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This paper highlights the benefits and possible drawbacks of a DC-based lighting infrastructure for powering Light Emitting Diode (LED)-lamps. It also evaluates the efforts needed for integrating the so called smart lighting and other sensor/actuator based control systems, and compares existing and emerging solutions. It reviews and discusses published work in this field with special focus on the intelligent DC-based infrastructure named EDISON that is primarily dedicated to lighting, but is applicable to building automation in general. The EDISON "PowerLAN" consists of a DC-based infrastructure that offers telecommunication abilities and can be applied to lighting retrofitting scenarios for buildings. Its infrastructure allows simple and efficient powering of DC-oriented devices like LED lamps, sensors and microcontrollers, while offering a wired communication channel. This paper motivates the design choices for organizing DC lighting grids and their associated communication possibilities. It also shows how the EDISON based smart lighting solution is evolving today to include new communication technologies and to further integrate other parts of building management solutions through the OneM2M (Machine to Machine) service bus.

In the context of the FP7 CIP-ICT Programme, the EDISON project 1 has the ambitious goal to introduce a new way of thinking lighting networks in buildings, for both retrofitting actions and new constructions. It proposes an innovative ICT-based solution for lighting infrastructure that aims to improve power efficiency, reduce CO 2 emissions and encourage the use of small-scale renewable energy sources in public and private buildings. In particular, this paper focuses on a relevant aspect of the EDISON solution: the centralization of DC power supply in a LED lighting infrastructure. To this aim, a short analysis has been carried out in order to give evidence of the benefits arising from the application of this approach. Finally, preliminary results achieved in targeted Pilot actions, implemented in different European countries, have been reported.

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