Craig DiLouie recently enjoyed interviewing Stephen Zhou, Executive Vice President, McWong International on the topic of Bluetooth NLC for upcoming articles in ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR, tED Magazine, and the Lighting Controls Association. Transcript follows.
DiLouie: Please describe the new Bluetooth NLC standard and what it means for lighting control.
Zhou: The new Bluetooth NLC standard extends the foundation for achieving aspirational interoperability all the way to the edges of a lighting control network. It does this by creating a standard that any manufacturer can use and comply with for creating a common set of behaviors for each node or as some might refer to them, an edge device. This is important because up to now, interoperability has only extended to the way the communication network operates. With the new NLC standard, a designer could use any complying manufacturer’s device interchangeably and get the same behavior. So, for example, every occupancy sensor in a Bluetooth NLC network will behave exactly the same regardless of which company produced it.
DiLouie: What problems does it solve? How is it expected to affect adoption of networked lighting controls?
Zhou: Obviously, this development solves a host of challenges in the marketplace.
Because it’s been developed by an industry consortium with tens of thousands of members, it represents a consensus-driven solution that can be incorporated into commercial products rapidly and cost-effectively.
It builds on the ubiquity of Bluetooth-enabled devices in the marketplace as well as on the proven foundation of Bluetooth mesh, which has millions of installed nodes operating effectively. In fact, these existing networks can be migrated to this new standard with over-the-air upgrades, which would enable them to be further scalable if desired.
This new standard provides a highly flexible and scalable application scenario, in which a building owner or operator can create a customized NLC solution from a range of providers and over a timeframe that suits their needs. It’s ideal to bring intelligent control into retrofit applications cost-effectively.
DiLouie: How do you think the industry will respond in terms of both supply and demand of NLCs? As a Bluetooth supporter, how is your company responding?
Zhou: We’re very excited about the market opportunities presented by this new standard, and plan to be offering Bluetooth® NLC devices soon, as early as Q1 of next year.
I mentioned above, we believe this offers a great opportunity to bring networked lighting control into retrofit applications. Wireless NLCs offer such a cost-effective approach to bringing connected, intelligent lighting into existing buildings.
Many jurisdictions, especially California, are really focusing on paths to electrification right now, particularly in the existing building space, because so much of the country’s building stock is held in existing building space. The 2018 CBECS survey found that 50% of the U.S.’s commercial buildings were constructed between 1960-1999.
It could provide the impetus many utilities are seeking to continue providing rebates for lighting controls as a means of market transformation in the existing building sector.
DiLouie: Does a full-stack Bluetooth for lighting control eliminate the need for wired elements of a comprehensive lighting control solution?
Zhou: There will always be certain applications where a wired solution, or wired elements of a primarily wireless network, are either necessary or desired. For instance, the presence of environmental factors or construction materials might impact range to a degree where wired elements might be preferred. But certainly, for most mainstream commercial applications, a full-stack Bluetooth NLC will be as effective as any wired solution.
DiLouie: Does a full-stack Bluetooth lighting control solution potentially eliminate the distinction between indoor and outdoor NLCs?
Zhou: The convergence of indoor and outdoor NLCs will certainly benefit from this standard, since operating performance of outdoor sensors and controllers can now be standardized just as indoor devices are. While the operating needs of indoor and outdoor control networks will never be the same, there’s really no good reason why both networks can’t be managed under unified control via the user interface. That’s something we have done in past projects with Bluetooth SIG Mesh and are striving for in upcoming projects with Bluetooth NLC.
DiLouie: What are the benefits of Bluetooth NLC for lighting specifiers provisioning networked lighting control solutions for clients?
Zhou: Specifiers will benefit from being able to rely on a single body of knowledge for an NLC system. With Bluetooth NLC, the specifier no longer needs to learn (or refresh their understanding) of different proprietary systems on a continuous basis. Regardless of manufacturer choice(s) for network components, the specifier will be certain of how the system will behave. This will be a significant time savings, given the amount of work that goes into designing a network and a sequence of operations document. Much of the work can be leveraged from one project to another.
DiLouie: What are the benefits for Bluetooth NLC for electrical contractors working on projects with networked lighting controls? What specific problems are solved?
Zhou: Because of the unique market opportunity that exists with upgrading existing buildings with LED lighting and advanced controls, electrical contractors who familiarize themselves with the Bluetooth NLC standard can provide value-added services to their clients. Many mid- and small building owner/operators would seriously consider implementation of NLC solutions with the ease of use, multi-vendor interoperability, and scalability over time. This could be a game-changer for electrical contractors, especially in some jurisdictions where there are incentives for greater electrification.
As far as onsite benefits are concerned, contractors no longer need deep technical expertise but can rely on intuitive, user-friendly interfaces to guide them through network configuration and setup. Contractors can select devices from different vendors as long as those devices are Bluetooth NLC certified. Training resources will likewise be more standardized across solution providers.
DiLouie: For specifiers and electrical contractors, what would selecting and installing a system look like compared to other wireless lighting control solutions?
Zhou: Much of the process will remain the same. Understanding the project needs of the owner/operator, of course, remains paramount. Identifying products to meet those needs will be much simpler, since any Bluetooth NLC compliant product will work with any other. Installing the system will be streamlined as well, with the use of a smart device (phone or tablet), the contractor will be able to walk through the process swiftly to create a pre-configured system. In our experience, with Bluetooth mesh systems the average setup time per fixture is less than two minutes. Our expectation would be a similar timeframe, perhaps even less.
DiLouie: Are there any implications for electrical distributors?
Zhou: Distributors can provide value-added services to contractors with education and technical support, especially as more manufacturers begin to introduce Bluetooth NLC compliant products. Distributors can partner with different vendors if those devices from the vendors are Bluetooth NLC certified. This will provide distributors with a broader choice of products.
Distributors can also partner in different ways with manufacturers, to co-host or co-produce demonstration sites to help educate the marketplace.
DiLouie: What’s missing? Does “full stack” cover everything for lighting control up to global networked control with data retrieval and storage?
Zhou: The ability to provide remote access to NLCs is not a function of the ‘full stack’ and more a capability of how a specific system operates. For instance, McWong’s TruBlu solution offers remote access and advanced functionality such as occupancy mapping, energy reporting, and other capabilities with the addition of an optional gateway. This enables a building owner/operator to retrieve energy usage and other data from the cloud where all the system operating data would be stored.
DiLouie: If you could tell the entire electrical contracting community just one thing about Bluetooth NLC, what would it be?
Zhou: The advances toward interoperability have taken a great leap forward with this standard. This is a leap that will benefit both sides, the design/build professional and the building owner/operator. Take the time to learn and understand the capabilities and advantages of this wireless NLC option. It will be well worth your time.
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