard? If so, which? This can

be a serious issue, although over time some of it is likely to be

resolved.

Some of the above choices mean that there’s a potential threat

to DALI longer term; that’s what many in the industry believe,

but others feel that this threat is exaggerated. This is because

of DALI’s openness, which is a crucially important benefit, and

because DALI also provides excellent failure feedback (for

example, providing notification of failed lamps and ballasts, and

their positions). Other systems often have a hard time achieving

this. DALI is also quite simple to install, which is not always the

case with products and systems running on other protocols –

even wireless.

Another fear is that with the burgeoning IoT, in which mega

organisations like Google are fast getting in on the act, it

becomes ever more likely that the future of lighting controls will

increasingly depend upon people outside the lighting industry

who do not understand it. This is a very clear and important

worry.

But DALI still holds first place

Even so, while this implied IoT threat has become an important

topic in the lighting sector over recent months, many lighting

experts agree that DALI is far from dying and is improving all the

time. For example, DALI 2 is a real improvement over DALI 1,

but many more improvements will follow, with still better cross-

manufacturer functionality. Even so, the general consensus of

opinion seems to be that DALI will have to evolve in line with the

IoT threat (if it is a threat), if it is to survive as the lighting industry

standard further down the line. ■


SM ART LIGHTING SYSTEMS

I don’t think that since the invention of the fluorescent tube has there been such rapid development of a lighting product than the LED lamp & its associated control systems!

Today’s LED lamp is virtually unrecognisable from

the tiny indicating lamp that first entered the

scene, mounted on circuit boards, and which was

used primarily as a condition indicator rather than

for illumination. These lights consumed a fraction

of a watt and had a reputation as a high speed

fuse if you connected them incorrectly!

The latest developments use LEDs as high power

flood and spot lights, where the lamps are rated in

tens of watts. Today, the price and performance

of LED luminaires is such that it finally begs the

question ‘why anyone would still choose an

incandescent lamp for illumination’?

Hand in hand with the development of the LED

lamp has been the incredible progress with control

gear and LED drivers. The early systems had many

faults, including high leakage currents and low

power factors, but these have all been resolved

and the modern control gear allows lamps to do

many things that were on recently regarded as

impossible!

Think colour changing, dimming, data collection

and even the dissemination of information over

the web, all of which are becoming increasingly

common. All these can be combined with a

range of smart technologies, while the low power

consumption of an LED also lends it to being

powered over a data cable. The first office blocks

are now being built with the LED luminaires that

are not connected to a 230V power system but

instead, DC powered via a data cable.

The luminaires are connected together with a CAT

5 or 6 cable and a RJ 45 plug and socket. Why

run a separate mains cable when they will run on

ELV DC? The current rating of power over Ethernet

cable gives around 100W of available power,

which can be enough to light a reasonably sized

office. Electricians will have to learn new skills to

keep up with the latest developments, as they

may find they need to wire data cables rather

than mains voltage cables for lighting systems.

In many cases, equipment can be prefabricated

and simply plugged into luminaires, significantly

reducing luminaire installation times. This DC

distribution could also be extended to other

appliances round the office and home. Most

PCs and TVs can run on DC inputs, so we may

soon see a DC distribution system in offices and

homes, with mains power only for those pieces of

equipment which require higher power. Standards

are currently being considered for DC distribution

in buildings.

Modern control gear has also revolutionised the

information that can be gleaned from a luminaire.

Data on power consumption and hours run can

be obtained for an internet connected luminaire

with its own ISP.

Many companies are now providing these with

their associated web sites where information can

be downloaded and analysed. ‘Li Fi’ is also now

available, where luminaires are used as local Wi Fi

hotspots, and where the LED output is modulated

to transmit data. This could be a boon in shops,

for example, where special offers could be

transmitted to customers close to the luminaire.

The luminaires can also be controlled remotely to

provide colour change, and vary switching times

and output, all controlled from external wireless

controllers such as an iPhone.

With further improvements still likely, such as

lower costs, increased capability and reduced

power consumption, it’s an exciting industry to be by Bill Wright involved in! Head of Energy Solutions, ECA


In the following article, Richard Hayward, lead

marketing manager for Legrand’s wiring devices

business, addresses smart technology adoption and

the effect this is having on our everyday lives – and on

smart homes:

Recent UN statistics have shown that there are a

staggering 6.8 billion mobile phone subscriptions around

the world and just seven billion people. From this alone

it is easy to see how our world is better connected than

ever before, and that the vast majority of consumers

are eager to grasp its potential.

The truth of the matter is, consumers around the world

have an insatiable appetite for technology which,

thanks to the arrival of new portable tech in recent

years such as the smart phone and tablet, has helped

to change the way that we live, work, and shop. Now,

with an increasing focus on the Internet of Things (IoT),

the possibilities for the consumer to connect everything

in the home with a whole host of new technologies,

and all through smart devices, are endless.

Crucially, the way we interact with technology is

changing. Rather than simply inputting a command,

technology can be programmed to shape actions

based on consumer tastes and experiences over time.

If you consider technology in the home today, we can

set the heating to come on at a certain time because

we have set the timer – the output is directly linked to

us doing something.

But, technology has moved on and has the capacity

to ‘learn’ so that when you arrive home, the lights

come on automatically and the stereo tunes in to your

favourite music station - without you having to tell it to.

Much more is already possible in terms of automatic

control along these lines. Indeed, it’s really only limited

by your imagination.

Integration through the IoT

Just as computers record our buying patterns and visits,

our homes too can be intelligent and alter and shift in

order to enhance our lives. Homeowners are already

familiar with technology such as smart phones, tablets

and smart TVs, and are increasingly expecting it to be

part of their lives. Therefore, integrating this technology

with everyday home processes, through the IoT, is an

exciting next step.

Yet, lifestyle and convenience are not the only factors

influencing change. A growing requirement for cost

savings and efficiencies throughout the market could

also be one of the biggest factors in smart technology

adoption in coming years, thanks in part to the smart

meter rollout.

As the country begins to shift away from a centralised

energy network, and our homes become both

generators and users of electricity, there will gradually

be a shift in perception around energy and efficiency.

The intelligent home, linked to the smart grid, can

adapt to peaks in demand and call for, or divert,

energy accordingly in order to relieve stress on the grid

during peak times.

It’s important to remember however that while

energy efficiency is important, the average consumer

doesn’t buy the latest gadget because it is efficient

or because it will save them money. It is our desire for

new technology, and an appetite for smarter control

solutions that will be key to the widespread adoption of

home automation - efficiency will therefore come as a

secondary benefit.

As technology continues to develop and becomes

more integrated with current products and solutions

within the market, consumers will begin to understand its

true potential in terms of cost savings and convenience.

In truth, smart phones and tablets have opened up a

gateway to a more connected world, which has been

made possible through the IoT. The next step is two-fold;

educating the market in what is possible, and secondly,

helping to influence change which we all have a role

to play in. As smart home technology develops, now is

the time for the electrical industry to make a real stamp

on the home market. ■

Sustainable technologies can mean potentially big new business opportunities for electrical contractors and installers!

Today, sustainable ‘green’ technologies are

becoming ever more important in the drive to

reduce CO2 emissions to atmosphere whilst saving

energy and money.

Sustainability effectively means development

that meets the needs of the present without

compromising the ability of future generations to

meet their own needs, and in electrical terms, it

means sustainable equipment and products that

can be fitted and commissioned by electrical

contractors and installers into existing buildings

or into modern sustainable buildings and related

environs.

Such equipment is quite broad, including modern

high efficiency heating systems, heat pumps,

solar photovoltaic (solar PV) arrays, wind turbines,

micro- and mini-CHP units, biomass boilers, fuel cell

systems, whole house ventilation and heat recovery

systems, ventilation fans having advanced energy

saving motors, the latest energy saving lighting

systems (including of course LED), as well as smart

homes and buildings.

Such technologies can provide large costs savings

to home and building owners, as well as helping

to reduce those all-important carbon emissions

into the atmosphere, and it is here that electrical

contractors and installers can often find new

business.

In this article, we look at some very clever

technologies – at least one of them genuinely new

– that help to reduce the costs of energy usage,

part of that cost being the damage that carbon

emissions cause, which have their own costs.

Then there’s Dimplex’s new, innovative and simple

solution for energy storage. Called Free-E, this

works with the homeowner’s solar PV installation

to heat the hot water cylinder for free. This clever

energy management system diverts surplus energy

generated by solar PV installation to the immersion

heater in the domestic hot water tank. Crucially,

says Dimplex, it opens up a huge market of existing

solar PV users to contractors.

Two very interesting techniques concerned with

energy saving, energy sharing and sustainability

come from Tesla Motors, the electric car

manufacturer, and a Dutch-based company,

Nerdalize. The former is using its extensive electric

car advanced battery expertise to branch out into

energy storage.

The company’s rechargeable lithium-ion batteries

will power homes and businesses to store solar

energy and serve as a back-up system for

consumers and businesses during blackouts. Such

‘stationary storage’ techniques will be crucial for

the greater take-up of ‘green’ energy sources.

The latter, on the other hand, has devised a way

to decentralise data server farms to provide free

heat into domestic (and other) environments…in

essence, this is a data centre spread across many

homes and businesses, using their local computers

as radiators. Yes, really, and it’s been nicknamed

‘nerd power’!

Take note of the IoT….

Many Smart Electrician readers will now be

becoming aware of the fast growing ‘Internet of

Things’ (IoT). This is a huge topic in its own right and

the IoT will have enormous effects on our lives and

on businesses. Suffice to say for now, that the IoT has

the potential to make even larger energy savings in

homes and other buildings, so it is essential to start

learning about it now.


‘smartest’ city

Barcelona voted World’s

The latest research by Juniper Research

has revealed that the top ranking

smart cities globally for 2015 are (first)

Barcelona, then New York, followed by

London, Nice and Singapore. The secrets

for success were the cities’ use of smart

grids, intelligent traffic management and

smart street lighting. But the Internet of

Things will play a major role in the smart

cities of the future.

While London came an excellent third,

it was found that the leader, Barcelona,

performed consistently well across all

metrics and serves as an exciting model

of success from which others can learn.

For Barcelona, Juniper Research says

that sustainable initiatives were key to the

city’s success, while other leading cities,

such as New York and London, still require

greater emphasis on implementing

environmentally positive projects. This

is, the report says, ‘despite excelling in

areas such as technological capability

and a willingness to engage with citizens

through open data’.

This market research firm’s pioneering

research into key vertical markets has

been designed to assess the effect of

emerging technologies, identifying the

latest trends that are rapidly changing

the global market.

Such research includes the organisation’s

‘Smart Cities’ studies – of which ‘Smart

City Rankings’ is a part – and it provides

analysis of the highly important emerging

smart city landscape. Such a landscape

necessarily includes smart grids, intelligent

traffic management, smart street lighting

and reduced emissions levels, as well

as technological capability and social

cohesion, among others. Even the fast-

growing ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) is a

component.

The study also explores how a

combination of factors, including

increases in urban population and

concerns over rising levels of greenhouse

gases have driven the desire for greater

efficiency in the delivery of resources and

process execution. It is from comparisons

of all these variables that the list of the

top five cities was derived.

Global call for smarter grids

Another of Juniper’s recent reports,

‘Smart Cities: Strategies, Energy, Emissions

& Cost Savings 2014-2019’, has found that

smart grid initiatives will achieve nearly £7

billion savings annually by 2019, through

a combination of reduced energy

consumption and emissions reductions

in smart cities. Smart cities, which are

being developed now, will be crucially

important to control traffic, enable fast

data flows and additionally reduce

overall energy use.

The predicted reduced emissions are

equivalent to those produced by the

annual consumption of 130 million barrels

of oil.

The report found that, despite substantial

differences in energy market regulation

and policy, there is a strong desire on

a global scale to implement a ‘smarter

grid’. National energy concerns,

caused by emissions reduction policies,

transmission line loss and grid reliability,

are among the many drivers behind the

need to transition to a ‘two-way’ grid,

which essentially, is what a so-called

‘smart grid’ is.

This study, found that high levels of

city traffic congestion, combined

with advancements in IoT sensors and

software solutions, have driven plans to

reduce high traffic levels through a range

of smart initiatives.

Other key findings are that smart

grids will dramatically reduce energy

consumption in cities through rapid

smart meter deployment and intelligent

distribution automation, and that smart

street lighting is also expected to produce

significant cost savings, aided by the fall

in LED fixture costs. Smart networked

control systems will further add value.

However, issues such as grid cybersecurity

and winning over the consumer where

smart metering is concerned still need to

be addressed, the report states. ■


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