PoE LED Lighting: The Right Commercial Lighting Solution for 2023

In the current highly volatile business environment, companies are embracing digital disruption and transformation in their businesses to reduce costs, stay profitable, and attract talent. One of the effective ways to achieve this is to adopt an intelligent lighting system that a centralized system can monitor and control. Today, Power over an Ethernet (PoE) lighting solution is quickly becoming the backbone of smart commercial buildings looking to bring costs down and stay competitive. 

So why use PoE LED lighting for your next commercial project? First, it is important to understand how this technology works.  Read on to learn more.

What Is PoE?

PoE is a technology that implements wired Ethernet local area networks (LANs) to allow Ethernet data cables to carry an electric current instead of standard electrical power cords and wiring. PoE is now being used in a range of business premises and smart home applications because it is a cheaper option to transport both power and data compared to electrical wiring that supplies power only and requires separate wiring for data transmission.

What Is PoE LED Lighting?

PoE LED lighting is a smart building application that leverages Power over Ethernet technology to connect, monitor, and control LED light fixtures. PoE LED lighting provides low voltage direct current electric power to devices through the copper Ethernet cables used to transmit data. Since it eliminates the need to use separate AC power sources and cabling, PoE lighting minimizes the installation and operating costs by more than 50% while ensuring buildings meet wellness and sustainability goals.

Use PoE LED Lighting for Your Next Commercial Project

PoE LED lighting provides the following benefits:

Lower Costs

The foremost benefit of PoE lighting is cost savings. Compared to traditional electric work, the operating costs of PoE lighting are much lower throughout their lifetime. Studies reveal PoE lighting is a money-saving solution that costs just a fraction of the price of standard lighting fixtures. Besides, PoE LED lighting is a viable option in buildings with existing IT infrastructure since its installation costs are much lower. 

Ideally, PoE involves structured cabling that can be scaled easily compared to traditional A/C conduit installation. Apart from installation and operating savings, PoE lighting leverages analytics to learn your lighting habits and provide you with insights to reduce energy use.

Higher Light Quality

PoE lighting also delivers higher light quality compared to standard lighting solutions. LED lights typically provide more lumens per watt than fluorescent and incandescent light. PoE LED lighting can deliver 160 lumens per watt versus 80 lumens per watt for fluorescent lights and 20 and 14 lumens per watt for incandescent lights.

Circadian Rhythm

PoE lighting provides individual light control and an ability to optimize lighting based on circadian rhythm. This means you can mimic natural light in your indoor environment by programming room lighting to reduce eye strain during evening hours. Ideally, with PoE lighting, you can have a white tunable environment since the lights are adjustable on a scale of warm, neutral, and cool lighting. You can use the right balance of warm and cool lighting to enhance productivity since it promotes better concentration than the higher light temperatures of daylight.

Easy Modifications and Management

Since a PoE LED lighting system works with almost any LED light, PoE lighting delivers easy modification to lighting circuitry and control. In standard lighting, line voltage systems must be hardwired to match the layout of space, meaning if the space is reorganized, the lighting has to be recircuited and its controls modified. This translates to more time and cost since you will need an electrician to carry out new remodifications. With a PoE system, you can make changes in circuiting and control at the software level, allowing you to be empowered to make changes fast, easy, and free of added costs.

Software-Based Control

With PoE, the lighting control is software-based, meaning it provides an ability to combine power and control onto one network connection to deliver simple, comfortable, healthy, and highly productive work environments. It also means every light device in your space is transformed into an internet of things (IoT) IP-enabled appliance to deliver added savings and higher security benefits. Besides, you can easily and automatically discover and configure the devices through an easy-to-use drag-and-drop function.

Real-Time Monitoring and Reporting

PoE LED lighting allows users to track and monitor their lighting environment in real time. It integrates a range of sensors that support daylight harvesting, humidity, motion, light level, CO2, and other environmental conditions to ensure users save as much energy as possible without compromising on light quality. In a nutshell, LED lighting provided by PoE ensures your room-level environmental conditions remain closely monitored, tracked, and analyzed in real time to determine the lighting requirements in line with your energy-saving goals.

Greater Flexibility and Control

After installing the PoE LED lighting system, you can disconnect, move, or reconnect individual devices with little or no downtime. This means that, unlike the standard lighting that uses high voltage lighting, you don’t have to shut down your entire area for maintenance since PoE lighting enables you to work on individual light points.

Improve Employee Productiveness

Studies reveal lighting affects employee productivity in their workspaces. While some employees prefer a bright, sufficiently lit environment with warmer hues, others prefer a dimmer, cool setting. PoE delivers tunability with lighting based on a lumen value. This allows employees to adjust their preferred lighting temperature based on their individual preferences to ensure their overall comfort and productivity in their workplace.

Gain Access to Advanced Analytics

PoE lighting provides a customized dashboard that gives you access to advanced analytics such as occupancy details and energy usage in your business. These analytics provide valuable insights that help you create sustainability, operation, and saving strategies. In a nutshell, PoE data provides real-time insights into your operational efficiency, production costs, and potential issues that could occur in specific areas of your building. 

Boost Workplace Productivity With PoE LED Lighting 

There are many benefits associated with using PoE LED lighting systems in smart buildings. Apart from cost savings, it delivers high light quality and easy modifications, so you customize lighting depending on your needs. PoE devices also allow you to leverage smart building automation technology to create an intelligent and automated environment that streamlines efficiency and boosts productivity. If you have further questions or need help implementing PoE lighting in your building, contact Versatek today.