As the new year begins, business leaders are solidifying their goals and seeking new ways to contribute to a healthy bottom line in 2019. Despite the continual advancement of LED technology and the Internet of Things, many companies are still missing out on significant energy savings and new efficiencies that are readily available. This article sheds light on what we expect to see in the lighting and IoT industries in 2019.

LEDs Will Continue to Dominate in 2019

Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) are rapidly expanding and dominating in the lighting industry, and rightfully so. They are continually improving and becoming cheaper, which helps businesses and homeowners alike save money on energy. The U.S. Department of Energy has determined that LED’s use at least 75% less energy and last 25 times longer than incandescent light bulbs. That is why the Department of Energy believes that the widespread use of LED lighting has the greatest potential impact on energy savings.¹ We expect to see an increasing rate of people switching from traditional lighting to LEDs to take advantage of the energy savings. By 2020, an estimated 50% of the lighting market in the U.S. will use LEDs.²

LEDs Will Become Multipurpose

In 2019, Samsung Electronics will introduce new full-spectrum LEDs that can be optimized for lighting in greenhouses and vertical farms. These full-spectrum based horticulture LEDs will improve plant cultivation and reduce costs.³ Horticulture LEDs will be used to improve output consistency, increase crop yields, and raise profits for greenhouses.⁴

As the popularity and efficiency of LEDs grow, we wouldn’t be surprised to see more alternative benefits and uses for LEDs. Even for people and businesses that haven’t jumped on the “LED bandwagon” yet, it’s clear that LEDs are here to stay. There’s no reason to wait to make the switch!

Greater Application of IoT in Every Industry

IoT (Internet of Things) is growing at an exponential rate. New IoT delivers functional benefits in cars, wearable gadgets, sensors, RFID tags, and software. Companies are taking advantage of IoT to make their warehouses, manufacturing plants, and offices more efficient and secure.⁵ Expanding companies that are experiencing higher demand can turn to IoT to automate facility management and reduce manual workloads. Throughout 2019, IoT will be seen more and more as standard equipment for climate control, security, lighting control, inventory management, and more.

Contemporary Energy Solutions: A Valuable Partner in 2019

For companies that are considering implementing a new lighting solution using LED retrofits or automating their processes with IoT in 2019, Contemporary Energy Solutions has the experience to get the job done. After completing over 800 successful projects since 2008, CES has developed a strategic skill set to meet the individual needs our clients. We leverage our relationships with suppliers to get low, wholesale pricing that translates into additional savings when companies partner with CES to implement an LED retrofit or IoT solution!

To stay up to date with the most promising energy-saving opportunity of 2019, we expect to see even more companies make the switch to LED lighting. The sooner companies make the switch to LED lighting or automate with IoT, the sooner they will see energy savings boost their bottom line!

 

 Citations

¹ LED Lighting | Department of Energy. (2018). Energy.gov. Retrieved 31 December 2018, from https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/save-electricity-and-fuel/lighting-choices-save-you-money/led-lighting

² Slate’s Use of Your Data. (2018). Slate Magazine. Retrieved 31 December 2018, from https://slate.com/business/2016/02/led-bulbs-are-about-to-be-everywhere.html

³ Samsung to Introduce Full-Spectrum LEDs in 2019 – Greenhouse Product News. (2018). Greenhouse Product News. Retrieved 31 December 2018, from https://gpnmag.com/news/samsung-to-introduce-full-spectrum-leds-in-2019/

⁴ The Analysis of LED grow light’s Market Growth. (2018). Ledtopplus.com. Retrieved 31 December 2018, from https://www.ledtopplus.com/blog/the-analysis-of-led-grow-lights-market-growth-b0097.html

⁵ Five IoT Predictions For 2019. (2019). Forbes.com. Retrieved 2 January 2019, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/danielnewman/2018/07/31/five-iot-predictions-for-2019/#1fb8224a6edd