NXP wants to give every light bulb an internet connection

 

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Posted on 25 May 2011 at 10:08

Semiconductor specialist NXP has announced an innovative new way for businesses and consumers to reduce their energy usage: smart, internet-connected light bulbs that can talk to each other.

Demonstrated this week at the LightFair International Show, NXP - in partnership with TCP and GreenWave Reality - has developed a product it calls 'GreenChip', which it plans to use to create 'smart lighting' networks by giving every light bulb its own internet connection.

Adding additional power-draining hardware to a bulb to reduce energy use might seem counter-intuitive, but NXP believes it could have a massive impact on energy efficiency, through smarter, rather than dimmer, lighting.

"The GreenChip smart lighting solution signals a fundamental shift in the way we interact with lights – at home, in the office, even outdoors," claimed NXP's John Croteau. "By bringing together wireless IP connectivity with our energy-efficient lighting and power conversion technologies in a compact, low-cost solution, we are transforming the way we design, control and manage lights."

Croteau envisions GreenChip technology being used to create lights that communicate with each other and with their owners via the internet, creating 'intelligent lighting environments' - lights that turn on and off when they're needed, at a predetermined level of brightness.

"Our smart lighting solution also brings us one step closer to the 'Internet of Things'," Croteau claimed, "a world in which every home appliance can be monitored and controlled via an IP address."

The GreenChip network is designed to operate on the same wireless frequencies used by 'smart meter' technologies, potentially allowing interoperation between the two systems - and the technology behind the network, known as JenNet-IP, will be made open-source for other manufacturers to add support to their products.

NXP has announced that reference designs of its Internet-connected light bulbs are available now, but has yet to suggest when the technology will be ready for a commercial launch.

Author: Gareth Halfacree