Patrik Deuss has developed intelligent light sources that work very efficiently. What began with a bachelor’s thesis in the energy and environmental engineering program at the ZHAW is five years later a startup with 42 employees. LEDCity’s goal is to save enough electricity in lighting by 2030 to reduce the need for nuclear power plants.
Where is the greatest potential for stopping climate change? This was the question on Patrik Deuss' mind when he was looking for a topic for his bachelor's thesis in energy and environmental engineering. In heating? In mobility? In the lighting? "In the ZHAW buildings, I noticed that the lights in the corridors were always on," says the energy and environmental engineer. "The janitor explained to me that lighting control is a complex issue." Conventional systems have a single motion detector per room and can only light it completely or not at all. "It should be possible to do this more in line with demand," thought Deuss - and he had found the topic for his bachelor's thesis.
The ZHAW student began developing the prototype of an intelligent light source. His idea was to switch from a centralized to a decentralized system: each illuminant should have its own "brain". The sensor in the new LED tube measures not only movement, but also temperature, humidity, and the incidence of light from natural sources such as windows. All the hardware that is otherwise distributed in the room is integrated into each individual lamp: sensor, lamp, cable. "Together, the light sources function like a swarm," Deuss explains. "It produces as much light as is needed at any given time." This could save 90 percent electricity in lighting.
Patrik Deuss quickly noticed that his idea met with interest. Since he was reaching his limits with the development of the software, he brought in Florian Gärtner, an electrical engineer and friend from the time when he raced downhill competitively. The two founded the startup LEDCity and benefited from the ZHAW's "Startup Challenge" program. For six months, they were able to use office space free of charge, received coaching and training on topics such as patent registration, business plans and the search for investors.
The young founders began to have the lights mass-produced - in Asia. "Most of the electronic components in the LED market are manufactured in China," explains Patrik Deuss. "A train eventually brings our material to Switzerland."
In 2017, Deuss and Gärtner sold the first illuminant, and the company has been growing ever since. LEDCity currently employs 42 people and recently opened offices in Germany and Spain. The startup specializes in commercial buildings and has customers such as Zurich Airport, the ZHAW and the Dolder Grand Hotel. Due to the current tense situation on the energy market, interest in smart lighting has once again risen sharply, says Deuss. In commercial buildings, lighting accounts for up to 30 percent of electricity costs.
Patrik Deuss and Florian Gärtner have big goals: By 2030, they want to convert 12 million light bulbs and thus save the electricity production of a nuclear power plant. That sounds unrealistic at first, but Deuss does the math: In 2022 alone, LEDCity will convert 55,000 lamps. So far, he said, the startup's production has grown at an average annual rate of more than 100 percent - but the target would be reached at a growth rate of 77 percent.
LEDCity's vision goes even further: by 2040, efficient LED lighting systems are expected to reduce global electricity consumption in the lighting sector by 80 percent. "Of course, we can't do it alone," says Deuss. "But we are cranking up the market." For example, the developers are in the process of creating a small sensor that incorporates all the technology of the LEDCity tubes so that other companies can integrate this sensor into their own luminaires. Patrik Deuss assumes that a lot will happen in the energy sector in the next few years. "It is always easier and cheaper to save electricity than to produce it sustainably," emphasizes the startup founder.
At 30, Patrik Deuss is CEO of a fast-growing SME. Is the great responsibility a burden? "I find my work very meaningful," he replies. They are a very good team that supports each other, he said. They are constantly looking for new employees and it is important for them to select them well. His experience in top-level sport had also prepared him well for this task. "In both sports and business, you have to break goals down into milestones. You need discipline, training - and the will to persevere," says Deuss. "I think as an elite athlete, you have a different sense of pain."
Author: Seraina Sattler / ZHAW Impact
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