INTELLIGENT STREET LIGHTING

End-to-end lighting solutions

The Netherlands based Tvilight, a leader in professional end-to-end lighting control solutions, specializes in sensors, wireless lighting controls, and connected lighting management software for outdoor applications. The company has developed four products which together are the solution for an intelligent lighting system:

‘CitySense’  has motion sensors which detect movement on the street of cars, bicycles and people. When traffic is detected, it gives a signal to the lamp’s driver to glow up. After the traffic has past,  the lights dim again to a preferred level. As the CitySense has a wireless module, it can ‘talk’ with neighbouring modules and give them the signal that traffic is coming into their direction so they can lit up as well in advance. This way the traffic (car, bicycle, pedestrian) always moves in a ray of light. It is what we call the ‘moonwalk’. CitySense modules are installed on the light pole and directly connected to the grid and the lamp driver.

As most cities these days have problems with the energy they use, and as street lighting takes about 30% of a city’s total budget, the reason to deploy an intelligent network is obvious.
– Frans Heijmans Chief Operating Officer, Tvilight Intelligent Lighting Solutions

‘Skylite’ is a module that can be built in a luminaire or on the pole. This unit  has a wireless module so it can communicate with the other modules in the network.  Skylite can be programmed with all kind of dimming schedules, almost unlimited. For example, you can program it to start at sunset and lit up to 80%, at 23:00 you go down to 60%, at 01:00 down to 30% and at 05:00 till sunrise back to 80%. And the Skylite can also be triggered by a CitySense when that unit triggers motion. To combine the two types you can create a network which is very efficient and cost saving.

The ‘Gateway’ is used to connect all the units in a network (CitySense and Skylites) and create one network. All information from the network is sent to cloud- based database and commands to manage the light from the management system. The Gateway sends all these commands to the units, this way you can change settings or error messages from the lamp which are send to the management system. Gateway can communicate to the Internet through Ethernet, Wi-Fi or 3/4G connection.

‘CityManager’ is a web-tool that manages all the networks. It gives current status of all devices, one  can see statistics on usage, energy savings, heat maps and much more. The existing lamp poles are enough to start building a Smart City network. There is a need for 3G connection from a Telecom provider as minimum. If that is in place, a city can build complete, citywide networks.

As most cities these days have problems with the energy they use, and as street lighting takes about 30% of a city’s total budget, the reason to deploy an intelligent network is obvious. No extra infrastructure is needed as the network builds its own infrastructure, a wireless 2,5Ghz network over which the units communicate with each other. The Skylites can be integrated with the luminaire in the factory of the luminaire supplier. So no installation on site, when the contractor installs the new LED lights, the Tvilight units are already in the lamp.

Being an open system, the database can be reached through API’s so other companies can connect to our system. So, if a municipality already has a management software for its traffic management, that system can be integrated avoiding the need for a second system. Also on the hardware side,  there are many communication ports at different protocols to connect other kinds of equipment such as environmental sensors.

All network communication is secured so no one can ‘read’ the information. Another security is that if a unit loses its connection with the Gateway, it keeps working on its programmed schedule. So no lamp will fall out. Also, when the unit is broken, the lamp automatically switches to 100% light. Better too much light than no light for public safety. When the Gateway loses its connection with the units or with the internet, the network behind the Gateway will keep working. Reports will be stored so no information is lost and when the connection is re-established, all reports are send to the database. This three-way security system has never failed so far.