Many vendors are beginning to standardise on Bluetooth mesh as an open and robust wireless approach that can scale to handle control, monitoring and management in any building.
Intelligent LED drivers have become the enabling technology that forms the backbone for smart buildings. Drivers include microcontrollers so they already have the embedded intelligence to customise lighting. For example, they can be programmed to match installed fixtures from different manufacturers by changing light intensity and hue, or can be programmed for specialty applications such as indicator lights.
LED luminaires are ideal for building management since they are the most prevalent electrical devices in any structure. Lights are everywhere in a facility, and when equipped with sensors can monitor building conditions as well as luminaire performance. Sensors can be configured to detect fire, smoke, CO2, specific sounds, and other hazards, including a programmed response to trigger a fire alarm or alert security services. However, to be effective, luminaires have to be connected into a single infrastructure with two-way communications, all manageable from one dashboard or console. This is where Bluetooth mesh plays a role.