More and more, you hear people talking about smart lighting in someone's home or maybe even office. But what exactly is smart lighting? How does it work? And are there any advantages to it? You will get to know all this below.

What is smart lighting?

Smart lighting, are lamps, which provide light in your home just like ordinary lamps. But because you can use your smartphone to control the lamps remotely, these models are considered ‘smart’. Controlling the lamps is easy via a programme you put on your smartphone. The different smart light models are available in a wide range of different variants. Many models have mood lighting or different colours. Smart lighting is not only beautiful, but it is also cheap and it can save you a lot of money on your energy bill. Nowadays, you can apply this in different ways in your home, for example via wall dimmers, floor dimmers, indoor lighting and outdoor lighting.

How does smart lighting work?

Advanced smart lighting technologies control and adapt lighting to your needs. Sensors, wireless networks and smart devices can achieve this. Smart lighting is supported by three main technologies: sensor technology, wireless control and wireless connectivity. Sensor technology is when lighting is adjusted by motion detection and light sensor technology. This ensures that lights can be automatically switched on - and - off when people are present or not. Wireless connectivity is when smart lighting is connected to a wireless network, such as wifi. This allows the lighting to ‘communicate’ with other smart devices in the house if they are present. It even allows the lighting to be adjusted based on weather changes, personal preferences or time. Finally, wireless control, this is when the smart lighting uses smartphones, voice assistants such as Alexa or Google Home, or tablets to be controlled.

The benefits of smart lighting

• Comfort: With smart lighting, you can adjust the colour, mood and brightness of the lighting. And all from your smartphone, when you are sitting comfortably on the sofa or if you are outdoors. With smart lighting, you can control the lighting with your voice or via an app. This gives you more convenience and comfort in your home.
• Energy saving: Smart lighting can save energy by automatically turning off lights when no one is home and optimising lighting to maximise energy savings.
• Security: It is possible to use smart lighting to give the impression that someone is home, even when no one is home. This can increase the sense of security and deter burglars.

Switching to smart lighting

Smart light bulbs, smart halogen bulbs and smart LED bulbs are some of the different types of smart bulbs available. These bulbs can be built into existing luminaires or can be used as separate lighting devices. Moreover, smart bulbs can be combined with a variety of existing devices and systems, including Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple HomeKit. Installing and setting up smart lighting is generally quite simple and does not require much technical knowledge. Furthermore, you can also start switching to smart dimmers in your home to be able to make your living environment even smarter. These dimmers are many varieties of and usually also easy to install or add to your home.

Recommended smart dimmers

• 6512W/6511W digital LED wifi floor dimmer

Wifi is the most common type of network protocol in homes and public spaces. Wifi uses one central access point that allows you to easily add or remove devices, without affecting the rest of the network. Wifi's bandwidth is high - up to 2 MHz, making it perfect for common daily activities. The dimmer is controllable via push button, app via WiFi and voice control via Alexa or Google home, for example. This dimmer works with the Tuya Smartlife app.

• 6502W/6501W wifi LED cord dimmer

The 6502W/6501W uses WiFi. This is the most common type of network protocol in homes and public spaces. WiFi uses one central access point that allows you to easily add or remove devices, without affecting the rest of the network. This cord dimmer is suitable for dimmable LED (filament) lighting from 220-240V. The dimmer is controllable via push button, app via WiFi connection and voice control via smart hubs such as Alexa or Google home. This dimmer works with the Tuya Smartlife app.

• 25022ZB/25021ZB glass touch wall dimmer

Zigbee is a wireless technology designed to transport small amounts of data over short distances. Zigbee was created for small, low-cost and energy-efficient IoT (Internet of Things) systems, such as those used in the average home. Zigbee is based on the IEEE 802.15.4 technical standard, which defines the operation of low-rate wireless personal area networks (LR-WPANs).

Please note that this dimmer requires a smart hub.

Recommended smart lighting

• CALEX smart LED filament gold rustic lamp

Smart lamps made to be seen. The classic gold coating gives this rustic model with E27 socket a timeless and cosy look. Change the colour temperature (1800-3000K) using the app and set timers or routines for all imaginable scenarios. Light intensity can be dimmed with the free Calex app and with the Calex smart remote. Link the CALEX Smart products via Wifi to Google Home, Amazon Alexa or Siri and let your ‘assistant’ do the work! This lamp has an E27 fitting. This socket is also called a large, thick or normal socket.

• CALEX smart outdoor classic lantern

This classic and smart lantern with built-in LED bulb turns your garden into an atmospheric setting. Illuminate your facade or fence with warm white light for long (summer) evenings or choose from 100+ colour options to suit your mood. Experience a fully integrated smart system based on the Bluetooth Mesh protocol. This smart lantern has a diameter of Ø150mm and a height of 210mm. No matter the size of your garden or the number of items placed, these products can all be connected and managed from the same free Calex app you use for existing Calex Smart products.