Cities are expanding at an astronomical rate. Over half of the world’s population today resides in cities, according to the UN. By 2050, this percentage is predicted to increase to 68%. However, as the population grows, the management of the city is likewise facing new difficulties in providing public services. Cities are thinking about undergoing digital transformation to address these issues. They are aiming to develop into “Smart Cities,” in other words.
Smart city
In a nutshell, a smart city is one that has the capacity to gather and analyze many types of data from various industries, ranging from waste management to urban planning. A city must create and maintain an efficient network of interconnected sensors, systems, and feature-rich software in order to qualify as a Smart City.
How can smart city infrastructure be built upon smart street lighting?
Smart street lights provide a great starting point from which to develop a variety of IoT applications for Smart Cities, gathering a variety of data.
Intelligent street lights have more benefits than just immediate energy and maintenance cost savings. In actuality, they provide significant infrastructure advantages that make them an ideal foundation for hosting intelligent sensors and systems.
- Source of power – Streetlight poles have access to a reliable power source. As a result, extra equipment, like generators or batteries, are not required when it comes to powering other IoT devices, sensors, and systems.
- Location – The city is consistently covered in streetlights. They resemble the city’s nervous system. Each streetlight pole also has a similar height. Street lights are perfect for hosting various types of IoT sensors and devices due to their coverage and height, which negates the need to build ad hoc infrastructures.
- Safe – Street lights are typically out of the way of residents since they are high above the ground. All the clever sensors and equipment will stay safe at the top of the street light without impeding pedestrians or the other way around. Additionally, data collecting (over the air) is more effective because of the height.
Deploying Smart City systems is facilitated by the already-existing public lighting infrastructure’s flexible physical and network capabilities, which also make it more economical and rapid.
Additionally, additional Smart City systems can use the network that smart streetlights use, whether it be LoRa, LTE-M, NB-IoT, or another technology. In summary, a wide range of Smart City applications may readily build upon the robust foundation set up by smart streetlights. It would make it easier for a municipal administration to enhance its public services through rapid, efficient, and cost-effective deployments.
Business Case for Smart Street Lighting
The amount of energy used is greatly decreased by switching to LED streetlights. However, the installation of a smart street lighting control system brings additional advantages, including increased energy savings as well as decreased CO2 and light pollution.
Streetlights require a light control system, which typically consists of controllers, sensors, and gateways, in order to transform from ordinary to smart. These components connect to a central management system over a specific wireless network, from which they can be remotely managed, monitored, and controlled.
The initial upfront costs of installing a smart street lighting control system are rather considerable. However, the system’s savings and other advantages from day one make the business case an appealing proposition, with a Return on Investment of between five and seven years.
- Energy consumption is reduced by more than 60% thanks to dynamic dimming. Intelligent streetlight controllers aid in adjusting light levels according to the particular occasions and times. Light levels are further adjusted based on the presence of people when used in conjunction with streetlight motion sensors. There are significant energy savings when lighting levels are adjusted according to the time, occasion, or presence of people.
- Maintenance cost optimization: a decrease of up to 50%. Operators have access to almost real-time status information for each street light thanks to intelligent street lighting. In the event of defects or problems, the central management system immediately alerts the operators, allowing them to take appropriate action and reducing the need for night patrols or regular truck rolls.
- Safe Circle of Light – Enhanced community security. Only when they identify people do intelligent streetlight motion sensors turn on the lights enough. As a result, whenever a car, bicycle, or pedestrian passes by, a warm, secure circle of light will always be around them. Streetlights will operate at a low, predetermined level when no one is around, decreasing energy waste, CO2 emissions, and light pollution. Streetlights that solely shine on human activity reduce crime because of the fact that criminals avoid well-lit locations, increasing overall public safety.
- Carbon Footprint Reduction – Significant drop in CO2 emissions. Carbon emissions from electricity production are significant. This CO2-producing electricity is used by millions of streetlights. Smart street lighting reduces the need for this type of electricity. In other words, by minimizing energy waste, smart lamps indirectly aid in the reduction of carbon emissions.
- Reduced light pollution will help nocturnal animals. Unwanted light pollution can be significantly reduced by using predetermined illumination levels based on specified hours and occasions. Light pollution can be reduced even more by using a motion sensor streetlight solution. Reductions in light pollution are advantageous for both people and nocturnal wildlife.
Smart city applications can be further developed with the savings from smart street lighting, leading to a cascade of reinvestment and cost reductions.
Smart Street Lighting Set the Stage for Smart Cities
Several cities choose the Yibai intelligent street lighting solution to start their journeys toward becoming Smart Cities. These cities were able to reduce energy waste, their carbon footprint, and light pollution while maintaining the safety and contentment of their residents by utilizing YIBAI LED Lighting’s smart streetlight controllers, motion sensors, IoT gateways, and central management system.
Additionally, these cities were able to quickly connect third-party applications and systems due to the YIBAI LED Lighting solutions’ openness (Open API and Open Architecture), which allowed them to gather a variety of useful data on which to make their decisions and enhance their public services.
Interested in finding out how Yibai LED Lighting’s smart street lighting systems can make your city more intelligent? Please visit us at: www.yibai-lighting.com
