If you look at the way buildings are being designed today, one thing becomes clear very quickly: the old rules don’t apply anymore.
Workplaces aren’t just rooms with desks. Campuses aren’t just clusters of blocks. Every new project—whether an office, hospital, data center, or retail space—is expected to be smarter, safer, more efficient, and more responsive.
But strangely, in the middle of all this talk about “smart buildings,” one thing hasn’t changed for decades:
The lighting system still runs on the same AC wiring model we’ve been using since the 1950s.
And the truth is, that model is reaching its finish line.
Why AC Lighting Is Quietly Becoming Outdated
Most people assume lighting is simple—switch on, switch off. But the moment you try to introduce sustainability, automation, in-room intelligence, occupancy patterns, or renewable power… AC lighting starts showing its age.
Here’s what’s really happening behind the scenes:
AC wastes too much energy
Almost every modern light actually runs on DC. So when you use AC, the power gets converted again and again—grid → AC → DC → AC → DC.
And every conversion wastes energy. The losses add up quickly, especially in large commercial buildings.
AC infrastructure is unnecessarily heavy
Thick wiring, multiple circuits, dozens of distribution boards, earthing requirements, dimming drivers, conduits…
The ceiling becomes a maze, and the cost piles up.
Safety risks are built into the design
High voltage + high density = high risk.
Every joint is a potential spark. Every driver is a potential heat point. Over time, it becomes a maintenance headache.
It doesn’t play well with solar
India is pushing rooftop solar aggressively.
But solar is DC. Batteries are DC. LEDs are DC.
AC lighting sits in the middle like a foreign language that needs to be translated at every step.
And most importantly—AC lighting is not truly “smart.”
Yes, you can make AC lights smart… if you keep adding switches, dimmers, sensors, relays, gateways, extra wiring, and sometimes even separate control loops.
It works, but not elegantly.
Not the way modern buildings demand.
Enter DC Lighting: The System That Actually Makes Sense Today
DC lighting isn’t a futuristic theory anymore. It’s already being deployed in new campuses, corporate HQs, luxury spaces, and data centers because it solves problems AC cannot.
Here’s what makes DC genuinely transformative:
1. It saves energy straight out of the box.
No conversions. No loss.
Just a simpler, cleaner path from power source to light.
Most buildings instantly see 30–50% lower lighting energy consumption.
2. It aligns perfectly with solar and battery systems.
No inverters. No double conversions.
Just direct, efficient power flow.
This is a big deal as India accelerates its Net Zero agenda.
3. It makes the entire building inherently safer.
Low voltage.
No sparks.
No shock risk.
No overheated drivers.
In high-occupancy environments, this is priceless.
4. It declutters the entire electrical ecosystem.
A single CAT6 cable can carry both power and control signals.
No bulky DBs. No heavy copper. No ceiling grid filled with unnecessary hardware.
5. It brings intelligence to lighting—naturally.
Because power and data run together, every light becomes part of the digital layer.
This means lighting can sense movement, adjust brightness, follow circadian rhythm, harvest daylight, report failures, and integrate with BMS systems—without adding multiple layers of hardware.
This is what modern architects and engineers have been asking for:
a system that is simple, efficient, and genuinely smart.
So, Will AC Disappear Overnight? Not really. But it will fade fast.
Transitions like this happen slowly… and then all at once.
Think about it:
- India is building more Net-Zero campuses than ever.
- Solar adoption is exploding.
- ESG is no longer optional for corporates.
- Facility managers are under pressure to cut operational costs.
- Occupants expect comfortable, wellness-focused spaces.
All of this pushes buildings towards technologies that are lean, safe, and intelligent by design—not by addition.
AC lighting simply doesn’t fit into that equation.
DC lighting fits effortlessly.
A Final Thought
If buildings are getting smarter, the light inside them must get smarter too.
Not just brighter. Not just more efficient.
But more aware. More adaptive. More integrated with the way people live and work.
We redesign workspaces.
We redesign experiences.
Now, it’s time we redesign the very infrastructure that shapes those experiences.
The buildings of the future won’t just be “well-lit.”
They will be intelligently lit—powered by DC, driven by data, and shaped around human comfort.
AC lighting had its era.
That era is ending.
The next one is already here.