As 2016 gets underway, intelligent lighting control has already become commonplace. However, there remains a certain information vacuum, leading to misunderstanding of the role played by this subsystem in an intelligent home - a “smart home”.

What is a “smart home”? How does the lighting work in it? What does this give to the consumer? Let's look at these questions in this article.

Definition of a smart home

A comprehensive control system for all engineering equipment of a building is called a “smart home”. This system is built on a modular principle, allowing it to be easily changed and expanded without losing existing functionality. Modules - control of lighting, climate, security systems, and so on.

No matter how perfect the individual engineering subsystems are, only centralized control makes them all together a “smart home.” It is based on specific electrical wiring and a set of automation equipment. As a result of integration, each part of the whole works in close relationship with other elements. Let's look at this using lighting as an example.

Lighting control in a smart home

The method by which the lighting of a “smart” home is controlled is, from a technical point of view, more complex than the “classic” one, but for the user it turns out to be simpler. All complex operating logic is laid out at the design stage, and control is displayed on a convenient panel with a single interface. And we are talking here not only about turning on and off lighting fixtures. Important elements, taking part in giving lighting control intelligent properties, are:

• Motion/presence sensors, contact sensors that turn on or off the house lights at a certain moment. For example, JUNG mini-sensors operating on the basis of the KNX standard, GIRA weather station with a complex of sensors.

• Dimmers that smoothly change brightness.

• Motorized curtains, blinds, roller shutters, electric curtain rods, through which the balance between natural and artificial light will be regulated.

• Lighting devices that can be either ordinary or independently “smart”. Moreover, they can be used separately or as an element of a single system. For example, Philips Hue light bulbs or the VOCCA smart socket.

• System equipment, including control panels and logic modules, connected together by special wiring.

Not only in interaction with each other, but also with other engineering subsystems, this equipment, as part of the " smart home", allows you to achieve amazing comfort along with economical use of energy. Let's look at this in more detail.

What does “smart” lighting control give the user?

The end consumer is of little interest in the technical details of this or that equipment. The functions that are available through its use deserve more attention. With the help of “smart” lighting control it is possible to:

• Notifications. What to do when the music is loud in the house and the doorbell rings? In the era home automation this does not go unnoticed. The system is configured so that if music is on, the lights will blink a couple of times when you press the call button front door. This is where the role of integration comes into play, when one engineering system(light control) works in cooperation with others (security system and multimedia control).

Other events may also be processed. The motion sensor will turn on the hallway lighting when the child wakes up and will prevent him from tripping when it is dark. When the sensor is triggered, the system can be programmed to simultaneously dim the lights in the parents' bedroom to signal the situation. Convenient and safe. The algorithms laid down at the design stage are executed automatically without human intervention.

There are light bulbs that change color (Philips Hue). Using the special Taghue application, they can be configured to trigger messages from social networks and email clients. Now, just by being next to such a lamp, you can instantly know about the arrival of a new message by its color. And only then take the necessary actions.

• Operation of sensors. Thanks to sensors, it is possible to unlock the potential of smart lighting control. This is where the functions of the security system intersect with lighting. Illumination of the path near the house, which is activated by a motion sensor, will not only create comfort when moving at night, but will also serve as a means of scaring away uninvited guests.

When in basement a home theater is located, the door contact sensor triggers a scenario: while the door is open, the light turns on; at closed door, if there are people in the room (the presence sensor is working) and the equipment is turned on, after a while the lights are dimmed to watch a movie, and the lighting of the corridor in front of the cinema is turned off. After viewing, everything happens in reverse order.

• Flexibility in creating the desired atmosphere and decor. The desire for new sensations always comes more often than it is possible to make a radical rearrangement or renovation in the house. With instant changes in lamp parameters (color, brightness, directionality), as well as the ability to create new scenarios (a series of actions performed by an event or when a button is pressed), the atmosphere in the room changes beyond recognition.

• Balance between natural and artificial light. Don't turn on the light bulbs in the morning if you can smoothly raise the curtains to let in the sun's rays. This is how the “morning” scenario works, triggering every day. If there is bad weather outside, the weather station sensors or a separate light sensor will inform the system about the lack of sunlight, and that the brightness of the lamps needs to be increased.

So, lighting control includes all of these capabilities, but is not limited to them. With the use of modern professional “smart home” systems (www.intelliger.ru), there are no restrictions on the owner’s imagination and needs. As a cheaper option with minimal but sufficient functionality, there are individual devices, such as the mentioned Philips Hue light bulbs or VOCCA smart sockets. All this provides maximum comfort and a high degree of efficient use of energy resources - something without which it is difficult to imagine a modern home.

Technology " Smart light” opens up to us a wide variety of devices that provide expanded capabilities for adjusting the light to suit your preferences and controlling the light remotely.

Conventional lighting fixtures are mostly boring. Some of them have buttons, a switch, and there are those that support the smooth fade function. It happens that for variety, socket boxes are produced in different colors.

In any case, they can brighten up everyday life and bring something new into our lives. Add smart lighting to your apartment and you'll no longer have to search in the dark for a switch. In addition, smart lights can serve as signposts, guiding guests along light paths, and even deter potential burglars.

This technology allows you to remotely control electrical appliances in your apartment. In addition, it can be coupled with voice control, video recording, security system, thermostats, changing color shades light and many other things. These days, there are a huge number of inexpensive devices available that can be used to install “smart lighting” in your apartment. Here are ten smart lamps, smart sockets and smart switches at an affordable price, which we liked most for this purpose.

Smart bulbs Philips Hue Starter Kit

This set of smart light bulbs is one of the most popular because it comes at a low price and works great. The package includes two light bulbs that connect wirelessly to the Philips Hue Bridge, a connecting device between the light bulbs and your smartphone. This system supports connection to personal assistant, Apple HomeKit, wireless speakers, IFTTT web service, Nest and several other smart home platforms and applications.

iDevices Switch Smart Plug

Due to the fact that iDevices Switch perfectly complements a lamp and any other electrical appliance, when testing many smart plugs, this model scored greatest number points. In addition, there is the possibility of voice control through personal assistants Amazon Alexa and Siri via Apple HomeKit. It's also the only smart plug with a side-mounted plug and built-in night lighting.

Smart socket

The new smart plug from Belkin is the most compact and inexpensive. Low price is caused by the lack of a power consumption tracking function, but there is an opportunity remote control lamps and other devices. The outlet can be connected to Amazon Alexa, as well as Google Home, IFTTT and Nest platform devices.

TP-Link Smart LED Light Bulb

The cheapest smart light bulb on our list doesn't require a linking device. Once you connect it to your smartphone via Wi-Fi, you can remotely control it, turn the lights on/off according to a schedule, and dim them. It’s best to start getting acquainted with “smart lighting” with this device. The light bulb, thanks to its compatibility with Amazon Alexa and Google Home, also works with other electrical appliances.

Wireless smart lighting kit

With this high-end system, smart lighting can become an integral part of your home. The package includes a wall-mounted dimmer and a Smart Bridge, through which you can connect to a bunch of different devices from Nest, Honeywell, Logitech, Sonos and others. A separate remote control is also included; using it or a smartphone, you can control the light both inside and outside the apartment.

LIFX Wi-Fi Smart LED Light Bulb

There are many different smart light bulbs. However, this model is notable for the fact that it does not use a binding device and can decorate almost any room with light shades. Works in conjunction with Nest, IFTTT and devices from SmartThings, as well as the Alexa service, which provides voice control.

Smart light switch TP –Link Smart Wi-Fi Light Switch

This is not only one of our favorite devices, but also one of the most inexpensive in our selection. After installation on the wall, using a smartphone or tablet, you can turn the light on and off, both inside and outside the apartment. In addition, set the time to turn off the lights and turn on the “no one is home” mode in order to scare away potential burglars. Or you can link your lighting to other devices or voice commands using Amazon Alexa and Google Home.

Belkin Wemo Light Switch

We like the last switch in this collection because it works well with other devices, thanks to its support for Google Home and Amazon Alexa, as well as Nest and IFTTT. To remotely control, turn on/off the lights according to a schedule and in a random order (to create the appearance that there is always someone in the apartment), you just need to establish a connection with your smartphone via Wi-Fi.

Smart socket

The device is a beneficial addition to any lighting device; it allows you to remotely control the light and set the time to turn it on/off, so there is no need to touch the switch at all. This is a very convenient model, and it supports power monitoring and responds to voice commands, provided that the outlet is connected to Amazon Alexa and/or Google Home.

Philips Hue LightStrips Plus Smart LED Strip

Thanks to this device, smart lighting will become more flexible - in the truest sense of the word. It can change shape, bend and be located in any room. Ideal for creating lighting in corridors, under cabinets, and indeed anywhere you want. Moreover, since Philips Hue LightStrips Plus is a component of the Philips Hue system, the strip can work in conjunction with many other smart home devices, provided that it is connected to the above-mentioned applications and services.

Owners of new apartments are well aware of this problem: they need to create a layout even before renovation in order to make wiring to light fixtures and switches from them. But now everything is simpler: switches can control light bulbs wirelessly, via a radio channel. Such gadgets have long been produced by several companies, including domestic brands MiMiSmart and DeLUMO, Belarusian Nootekhnika...

What are the benefits of wireless switches?

• No need to drill into walls for wiring
• Excellent solution for wooden house, making hidden wiring is sometimes completely impossible
• You can even install a switch on a piece of furniture
• You can move the switch to another location at any time
• One source can be controlled from several places

How it works?

Here are two diagrams from Nootekhnika, illustrating different approaches to lighting control. At first traditional scheme, in which it is necessary to pull wires from the lamp to the switch.

And here is a diagram with a wireless switch: you can appreciate how much less wires there are.

A radio module is mounted in the power supply circuit of the lamp, and the switch has a transmitter. Signals to turn on/off are broadcast over a radio channel. Here, wires are no longer needed - of course, except for those that power the lamp. By the way, there can be several switches for one light source: for example, one at the entrance to the room, the other at the bed.

In addition, advanced remote lighting control systems support different settings. That is, you yourself determine which switch to turn off what. For example, You can use one of the switches to turn off the lighting in the entire apartment: very convenient when you leave home. See how easy MiMiSmart switches are to configure.

What problems might there be?

Actually, like any complex gadgets, remote switches with a radio module for a lamp are much more expensive than “wired” ones. Even the most economical will cost about 2000 rubles. In addition, such devices operate on a battery, and sooner or later it will run out. How early or late? For example, DeLUMO representatives claim that if the switch is used 4-6 times a day, the battery will have to be replaced after 6-7 years. In any case, this operation is not so labor-intensive as to think about it.

You can control the lighting from your smartphone
	You may already use your smartphone to control equipment (for example, as a TV remote control). If you add an Ethernet gateway to your home lighting system, you can use your smartphone as a control system for all the lighting in your apartment. Download the application and get access to all lamps— now you don’t have to get out of your bed to turn off the light in the nursery.

How can you save money?

Buy ready-made kits. For example, a set for a two- or three-room apartment. In addition to wireless switches, such a set may include timers, temperature controllers (for heated floors), and dimmers (for smooth adjustment of lighting). In any case, smart technology will cost less than wired devices, but it is much more practical and much more pleasant to use.

Ecology of consumption. Home: The term "smart light" refers to the environment controlled by lighting control systems. These systems take into account factors such as occupancy in the room, lighting and time of day to turn lamps on and off, thereby saving the user energy and money.

The term "smart light" refers to an environment controlled by lighting control systems. These systems take into account factors such as occupancy in the room, lighting and time of day to turn lamps on and off, thereby saving the user energy and money.

The popularity of smart lighting products is constantly growing. In fact, the smart light market is the fastest growing in the lighting industry. It is expected to be worth $8.14 billion by 2020, with a CAGR of 22.07% from 2015 to 2020. This is largely facilitated by government laws on saving electricity.

Smart light is a system that includes lighting devices and electronic systems that control them. Lighting components come in the most different types: fluorescent lamps, diode lamps, xenon lamps and others. Control systems include sensors, microcontrollers, receivers and other elements responsible for the behavior of light.

In principle, you can get by with regular light bulbs, but, unfortunately, they cannot provide the full range of solutions that we have in the era of the Internet of Things. Classic lamps are binary devices, that is, they have only two states: on or off. There are often no intermediate options - this is how light bulbs have worked since they first appeared in our homes.

Smart bulbs work differently and provide great opportunities on control. Because they use wireless technology, you can control the light from anywhere on Earth using your mobile device or laptop.

Smart lighting devices make it possible to create a personalized and intelligent environment. Smart light has a large number of useful features, for example, the system can simulate your presence in the house when you are away, automatically dim the brightness of the light when you turn on the TV, act as an alarm clock, or notify you of incoming calls and messages. Moreover, the lamps can turn on automatically when the user arrives home and be controlled using voice commands.

By installing motion sensors, you can regulate the operation of lamps in corridors, utility rooms and so on, that is, where people usually do not stay for long. Automatic light control eliminates the need to look for a switch in the dark: the house itself will take care of everything, for example, by turning on the light landing before entering the apartment.

However, we should not forget about service companies and electricity suppliers. They also benefit from customer use. smart technologies. They have the opportunity to view statistics of energy consumption and, based on the data received, automatically dim the lights by 10% during peak hours - the user will not notice this difference, but his wallet will notice and say “thank you”.

By combining wireless technology with energy-efficient lamps in one compact solution, we were able to change the way things are done. Lighting scenarios are a real treasure for an interior designer. By highlighting some interior elements with light and hiding others in twilight, you can create several design options in one room.

The term "smart lighting" can be given different meanings, depending on whether you want flexible and fully functional independent decision or integrate lighting devices into a larger home automation system. Regarding the first case, in the field of self-functioning devices there is big choice products from different manufacturers. These are basically smart light bulbs that are visually very similar to their incandescent filament brothers.

Here are a couple of examples of such devices.

The Philips Hue lamp allows you to remotely control lighting, create and customize the desired atmosphere in your room using an application on your smartphone or tablet. The device has a couple of interesting modes, such as: “Invigorating light”, when the lamps are turned on at full brightness, and “For reading” - in this case, all selected lamps will change the light to white with an optimal brightness level.

Functionally, LIFX bulbs are similar to Philips Hue, but, unlike the latter, they do not require a special transmitter (hue bridge). Devices connect to your home Wi-Fi router directly, without intermediaries. If there are several lighting elements from LIFX in the room at once, they transmit the signal along the chain so as not to overload the router.

Vocca is not a light bulb - it is a smart socket for them. The device acts as an intermediary between a conventional lamp and a conventional socket. The smart gadget has a speech recognition function, allowing the user to control the lighting using code phrases.

As for the situation when you would like to integrate devices into a global smart home system, in this case the light bulbs most often do not have “smart” components, but are controlled by controllers.

Wireless lamps may not be the best solution, since their price is quite high: the cheapest LED lamp costs at least $15, and the cost of color-changing lamps can reach $70 (or more). Moreover, if you replace all the ordinary light bulbs in your apartment with smart ones, then the smartphone will become the only way to control it - this is not the most sensible solution, although in some situations it is ideal.

A more competent solution would be to use wireless switches and dimmers. They work exactly the same as regular devices of this type - you can walk up to them and manually adjust the brightness of the light - but with the added benefit of being able to control them from a distance using your mobile devices.

Examples of such switches include:

Linear Z-Wave Dimmer, which works with various Z-Wave hubs and supports halogen, xenon, LED and incandescent lamps.

Belkin WeMo Light Switch, which does not require a special hub to operate: it only needs a Wi-Fi network and an iOS device.

In conclusion, I would like to note that, as a rule, building an intelligent home begins with the lighting control function, since this one function can significantly transform your experience of being in your home. published

The Smart Home lighting system is an automated computer network that responds to various human actions, environment and capable of switching between operating modes, changing the parameters of gadgets associated with it. As for the latter, we are talking about wall, ceiling and spotlights, emergency lighting, garden lights, neon and LED lights.

The term "Smart Home"

"Smart home" is the coming future. A comprehensive system capable of independently monitoring all engineering devices in a building. The modular structure will allow you to quickly make changes and expand the base of functionality. Light control is one of the modules of the Smart Home system. In addition to this, these include tracking, security, and climate control devices.

No matter how perfect the lighting control is (a set of sensors, detectors and controllers), only with centralized control does it become part of a “smart home”. The system includes specific electrical wiring and devices for automated work. Each module is closely related to the others.

Application of "smart lighting"

Smart lighting equipment is designed to control indoor and outdoor lighting fixtures. Every lamp in the house, garden lights, spotlights and various lighting are connected here. Also, a centralized device regulates the operation of all devices.

Controllers are used to connect to the network, and sensors and detectors are used to record activities.

For example, the sensor registers any changes in lighting - the onset of evening and night, and depending on how dark it is outside the window, turns on the lamps with a certain brightness level. The last operation is performed not by the sensor itself, but by the controller. The sensor sends a signal to it, the controller processes it and decides what to turn on and where.

Advantages of a smart home lighting system After global configuration, all that remains is to enjoy its functionality. The user sets the conditions depending on which the intensity changes, certain lights turn on and off. These include weather conditions, the cycle of day and night (light level outside the window).

The separate touchpad has several programs for different scenarios. You can name these programs yourself, for example, “Evening dinner”, “Watching a movie”, “Sleep”.

Energy management

In addition to the convenience of settings and carefree management electrical appliances in the house, using such a module, you significantly reduce consumption electrical energy. Motion sensors will allow you to turn off the lighting in a room if a person has left it, or when the first rays of the sun appear, open the blinds and turn off the lighting fixtures.

The list of smart lighting options is endless. Let's list just some of them:

• turning off power to sockets;
• load distribution throughout the house;
• automatic switching on or off of household appliances;
• transition to backup power sources (if necessary);
• access control to the network and devices.

Safety

It is possible to program a system that allows you to remotely control the electrical network, appliances and lamps.

This is required in cases where it is necessary to create the effect of the presence of people in the house. Thanks to this, ill-wishers will not encroach on your home while you and your family are at the resort.

Smart lighting functionality Turning on or off lighting directly depends on the change of day and night, and the presence of people in a certain room. Various scenarios are responsible for the operating modes of electrical equipment - at night, spotlights (wall sconces and bedside lamps) can work without central lighting, in the evening - general lighting

(chandeliers, LED lamps mounted in the ceiling), and during the day all this is disconnected from the power supply. Most systems have the ability to control operation home theater

or backlight.

Despite the variety of designs and the presence of a large number of electronic components, using a smart home lighting system is as simple as turning on or off a regular light bulb.

The logic component is designed and incorporated into the software interface during development. By changing parameters on a small display or remote control, you control all the lights in the house. A clear and simple interface will allow even elderly people or children to use the device.

• a motion sensor that turns on the light only when there is a person in the room, and turns it off when there is no person;
• dimmer - smooth adjustment of illumination;
• blinds, electric curtain rods - used to find a balance between natural and artificial lighting;
• electrical appliances - various household appliances can be connected to the system, which can function both with and without it;
• system equipment - various modules, control panels, remote control.

Important! Smart lighting is closely linked to other engineering networks home, which allows you to save even more on electrical energy consumption.

Automatic light control

There are two ready-made solutions for automation of lighting control in a residential building or apartment. The first method involves using separate remote controls for each room. Numerous buttons are associated with specific lighting fixtures - nightlights, chandeliers, sconces, etc.

This allows a person to control the light from any part of the house - lying on the sofa, sitting in a chair. When, while reading a book, the need arises to increase the brightness of a floor lamp located in close proximity, just press the corresponding button on the remote control.

The second method sets up full automation of the process, which requires the installation of special sensors. These could be motion sensors that turn on the light when a person appears and turn it off a few minutes after he leaves the room.

On the other hand, the user has the opportunity to turn off the light and be in the room without it - to do this, he will have to click on the switch manually.

Turning lights on or off using a timer

Using the system you can configure automatic control lighting fixtures on a timer. The software will allow you to turn the light on or off, change the brightness depending on the time of day.

Towards evening, the main lamps are turned on, and towards night - night lights and sconces with reduced brightness. Great option for country houses

. It is possible to configure whether to turn on or off the lights in the yard.

Changing the brightness of the lighting

There are three main ways to control the brightness of lighting fixtures in your home through a smart lighting system. The first method involves using a remote control, the second - a special panel on the wall, the third - automatically changing the brightness after a specified period of time (previous section).

This approach involves the use of separate sensors that record changes in room illumination throughout the day. This is very convenient option, because, unlike timer control of lighting, it allows you to increase the brightness of the light on a cloudy day when the room is really dark.

The method is often used in country (private) houses with winter gardens or greenhouses. Lamps are placed above plants that love light, after which they are adjusted automatic system"smart lighting"

Creating Light Scenes

Light scenes are an additional function of automatic light control that allows you to remember combinations of several switched on lamps and repeat them at the press of one button. A convenient and effective option, suitable for private houses and apartments.

Outdoor automatic lighting

In recent years, there are fewer and fewer country houses without systems automatic lighting for outdoor equipment. Special sensors regulate the operation of outdoor lamps, registering changes in street light. Electrical devices turn on at dusk. The darker it is outside, the brighter it is artificial lighting. Night mode is possible, when devices are turned on only in the presence of people.

You should use automatic lighting control as part of a “smart home” system in cases where you are pursuing one or more (of the following) goals: ease of use of lighting devices, saving electrical energy and protection real estate from intruders by simulating presence. Despite the high cost of installation, it quickly pays for itself.