Scores on the doors, why smart doesn’ t mean sustainable – and five cool facts about candle flames…

This week’s newsletter begins with some notes on smart lighting controls – certification schemes and the paradox that ‘smart’ doesn’t mean sustainable when it comes to home automation at least. I’ve included a book I’m reading and some cool facts about candles for national candle day in the States next Saturday … 

Scores on the doors – how smart lighting can help to achieve building certification

Lighting controls can help to meet environmental and functional rules – LENI and Part L in the UK, EN12464…

But the real gold lies in the potential to boost the scores for the building certification standards that offer reassurance to developers and tend to increase tenant satisfaction too. According to an MIT and Maastricht University study led by GRESB co-founder Dr. Nils Kok, just a one-point increase in satisfaction leads to an 8% increase in the likelihood of renewing, an 11.52% greater probability of recommending the property to others and a 15% reduction in the probability of moving out. ‘Green’ buildings tend to command higher rents, longer leases – Tenant Satisfaction and Commercial Building Performance, and increased resale value too – Bomba Best.

Given the return on investment of getting a badge for your building, perhaps it’s not surprising that there has been an explosion in certification schemes – currently over 100 and counting. 

Lighting designers will be familiar with the sustainability-focused LEED, BREEAM and NABERS. where controls are part of a wider energy-savings agenda.  WELL V2 has gone for the ‘well-being’ angle and has a specific feature – L09- for lighting controls to define the size of the zones, the type of control (dimming, colour temperature and distribution) and user access via manual or electronic interface – Occupant Lighting Control.

But, the sector may be less familiar with the certification schemes that focus on technology and smart lighting controls – perhaps because most of them are just a couple of years old. Here are three of the biggest to know about:

1. WiredScore and SmartScore

WiredScore is an American-based digital connectivity certification company founded in 2013. It’s the longest-established and biggest smart building scheme today, with over 700 million square feet certified across 12 countries, affecting approximately 7 million people globally. SmartScore was created in 2021 as a sister programme to integrate user experience.

2. SPIRE (Smart Buildings Program)

Billed as the ‘first comprehensive smart building assessment and rating programme’, this scheme was set up in 2021 by the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) and UL Solutions and is part of the European Horizons 2020 programme. 

3. BOMA BEST (Building Owners and Managers Association)

The original scheme, BOMA BEST was set up in 2005 as a voluntary scheme for members of the Building Owners and Managers Association in Canada to support their efforts to benchmark the environmental performance of their property portfolios. The smart certification scheme was introduced in 2023 and aims to be both a benchmarking and management tool for property owners. The scheme is expanding to the United States

Are you a helper, an optimiser or a hedonist? 

Smart technology means different things to different people. This fascinating review notes three broad archetypes for domestic users – which one are you?

• The helper- keeps devices on all the time to help with tasks
• The optimiser focuses on smaller actions to optimise energy use – dimming and switching
• The hedonist is looking for ways to create a playful and pleasing space.

Paradoxically, although promoted as ‘green’, in the hands of the helper and the hedonist, smart lighting technology can increase your energy bill – Smart home technologies in Europe: A critical review of concepts, benefits, risks and policies, Pursuing pleasance: Interrogating energy-intensive visions for the smart home.

A book for the break

I’m enjoying the latest book in The Unnoticed Entrepreneur series by Jim James (yes, I’m a proud sister ;-). This one is all about authenticity. Fifty bite-sized chapters profiling real-world examples from around the world. QR codes connect you to the podcast episode. Mona Akmal made an interesting point in her chapter ‘The Amplifier Effect: ‘We are transitioning from human-led revenue generation to insight-led revenue generation…’

It’s National Candle Day! 

Here are five cool facts – Flickering candle flames and their collective behavior. 

1. A candle on its own in still conditions at 70% Oxygen density flickers at an average of 11.54 hertz or cycles per second.
2. Up to three candles together will make the flame flicker more – but the flicker will fall away when the number goes above three.
3. The way you bunch them makes a difference too- an equilateral triangle is likely to flicker the least – a line will flicker most.
4. When they’re close together, the oscillation is synchronised, or in phase
5. When they’re further apart, the synchronisation breaks down.

 Just remember to blow them out!