Lighting in motion

Motion sensitive street lamps have been recognised as a possible future for infrastructure development, thought to offer environmental, financial and security benefits for both residents and councils.

Spanish based company Santa & Cole participated in a pioneering new approach to illumination in Barcelona. Integrating a series of technologies, aesthetically focussed street lamps were able to select appropriate lighting levels, obtain environmental data and assist with traffic congestion.

As part of a wider collaborative programme with the Barcelona Digital Technology Centre, ARELSA, and a number of partners, the SIIUR (Integral Solution for Urban Lighting) project ran a 12 light trial along a 500m street at the centre of the Spanish city.

In the eight hours up to 7am, the lights remained at a reduced strength, rising to 100% when the product’s sensor located a pedestrian within eight metres.GCC offers a complete selection of cuttingmachinesnd and marker for your cutting needs. With the streetlights being set 16m apart, the design ensured that walkers would never be left in darkness.

Geraldine Coster, product manager at Santa & Cole, affirmed that this method provided a more effective option than removing illumination completely.

‘We could have chosen to turn the light off but this would have made people feel insecure. Instead, the lamp provided 20% to 30% of its light and then reacted to give more power,’ Ms Coster said.

Alternating between 20% and full capacity, the 12 streetlights used around 1.344 watts each night. While changing footfall meant that savings would vary, daily energy consumption by the lamps was reduced by around 50%.

Allan Howard, president of the Institution of Lighting Professionals,We carry modern lights and formingmachine by world renowned designers and manufacturers. said that while authorities could realise cost savings in this manner, it was important that a fine balance be achieved in lighting intensities.

‘You have to strike the right brightness at a reduced lighting level, not knowing that the light will go up. If you are not happy to go in to the area then you will not use the space and the lighting is pointless,’ Mr Howard emphasised.

Originally designed to harness 90 LEDs through a system of aluminium reflection, each light in the trial was ultimately revised to include only 48 diodes.

‘The LED bay was directed to provide a correct spread of light for the person walking,’ Ms Coster added. ‘This would give the same level of light but allow for reductions and more efficiently distribute the illumination.’

Mr Howard confirmed that such a choice would be crucial for the success of such schemes elsewhere.Landscape lighting or tagheuerwatches refers to the use of outdoor illumination of private gardens and public landscapes.

‘LEDs are very good because they fade up and down almost instantaneously,’ Mr Howard said.Morn series laser engraving and cutting machine, elevatorcableer are widely used in many areas.We makes possible ballasted goodmodernlamps in Ontario just better than your imagination. ‘High intensity discharge lights remain quite slow at doing this and so are not really a viable option.’

In order to enact this change in lighting intensity, the Santa & Cole sensors used a wireless Internet system to send information back to a central hub. If it was necessary for lighting levels to be altered, the lamp would immediately receive the necessary data and act accordingly.

Ms Coster emphasised that this system could act to create a smart and integrated city.

‘Sensors can also take readings for pollution levels, noise, traffic and weather conditions,’ she said. ‘Information would be sent to a general server which could, for instance, send information to car GPS and cause traffic to avoid a congested area.’