5 Ways to Implement Smart Lighting Systems

Smart lighting can be achieved in five different ways, each suitable for different areas. The most recommended approach is: Smart Motion Switch + Smart Light, and Smart Switch + Regular Light. Why? Before diving into the details, it’s important to understand what a smart lighting system is. Conclusion of 5 Smart Lighting Solutions:

– They can be remotely controlled for on/off, temperature, and color adjustments.


– They can be controlled through voice commands via smart speakers.


– They can be controlled by sensors that activate under certain conditions, such as movement detection.


– They can interact with other smart devices in the room, like turning on lights when a door opens or setting a movie mode that turns on lights, TV, and closes curtains.


In summary, the goal is to make lighting more intuitive, responsive to your actions, and capable of understanding your commands.



Smart Home Scenarios: Conclusion of 5 Smart Lighting Solutions


NO. 1 Smart Light + Regular Switch (Not Recommended)


Smart lights can be voice and app-controlled for light and color adjustments. The downside is obvious: the regular switch must remain in the ‘always on’ state to achieve these functions. Otherwise, when the regular switch is off, the smart light will disconnect, making smart lighting control impossible.


NO. 2 Smart Switch + Regular Light (Recommended)


Usage: Areas that do not require light dimming or color adjustment, and where no atmospheric lighting is needed.


Advantages: Smart lighting control can be directly achieved through the smart switch, with lower savings. This solution only incurs the cost of the smart switch, as the light is a regular one and can be purchased anywhere.


Disadvantages: This solution only enables smart on/off control of lights and does not support temperature or color adjustments. Therefore, it is suitable for areas without the need for dimming or color changes.


NO. 3 Smart Switch + Smart Light (Not Recommended)


The smart switch mentioned here is a regular smart switch, not a rebound smart switch. The downside is evident: many people find that after manually turning off the light with the smart switch, the light fixture goes offline. Subsequent voice or remote control becomes unfeasible.


Because both the smart switch and smart light have their own on/off functions, they cannot always remain online without causing conflicts.


NO. 4 Motion Smart Switch + Smart Light (Most Recommended Solution, Suitable for the Entire House)


Special attention, special attention, special attention! The smart switch referred to here is a smart motion switch, not a regular smart switch.
Why choose a smart rocker switch? Because a smart rocker switch is spring-return. In simple terms, it can keep smart lights in a continuously powered and online state. Thus, voice control and app control can be achieved, and it can also be controlled by a switch. It is always in an online state.


Advantages: It can overcome the disadvantages of the two solutions of smart light + ordinary switch and ordinary switch + smart light, and keep smart lights online at all times. It can adjust brightness and color temperature, and it will not affect the intelligent control of the lamp tube system after manually turning off the light.


Disadvantages: Currently, only Xiaomi and its ecological company Yeelight have rocker switches. You can either buy them from them or make them yourself (add a spring inside the switch). Other than that, there are not too many disadvantages for the time being, because the price of rocker switches is not particularly expensive at present.


No. 5 Inductive switching lights (there are two solutions)


Suitable for areas and scenarios where inductive lighting is needed, such as bathrooms, balconies, entrances, wardrobes, under beds, etc.


Solutions are:


1. Sensor + the solution mentioned above.


2. Smart lights with built-in sensors directly.


Smart lights with built-in induction devices will only light up when they sense human movement. After people leave for a period of time, they can automatically turn off.


The combination solution of sensor + smart switch/smart light is when the light needs to be on under specific circumstances and turns off when leaving or not meeting the conditions.


Spaces requiring inductive lighting: entrances, bathrooms, wardrobes, under beds (especially baby rooms and elderly rooms).


Scenarios requiring inductive lighting:


• When getting up in the middle of the night to go to the toilet and getting out of bed. (With built-in induction device.)


• When getting up to feed a child. (Both are fine because people will keep moving when feeding.)


• When opening the wardrobe to choose clothes. (This is suitable for those with built-in induction devices.)


• When going from the room to the toilet to use the toilet. (This requires a combination because squatting to defecate takes a long time.)


• When opening the door and entering the house at night. (With built-in induction device.)


There are several types of sensors here: (more suitable for matching with smart lights)


Human body sensor: It is used to detect whether there is human movement. If there is human movement, the smart switch can be used to turn on or off the light.


Door and window sensor: It is a device for detecting whether doors and windows are opened.


Light sensor: It is a device for detecting light intensity.


Tips for combined use: When squatting on the toilet, people’s movements are relatively small, and the human body sensor cannot detect human movement. In this case, there will be a situation of ‘defecating black stools’. At this time, match it with a door and window sensor and set it to ‘when human movement is detected and the door is closed, the light will be constantly on’.


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