Sustainability and Street Light Management: A Green Approach to Illuminating Cities

Smart street lighting installations have the potential to transform cities and towns, paving the way for a more sustainable form of life. Switching to intelligent lighting solutions based on LEDs presents an opportunity for governments to lower energy consumption, operation and maintenance costs while reducing the overall carbon footprint.

December 26, 2023. By News Bureau

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Infrastructure solutions

In today's era, sustainability has evolved into a central theme for urban development and city planning. With urban populations on the rise, the demand for environmentally conscious and efficient infrastructure solutions has never been more pronounced.

Street lights are fundamental in any city. Most cities, however, use the conventional lighting system that seems to be obsolete in this technological age. Such a lighting system is associated with high energy usage and heavy operational costs. Therefore, investing in an energy-efficient street lighting system can be a game-changer for municipalities. Smart street lighting installations have the potential to transform cities and towns, paving the way for a more sustainable form of life.

Switching to intelligent lighting solutions based on LEDs presents an opportunity for city governments to lower energy consumption, operation and maintenance costs while reducing the overall carbon footprint. In addition, a bright and reliable lighting network can have several socio-economic benefits: well-lit streets make people feel safe and secure, it particularly enhances women’s safety, drastically reduces road accidents during the night, furthermore, acts as a catalyst to boost economic and social activity after sunset.

Street lights and Sustainable Development Public lighting typically account for over 40 percent of a city’s electricity budget. According to the United Nations, 68 percent of the world’s population will live in urban areas by 2050 and a whopping 416 million will be Indian. This forecast underscores the ongoing trend of rapid urbanisation, highlighting the critical need for sustainable infrastructure and development to accommodate the growing urban populace. Understanding the key trends in urbanisation likely to unfold over the coming years is crucial to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including efforts to forge a new framework of urban development.

Here's how cities can transform their public lighting systems to be more sustainable, keeping in line with the UN's climate action targets:

Energy Saving Strategies: Public lighting is a considerable drain on city resources, primarily due to inefficient usage where lights remain at full intensity throughout the night, regardless of necessity. The adoption of smart street lighting systems allows for scheduled dimming, which aligns lighting levels with actual needs, reducing energy consumption and costs. Smart lighting can reduce a city's lighting energy usage by up to 50 percent.

Reducing Light Pollution: The inappropriate or excessive use of artificial light, known as light pollution, has far-reaching effects on humans, wildlife, and the climate. Light pollution encompasses glare, light trespass, skyglow, and clutter. By managing lighting more effectively through dimming during off-peak hours, cities can mitigate these issues. This not only conserves energy but also helps preserve the natural night environment, benefiting both humans and nocturnal wildlife.

Biodiversity Protection: The impact of artificial lighting on biodiversity is an area of increasing concern. Night-time lighting disrupts the natural behaviors of various species, including moths, turtles, and amphibians, affecting migration patterns, reproduction, and predation. Smart lighting solutions, such as motion sensor street lights that only brighten in response to human activity, offer a way to minimize these disruptions. By adopting these technologies, cities can take significant strides in protecting local ecosystems while still ensuring public safety.

Lower repair and maintenance costs: These intelligent systems are equipped with sensors and connectivity that enable them to report their status in real time to a central management system. This means that issues can be detected immediately and addressed proactively, often before they escalate into larger, costlier problems. With traditional lighting, problems may go unnoticed until they cause a failure, requiring more extensive repairs. Additionally, smart lighting can be remotely managed and diagnosed, which reduces the need for on-site inspections and maintenance trips.

Revenue Opportunities: Smart street lighting infrastructure opens up new avenues for cities to generate revenue, notably through digital signages integrated into the pole. The integration of digital displays into street light poles not only maximises the use of urban space but also offers advertisers prime, eye-level visibility in high-traffic areas. These digital signs can serve a dual purpose by displaying public service announcements alongside commercial advertisements, thereby contributing to public information dissemination while generating income.

The transformation towards sustainable street lighting aligns with the broader objectives of climate change mitigation and adaptation. By implementing smart lighting solutions, cities not only adhere to the principles laid out in the UN's Sustainable Development Goals but also pave the way for a brighter, greener future. It is a prime example of how technology and sustainability can go hand in hand, leading to smarter, more resilient urban living spaces that are prepared to meet the challenges of the future head-on.

- Shashank Donthi, CEO, Hynetic Electronics