Technological solutions, including sensor-driven lighting, will be the hallmark of an upcoming conference in the UAE.

The Middle East Smart Lighting and Energy Summit 2015 takes place on November 23 and 24 at Jumeirah, Etihad Towers, Abu Dhabi.

A combination of issues including market demand, government regulations and energy-efficient lighting has revolutionised the lighting industry.

Connected and smart lighting systems are now the buzzwords of this industry. The implementation of Internet of Things (IoT), lighting controls and motion detection sensors have played a key role in the adoption of advanced lighting systems and applications that has now begun to dominate the marketplace over the past few years.

Brad Hariharan, regional director, Expotrade Middle East, said: “Lighting technology has come a long way; globally, the lighting systems have undergone a sea change.

“The trend began with manufacturers phasing out old incandescent bulbs and replacing it with LEDs that are not only more energy efficient and much brighter but also last significantly last longer. In fact, some players have taken it a notch higher and introduced the smartphone application that controls the lighting of your home.”

The installation of smart lighting networks helps deliver significant reductions in energy management and increases consumer safety and comfort, thereby making it a necessary implementation for home automation and smart city planning.

The smart lighting market has garnered immense traction globally with Europe considered as the largest market for smart lighting systems in industrial, commercial, public and government building applications.

According to a recent report from a leading industry body, the smart lighting installed worldwide is expected to grow from 46 million units in 2015 to 2.54 billion units in 2020.

“Smart light system is undoubtedly one of the key elements to building a smart city. Networked lighting systems have gained prominence; the utilisation of intelligent control systems allows centralised remote management, maintenance and monitoring of the city lighting infrastructure,” said Hariharan.