What is Digitization of Lighting and Do I Need It?

As lighting moves into the high tech world, there are new and unfamiliar terms emerging each day. It is hard to keep up.

A major shift is occurring in the lighting industry. Gone are the days when a light could only be turned ON or OFF, and then only by a manual switch. Lighting is now an intelligent source of information because of the widespread adoption of LED technology.  We get many questions about the term digitization.

 What is digitization?

Digitization (or less commonly called ‘digitalization’) in the lighting world is the process of converting lighting information, such as the level of light in a room, into a digital or computer-readable format so that the information (or data) can be processed and communicated to other digital devices.  This is possible because unlike its predecessors, LEDs are based on digital technology. This means that LEDs can send information and receive commands from software or other digital devices on the network. Intelligence from combining lighting principles with digital technology can then be used to dynamically and automatically adapt lighting to the needs in offices or other spaces. 

LED lighting is more than just an efficient light source. The full promise of LED lighting systems lies in the digitization of lighting information that enables expanded controllability, interoperability, and even future-proof upgradeability. The technology provides the means to completely transform the lighting industry, creating networks that extend energy savings, support flexible work environments, and provide many other benefits to building owners, ranging from optimum light quality to maximizing usage of space. Digitization opens up new possibilities that have never been seen before.

History Repeats Itself

If we rolled the clock back to 1990, Alexander Graham Bell would have instantly recognized the telecommunications network. Little had changed in 100 years. The network was still largely a copper, analog, mechanically switched network. By 2010, 20 years later, that entire network had been fully digitized — replaced and transformed into an optical, digital, and packet-switched network. With that transformation, usage patterns changed and data volumes, revenues, and value all increased by orders of magnitude. A similar transformation awaits lighting. Source: LEDs Magazine, 2013 Summer Issue. 

Do I need Digitization?

The simple answer is yes.  

The commercial leasing market is undergoing a massive transformation. The competition for tenants is heating up and owners need to rethink their approach toward space design and lease duration to remain competitive.   

Connected lighting is an essential element in modern workspace environments and digitization is at the core of connected lighting. It helps owners create a flexible working environment, optimize revenues, improve efficiencies and improve the overall quality of lighting to enhance the occupant experience.  

However, you do not have to do it all today. Think of it as a journey, with incremental steps, and not one big overwhelming decision. And don’t worry about all the new terminology. We are all in this together.

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net