Energy Management


Left and right: Lobby with light sensor placement.


With Bluetooth mesh capability built into the new generation of smart LED luminaires you can also have a scalable power metering platform. And since Bluetooth mesh is a broadcast infrastructure you only need a few strategically placed intelligent luminaires to manage a region or an entire building. The Bluetooth mesh framework serves as a bus to handle all monitoring and control command data traffic. You then can use a single dashboard for building-wide power metering.


The benefits of power metering When developing a power metering strategy it’s important to understand why it is needed in the first place, and how to make the most of power metering readings. Power metering is used in two basic ways: ●1. Real-time power measurement – Monitoring power in real time can uncover issues such as the quality of electricity. Real-time monitoring will reveal power spikes or fluctuations that could affect equipment or present other problems. It also can show if power is running higher or lower than 230V, say below 220V or above 240V, which can harm equipment. ●2. Long-term power measurement – Monitoring power usage over time will reveal problem areas as well as providing a baseline for power consumption. It also can be used to bill back utilities costs to tenants. For example, power metering can provide an accurate measurement of electricity costs to be shared by tenants, or that can be charged to tenants with unusual power demands. The ability to measure power use, and power fluctuations, continues to


Smart lighting solutions may


prove a boon to smart wholesalers who understand the future of intelligent lighting and how to


structure LED product bundles that pave the way for new building management solutions.


present new benefits. For example, in some countries, including India, power theft is a huge problem, but with power metering you can not only determine if there is energy theft but isolate the specific areas or devices that are being targeted to steal power.


New wholesaler opportunities Wholesalers can expect to see a new generation of intelligent LED luminaires with programmable drivers reaching the market in the coming months. With increased demand for green building solutions, contractors and installers are going to specify more intelligent LED lighting solutions to help customers save today and lay a foundation for future building controls and savings. The market is already beginning to see vendors promoting intelligent


A typical power metering software readout. www.ewnews.co.uk


LED driver solutions that mix intelligent and “dumb” lighting. Light fixtures are the most prevalent electrical unit in any building, but to add building intelligence you don’t need to make every LED luminaire smart. Expect to see smart and dumb luminaires intermingled to provide a new level of lighting and building control. Call it “smart-enough” lighting. And you may start to see a new type of customer as well. As lighting becomes an ecosystem for network data traffic you will see the IT department become more involved in lighting installation and maintenance. The luminaires may gather and deliver the data but it will be up to IT to support connectivity and make sure the monitoring dashboards are available and operational. This will require more collaboration between contractors and IT to deal with issues such as wireless interference and network integration. However, they are already doing much of this to support voice and data infrastructure inside commercial buildings today. Smart lighting solutions may prove a boon to smart wholesalers who understand the future of intelligent lighting and how to structure LED product bundles that pave the way for new building management solutions.


November 2018 electrical wholesaler | 47


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