Smart home technology is changing the way in which we use light in our homes. Increased adoption of smart speakers, such as Amazon Alexa, Google Home, or Apple HomePod, is helping to shift our behaviour by giving us complete control over our lighting – all through the power of our voice. What’s more, the ability to control lighting via a mobile app is also an attractive proposition for many homeowners – particularly when you consider the level of customisation that most modern smart bulbs allow for at the touch of a button (or swipe of a thumb!).

We recently asked our customers how they feel about smart lighting, and the results confirm that not only is smart lighting taking over our homes, it could soon be taking over our gardens too!

In fact, the research revealed that over a quarter (28%) of respondents are already using smart lighting as part of their daily lives. And for those who don’t yet have smart lighting in their homes, half are considering installing it in the near future. Why? The main reasons are increasing home security (41%), reducing carbon footprint (21%), and keeping in touch with the latest tech trends (17%).

Smart lighting can be scheduled to turn on and off at set times

Endless possibilities

As well as offering homeowners many practical benefits, such as turning on lighting remotely before you arrive at home, or turning off lights after you leave, smart lighting can also be used in a number of fun ways, including programming your lighting to:

• flash in your sport’s team’s colour when they score
• change colour, based on the weather
• be just the right colour temperature and warmth to help your child fall asleep
• mimic the sun rising in order to wake you up in the morning
• flash when you receive a text message or email.

Philips Hue lets you play with 16 million colours!

We predict a ‘smart summer’

Whilst the living room (65%), bedroom (38%), and hallway (30%) are the most popular rooms for smart lighting inside the home, the research also revealed that 63% of respondents are interested in outdoor smart lighting.

As homeowners contemplate longer, warmer evenings sat outdoors in their gardens, the idea of being able to change the colour of outdoor lights for a party, or illuminating flower beds with different colours, is clearly an appealing one.

Smart tips for smart lighting

Smart lights are only ‘smart’ when they are connected to the internet, so before investing in new smart bulbs it is important to ensure that you have the right foundation on which to build a connected lighting ecosystem. From a technical point of view, users should consider the following key points:

• check the WiFi coverage in areas where the lights will be used
• check the brand of lightbulbs being purchased will integrate with existing smart devices such as smart speakers
• check any associated apps are compatible with your smartphone or tablet device.

Providing these boxes can be ticked, then there’s nothing to stop you from enjoying smart lighting in your home. To find out more and to view our wide range of smart lighting products, including products from leading suppliers such as Philips Hue, WiZ, and iDual, visit our smart home page.

 

Dimmers allow you to achieve the exact light level that you desire in a room and consequently alter the mood to whatever you choose.

There are various types of dimming options available, but the most popular are ‘phase control’ (or phase-cut) dimmers which by ‘chopping out’ parts of the voltage and so reduce power to the light bulb or lamp.

There are two types of phase control dimmer available, ‘trailing-edge’ and ‘leading-edge’, and they work in different ways which ultimately affects their compatibility with certain lightbulbs:

Leading-edge dimmers

Leading-edge dimmer switches are cheaper and simpler than trailing-edge, and were used originally to dim incandescent and halogen bulbs or wirewound magnetic transformers.

Many existing leading-edge dimmer switches have a relatively high minimum load, which often rules out their use with modest LED lighting circuits. However, leading-edge dimmers are by far the most common dimming control in existence.

Trailing-edge Dimmers

Trailing-edge dimmers are more sophisticated than leading-edge dimmers, and usually provide a much smoother dimming control, absent of any buzzing noise, and are ideal for use in most homes.

A trailing-edge dimmer has a lower minimum load (often 10W or below) than leading-edge dimmers, making it a better choice for dimming modestly sized low-powered lighting circuits.

Particularly beneficial for incandescent and halogen bulbs is the ‘soft start’ feature in trailing-edge dimmers, which prevents filament bulbs from dying or exploding of thermal shock when first switched on.

One example of an excellent trailing-edge dimmer switch is the Matt Black Screwless 1-Gang 2-Way Trailing Edge Dimmer.

LED lights and dimming

Unlike incandescent bulbs, which are all dimmable by default, LED bulbs have a built-in driver in their base. The driver converts AC power to DC power and maintains a constant current to the LED. This is at odds with a phase control dimming system, since the driver attempts to compensate for the sliced-out portions of input voltage.

LED fixtures such as downlights usually include the LED driver, either of a ‘constant current’ or ‘constant voltage’ type, depending on the LED array design. In either case, the same issue arises: the LED driver or power supply will try to patch up the missing parts of input voltage. In theory, LEDs should be fully dimmable, and normally they are – provided they are paired with a compatible driver.

However, widespread LED compatibility problems exist, and often supposedly dimmable LED driver designs only work with selective dimming control systems. These problems show up in a number of ways, including flickering, flashing, and dead travel.

How to avoid LED dimmer compatibility issues

For an LED lightbulb to work with a phase control dimmer, the electronics of its driver must be compatibly adapted.

Leading-edge dimmer switches are sometimes called ‘incandescent dimmers’, because they were originally designed to handle the resistive load of incandescent light. Existing dimmer switches tend to have high minimum loads and may require multiple LED lamps in order to even have a chance of working.

For an increased chance of compatibility, trailing-edge dimmer switches tend to work better with the capacitive load of an LED driver. The Varilight V-Pro LED Dimmer 1 x 300W is from the award-winning V-Pro range. It has an industry-wide reputation for delivering one of the best LED dimming performances available.

Research & Investment

If you’re installing a dimmable LED circuit from scratch, it’s worth checking out the bulbs that you’re likely to use and then look for a list of tested dimmer switches. Most leading bulb manufacturers test their dimmable lamps with a variety of switches and publish lists of known compatible models.

Similarly, you can upgrade your existing dimmers and so avoid compatibility headaches. What’s more, such an investment is likely to extend the lifespan of the lamps you buy, giving you an added incentive.

Remember, also, that LED bulbs are more complex than incandescent, so sticking to the same model of bulb is advisable when you find a winning formula. Once you have everything working, the many benefits of LED dimming will become apparent and transform the lighting in your home!