The market for lighting controls in commercial buildings has entered a period of dramatic transformation, as the demand for both local controls, such as occupancy sensors and photosensors, and networked controls, rises and the adoption rate of light-emitting diode (LED) lighting systems begins to climb as well. According to a new report from Navigant Research, worldwide revenue from networked lighting controls will grow from $1.7 billion annually in 2013 to more than $5.3 billion by 2020.

“Building owners and managers, who are accustomed to the idea of centrally monitoring and managing their heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, are beginning to expect the same level of control from lighting systems,” says Jesse Foote, research analyst with Navigant Research. “To meet this growing demand, a number of different types of vendors – including pure-play startup companies and traditional lighting vendors – are moving aggressively into the lighting controls market.”

As falling prices for LEDs drive up adoption rates of LED lamps, the adoption of lighting controls will also accelerate, the study concludes. The semiconductor nature of LEDs makes them inherently controllable, with a high degree of dimmability, easy integration of controls with drivers, and instantaneous startup. In fact, many LED lamps are being sold with built-in controllability, whether or not there are plans to make use of those features.

The report, “Intelligent Lighting Controls for Commercial Buildings,” analyzes the global market for lighting controls for commercial buildings, including both new construction and retrofits. Sensors, ballasts, drivers, switches, relays, controllers, and communications technologies are examined, with a specific focus on networked lighting controls. The report details the market drivers for these technologies, as well as barriers to adoption, and includes profiles of select industry players. Market forecasts for unit shipments and revenue for each type of equipment, segmented by region and building type, extend through 2020. Forecasts are also broken out for control equipment in buildings with networked lighting controls, as well as for wireless lighting controls and LED drivers.