In the previous article, We wrote an invitation addressed to design tool providers such as DIALux and Cohoom:
If they do not embrace HCL, designers will find it difficult to truly realize the idea of “designing light that supports a person throughout their entire life.”
However, even if designers are equipped with better tools and are able to create more scientifically grounded HCL solutions, if control systems only support basic functions like “on/off, dimming, and scheduling,” all of this remains theoretical, confined to presentations.
In this article, we want to have a serious discussion with lighting system providers about several key issues:
- Why most existing system logic is, in fact, not suitable for HCL;
- What core capabilities a system that genuinely supports HCL must have;
- How lighting system providers can, within 1–2 years, evolve from being “controller suppliers” into “light environment operation platforms”;
- and what LRS can do together with you.
I. Today’s System Logic Is Still Stuck in the Era of “Channels + Scheduling + Energy Saving”
Let us first describe, honestly, what control logic looks like in many typical projects today:
- Circuit grouping → wall panels → Scene 1 / 2 / 3 / All On / All Off;
- Add a few sensors: lights on when people arrive, lights off when they leave;
- Add some scheduling: lights on at the start of work, off after hours;
- At most, add an extra “energy-saving mode” or “demo mode.”
All of this certainly has value. However, when you place it within an HCL context, three fundamental problems immediately emerge.
1. The system does not know “who this light is for.”
An elementary school classroom, an open-plan office, a night-shift nurse station, and a senior living apartment bedroom are, under current system logic, often treated simply as “rooms with slightly different illuminance levels,” rather than as environments serving people with entirely different circadian and physiological needs.
2. The system does not know “which act of the day it is.”
Many systems can be set to “turn on at 8 a.m. and off at 10 p.m.,” but they lack a true time-based scene continuum, such as:
morning activation / late-morning focus / afternoon sustain / evening wind-down / pre-sleep dose reduction / safe nighttime movement.
As a result, so-called “HCL scenes” are reduced to:
brighter during the day, dimmer at night; cooler or warmer CCT—without a scientifically designed lighting-dose plan.
3. The system does not know “how far the current light is from the target.”
Most systems are only responsible for “outputting a dimming value according to a scene,” yet they have no awareness of:
- The approximate Eh / Ev at critical points;
- Whether EML or m-EDI meets the intended targets;
- or whether flicker and contrast remain within safe and comfortable ranges.
Once luminaires age or space usage changes, the system has no self-calibration capability—let alone any form of closed-loop control.
In other words, most lighting systems today are, in essence, still operating as “smarter switches,” rather than as health-oriented infrastructure that manages light dosage and supports human biological rhythms.
II. What Core Capabilities Must a System Truly Supporting HCL Have?
Based on LRS’s experience in projects and on-site measurements, a system designed for HCL and LaaS (Light as a Service) needs, at a minimum, the following layers of capability:
1. Upgrade from “channel control” to a “scene engine.”
During design and commissioning, the discussion should no longer revolve around “Channel 1 at 80%, Channel 2 at 40%,” but instead focus on:
- 的 target Eh / Ev / CCT / contrast ranges for a given space;
- The corresponding user groups and activities (office work, education, nursing, recovery, sleep, etc.).
Internally, the system may still operate through channel-level calculations, but externally it should provide:
metrics-based scene definitions, rather than a collection of percentage values.
2. Built-in time axis: a day is not a single scene.
The system should support configuring time-sequenced scenes for each space, for example:
- 07:00–09:00 Morning activation
- 09:00–12:00 High-efficiency focus
- 12:00–14:00 Gentle transition
- 14:00–18:00 Sustained focus
- 18:00–20:00 Soft relaxation
- 20:00–22:00 Pre-sleep dose reduction
For users, what they see is a daily lighting curve, not a set of isolated scene buttons.
3. Built-in health-oriented scene templates and guidelines (even in simplified form).
Similar to design tools, systems can fully incorporate scene templates, such as:
- Children’s study room: daytime study / evening homework / pre-sleep reading;
- Open-plan office: day shift / night shift / overtime / cleaning;
- Nurse station: night shift / handover / emergency;
- Senior bedroom: morning wake-up, post-nap, return from outdoor walk, pre-sleep relaxation, nighttime movement.
These templates do not need to be highly complex at the outset, but they should at least include:
- Recommended Eh / Ev ranges;
- Recommended CCT ranges;
- Recommended time windows and transition logic.
The presence of such templates significantly lowers the barrier to implementing HCL solutions and enables system providers to offer replicable, scalable solutions to designers and clients alike.
4. Establish a Data Closed Loop Across “Design → Commissioning → Measurement → Optimization”
A health-oriented lighting system should be capable of the following:
Import target values from the design stage.
Receive target Eh / Ev / CCT / EML and related parameters from DIALux, Revit, or the provider’s own design tools.
Display “target vs. current output” during commissioning.
Allow commissioning engineers to view target values and actual output side by side while tuning scenes in real time.
Feed on-site measurement data back into the system.
Support importing measured data from devices such as In.Licht Ultra / Pro (even via simple CSV files);
automatically generate “measured vs. design” comparison charts and optimization recommendations.
Enable long-term monitoring and alerts.
Conduct periodic re-measurements in critical areas (e.g., ICUs, nurse stations, key office zones).
When the lighting environment deviates significantly from target values, the system can issue prompts, such as:
luminaire aging? scenes manually altered? changes in shading or daylight strategies?
This is the foundation that allows LaaS to operate sustainably over the long term and to improve continuously.
III. From “Selling Hardware” to “Operating Light Environments”: System Providers Can Create an Additional Business Line
Many lighting system manufacturers have shared similar concerns in recent years:
- Margins on controllers, drivers, and gateways continue to shrink;
- Competition is intensifying and products are increasingly commoditized;
- Systems are expected to “support everything,” yet it becomes harder and harder to articulate a clear value narrative.
HCL and Light as a Service offer a timely opportunity for both business and brand upgrading.
1. At the solution and bidding stage: offer “health-oriented lighting solution packages.”
Rather than merely stating “supports DALI / KNX / ZigBee / BLE Mesh” and similar protocols, system providers should be able to present, within their proposals:
- HCL scene libraries tailored to different building types and user groups;
- Corresponding system logic, control algorithms, and day-to-day operational recommendations;
- Indicator frameworks aligned with healthy building certifications and ESG reporting.
2. At the implementation stage: provide “commissioning and validation services.”
By collaborating with designers, consultants, and teams such as LRS, system providers can offer value-added services that combine health-oriented lighting commissioning and on-site measurement validation.
This elevates their role from a one-off system integrator to a light environment delivery owner.
3. At the operation stage: provide “annual light environment checkups” and subscription services.
For key clients (hospitals, corporate campuses, schools, hotels, etc.), providers can offer:
- Annual or quarterly light environment re-measurements and reports;
- Analysis of usage behavior and optimization potential based on system data;
- Assistance in adjusting HCL strategies when clients update space functions or work–rest schedules.
For system providers, this means adding a second revenue engine:
beyond one-time project-based revenue, a compounding stream of service and subscription revenue.
IV. Where Can System Providers Start in the Next 12–24 Months?
There is no need to attempt everything at once. However, if you agree that HCL and LaaS represent the direction of the next 5–10 years, I would recommend that system providers at least consider the following steps:
Establish a small HCL task force.
Bring together product, R&D, and marketing teams to clearly define the kind of health-oriented lighting narrative the system product line aims to deliver.
Select 2–3 priority scenarios as initial entry points.
For example: office + healthcare + education, or office + hospitality + senior living.
Rather than attempting to address every industry immediately, focus on a few key scenarios and make them detailed, solid, and well-explained.
Co-create scene libraries and time-axis templates with HCL specialists.
Partner with teams such as LRS to jointly define default scene packages 和 health-oriented lighting parameter ranges based on research and on-site measurements.
Introduce basic time-axis and HCL scene logic into existing systems.
Without disrupting existing user habits, add higher-level logic entry points such as “circadian mode” or “health mode.”
Build a minimum viable closed loop with design tools and measurement devices.
Start with a simple, practical workflow:
import target values from the design stage → system execution → on-site commissioning → measurement feedback → report generation.
Select 1–2 flagship projects to validate and tell the story well.
Work with designers, owners, and HCL consultants to create demonstrator projects.
Use real data and user feedback to clearly articulate the differentiation and value of a health-oriented lighting system.
V. What Can LRS Do Together with Lighting System Providers?
LRS (Lighting Recipe Studio) has consistently positioned itself as a bridge between scientific research × design thinking × product and system implementation:
We are deeply involved in research and field measurements related to HCL, light and circadian rhythms, and light and emotion.
We also collaborate on projects with designers, lighting brands, system providers, and healthy building teams worldwide.
Through tools such as In.Licht Ultra / Pro and the FES (Field Evaluation System) methodology, we strive to translate complex science into frameworks that are designable, measurable, and operable.
If you are:
a manufacturer developing or upgrading your own intelligent lighting systems;
looking to make health-oriented lighting, HCL, or LaaS a core axis of your product roadmap;
LRS would be glad to:
- Serve as an HCL consultant and content co-creation partner, working with you to define:
- Scene templates, time-axis strategies, and health-oriented lighting parameter ranges;
- Integration pathways with design tools and measurement devices;
- and bridges between healthy building standards, ESG frameworks, and brand storytelling.
Aesthetic lighting is something systems have supported for many years.
Responsible lighting still requires system providers and designers to work together to embed it into the everyday reality of every space.
If you are willing to evolve your system from a “smarter switch” into a long-term steward of the light environment, then now is, indeed, an excellent starting point.
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