Smart Light, Smart Buildings and Internet of Things

Often discussions about the Internet of Things (IoT) tend to be very generalized and hard to get your arms around.  After all, when you’re talking about everything, its difficult to get specific.

Semico IMPACT Smart Lighting, which takes place on April 23^rd, will approach the IoT from the perspective of a single, growing market segment—Smart Buildings.  This is a new market with the potential to create new business opportunities for Silicon Valley companies.

Following an opening address by Tony Massimini of Semico and keynotes from Cisco and PG&E, IMPACT Smart Lighting will roll into a panel discussion, titled “Smart Lighting: The Gateway to IoT” that will take a closer look at how solid-state lighting (SSL) technology is replacing analog lighting fixtures with LED-based lighting—creating digital nodes throughout our commercial office spaces.  Digital nodes that thanks to companies like Intematix and Lightera deliver energy-efficient, high-quality, low-maintenance light.  And thanks to wireless controls companies like Daintree, these lighting fixtures can talk to each other—allowing facilities managers to easily connect every office and conference room in their buildings into their HVAC and security system.

Since lighting systems are everywhere, connected, digital lighting can be integrated with a wide range of sensors, including occupancy, daylight, motion and CO₂ to create a productive, safe, comfortable and efficient working environment.  Once we’ve created smart, energy efficient buildings, these smart buildings can be connected to a smart grid to reduce energy demand in peak consumption periods.  That brings up several steps closer to what Cisco calls “Smart+Connected Communities.”

Contributed by Brian Fisher, General Manager, Solid State Lighting, MCA PR