Understanding what customers need and want is an important first step in developing new lighting control technologies. As part of its research contracts, the LRC has conducted a series of focus groups, roundtables and surveys to understand the market, customers' needs and, thereby, direct technology development. Too many organizations rush to the technology development stage without due consideration of what the customer wants. This leads to product failures in the marketplace because the technology is too complicated, does not provide an economic return, or its features are not wanted.
Barriers associated with marketing include:
Poor value
Above all else, customers want a reasonable return on any investment they make regarding lighting or any other energy-efficiency improvement.
Difficulties using lighting technologies
The technology must be easy to install, operate and maintain. Customers do not want to have to employ specially trained personnel to make the technology work properly.
Underdeveloped products on the market
Customers want products to be fully developed and tested prior to entering the marketplace. They do not want the manufacturer to find it necessary to further modify the technology after it has been installed. Customers also want to know and see that the technology has been successfully employed by others.
Lack of proof through case studies
Customers want substantiated proof of any technological or economic claim. Proof is especially important to overcoming perceptions about high first costs and hassles associated with lighting controls. With other energy-efficient lighting technologies, first cost and hassle have been overcome through incentives from demand-side management (DSM) programs, market transformation procurement programs, new code regulations, and shared-savings marketing by energy service companies (ESCO). However, these organizations need specific, accurate data about cost and energy savings before they can promote controls through lighting incentive programs.
Uncertainties about dimming requirements and the presence of manual controls
Automatic dimming during occupancy is an area of uncertainty because principles have not been established for occupant acceptance of the level and rate of dimming. For both dimming and automatic shut-off controls, engineers and facility managers often are hesitant to install manual controls because they may assume that these overrides will be used too often, eliminating any energy savings.
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