Technology is evolving and so are lighting controls. We have left the age of manual controlled lights and are entering the new age of lighting and lighting controls. And London is on board; in a recent lighting overhaul in London plans have arisen to turn 14,000 of their average street lights into smart street lights.
Image courtesy of Tab Times
The debate: Lighting debates in London and the UK have been on the rise, with the primary discussion illuminating the idea of turning off the street lights to save energy and costs. Council members seemed to agree that although some areas could handle a complete shut off, London’s Westminster district was in need of night lighting. The answer: smart lights, this gives the city the ability to control and visually maintain their lighting without the everyday expense.
The outcome: Over a four year period, 14,000 of London’s street lights will be converted from the average street light to the smart controlled and visually maintained by an iPad street light. Virtual observation will inform technicians when lamps are broken or are in need of replacing. This new street light technology can amount to thousands of dollars in savings for the city, including a large reduction in gas and hourly costs that are normally spent on individual techs inspecting the lights.
What will this new lighting system do for the UK?
Electronically monitor lights and infrastructure
When an issue arises with a street lamp’s bulb it will automatically be detected and an engineer will be notified and dispatched
The system can even predict when a lamp is likely to fail
Can control brightness levels
The council says the initial investment should be recouped through energy and maintenance savings within seven years. With an estimated savings for council tax payers of $600,000 (£420,000) after the projected payoff in 2015/16.
Source:
http://www.lightpublic.com/lighting-articles/smart-phones-smart-light-bulbs-and-now-smart-street-lights/
