While lighting automation systems have achieved only a modicum of success in the past, NanoMarkets claims that rapidly rising energy costs, improved technology and the shift to energy efficient “lamps” will lead to new products and markets for smart lighting systems.

Smart lighting systems are the first opportunity for firms making luminaire and lighting components to capitalise on the trend towards energy efficiency in lighting. NanoMarkets believes they will seize this opportunity by creating new fixtures, ballasts and switch products with embedded intelligence. Previously the lighting efficiency trend has benefited only firms who manufacture energy efficient “lamps”; that is CFLs, LEDs and OLEDs.

Despite many attempts in the past, lighting automation has failed to take off in the residential market because achievable savings from energy efficiency were not sufficient to justify the upfront costs of lighting automation systems. However, improved sensor and networking technology, coupled with the ability of future lighting systems to offer mood, medical and aesthetic benefits to residential customers have the ability to completely change the value proposition of lighting automation for residential customers and result in smart lighting systems sales to residential sector reaching $2.2 billion by 2017.

The emerging smart lighting industry is badly in need of a firm that can champion the benefits of these new systems to customers, demarcate them for the old lighting automation systems and carve out a distinct and credible smart lighting industry. The score or so of smaller firms that are currently focused on smart lighting systems do not have the resources to become an industry champion, while the large lighting and automation/control firms are only just beginning to ramp up in this space. The firm that seizes this opportunity will have the ability to rapidly build its brand and its market share in a new smart lighting industry.