Connected Lighting

Our connected lighting solutions 

As lighting systems and IoT smart lighting take the industry beyond functional illumination into lighting as a service (LaaS) to encompass multiple data and connection categories, the challenges of going to market are becoming increasingly complex.  

UL Solutions has committed to focusing on connected lighting as the technologies converge and will meet the new demands emerging around Li-Fi, smart homes and buildings and the growing emphasis on lighting as a component of a connected ecosystem. Our services include, but are not limited to: 

• Cybersecurity.
• Interoperability.
• Testing to protocols like DALI-2 Certification
• Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and wireless testing such as Bluetooth^® , Zigbee and Thread.

Cybersecurity services 

Your organization's security is only as strong as your greatest vulnerabilities. As more smart features, communications protocols and connections are added to connected systems, risks and complexities increase. UL Solutions’ IoT Security Ratings, based on emerging industry consensus, set benchmarks for baseline security. Our team can evaluate your lighting products against these benchmarks to differentiate your product in the marketplace or to meet the specific upcoming DesignLights Consortium (DLC) minimum cybersecurity requirements. Starting in 2022, the DLC will require cybersecurity measures on all lighting products that are to remain eligible for their qualified products list (QPL).

Interoperability services 

In the world of connected devices, user experience plays a key role for success. Questions like "Does the control app really do what it is expected to do, regardless of the hardware and operating system it runs?" are of the utmost importance. UL Solutions can help test your control app on up to 1,000 different hardware and software platforms to help ensure expected functionality and a great user experience.

EMC and wireless device testing for connected lighting

We can help you navigate the EMC requirements that are mandatory in many countries for new products. Our team of experts have the resources to conduct pre-compliance tests that may help you detect and resolve potential design flaws. These pretests can help improve your compliance success rate while saving you time and money in the process.

Our full-service EMC laboratories have the necessary recognitions and accreditations in all major markets, testing to requirements defined or required by FCC, ISED, as well as other applicable standards and regulations around the globe.

As more lighting systems incorporate wireless technologies such as Bluetooth^®, Wi-Fi, Li-Fi and cellular connectivity, testing that assesses the real-life performance and functionality of products has become more complex. We can help you stay ahead of regulations that are continually evolving to keep pace with rapid advances in technology.

We are an approved testing laboratory for many IoT and wireless standards bodies – such as Bluetooth SIG, Thread Group, Wireless and Zigbee Alliance – and are actively engaged with key players in 5G.

Protocol testing for DALI

Several of our laboratories have accreditation from the Digital Illumination Interface Alliance (DiiA) to be a Digital Addressable Lighting Interface (DALI) protocol test house. As an international standard for a two-way communication system that brings digital technology to lighting, DALI defines the commands that LED drivers and ballasts need to recognize in order to communicate via controllers and computers equipped with appropriate software or building management systems.

The next step, already announced by the DiiA, is to introduce wireless technology for the communication, based on Bluetooth^®, Zigbee^® and Thread^®. With our services around wireless technology, you can prepare for the future of lighting.