Lighting is one of the biggest drivers in commercial electrical drain. Bluetooth dimming and control has become a leading player to reduce electrical consumption in both the creation of smart buildings, as well as the retrofitting of existing ones.
Upgrading to wireless Bluetooth lighting used to be a financial and operational barrier to retrofitting older buildings, but newer technologies now allow the conversion of both LED and fluorescent lighting systems to be upgraded quickly and economically. This saves both time and money in lighting upgrades while future proofing buildings to become as efficient as possible.
Here are five reasons to upgrade to wireless Bluetooth lighting this coming year:
- Long-term benefits. Wireless Bluetooth lighting systems are a way to future-proof buildings, offering both immediate ROI and the long-term benefits of system compatibility. Crucial to this future system compatibility is ability of lighting systems to integrate seamlessly with the IoT through cloud connectivity in a building. (The IoT — Internet of Things — is the idea in which everyday objects and systems are made intelligent through machine to machine communication.) The benefits of multiple systems being able to interface are extensive. For example, a lighting system that can sense and adjust to occupancy levels is smart. Now consider a building’s IoT which can adjust to occupancy levels with lighting, which ties into other centrally monitored building aspects including communications, access controls, security features, and HVAC systems. That is intelligent!
- No additional wiring required. Making the switch to wireless Bluetooth lighting is easier than ever. While energy efficient lighting can save a building up to 40% in energy costs, adding Bluetooth controls can add an additional 20% without additional wiring. New Bluetooth lighting is wireless – here at Relight we employ technology that allows us to install LED lights which are enabled with Bluetooth technology and battery-powered sensors. Without the need to disturb existing infrastructure a wireless Bluetooth lighting upgrade is a fast and more economical traditional wired lighting control. Wireless Bluetooth lighting is also compatible with older, historical buildings. Leaving walls and ceilings intact allows structural and historical integrity to remain unchanged while transforming the energy footprint and lighting quality in a building.
- Data driven automation. Wireless Bluetooth lighting uses real-time data collection to both drive decisions, and automate lighting in a space. This means a smart lighting system that can adjust automatically driven by multiple variables. These variables include solar time (sunrise/sunset), chronological time, daylight availability (providing the right amount of lighting as needed), and as mentioned earlier, occupancy levels. Lighting automation with Bluetooth lighting can be tracked and managed through easy to use applications.
- User friendly Bluetooth controls. Upgrading to wireless Bluetooth lighting means gaining the benefits of a sophisticated lighting system with user friendly remote operations. As mentioned, these systems offer a high level of automation. And facility managers can now make changes to lighting with the swipe of a screen or click of a button. Programming adjustments to colour temperatures, holiday schedules, and changing usage patterns for example, can be done easily and remotely and no longer require on site personnel to program hardware.
- Predictive maintenance. Wireless Bluetooth lighting upgrades allow for predictive maintenance. This means no more manual reporting (or surprise) lighting outages – centrally controlled smart lighting tracks and alerts facility management as maintenance or replacements are required. The LED lighting tubes we employ with every wireless Bluetooth lighting upgrade are shatterproof and mercury free, and have battery powered sensors that last 10 years. This means maintenance costs can be kept at a minimum and lighting outages can be predicted and often avoided.
These are just a few of the major benefits of upgrading to wireless Bluetooth lighting in this coming year. Contact us for more information and to book your free, no obligation consultation and energy assessment.
We were delighted to take part as a sponsor for the recent “Pillowtalk Fundraiser” held in support of Vancouver charity Covenant House. The event raised over $43,000 for the charity which provides hope, housing, support, and resources to homeless and at-risk street youth aged 16-24 in the city, many of whom have fled abuse or have aged out of foster care.
The fundraiser, hosted by Love It or List It’s Todd Talbot, was akin to a grown up version of a swanky slumber party which saw pyjama clad guests enjoying live music from the Craig Henderson Trio, delectable party spreads from the Fairmont Hotel’s Chef Colin Burslem, lavish libations from Empress Gin, Grey Monk Winery, and Strathcona Beer, and a rousing 80s throwback Twister tournament.
The event was held in the upscale downtown showroom of CF Interiors, and Relight was proud to provide a sparkling tunnel of light to add ambiance to the event.
A few of Covenant House’s former clients were in attendance, one of them a personal trainer and engineering student who gave an incredible testimony of how he was able to turn his life around with the help and support of Covenant House.
100% of the ticket sales and live auction proceeds went directly to Covenant House, a charity close to Talbot’s heart. This was his 5th annual fundraiser in support of Covenant House’s annual “Executive Sleep out” which happened this November and saw over $1.1 million raised to support the charity.
Geoff Bell, CEO of NuSutus (Relight’s parent company) also participated in both events, raising over $5,000 for the sleep out which took place on a recent chilly November night.
Covenant House is currently running a triple matching donation challenge, so any gifts made until the end of the year will go three times as far in helping care for Vancouver’s vulnerable youth population.
Photo by Jessika Hunter.
