Streetlights across a the borough of Westminster are to be fitted with remote monitoring CMS (Central Management System) technology, which can be controlled from an iPad. This will alert technicians to any problems as soon as they arise.
Following a successful pilot scheme, the London borough has created a 'Smart Lights system' deploying Philips CosmoPolis Outdoor Lighting products in conjunction with a Harvard LeafNut CMS system. The council will also install GE Ceramic Metal Halide StreetWise lamps.
The project will take four years to complete and it is hoped the £3.25 million investment will save council taxpayers £420,000 per year from 2015/16 onwards. All of the borough's 14,000 streetlights will be adapted to the scheme.
The service development manager for public lighting at Westminster City Council, Dave Franks, said: "These combinations enable the investment to align as best as possible to a steady state investment strategy helping ensure that the best value is delivered.
"Smart Lights will enable the city council's lighting scheme to achieve its aspirations to have a dynamic, interactive lighting solution that can adapt to the challenges of the future."
The remote central monitoring system enables data to be sent to apps and also allows for adjustments to be made to the brightness of the lights. The system can even predict when a lamp is likely to fail.
Councillor Ed Argar, cabinet minister for city management said, "This provides people in Westminster with the lights they require to feel secure and continue to function safely in a 24-hour city.
"But it will also reduce our energy bill by nearly £1 million every two years. A huge saving that we can pass onto the taxpayer."
