SmartLED: The Next Step In Lighting

The world of lighting has transitioned to ever more energy efficient light bulbs as it stepped from incandescent, to CFLs, and finally LED. To make the next step the infrastructure has to change, as making LEDs more efficient means changing the voltage from 110 AC to a lower voltage DC. At the same time, with everything going smart, consumers want more control over their lights. Going smart necessitates wireless connectivity be added. In this video we examine the design considerations for these changes. We examine the pros and cons of several approaches. Should the connectivity be in the lights, in the switch, or elsewhere? Should the AC to DC conversion be in the light or elsewhere? What voltage is best: 55V 48V or lower? What wireless standard should be used: Bluetooth, WiFi, or ZigBee? What's the killer app for smart lighting? And how invasive will it be to your existing electrical system.