What is the big deal? Less hardware, lesser headaches in selecting the right lighting controls! Why? Read on below…

• The last few years have seen an ‘explosion’ of software developers using Bluetooth mesh technology to control lighting using software.
• Concurrently, it encourages many different Bluetooth drivers or relays to be created and sold within the industry.
• This competes directly with the conventional lighting control ‘systems’ that uses KNX or Dali equivalent driver mostly.
• These ‘systems’ are known to provide feedback to the main Building Management System (‘BMS’), which aids in energy monitoring, facility management and strategic maintenance planning of a building.

It has been a huge consideration for lighting consultants like us; Should I recommend to clients Bluetooth enabled lighting control or big sophisticated KNX compatible or DALI control systems?
Bluetooth mesh technology has more relevance to our society today and certainly much easier to implement it. With that, users are empowered to download, try, and benefit from the various easily available software applications to control lights, monitor the environment, track energy consumption and more. All this are also done wirelessly.

However, conventional wisdom in lighting controls always falls back to the mostly hardwired incumbent KNX or DALI controls. It is much more stable in performance as a lighting control and feedback system. But sadly, there are also plenty of compatibility issues for users to navigate (i.e. light fittings type, cablings, brands and specifications of lighting driver).

(Reference: Illuminating Asia 2020 – Designed & Implement Bluetooth Mesh Lighting control)

As a professional that explores lighting tech application daily – we weigh the pros and cons of stability, cost to implement a smart lighting system and ease of maintenance for users.

Recently I was thinking, “It seems imminent that conventional lighting control systems will be obsolete in the next 3 – 5 years.” With this collaboration between Bluetooth mesh and DALI, perhaps DALI can start to win back the market share it was slowly losing over the last 3 – 4 years.

I am delighted that the real benefit goes to the end users from this collaboration.  Technically, we may foresee Bluetooth mesh capability integrating into DALI compatible drivers. According to me this combination will deliver powerful new IOT capabilities and enables a sensor-rich lighting system. A recent survey from ABI research showed that 40% of connected end points in commercial building will be smart light based by 2021.This combination paves way for it as both the technology has its own opportunities and obstacles, these combination helps to overcome the obstacles and pave way for opportunities together in the lighting field.

Breakthrough as Bluetooth and Dali interface. (2020). Retrieved from:: https://www.bluetooth.com/blog/bluetooth-dali-accelerating-the-future-of-iot-enabled-commercial-lighting/