Energetica India 89 - May 2020

SMART CITIES Intelligent Lighting: The Key to Developing Smarter Cities Lightning the dark is the main task of street lighting. However, intelligent street lamps can fulfill many more functions like notifications on the violation of traffic regulations and automatic penalty with the help of car numbers for littering. India is at the verge of attaining the title of the most populous country in the world. With the increasing population, the demand for a significant development of cities has also increased. To - day Internet of Things (IoT) is taking over across all domains and lighting is not an exception. When it comes to developing any city, intelligent lighting is worthy of attention for future as it permeates every area of an individual’s life–home, work, on the road and in public places. Smart lighting plays a functional role not only in illumination, connected and intelligent lighting has the capability to improve quality of life, transform everyday experiences and services, and ensure sustainability in ever expanding global cities. Furthermore, urban populations are expanding swiftly and according to a survey, in 1901 census India had 11.4% of its population residing in urban areas, according to 2001 census, it increased to 28.53%, and crossed 30% as per 2011 census, in 2017, the numbers increased to 34%. Approximately 60% of the world’s population is predicted to live in cities by 2030 with more than 70 billion light points. To develop smart cities, powering of intelligent lighting is very important aspect as it synchronizes everything to individual preferences. It will pre-empt the needs, complements well-being, energizes people, and keeps safety at first. Today, every business, houses, buildings and public areas are destined to become smart. Street lighting has also not been an isolated domain nowand has become the part of a networked urban infrastructure. Lightning thedark is the main task of street lighting. However, intelligent street lamps can fulfill many more functions like no - tifications on the violation of traffic regulations and automatic penalty with the help of car numbers for littering. Intelligent lighting also includes LED technology which not only, lowers the electricity cost, enables demand-driven lighting but also reduces CO2 emissions. According to a survey, half of the carbon emissionis generated from the production of electricity. Lighting alone produces 17% of carbon emissions. A huge amount of 830 grams of carbon equivalents are generated by every 1KW of electricity. A study in 830 grams of carbon equivalents shows that intelligent light- ing through LED technology reduced carbon emissions by 570 million tons. That is the equivalent of shutting down 162 coal- fired power plants. Every time the energy is conserved,carbon footprint is reduced. LED lighting can reduce the usage and energy-saving appliances. A standard incandescent light burns through 50 watts of electricity per hour but an intelligent light bulb usage can only be up to 6 watts per hour. Moreover, the intelligent lighting can be an asset for mankind which may consist solar power capabilities, digital signage, en- vironmental condition monitoring, traffic monitoring and electric charging.Intelligent lighting may have the efficiency of getting outfitted with solar panels to power the lampposts lighting. Besides all the major functionaries, intelligent lighting plays a major role on revamping the lights on streets. The intelligent lighting will have digital signage capabilities to alert pedestrians 28 energetica INDIA- May_2020 Gautam Seth Joint-Managing Director, HPL Electric & Power Ltd.