Not all smart lighting is created equal. And the right choice depends on where you're starting from.
Here's the thing: if you're looking for a 'one size fits all' answer to smart lighting, you're going to be disappointed. The technology is mature enough to be powerful, but fragmented enough that the wrong choice can lock you into a system that's either too expensive to scale or too limited to be useful.
In my world—procurement—I've seen this play out a few times. The facility manager who bought a bunch of consumer-grade smart bulbs because they were cheap, only to find out they couldn't integrate with the building's BMS. The hotel chain that went with a proprietary system and then couldn't get replacement parts 18 months later. The small office that over-specified and spent 30% more than they needed to.
Over the past 6 years of managing vendor contracts and tracking $180,000 in cumulative spending across various infrastructure projects, I've developed a pretty clear framework for thinking about this. It's not complicated, but it helps avoid the most common traps.
The Core Question: New Build or Retrofit?
Most of the confusion about smart lighting comes from not being clear about the project's starting point. This is the primary branch in our decision tree. It's tempting to think you can just pick the 'best' system, but the 'best' system for a new construction project is often a terrible choice for a retrofit, and vice versa.
Scenario A: New Construction / Major Renovation (Shell Open)
Scenario B: Retrofit / Room-by-Room Upgrade (Existing Ceiling)
Scenario C: The Hybrid (New Wing + Existing Space)
Let's break these down.
Scenario A: The New Build (Or Gut Renovation)
If you have access to the ceiling plenum and can run new wiring, your options open up significantly. You're not constrained by existing junction boxes or switch loops. This is where a wired, centralized system makes the most sense. We're talking about a PoE (Power over Ethernet) system or a central controller wired to each fixture.
I compared costs across 4 vendors for a 10,000 sq ft office shell last year. Vendor A (a major lighting manufacturer) quoted $42,000 for a wired PoE system including all fixtures, cat6 cabling, and the central controller. Vendor B (a newer entrant) quoted $31,000 for a wireless mesh system. I almost went with B until I calculated the TCO.
The wireless system had a projected 7-year lifespan on the control modules (batteries and radio degradation). The wired system had a projected 20-year lifespan on the controls.
- Wired (PoE) TCO over 10 years: $42,000 (install) + $2,000 (maintenance) = $44,000
- Wireless (Mesh) TCO over 10 years: $31,000 (install) + $12,000 (module replacement at year 7) + $3,000 (battery swaps) = $46,000
They were almost identical in cost over a decade. But the wired system offered more reliable data throughput for the Zigbee measurement network we were planning. If you're building from scratch and care about building analytics, don't let the cheaper upfront quote fool you. Simple.
Recommendation for A: Go wired. Look at PoE systems (like those supporting third-party controls) or a DALI-based system. Brands like Legrand have commercial-grade options here, though you'll likely work through an electrical distributor rather than buying a switch off the shelf. Look at their Eliot connected devices ecosystem if you want to see how a major player is handling this.
Scenario B: The Retrofit (Working with an Existing Ceiling)
This is where things get interesting. Most of my 'hidden cost' stories come from Scenario B. You can't easily run new wires, so you're looking at wireless controls. This is the domain of Zigbee networks.
What is a smart lighting system in this context? It's usually a controller that replaces the existing light switch (like the Legrand Adorne system) or a module that goes into the fixture's junction box. These connect via a mesh network.
The common mistake here is buying the cheapest mesh node you can find.
When I audited our 2023 spending on a small office retrofit (15 rooms), the vendor sold us a 'buy one, get one half off' on a popular consumer smart switch. The switches were $55 each. The Legrand Adorne switches were $89 each. I thought we were saving 35%.
We weren't. The cheap switches had a flaky Zigbee implementation. They'd drop off the network every few days, requiring a manual reset. The Legrand switches, while more expensive, were certified against the Zigbee 3.0 standard. They just worked.
The math on that mistake:
- Cheap switches: 15 × $55 = $825. Plus 10 hours of IT support time ($150/hr) over 6 months to rejoin devices = $1,500. Total: $2,325.
- Legrand Adorne switches: 15 × $89 = $1,335. Zero support time. Total: $1,335.
Recommendation for B: Invest in the quality of the control interface. Paying 60% more for a switch that works 100% of the time is cheaper than paying 40% less for one that works 90% of the time and requires IT intervention. Prioritize devices that are Zigbee 3.0 certified. This ensures interoperability with other certified devices, which matters if you later want to add a sensor or a blind control. Don't get locked into a proprietary radio.
Scenario C: The Hybrid (Part New, Part Old)
This is the hardest balance. You have a new wing where you can run wires, and an old wing that needs a retrofit. The temptation is to pick one system and force it on both. Don't.
The vendor who said 'this isn't our strength—here's who does it better' earned my trust for everything else. A good automation partner will tell you the truth: run a wired DALI system in the new build for reliability, and a separate Zigbee mesh for the retrofit, with a software gateway bridging the two. This gives you the best of both worlds without the compromises of a one-size-fits-all solution.
I'd rather work with a specialist who knows their limits than a generalist who overpromises. If a vendor tells you their 'one box' perfectly solves both a 50-floor new build and a 5-room retrofit, ask them to show you the math on replacement costs for those wireless nodes in 7 years.
How to Know Which Scenario You Are
This is the most important step. Be honest with yourself.
- Check your ceiling. Is it open or closed? Can you get a cable tray in there? If yes, you're Scenario A or C.
- Ask your electrician. 'Can I run a dedicated CAT6 cable to each light fixture location, or do I need to use a switch loop?' If they say 'switch loop' is the only option without drywall repair, you're Scenario B.
- Look at your switches. If you have standard Decora-style switches, you're a prime candidate for a retrofit system like Legrand's Adorne or Radiant. If you have an old toggle switch, you might need to check for a neutral wire in the box—a common gotcha for older buildings.
- Define your 'smart' needs. Do you just want central control (on/off/dim) from a phone? Or do you want energy monitoring, daylight harvesting, and integration with your HVAC system? The former is cheap. The latter requires a much more robust network.
When I compared our Q1 and Q2 results side by side—same building, different architects—I finally understood why the details matter so much. One team planned for a smart system from the start. The other treated it as an afterthought. The afterthought cost 25% more and delivered 30% less functionality.
The Bottom Line (with Real Numbers)
To give you a concrete anchor, here's a quick price reference based on publicly listed prices and my own RFQ experiences from early 2025. Remember, these are starting points.
| Scenario | Component | Estimated Cost (per fixture/switch) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Build (Wired) | PoE Fixture + Controller + Cabling | $350 - $700 | Heavily scale-dependent. Labor is the biggest variable. |
| Retrofit (Wireless) | Smart Switch (Zigbee 3.0) | $55 - $120 | Legrand Adorne/Radiant is at the higher end. Consumer brands at the low end. |
| Retrofit (Wireless) | Fixture Controller (Zigbee) | $80 - $150 | Needed if you want to control the light source, not just the switch. |
| Retrofit (Wireless) | Under Cabinet Lighting Controller | $95 - $200 | Non-standard sizes mean fewer options. Legrand Adorne under cabinet lighting is a good example of a dedicated solution. |
| System | Software Gateway / Bridge | $200 - $600 | Required for app control and automation. Critical for system reliability. |
Is the premium option worth it? Sometimes. Depends on context. But if you ignore the scenario mapping and just buy the cheapest switch you can find on a commercial project, you're not optimizing costs—you're deferring them. That 'cheap' option probably results in a $1,200 redo when quality fails, or in my case, $1,500 in hidden IT support costs.
The best smart lighting system is the one that fits your building's reality. Not the one with the most features or the lowest sticker price. Know your scenario, invest in the network backbone, and question any vendor that claims to do everything perfectly.