Smart Lighting Innovations in Focus at Asian Lighting Forum
8 April 2016 – Industry executives took part in the Asian Lighting Forum 2016 held on 6 April under the theme of Smart Lighting – The Future Applications. The Forum, organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and co-organised by the Hong Kong Electronics & Technologies Association and The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers, was part of the Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Spring Edition) (6-9 April), which is underway at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Opening the forum, Ir Victor Ng, Chairman of the Hong Kong Electronics & Technologies Association and Anna Cheung, Senior Exhibitions Manager of the HKTDC, presented souvenirs to the three keynote speakers, William Li, Assistant Vice President, Product Development & Management, Consumer Group, PCCW; Tjaco Middel, Head of R&D APAC, Tridonic China and Dr KF Tsang, Founder, Citycom Technology Ltd.
Culture of smart living in Hong Kong
Mr Li introduced PCCW’s “Smart Living” product and services collection that aims to connect “everyone and everything in the household.” PCCW has developed this Internet of Things (IoT) system for Hong Kong because the city has a “high level of technology, broadband connectivity and mobile phone penetration.”
He pointed out that lighting is important for “Smart Living” because lighting is present wherever people are and in “every room of your home.” PCCW’s “Smart Living” solutions incorporate lighting automation and situational lighting effects. He believes that the next major trend for the industry will be smart lighting technology to create a “frictionless” living experience. He predicts that the future of lighting will be “LED-based, networked, controllable, addressable and integrated.” Mr Li described PCCW’s expansion into smart technology as a “lateral move” and said that it is a global trend for major telecommunications companies to explore IoT and smart technology consumer solutions.
Going beyond illumination with IoT
Mr Middel agreed that the next generation of lighting will be “smart lighting”, and pointed out the importance of connectivity in transforming lighting into a smart technology. Since LED technology has plateaued in terms of efficiency and cost-savings, Mr Middel believes that the evolution of lighting technology will shift from focusing on green lighting to the controls and connectivity of lighting. He expects that in the future “lighting will be fully immersed in IoT” and that “it will also be the end of switches and panels.”
Anticipating future market opportunities, Mr Middel thinks that “lighting has a huge opportunity to bridge the gap for IoT”, due to its universal prevalence, electrical connectivity and digital capabilities. He believes that the combination of lighting infrastructure and IoT will enable lighting to “go beyond illumination.”
Evolution of connectivity
Speaking from both his academic and professional experience, Dr Tsang discussed developments in lighting connectivity. While exploring the feasibility of a variety of different connectivity technologies, Dr Tsang identified the “ZigBee mesh network” as an ideal connectivity solution for lighting that can incorporate “energy management” and “automation” applications. Dr Tsang said that ZigBee “provides an open standard platform for application development and is a reliable protocol”. Dr Tsang also discussed his past work for the Mira Hotel as an example of how a ZigBee network can be used for lighting connectivity. The network was used in guestrooms to connect numerous lighting structures to different “control methods,” he explained.
The eighth edition of the Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Spring Edition), which features more than 1,300 exhibitors from 11 countries and regions, ends tomorrow (9 April).
Fair Website:
http://www.hktdc.com/fair/hklightingfairse-en/
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From left: Dr KF Tsang, Tjaco Middel, Ir Victor Ng, Anna Cheung and William Li |
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Mr Li, Assistant Vice President, Product Development & Management, Consumer Group, PCCW discusses smart lighting solutions for the consumer market |
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Mr Middel, Head of R&D APAC, Tridonic China explores the impacts of IoT on the lighting industry |
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Dr Tsang, Founder, Citycom Technology Ltd. shares his experience using ZigBee networks for lighting connectivity and control |
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About the HKTDC
A statutory body established in 1966, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is the international marketing arm for Hong Kong-based traders, manufacturers and services providers. With more than 40 offices globally, including 13 on the Chinese mainland, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a platform for doing business with China and throughout Asia. The HKTDC also organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to provide companies, particularly SMEs, with business opportunities on the mainland and in overseas markets, while providing information via trade publications, research reports and digital channels including the media room. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus.