Lighting control systems are a hot sector within cleantech. The technology holds the promise of up to 75% reduction in energy use with little, if any, change in occupant behavior. Lighting accounts for about 20% of electricity use in the U.S., for example, so adoption of LCS can have a significant impact on worldwide energy consumption and emissions.

Source: U.S. Department of Energy Buildings Energy Data Book, Sept. 2008

There is significant buzz around the four startups that have come out of stealth in the past year—Adura Technologies, Redwood Systems, Daintree Networks and Cavet Technologies—as well as startups with slightly longer track records, Encelium Technologies and Starfield Controls. There are numerous other startups we’re tracking with complementary and tangential technology solutions, including Lumenergi, Digital Lumens, Juice Technology, Octus Energy and Echoflex.

ESCOs and major lighting corporations are amongst those in trials with LCS startups, and many LCS solutions are near commercial deployment thanks to the overlap in expertise with the IT sector.

Yet for all this attention, the LCS sector is still very early. Estimates are that fewer than 1% of buildings have advanced LCS installed. And there has been little venture activity in the space to date.

All this adds up to significant opportunities for early leadership in this sector, which still faces a number of technological and market barriers.

The newest report from the Cleantech Group, Why Lighting Controls Are Hot, details these challenges and opportunities. The insights are based on discussions with numerous vendors, startups, service providers, investors and customers in the LCS sector.

Subscribers of the Cleantech Group can go here to download the report, which includes a map of the lighting supply chain, profiles of LCS startups, and charts comparing the various technological differences and business models among today’s major players. The report also provides guidance on opportunities to enter the market, especially in the form of partnerships, investments, licensing and purchasing.

This report is part of our series of briefings on the Building Efficiency sector. What are you interested in reading about? Outdoor lighting? Air conditioning? Data centers? LEDs? Insulation?