Smart lighting flexibility to demonstrate in South Korea

Seoul based IoT solution company Merlot Lab is to demonstrate frequency regulation with smart lighting for the Korea Power Exchange.

Under an agreement between the two parties, Merlot Lab intends to harness the flexibility of 4,300 IoT smart lights installed at CJ Logistics’ Jungbu Complex Logistics Terminal in Sejong City to support the grid.

Merlot Labs’ smart lighting system was developed as a scalable, wireless mesh network that can control thousands of light nodes from a single hub, with each one as well as groups of them controllable in 1% illuminance level increments.

With a gradual reduction in lighting levels by 20-30% from peak illuminance not resulting in a noticeable change to the human eye or affecting work productivity, the smart lighting system can automatically reduce the energy load and as such offer a potentially ideal solution for the provision of flexibility.

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During the demonstration, which will run until August 2022, the Korea Power Exchange will formulate fast demand response frequency regulation operation standards and guidelines for the power system with verification from its results.

Companies with the smart lighting system installed will be able to earn financial benefits through participation in the ancillary service market, in addition to supporting the move towards carbon neutrality with the supply of their flexible resources to the power system.

“The amount of electricity currently used for lighting accounts for about 20% of the total electricity consumption in Korea,” a Korea Power Exchange official states.

“When the role of frequency regulation of IoT smart lighting systems is successfully demonstrated, it is expected to greatly contribute to resolving the problem of instability in the power system from the increase in the proportion of renewable energy.”

Currently, the frequency regulation calls for simple power cut-off. When IoT smart lighting systems are widely installed in the future, they are expected to become an important source of frequency control with continuous adjustment of the power supply and demand balance.

The Korea Power Exchange is a public corporation of the Korean government with responsibility for operating South Korea’s electricity system and market.