What is smart lighting and how does it work? Everything you need to know
Smart lighting has become an indispensable part of the modern world. The systems are getting smarter and can increasingly control, regulate, and correct things on their own. This technology is, of course, a wonderful solution for many. What could be better than controlling everything wirelessly from your 'easy chair' via your phone, tablet, or wireless switches and other accessories? Additionally, you can set schedules, use voice control, and change light colors, dim, link with other smart devices, and add scenes (assign tasks). This allows you to create the desired atmosphere and have complete control over your lighting.
Of course, besides lighting, there are many other types of smart devices that you can connect to the same smart home app.
Consider smart sensors, smart plugs, smart modules/receivers, air conditioning, cameras, thermostats, curtains, and much more. You can manage all these devices from a single smart home app. These devices all work with your existing sockets and fittings.Because smart lighting is 'booming' these days, you see many manufacturers using this smart technology. Of course, this doesn't make it any clearer for you as a consumer. LedLoket regularly gets the question: "How does it work exactly? I'm lost." In this blog, we'll explain everything to you!
Endless possibilities of smart lighting:
The possibilities with smart lighting or smart devices are endless. You can have everything 'communicate' with each other if you set up the functions correctly in your smart home app.
Operate lighting/devices with voice control:
You can configure which voice command a device should respond to via your smart home app. This can be done through the app on your phone, but also via an external device that you can easily add to your smart home. These external devices act as a listening ear in your home, such as a Google Nest, Amazon Alexa, or a Homey Athom Pro. "Hey Google, dim the dining room lights to 30%," and the dining room lights will then dim to 30%.
Set schedules:
You can set schedules for each lamp, a group of lamps, or other smart devices. For example: if a floor lamp, table lamps, or your garden lighting should automatically turn on at a specific time, you can set this up. The lighting will switch on automatically as it gets dark, but you can also have it switch off again at a specific time.So you no longer have to think about it yourself.
Set light colours:
When you have a smart bulb that allows you to set multiple colours, you can easily change the colours. This can be done via the app on your phone, or via a voice command: "Hey Google, set the lighting to extra warm white". Here too, the possibilities are endless. Connect your Smart TV to the smart lighting and the lights will change colour along with the movie you are watching. It is also possible to have them change colour to the beat of the music you are playing at that moment.
Dimming the lighting:
Of course, you can also dim the lighting via the smart home app or a voice command. Or set a scene in which the light intensity dims or brightens at different times of the day. For example, when you are working in your home office.
You want to continue working when it's slowly getting dark. In that case, more brightness and/or a brighter light color plays an important role. This can also all be set automatically in the app based on sunrise/sunset.Linking multiple smart lamps or devices:
You can operate a smart lamp or device individually. But a home has different rooms where you use certain lighting or devices. Often, you have multiple light sources in a kitchen, and you naturally don't want to dim them all separately. You can create a group of lamps for each room. Then you can control that entire group of lamps at once. So much easier!
Adding scenes (assigning tasks) to smart home lighting:
In addition to schedules, you can also create your own programs in the app.Zie het als taken geven aan de verlichting: Wanneer ik ……… doe, dan moet de verlichting …….. dit doen. Deze programma’s/taken kun je eindeloos toepassen.
Bijvoorbeeld: wanneer de zon ondergaat dan moet na 15 minuten de tuinverlichting inschakelen, 7 dagen in de week. ‘S avonds om 01:00 uur moet de tuinverlichting uitschakelen, 7 dagen in de week. Of: wanneer ik een X-aantal meters verwijderd ben van mijn woning moet groep X met lampen uitschakelen of juist inschakelen.
Kortom : De mogelijkheden en instelmogelijkheden zijn eindeloos! Geweldig toch, nooit meer na hoeven te denken over het aan/uit schakelen van de verlichting. En dit bespaart je ook nog energie.
Alleen maar voordelen met smart verlichting
Hierboven hebben we uitgelegd welk functies allemaal mogelijk zijn met de slimme verlichting van tegenwoordig. Dit brengt natuurlijk alleen maar voordelen met zich mee.Below is a brief summary of these benefits.
Always have the lights on/off at the desired times.
Always the desired ambiance.
Control lighting remotely (also via the mobile network).
Clear management of all your smart devices.
Energy savings; never leave the lights on unnecessarily or forget to turn them off again.
Enhance security. For example: have smart smoke detectors go off when intruders are in your home.
Never have to operate wall switches again.
Different smart lighting technologies:
What is WiFi lighting (TUYA)?
Smart WiFi lamps operate on the Tuya communication protocol. These are the most common smart lamps.The WiFi smart lighting is an easy entry-level model, as it can be directly connected to your WiFi network. Every smart WiFi bulb contains a Tuya chip that operates on your WiFi signal. Therefore, it doesn't matter which brand of WiFi bulb you purchase. They all work the same way. Of course, there are quality differences among the various bulbs themselves. This form of smart lighting is also significantly more affordable than the Zigbee variant.
You can easily connect the WiFi bulbs with multiple apps, including: Tuya Smart, Smart Life, Nedis Smart, Homeylux, and Hoftronic Smart. These apps all work with the Tuya communication protocol.
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| View our WiFi lamps! | View our WiFi smart accessories! |
| Advantages: | Disadvantages: |
| Affordable. | WiFi slows down with many smart devicesi.v.m . connected to the router. |
| Easy to connect to your WiFi network. | Requires a 2.4 GHz WiFi signal; the newest routers have a 5 GHz signal. |
| Connects directly to existing fittings and fixtures. | If the WiFi signal is lost due to a power outage, the lamps lose their signal. |
| Easily add to Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri. | With an unstable WiFi network, the bulb may lose its signal. |
| Automate, dim, set schedules, light colours, and scenes. | Security risks if your WiFi network is not properly secured. |
| Compatible with many smart devices (air conditioning, curtains, doorbell, etc.). | Covering long distances requires amplifying the WiFi signal. |
Connecting/installing Tuya smart lighting
We are happy to explain this in the video below, where you can see how easy it is to connect a Tuya/WiFi smart bulb with the app.
What is Zigbee lighting?
Zigbee 3.0 is a communication protocol, just like WiFi or Bluetooth. The protocol works as follows: you connect a Zigbee product to a HUB/Bridge (e.g., Philips HUE, IKEA Tradfri, or Homey). The HUB connects to your WiFi network and then communicates with the Zigbee lighting. The lights communicate with each other individually through a Mesh network, in which signals are relayed between the lights/devices. This is very useful if you have a large house, yard, or garden. Long distances can be easily covered because each light amplifies the signal to the next light or device. Zigbee also offers more possibilities with switches, sensors, and dimmers to control the lighting wirelessly.
The installation is very simple; you do not need to run any extra cabling. It can be used with existing fixtures, fittings, and cables. The only thing you need to purchase is a HUB/Bridge. The hub is necessary because your phone does not have a Zigbee antenna.
Pairing/installing Zigbee smart lighting
We are happy to explain this in the video below, where you can see how easy it is to pair a Zigbee smart lamp with the app. Please note, you will need aPhilips HUE bridge!
Zigbee lamps:
The smart Zigbee lamps contain a smart chip. When you have a HUB and you screw the lamp into a fitting, it will start to flash. This means the lamp is in pairing mode. Open the app and easily connect the Zigbee lamp to your Hub.
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| View all our Zigbee lamps! | View our Zigbee Hub! |
| Advantages of Zigbee: | Disadvantages of Zigbee: |
| Easy to expand with other accessories. | More expensive to purchase. |
| Lighting devices communicate with each other individually (MESH network). | HUB can get full, often max. up to 50 devices |
| Always maintains a signal (even during a power outage). | – |
| Lighting responds flawlessly and faster. | – |
| Long distances, such as a large garden, are no problem for Zigbee. | – |
| WiFi remains fast, as the lights connect to the HUB | – |
Different smart lighting devices:
1. Smart bulbs
Smart bulbs are often stand-alone lights. This means that these bulbs already have a built-in chip that you can connect to your smart home app. You can screw them directly into an existing fixture, dim them, and change their colors via the app. These individual smart bulbs are available in various fittings. The most common fittings are: E27 fitting, E14 fitting, or GU10 fitting.These lamps can then be linked with smart accessories such as wireless sensors, wall switches, and remote controls.
2. Smart modules/receivers
Smart receivers/modules are very convenient. You can install these behind an existing switch, but you can also use them separately without an existing switch. With this smart module, you can make existing 'dumb' dimmable lamps smart. The modules are very small in size and can easily be placed, for example, within a pendant light. Pair the module with your smart home app, and you can enjoy all the benefits that smart lighting has to offer.
For example: You have non-dimmable garden lighting. What can you do? You place a smart module between the input and output of the power supply to your garden.Connect the module to the app and then set schedules so the garden lighting turns on automatically. Enjoy your smart garden!
3. Smart plug
Smart plugs are already well-known and very easy to use. This is often the first device you purchase when you want to switch to a smart home. Plug a smart socket directly into your existing outlet and connect it to the app. It's that simple, a child could do it!
4. Smart wall switches
You have installed smart lamps, modules, or sockets, and they are not connected to an existing wall switch. But you also want to be able to control the smart lighting without a phone. In that case, you can use wireless smart wall switches.Here's how it works: Place the battery in the smart wall switch, connect it to the app, and assign the smart lights to the wall switch.
5. Smart Wall Dimmers
A smart wall dimmer is also very convenient. You can replace a standard dimmer one-for-one with a smart wall dimmer. This smart dimmer can still be operated manually, just as you are used to with a standard dimmer. However, you can also add this smart dimmer to your smart home app to control it via your phone. And you can enjoy all the conveniences that smart lighting has to offer.
6. Smart Sensors
Smart sensors are very useful for certain situations. For example, in a restroom, where people often forget to turn off the light. You don't want to run extra wiring for a traditional
motion sensor.Then a smart motion sensor is the solution for you!
Install a smart sensor in 5 steps:
- Place a smart bulb in your existing fixture in the toilet (or other room).
- Easily stick the smart sensor to the ceiling.
- Connect the smart bulb and smart sensor with the app.
- Remove the existing wall switch and bypass it, so the bulb has a continuous power supply.
- Cover the wall switch with a blanking plate.
Which protocol you want to use depends on the situation. Below are a few situations in which it is best to choose the WiFi (Tuya) or Zigbee protocol.
Zigbee:
- You want to control the entire house smartly with different devices –>Zigbee.
- You have a large home/garden or yard and want to use smart devices here –> Zigbee.
- You want to maintain a fast WiFi network regardless –> Zigbee.
- You want a flawless system, where all lights dim or change color simultaneously. Not one light 0.5 seconds later than the other. –> Zigbee.
- You don't want to re-pair the lights after a power outage –> Zigbee.
WiFi (Tuya):
- You are looking for affordable smart lighting and accessories –> WiFi.
- Your home is smaller and the WiFi signal is strong enough for the entire house – > WiFi.
- Connects directly and quickly to your WiFi network, no extra accessories required. –> WiFi.
- You want to make a few lamps or devices smart, not everything. –> WiFi.
- You want to experiment with smart lighting –> WiFi.
Is it possible to make normal 'dumb' lamps smart?
Yes, this is certainly possible, and it's also the most affordable solution for making your lighting smart. You simply purchase normal dimmable LED lighting: whether it's a dimmable wall lamp, pendant lamp, floor lamp, or ceiling lamp, it doesn't matter.
The solution is to install a Zigbee module/actuator. This module can handle a maximum power of 200 watts, so you can connect a lot of lighting to it and control it all at once via the HUE app.
Example:
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| View our Zigbee modules! |
