Innovating with data across the public sector: aberdeen – intelligent street lighting

April 1, 2020


ABERDEEN: INTELLIGENT STREET LIGHTING

WHAT IS IT?

Aberdeen City Council (ACC) deployed a small scale demonstrator project for Intelligent Street Lighting by utilising the deployment of LED optical units along a high profile area in the centre of Aberdeen which was expanded through the ERDF 8th City funding. As part of the procurement process an innovative hybrid Central Management System was developed which uses the LoRaWan open network gateways to control the nodes on the lighting columns through a mesh network.

WHY IS IT NEEDED?

This project has enabled the old, inefficient units to be replaced, generating both cost and energy savings. Energy costs for street lighting as of December 2015 were £2m per year which is now estimated to fall to £1.1m per year once all the street lighting has been replaced with LED lanterns. The deployment of additional sensors and data collection, contributing to our ambition to enable a variety of Smart City solutions.

WHAT IMPACT DOES IT HAVE?

Energy consumption has been reduced through more efficient light sources (this has been shown to be up to 60% in comparison to the units they replaced) and consequently reduced carbon footprint. There is now adaptive control of the lighting system remotely through the central management system and the system can alert users of any faults as they occur, negating the need to wait for a complaint to come through.

HOW IMPORTANT IS DATA TO THE PROJECT?

Flood sensors have been installed and are operational, providing detail on when interventions are required to prevent flooding which in turn causes disruption. ACC are also wiring the new LED lanterns to allow future development and installation of sensors to be connected to the system through the two spare cores in the flex. Additionally the ACC Part-Time 20mph and Safer Routes to Schools have been connected to the system for switching signs on and off at specific times. The data will contribute towards having a more resilient city and enhance public safety.

WHO TO CONTACT FOR MORE INFORMATION?

For more information contact:

George Collie, Senior Technical Officer. Email GCollie@aberdeencity.gov.uk