Transition from closed system to Internet of Things: A study in standardizing building lighting systems

Internet of Things (IoT) is triggering changes in lighting industry from the traditional closed and propriety systems to flexible, interoperable and service oriented systems. To address the challenges of this transition and catering the specific requirements of lighting networks, an Open Architecture for Intelligent Solid State Lighting Systems has been proposed. The architecture is open and extensible to future technologies with security and interoperability as its integral features. A side effect of this transition is the impact on stakeholders and changes in the lighting value chain and building sector. This paper provides an overview of the architecture and zooms into the challenges in one important area, namely installation and commissioning. It proposes potential solutions to prominent issues raised by the lighting industry.