Smart streetlights may cut energy use by 80%

HUAWEI said yesterday that its newly launched Connected City Lighting Solution would reduce energy used by municipal lighting by 80%.

A statement from the Chinese technology giant said it was debuting “the industry’s first Internet of Things (IoT) lighting solution with multilevel intelligent control” at Cebit, the international computer expo in Hannover, Germany, this week.

Huawei said the Connected City Lighting Solution connects streetlights to the IoT using a geographic-based information system, enabling cities to enhance the control and performance of every streetlight.

The statement added: “The solution provides municipal managers with status information on each lamp in every street and enables precise control of on-off switches and brightness of individual street lamps, allowing o n - demand lighting and a reduc- tion in energy consumption by up to 80%.”

According to The Climate Group, the international nonprofit group that works with government, business and civil society leaders to facilitate the global transition to a prosperous, low-carbon economy, lighting accounts for nearly 6% of global greenhouse gas emissions, or 1 900 million tons a year.

Unsafe

Huawei said according to Climate Group, there were about 304 million street lights around the world, with the number expected to reach 352 million by 2025.

While these lights bring convenience to people’s lives, and are a crucial security feature in unsafe neighbourhoods around the world, they consume a vast amount of energy and cost municipalities a lot.

Huawei says its lighting solution would not only increase energy efficiency and lower costs, but would also allow for better management and prevent failures. – ANA