Acuity Partners with Sensity on Lighting Networks

Acuity Brands, Atlanta, announced a strategic partnership with Sensity Systems, Sunnyvale, Calif., to develop a smart, connected platform for the “Internet of Things.”

Acuity Brands will be a Sensity NetSense Partner, allowing it to add capabilities to its lighting systems to capture and transmit data near real-time, enabling a broad array of applications and services including camera networks for security and surveillance and real-time video analytics that “turns cameras not into mere recording devices but into high-value sensors,” according to Sensity’s website.

Acuity will market the smart lighting solutions to cities, commercial and retail buildings, airports and universities with a focus on improving energy conservation, public services, safety and security, parking, and a wide variety of other applications, said an Acuity release. Acuity Brands and Sensity are already in the process of implementing commercial deployments with select customers, and will have demonstrations at Lightfair in May.

Acuity Brands and Sensity also said they expect their joint solution to “advance the goals of the U.S. Department of Energy`s Presidential Challenge for Advanced Outdoor Lighting. As part of the DOE`s Better Buildings Initiative program, the Presidential Challenge aims to work with municipalities to upgrade 1.5 million U.S. street lights to high-efficiency LEDs over the next two years.

“An integrated platform that provides energy-efficient LED lighting with a sensor network to capture and transmit near real-time data will further enhance the business case for LED luminaire installations,” said Vernon Nagel, chairman, president and CEO of Acuity Brands. “We are delighted to be partnering with Sensity on a solution that has the promise to transform the outdoor lighting industry.”

Last week, Acuity has been beefing up its presence in networked lighting systems recently. Last week, it announced its acquisition of Canadian controls manufacturer Distech Controls.