LIGHTING


Long-term battery testing.


additional challenges. These pressures are increasing and include such things as ready access to data, prioritising environmental goals, and operating under increasing cost constraints. Healthcare facility managers must


therefore adopt a future-focused mindset beyond the minimum performance requirements of the standard: maintaining compliance, but also building for continuity, innovation, and resilience.


Key challenges in today’s emergency lighting systems Healthcare facilities across Australia are at varying stages of maturity in their emergency lighting systems. Some of the common challenges observed include:


1. Ageing infrastructure and legacy technologies


Many public and private hospitals are operating with emergency lighting systems that were installed over a decade ago. These legacy systems are typically: l Less energy efficient. l Based on outdated battery technologies (e.g. NiCd or NiMH).


l Difficult and expensive to maintain. l Prone to inconsistent performance or system-wide failures.


l Installed with first cost considerations rather than whole-of-life approach.


2. Manual testing and maintenance regimes


Traditional testing methods involve physical inspections and test-switch testing of each luminaire every 6-months. This approach is: l Labour-intensive. l Subject to human error – it is impossible to be at every fittings at the conclusion of the 90 minute discharge test.


l Difficult to scale across large campuses.


IFHE DIGEST 2026 The future of


emergency lighting lies in digitalisation, sustainability, and smarter design


l Often results in delayed fault detection. l On older sites in particular, little or no baseline data to support an understanding of the asset profile and forward maintenance plan.


3. Limited integration with data platforms


Emergency lighting systems have traditionally been isolated from other digital infrastructure. As hospitals adopt integrated Building Management Systems and centralised data platforms, having siloed systems hinders efficiency and visibility. Lack of real-time data makes it difficult to respond quickly or diagnose system issues remotely. Valuable emergency lighting asset information is not able to be matched with other building information required to optimise performance, manage risk and provide a proactive view of asset health.


4. Increasing awareness and accountability for environmental sustainability


Energy use in healthcare is under the microscope. Facility leaders are seeking energy-efficient technologies that align with environmental and ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) targets. Older emergency lighting systems typically consume more power and rely on environmentally unfriendly battery chemistries. Furthermore, as end of life disposal


costs continue to increase, there is a growing requirement to not only appropriately dispose of end of life fittings but provide evidence that this has been done.


Innovations in emergency and exit lighting technology The future of emergency lighting lies in digitalisation, sustainability, and smarter design. Leading health facilities are transforming their systems in a number of ways:


A. Smart monitoring and system automation Smart emergency lighting systems utilise wireless communication protocols and centralised monitoring platforms to automate: l Compliance testing. l Fault diagnostics. l Maintenance scheduling. l Reporting and documentation. l Access to real time data: asset health, predictive maintenance and dashboard summaries.


This approach eliminates guesswork and reduces manual intervention. For example, a system such as Zoneworks HIVE allows a facility manager to monitor thousands of devices from a single interface, receive real-time alerts, and schedule testing during off-peak hours to avoid operational disruption. Dashboards consolidate information so that the facility manager can quickly view compliance status and system health. The latest systems also allow for


enhanced functionality to provide further optimisation and enhancement of health facilities. Functions included such as occupancy sensing and lighting control can be incorporated without the requirement for additional infrastructure.


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