Zigbee for Smart Lighting Systems: Basics and Benefits

Introduction : As wireless standards and LEDs advance, they pioneer the success of smart lighting systems. It’s an interesting way to automate homes, offices, and factories. Smart lighting offers greater control and flexibility with more features compared to traditional lighting approaches. Considering a few security concerns, smart lighting will likely boom in the future of the lighting industry.

Normally, bulbs are simply turned ON or OFF. With smart lighting systems, LED bulbs are explored for instant dimming, brightness control, and color control using applications on smartphones. Nowadays, Android or iOS phones are available at lower costs, making it easy to install smart lighting applications.

Manufacturers of smart lighting systems use Bluetooth Low Energy, WiFi, and/or Zigbee as wireless interface standards to communicate with smart bulbs for control and monitoring. Among these standards, Zigbee has become more popular for smart lighting systems because Bluetooth and WiFi don’t easily allow the creation of mesh networks. With Zigbee, multiple devices can be easily controlled from a single point across an entire office or home building.

Four basic elements make up a complete smart lighting system: LEDs, application software, sensors, and a wireless communication interface. LEDs are inherently controllable and are important for the growth of the smart lighting system. LEDs consume less energy, have a long life, and deliver high-quality light. They are manufactured using semiconductor material widely adopted by the lighting industry.

Application software provides easy control to switch lights on and off and vary brightness levels as needed automatically. This helps save power significantly as lights are used only when needed, and brightness is controlled. Smart lighting systems employ sensors for providing efficient lighting. These systems consider both occupancy and other environmental parameters and deliver light accordingly.

Wireless interface standards make it possible to control and manage smart lighting devices wirelessly and comfortably. It doesn’t require much intelligence, money, or effort to install the components of a smart lighting system.

Advantages of Smart Lighting Systems

• Massive energy reduction: Smart lighting systems can cut down about 90% of power cost.
• More light when required: Achieved through light level control.
• Long lifespan and less maintenance.
• Greater control over human resources: Providing a great work environment.
• Helps corporations sustain.

Zigbee Smart LED Bulb Basics and Manufacturers

GE link smart LED bulb kit

Smart bulbs are based on various wireless standards such as Bluetooth, Zigbee, and WiFi. Due to Zigbee’s popularity in smart lighting systems, efforts have been made to standardize Zigbee Light Link as a prime standard. A smart LED bulb comprises a processor, memory, real-time clock, and wireless chip. A heat sink is also needed to provide cooling for the processor and RF chip.

Benefits of Smart LED Bulbs

• They fit into regular bulb sockets.
• They typically have a lifespan of around 25,000 hours.
• They consume about 9 to 12 watts of energy.
• They provide a light output of about 800+ lumens.
• Easy to install the application software in the mobile phone or tablet. The software automatically detects available smart bulbs and smart hubs.
• One can control and schedule the lighting of the smart bulbs with easy-to-use applications.
• Easy to add more bulbs, as application software supports up to 50 bulbs.
• Prices vary by manufacturer.

The cheapest smart bulb available based on the Zigbee standard is from GE, known as GE Link. The entire Zigbee smart LED bulb kit costs just about $50 and contains two bulbs and 1 hub. A single Zigbee smart LED bulb costs about only$15.

The table below summarizes smart bulb manufacturers:

Zigbee smart LED bulbs need a hub to connect with the existing WiFi network.

Various other companies are working to develop and produce smart bulb devices meant for home automation. These companies include Infineon, Connect4, Dropcam, TCP, Quirky, Honeywell, etc.