Cardiff Council has started installing a network of IoT-enabled street lights throughout the city, with the hope that they will help reduce energy costs while providing a means to increase light levels at peak times.
The first stage of the project, which involves installing more than 14,000 energy-efficient Philips Luma LED street lights around the city, is nearing completion. Each is connected to Philips' CityTouch system, which lighting managers can use to monitor, control and manage the entire lighting network including dimming or increasing the brightness of street lights.
The connected lighting system also allows managers to get an overview of the entire city's lighting network, which can help identify faults that can then be precisely pinpointed and fixed faster than was previously possible.
"We looked at a broad range of factors when selecting our new connected lighting system," said Chris Jones, lead electrical officer at Cardiff City Council. "Our top priorities were to ensure maximum benefit for our citizens and capitalize on potential cost and energy savings. Philips Lighting has given us an infrastructure that will grow with our needs and provide quality light to make our citizens feel safer.
"With continual monitoring, we can now respond instantly such as increasing light levels at peak times outside schools and hospitals."
Cardiff City Council added that the implementation will also help reduce the city's substantial electricity bill, falling by 60% per year, while also achieving additional cost savings of 750,000.
"Our connected street lighting will contribute to a safer environment for the citizens of Cardiff and will enable the city to achieve savings in energy and enjoy operational efficiencies," added Jacques Letzelter, head of public lighting for Philips Lighting.
"It provides a scalable and flexible digital infrastructure which gives the city options for the future, such as inputting data into smart city dashboards or adding sensors that could, for example, monitor noise or traffic."
Cardiff is the 1000th connected light installation overseen by Philips since the company introduced the technology in 2012. It's currently operating in 37 countries including Amsterdam, Buenos Aires, Jakarta, Los Angeles and Toronto.
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