The backbone of the lighting automation industry in the initial years was the lighting management software itself. Under this purview, using the same software to facilitate the Internet of Things (IoT) services for lighting equipment placed remotely was a concept that fascinated many and gradually saw a rise in the number of buyers as well. However, the ideological shift that we are seeing now has much to do with the popularization of Building Management Systems.

The Internet of Things technology is all about finding multiple use cases out of these same existing equipment. Extrapolating that same concept with lighting control, it is now believed that not only automation of the luminaries installed in our small confined spaces is necessary, but the data obtained from the lighting control equipment should be used for multiple other purposes. This extensive availability and use of data are beneficial for overall building management.

For instance, occupancy sensors can not only be helpful in turning off lights when they are not in use but also to schedule maintenance and cleaning activities. Occupancy data analysis is useful such that when there is no person using a particular space, it would be easier to get the cleaning job done without disturbing anyone’s work. Daylight harvesting, leak detection, air quality sensors, and the use of automatic blinds are some very good applications of this new purpose-driven lighting automation.

If only this concept alone is considered, the chances of hitting saturation are very low. This is because lighting automation equipment is being innovated and released at a very fast rate today. With every product coming into the market, searching for multiple use cases and then implementing them within existing building management systems won’t be a big problem once all this is normalized. So, the future of lighting control and automation is definitely within the prism of building management only.