How to Achieve Successful Lighting Inspections, Every Time

Unless you’ve been living underground for the past few years, you’re probably aware that the Internet of Things (IoT) is the wave of the future. Yet, a recent Electrical Contractor survery found that only 33% of its subscribers considered themselves comfortable with IoT. Perhaps connected lighting still seems technically formidable or cost-prohibitive to many. But the fact is, connected lighting can greatly simplify projects by streamlining inspection and compliance. That should have many electrical engineers and their firms seeing a huge opportunity.

Now is the time to get familiar with connected lighting (i.e., the gateway IoT technologies). With a better working knowledge of connected lighting systems—how to install and retrofit for maximum efficiency and scalability, how to spot the system that will meet all your specifications—you’ll future-proof your career, offer more value to your clients, and increase your ability to deliver those desired “wow” factors ten-fold.

Skilled labor shortages, ever-changing codes and the challenge of staying compliant: these are the things that keep your clients up at night. Good news: it’s easier than ever to solve all these problems, and more. It begins with specifying the right products.

Not all connected lighting systems are created equal, so separating the copper from the nickel, as it were, is important when choosing which system to incorporate into your client’s lighting design.

Some manufacturers only offer controls that promise to make existing systems “smarter,” but this approach risks compatibility and compliance issues down the road.

Make sure you’re working with a comprehensive solution, like WaveLinx, and not one that will leave clients scrambling in the future.  Specifying control-integrated solutions also means more efficient customer service from the manufacturer and often stronger warranty protection.

The last thing you need are installations that go over budget, especially considering today’s shortage of skilled labour. It may be tempting for your firm to stick to the products they’ve always recommended—the “why reinvent the wheel?” mindset—when in certain cases newer products are far more efficient and effective than the status quo. Connected lighting is one such case.

With WaveLinx, contractors can reduce installation time by 40% with simple installation and setup. 

Your clients likely have mixed feelings (at best) about the commissioning process. While commissioning is an essential part of QA (not to mention required in many cases), contractors and facility managers often lament the headaches and delays caused by commissioning teams. There can be opportunity costs involved when the process drags on.

It doesn’t have to be that way, thanks to new connected lighting technology. One of the most valuable features WaveLinx offers is out-of-the-box code compliance. A mobile app makes it simple to configure settings that allow buildings to meet even the strictest codes, no matter their location (and even as codes continue to change). The result? They’ll shave 40% off the commissioning time and get off the job much faster.

While simplified commissioning and code compliance may be strong selling points in and of themselves, these features only scratch the surface of what connected lighting can do now and into the future. For example, lighting is increasingly being used as a platform for other IoT functions—from real-time data collection to asset tracking using real-time location systems (RTLS).

With scalable systems in place today, buildings can continue to optimize and enhance operations even as new technologies emerge. Engineers who are familiar with these benefits can help clients future-proof their facilities and become trusted strategic partners.

While integrated sensors and powerful controls (via mobile app) come standard out-of-the-box with WaveLinx, the system is remarkably flexible and offers countless ways to integrate other technologies.

With wireless integrated sensors to ensure maximum efficiency and flexibility, the WaveLinx installations your clients do today are expandable and scalable to meet all the tech innovations to come. 

Watch the WaveLinx introductory video to learn more about this connected lighting solution.