Lighting is often used as a security measure in facilities. Facilities simply leave the lights on to keep an area safe and secure. Smart lighting increases the abilities and efficiency of the security system. Its installation is more than a way to merely reduce overhead costs. It has the potential to increase safety in the workplace as well.

Intelligent LED lighting can offer light level sensors, motion sensors, occupancy sensors, air quality sensors, smoke detection sensors, and more – and it is all done with efficiency in mind. A commercial smart lighting system can employ tactics such as lighting in specific areas during non-business hours. Outdoor motion sensors are a backup for those areas that don’t need to be illuminated constantly. The lighting system can even make a facility look occupied in a longer-term closure to protect it from intruders.

Smart lighting also keeps employees safe. Keeping working areas well-lit reduces the risk of accidents. For businesses that have employees working after hours, a smart lighting system provides them additional security. Employees can manage lighting from their devices, or benefit from motion sensors in dark areas.

Security consultant Ray Bernard discusses the opportunity to use ceiling lighting as a way to keep occupants safe. “Ceiling lighting color, for example, can be set to red for evacuation, yellow for shelter in place, and green for all-clear, on a room-by-room basis. Hallway lighting fixtures can change the lighting color in sequence to indicate evacuation direction. Hall lighting in front of an unsafe room entrance can flash red as a warning not to open the door. Building evacuation progress can be tracked in real-time using ceiling-based occupancy sensors. These are a few of the many security operational benefits.” (Source)

Though cost-savings are typically the first thought when employing a smart-lighting system, the security of a facility holds some very persuasive elements.