Widespread adoption of LED lighting in commercial buildings could well be on the horizon, as more tools become available to building management teams and technical improvements gather apace that make such installations more cost-effective long-term and more affordable short-term.

That's according to IDC Energy Insight's Casey Talon, who investigated the hurdles that have faced commercial LED adoption in recent years.

As Casey explains, the reason why LED light bulbs could become a more common feature in commercial buildings and applications is because of a growing 'smart building management' market - as well as the sustainable, long-term cost-effective benefits that LED lighting brings.

"The convergence of building automation and information technology that is transforming the facilities management industry - and helping define the smart buildings market - presenting a significant opportunity for deployments in LED applications," says the expert.

And that means that applications such as lighting management systems - automatic, centrally controlled systems that close off lighting when not in use, either in unoccupied rooms and at night - are resulting in more LEDs being adopted, and a three-fold benefit for business.

To that end, LEDs offer a double sustainability benefit: not only are the bulbs more energy efficient, using on average 8W of energy for every 60W from a traditional bulb - but, coupled with a lighting system, are more flexible when it comes to power-saving potential.

And with companies increasingly facing government-sanctioned carbon budgets, businesses can more easily achieve those reduced outputs by adopting green energy light bulbs.

This week Nick Clegg spoke of the government's dedication to reducing carbon outputs in the UK, telling a green business conference in London that the Coalition was "unreservedly committed to helping our low-carbon sector thrive - no ifs, no buts".

And the combination of a renewed focus on UK business's carbon budgets and the ubiquity of commercial lighting controls could mean more companies adopt eco-friendly lighting solutions.