The Internet of Things (IoT) is transforming our world by connecting devices and measuring data streams, enhancing our interactions with goods, services, and our environments. One of the pivotal benefits of this technology is its ability to elevate safety standards, allowing users to set up, maintain, and control emergency lighting systems remotely, thereby ensuring higher safety in residential and commercial buildings.

The Importance of Emergency Lighting

Emergency lighting is crucial for safe evacuation during crises, such as fires, power outages, or natural disasters. These lights must be reliable and function flawlessly to guide occupants to safety. Despite the importance of emergency lighting, it is alarming to note that approximately 80 percent of buildings worldwide do not meet safety standards regarding emergency lighting functionality.

Challenges in Traditional Emergency Lighting Systems

Buildings equipped with traditional emergency lighting systems can house up to a thousand individual units, making the monitoring process cumbersome. Building managers must frequently check the condition of each unit and its batteries, often leading to disruptions in power supply and necessitating extended intervals between system checks. This manual process is not only labor-intensive but also prone to human error, resulting in potential safety hazards for occupants and non-compliance with local regulations.

Advantages of Smart Emergency Lighting Solutions

Introducing digital solutions can effectively address these challenges and significantly enhance building safety. Smart lighting controls enable building owners and managers to monitor and maintain emergency lighting systems remotely. By storing performance and safety data in the cloud, these systems allow for seamless maintenance and testing of emergency lighting without the need for physical verification or power supply disruptions.

Compliance and Customization

Smart emergency lighting systems are designed to comply with local regulations and prompt users to establish regular inspection and maintenance schedules. They also offer flexibility, enabling customization to suit various applications, including educational, institutional, high-security, architectural, healthcare, and industrial settings.

Preventive maintenance schedules can be tailored to the lifecycle of the emergency lighting components, allowing for timely repairs and minimizing the risk of malfunctions. Manufacturers also have access to this data, ensuring that essential spare parts are readily available, thus reducing downtime and avoiding delays in critical maintenance.

Real-Time Monitoring and Cost Efficiency

In the event of a malfunction, users receive push notifications on their smart devices, directing them to the specific unit that requires attention. The cloud-based data storage provides a comprehensive 24/7 overview of all monitored buildings, with building layouts superimposed on platforms like Google Maps for precise location tracking of emergency lighting units.

Beyond enhancing safety, smart emergency lighting systems contribute to cost efficiency. The collected data can be analyzed using account management tools to identify areas for reducing operational costs, leading to a lower cost of ownership for buildings equipped with these advanced systems.

Smart emergency lighting is revolutionizing building safety by leveraging IoT technology to offer real-time monitoring, preventive maintenance, and significant cost savings. As buildings become increasingly intelligent, integrating smart emergency lighting systems is no longer a luxury but a necessity to ensure the safety and well-being of occupants in any crisis.

Click here to read the full article, originally published October 15, 2020, by ABB.