Commercial lighting users have gained yet another means for collecting valuable data from luminaires and for controlling lighting scenes, as Dutch controls specialist Nedap introduced a small node that adds Internet of Things (IoT) capabilities to fixtures.

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　　The electronic device plugs into any brand luminaire, and draws power and data from the electronic driver. It is the latest addition to Nedap's Luxon lighting management line. In a straightforward branding move, Nedap calls it the Luxon IoT node.

　　Its radio antenna sends data about lighting performance and conditions such as temperature, motion, and electricity grid information.

　　The node also receives signals that tell the lights when to turn on, off, dim, and brighten.

　　But it is the data collection aspect that is perhaps the most valuable. The data goes to a central gateway, which sends it to Luxon’s cloud application that helps facilities managers improve their building operations. It also boosts lighting-as-a-service opportunities, in which lighting vendors don't sell hardware per se, but instead guarantee lighting levels and support functions such as facilities management based on IT.

　　“Our true value is in the software, which helps to maximize operational cost savings and make better decisions and improvements over time,” said Stefan Bernards, Nedap's Luxon proposition manager. “We believe our future will be in providing software applications, opening the possibilities for lighting as a service, and offering companies sustainability opportunities linked to their business objectives.”