Open standards drive smart lighting and the Enterprise IoT

Technology News | September 16, 2015

By eeNews Europe

As organizations weigh the many variables around retrofitting for lighting and building control automation, now is the time to understand the value of open standards. For many organizations, the push for open standards will start with wireless lighting controls. The initial ROI calculations show lighting as the low-hanging fruit for initial entry into wireless control. By choosing open standard-based lighting control systems, organizations provide themselves with an easy upgrade to other related controls, such as thermostats, plug-loads, CO2 sensors, and more.

The flexibility of open standards allows the ability to tie into existing lighting control frameworks without needing to buy a separate system to manage each additional device or system. As a result, wireless lighting controls are a catalyst ushering building controls into the Enterprise Internet of Things (E-IoT).

The interoperability of multiple applications under open standards-based wireless control forms the foundation for the E-IoT.

Looking back to move ahead

In the early days of networking (pre-Ethernet protocol) proprietary protocols hurt adoption rates and held up networking innovation in the process. It wasn’t until Ethernet came onto the scene that the other interconnected technologies could proliferate. For example, in the case of notebook computers with Wi-Fi capabilities, while there are several notebook and router vendors, connectivity is not an issue because customers know that all laptops communicate with all routers. Just as open standards drove rapid advancements in other industries such as computers, the same approach is expected to drive the smart lighting and building automation industry. Innovators use standards to advance technology with the knowledge that their products will work the same every time.

By 2020, the growth of the smart lighting market is expected to reach $56 billion at an estimated CAGR of 16 percent, while the total global market for networked lighting controls will be over $5 billion. In an industry currently dominated by proprietary systems, it’s believed that open standards-based wireless technologies will be the catalyst for this amazing growth.

For designers and end-users alike, it is important to understand the definition of ‘open standards’. Standards are considered open when they are developed in an open, collaborative, and transparent process, are freely available, and can be implemented within any business model. Because global reach is key to wide implementation, open standards should be developed in a transparent process that is open to all interested parties worldwide.

It is critical that open standards are supported and maintained over time by an independent, trusted organization that is made up of a diverse group of stakeholders. In addition, open standards must be subject to full public evaluation and use without constraints in a manner equally available to all interested parties. Open standards are platform independent and vendor-neutral. Some of the current standards for wireless controls include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, EnOcean, and Zigbee. There are more, but let’s look at the Zigbee standard as it is the most widely-used open standard for wireless control technology on the market today.

ZigBee technology

ZigBee is the only open, global wireless standard to provide the foundation for the Internet of Things by enabling simple and smart objects to work together. It is an open standard that supports low data-rates, low-power consumption, security, and reliability. A critical difference between ZigBee and other technologies is the standardization of application-level functionality, among other key differences around power and bandwidth requirements. As a result, ZigBee enables embedded wireless communications for lighting and other building control devices. In addition, the standard is supported by The ZigBee Alliance [www.ZigBee.org], a non-profit association of more than 400 members driving development of ZigBee wireless technology. The alliance promotes global adoption of ZigBee as the leading wirelessly networked, sensing, and control standard for use in commercial, industrial, energy, home, and consumer electronic markets.

For Designers:

Open and freely available specification based on international standards
Global operation in the 2.4GHz frequency band according to IEEE 802.15.4
Brings together ZigBee PRO and the Building Automation and Networking (BACnet) protocol, the standard for building automation communication
Wireless range up to 70m indoors and 400m outdoors with full control of transmitted output power
Secures Building Automation networks by the use of AES 128 encryption, keys, and device authentication

For End-users:

Can be installed “on top of” or in place of hard-wired networks or outdated systems
Uses “mesh” technology that provides redundant paths of communication
Supports thousands of devices in a single network
Interoperability between a variety of building automation devices with building management systems regardless of manufacturer
New services can be introduced in a controlled manner to scale as requirements grow

Proprietary vs. open

Regardless of the particular protocol, the primary advantage of open standards-based technology is the flexibility it provides to end users. They are no longer tied to one vendor; rather, they can select from a number of equipment or device providers as long as it supports the protocol used within the building. Standards work best when large communities of innovators use them to build their technology. Open systems with vendor interoperability provide lower initial costs to end users and more innovation on the part of vendors trying to differentiate themselves for the large available market. When a single lighting vendor controls the specifications and deployment of its own standard, innovation is suppressed.

The inherent problem with proprietary systems is that their closed nature requires customers to stay within a vendor’s ecosystem if they want to realize the benefits. Once an initial investment is made in a proprietary system, customers may feel like they are held hostage. Customers can’t easily shift to another technology or standard without an additional large investment. For example:

Customers can’t easily replace new components or more advanced technology from other innovators, which reduces the competitive pressure for a vendor to enhance its technology.
When the vendor makes certain components obsolete, customers may be leveraged into upgrades that aren’t right for them.
If the customer expands its footprint, it must stay with the vendor or lose the advantage of controlling all lighting and other building devices under a single umbrella.

As with proprietary systems, open standards-driven systems test and validate for solution integration, but customers also benefit from:

The flexibility of use of best-in-class components to build their lighting and building control infrastructure, across multiple vendors.
The freedom to pursue an upgrade path of their own design.
The benefit of a fully-competitive market, including faster innovation and lower prices, due to vendors working to one-up each other to maintain their competitive edge.

The Essendant (formerly United Stationers) office in Sacramento, CA uses open standards-based wireless networked control.

Interoperability and E-IoT

Organizations that start their lighting control investment with technology based on open standards allow themselves flexibility in what products they can buy. They also future-proof their infrastructure for coming advancements, regardless of which vendor sells them. Wireless controls based on open standards are enabling the roadmap for smart buildings and create the foundation for the E-IoT. Open wireless standards will play a tremendous role in the future of lighting and building energy management, because more than half of networked lighting control investments will come from retrofit projects in the near future.

Today, many organizations that felt lighting control was out of reach are now in the market for upgrades. In addition to lighting, other high energy-consuming devices like thermostats, plug-loads, and fans are becoming more critical, requiring energy control due to changing energy regulations and mandates. The open standards discussion is extremely important because facilities managers have the opportunity to shape the future of lighting and building control for their business and the industry as a whole from the start. When organizations have an open lighting control network in place, there is very little additional investment needed to plug in other systems that use the same standard. The integration of software, low-cost sensors, and an interoperable wireless network is driving the proliferation of the E-IoT in commercial buildings and represents a giant leap forward on the path to the E-IoT.

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