Five Advantages of Distributed Processing for Smart Lighting 

Maintaining critical infrastructure 24/7 available is essential. From power plants to emergency response systems. From telecom to banking systems. What’s common is the distribution of power, ability to act independently and redundancy of systems. What if your smart lighting system could behave in this same manner, as a critical infrastructure of your smart building? Welcome to the world of distributed processing, where smart lighting isn’t just reactive but proactive. Much like the redundant systems in power plants that act independently in the event of a failure or the localized tactical decision-making in military operations, distributed processing empowers sensors to process information independently. With significant benefits to building designers, owners and operators, learn how distributed processing is revolutionizing smart lighting control systems. 

The lighting control sensor is the backbone of a smart lighting system. Distributed processing within the context of smart lighting refers to the ability of a system to process data at the sensor-level. Distributed processing is also known as edge sensing, as the data is collected and processed near the source of its generation. Enlighted leverages distributed processing in all its solutions – from lighting controls to occupancy, energy and location intelligence. 

The other type of processing in smart lighting is centralized processing wherein all the raw data collected by the sensor is sent to a centralized hub for processing. In centralized processing, the sensor acts only as a data collection device. 

Robustness & Resilience: Lighting control systems that employ distributed processing are powered by smart sensors with built-in processing capabilities and memory. The light-level schedule, occupancy, daylight, zone control, trim and other such behavior profiles are stored within the sensor. Due to the inherent ability of the sensor to process data locally, it can determine the operational conditions such as occupancy/vacancy state and ambient daylight, in a space. As a result, even when the sensor is unable to communicate with the gateway, it continues normal operation as if there is no issue. The lights change as the state of the space changes, making this a truly smart lighting system. Many lighting control systems, when they experience communications loss with the central hub, revert to default settings such as setting the lights to FULL ON.  

Better Connectivity: The previous paragraph highlighted how a distributed processing system delivers higher robustness and resilience in the event of intermittent or no connectivity. Not only that, but distributed processing systems also enable better connectivity. Processing data closer to the source minimizes delays, enabling real-time responses. This means a faster and more responsive lighting control system, so that the next time you walk into a room, you won’t have to wait 2 seconds before the lights turn on.  

By filtering and processing data locally, edge sensing enables localized lighting control without relying on a central processor. Moreover, edge sensing minimizes the volume of data that needs to be sent to the cloud. This means fewer packets of data that must be sent to the central processor, which invariably results in superior connectivity. With an ever-increasing number of IoT connected devices, it becomes imperative to manage the network, particularly when devices compete for bandwidth. By reducing the amount of data sent over the network, smart lighting solutions featuring distributed processing not only improve their own connectivity but also of the smart building.  

Low Cost: Edge processing significantly lowers costs by reducing the need for extensive server and cloud infrastructure. By analyzing data locally, it minimizes the volume of data that must be transmitted to centralized systems, which not only cuts bandwidth costs but also decreases the demand for high-capacity cloud storage and processing power. This shift means organizations can operate with fewer servers, reducing hardware expenses and maintenance costs. Additionally, edge processing lowers latency, leading to faster decision-making and improved energy savings, which can further translate into cost savings across various applications, from smart cities to industrial IoT environments. 

High Performance: Edge sensing enables performance advantages that could not be possible with centralized processing. One such advantage is better detection of static human. This is a common problem in offices and universities, wherein lights automatically turn off when a person is sitting at their desk. Enlighted sensors are robust in detecting static humans due to the rich & complex algorithms running on embedded processors within.  

A feature that’s made possible with great accuracy is real-time location system wherein an asset is be tracked as it moves across space. Using a combination of asset tag and Enlighted sensors, facility managers can track an asset at any given point in time. Real-time location system empowers operations and facility managers to understand if an asset is being utilized effectively and can also be used for equipment and people localization, workflow optimization and security.   

High Uptime: A smart lighting control system that is built on a technical foundation of distributed processing is one that’s more reliant, resilient and robust. International Facility Management Association’s “Facility Management and the Smart Building Revolution” report showed that 30% of smart building operators report experiencing downtime at least once a month due to connectivity issues or system failures. With such high downtime experiences, a smart lighting system that continues normal operation despite experiencing network/system issues delivers the maximum return on investment, occupant comfort and energy savings to building designers, owners, and operators. 

There are two processing techniques within smart lighting that determine the technical capabilities of the system – distributed (aka edge) and centralized processing. Distributed processing in smart lighting systems enhances uptime, robustness, and connectivity. By processing data at the sensor level, these systems maintain functionality even during network failures, avoiding reliance on centralized hubs. This approach reduces costs, minimizes latency, and improves performance, ultimately ensuring efficient operation and greater energy savings in smart buildings.