Eleanor Hecks, Managing Editor of Designerly Magazine summarises what’s driving growing adoption of IoT lighting
Smart lighting lets you control lights remotely and save energy using IoT-connected devices like smartphones, sensors and voice assistants. It’s beyond convenience — it’s an essential part of the growing smart home and smart city movement.
Across the UK, investments in sustainable infrastructure push smart lighting into the spotlight, especially as cities aim to cut emissions and improve public services. With more households adopting smart tech every year, this innovation forges a path toward a more connected, eco-friendly future.
Smart lighting market on the rise
The European smart lighting market was valued at $3.54 billion in 2024, showing how fast this space is growing. That momentum is due to strong demand for energy savings, automation, sustainability mandates and faster wireless tech.
In the UK, innovators push smart lighting forward through creative tech and forward-thinking design. Whether customisable controls or seamless integration with wider IoT systems, progress sets the tone for a more efficient, intelligent industry.
How smart lighting fuels IoT adoption
Lighting is one of the easiest ways to step into IoT because it’s already part of every space you use. It’s scalable, visible and simple to retrofit, which makes it a practical entry point for building connected systems.
Plus, many are already making a switch in their buildings’ lighting, shifting from traditional lighting sources to LED bulbs to enjoy efficiency gains of up to 60-70% versus traditional bulbs. As more companies are making this switch anyway, there’s no better time to implement smart LEDs, which improve efficiency as well as integrate sensors, occupancy monitoring or security systems that can make a space more responsive and efficient. Plus, with better interoperability through unified platforms and protocols, connecting a setup across homes, offices or public spaces becomes easier.
Use cases driving smart lighting adoption
Smart lighting creates more adaptive environments that work for you. Connected IoT devices are expected to reach 30.9 billion units by 2025, and lighting systems play a bigger role in how they interact with each other and the world around them. Here are key use cases driving smart tech adoption:
- Smart homes that adapt to your lifestyle: use voice commands or mobile apps to control lighting and reduce energy use based on your habits
- Commercial buildings that boost efficiency: integrate lighting with occupancy sensors and HVAC systems to optimise energy use and create comfortable workspaces
- Retail spaces that enhance customer experiences: use dynamic lighting to influence shopper behaviour or shift ambience throughout the day
- Street lighting in smart cities: automate public lighting based on time of day or foot traffic and combine it with sensors for traffic control or public safety alerts
- Warehouses and industrial spaces: boost productivity and safety with task-based lighting that responds to movement, time of day or activity zones
Challenges and innovation opportunities
While smart lighting offers big advantages, you’ll still face a few hurdles when implementing it. Privacy and security are real concerns. There were over 112 million IoT cyberattacks worldwide in 2022, highlighting how vulnerable connected devices can be. Integration can get tricky, too, especially when systems don’t speak the same language.
Progress is underway. AI and Edge computing make systems faster and more secure by processing data locally. At the same time, researchers push the limits of what’s possible through adaptive lighting, Li-Fi for high-speed wireless data and data-driven urban planning that uses light infrastructure to inform better city design.
What this means for the future of IoT in the UK
Smart lighting is becoming part of the data infrastructure that is driving the future of IoT. These systems gather and respond to real-time insights, which make your spaces more adaptive. They now play a role in everything from occupancy tracking to environmental monitoring.
As smart environments become the norm, lighting will be the backbone connecting and powering responsive systems around you. If you’re in the IoT space, don’t think of this tech as just a feature — see it as your starting point for next-level innovation.
Why smart lighting is a launchpad for scalable IoT solutions
Smart lighting accelerates IoT momentum by offering a flexible, data-rich platform that connects seamlessly with other systems. Integrating smart lighting into your current or future projects can boost automation, enhance user experiences and create more responsive, energy-efficient environments.
Eleanor Hecks is the Managing Editor at Designerly Magazine, where she’s passionate about covering IoT news and insights for businesses. She’s also a mobile app designer with a focus on UI.
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