physics

Lighting as a service

Lighting as a service is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Lighting as a service rather than just read about it. In short: Lighting as a service (LaaS), also known as light as a service, is a service-based business model in which light service is charged on a subscription basis rather than via a one-time payment. It is managed by third parties, more precisely, by specialized service providers and may include light design, financing, installation, maintenance and other services.

Key takeaways

Lighting as a service belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Lighting as a service to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Lighting as a service from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Lighting as a service (LaaS), also known as light as a service, is a service-based business model in which light service is charged on a subscription basis rather than via a one-time payment. It is managed by third parties, more precisely, by specialized service providers and may include light design, financing, installation, maintenance and other services. The model involves outsourcing of lighting aspects of a business over a period of time. In opposition to an operating lease, the LaaS provider does not transfer the ownership of a product but maintains the ownership of the equipment throughout the duration of the subscription contract. This makes it an environmentally friendly business approach allowing an extended product life with several lifecycles. The LaaS model has become more common in commercial installations of LED lights, specifically in retrofitting buildings and outdoor facilities, with the prior aim of reducing installation costs. Since nowadays lighting design has to consider aspects such as safety and health at work, environmental performance, energy consumption and durability of the products, the model is continuously gaining more and more importance for company structures. Refitting and maintaining buildings with energy efficient lighting systems can enable it to be operated more economically. Light vendors have used an LaaS strategy in selling value-added services such as Internet-connected lighting and energy management.

History Over the years, the lighting industry has faced a major disruption due to the shift in demand from conventional light sources to energy-efficient lighting. Especially in the commercial sector, this industrial change has caused a higher demand in long-life LED products, which come along with lower energy consumption and improved physical robustness. While light bulbs have to be replaced approximately every year or two, LED products last around 20 years. The idea of Lighting as a Service was invented in response to business demand in order to decrease the costs and boost the efficiency of energy without any investment from the end users side. All of this is achieved by the help of light control systems and the Internet of Things. The concept of selling lighting as a service was developed by Thomas Rau in collaboration with Philips throughout the first "Pay per Lux" project. Customers would only pay for the amount of light they use. The idea originated when Thomas Rau equipped the office of RAU Architects in Amsterdam. Instead of purchasing lighting infrastructure that comes with high costs and the need to be replaced after some time, he applied the model of light as a service to furnish the building with lighting. LED installations along with a sensor and controller system to minimize energy use were provided by Philips, who maintained the ownership of the set-up. RAU Architects on the other hand benefited from the entire maintenance service.

Value proposition Lighting as a service offering include indoor and outdoor service types and usually are demanded by end users from the commercial, municipal or industrial sectors. LaaS supplies client companies with efficient lighting technology and in the most cases undertakes associated services including project management, product delivery and installation as well as maintenance.

Pros Since no upfront investment has to be done, the subscription to LaaS offers comes with less engagement of personal resources. This subsequently has a positive impact on the reduction of risks and costs for the end user. Furthermore, modern lighting technology solutions, such as intelligent LED light systems or daylight and shading technology, used by LaaS vendors result in a lower energy consumption, thus lower energy costs as well as the reduction of carbon emissions and a healthier lighting in general. The light supplier as an expert in the light industry remains accountable for monitoring and maintaining the lighting systems (including replacements), upholding new legal requirements and also deals with recycling issues.

Cons The subscription to LaaS offerings does not involve the acquisition of the lighting product itself and makes the provider retain the ownership. Throughout the duration of the contract the client is bound to its provider which, depending upon the contract arrangement and funding model, can be set up to long durations.

Market

Development The global lighting as a service market is growing rapidly, welcoming more and more lighting companies, IT integrators and facility management service providers trying to capture the new market by the means of refining their business models to "as a service" offerings, but also through mergers, collaborations and partnerships. In the face of the current global situation, smart building technology vendors are currently launching lighting propositions to improve the infection control of buildings in order to kill bacteria and viruses from surfaces with safe lighting rays such as ultraviolet light.

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Lighting as a service

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Lighting as a service claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Lighting as a service before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Lighting as a service ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Lighting as a service

In research: Lighting as a service appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Lighting as a service in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Lighting as a service is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Architectural lighting design, Building automation, Energy-saving lighting, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Lighting as a service outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Lighting as a service” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Lighting as a service in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Lighting as a service means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Lighting as a service out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Lighting as a service in simple terms?

Why does Lighting as a service matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Lighting as a service?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Lighting as a service.