Wireless tech lets cities manage street lighting from PCs

IT and communications firm Kingston Communications (KC) says it’s provided the wireless technology for a unique street-lighting central monitoring system set to “revolutionise the street-lighting industry.”

KC’s communications experts have partnered with Harvard Engineering from Beeston in Leeds to provide the data communication for Harvard Engineering’s LeafNut technology, which allows street lights to be operated and managed remotely with a PC or laptop.

LeafNut offers the ability to accurately control and monitor all assigned lighting units by providing remote wireless, Web-based switching and dimming back to the operator through a Web server. It also provides on-screen diagnostics, including operational efficiency, predicted lamp failure, fault finding and energy consumption management.

Using KC’s server hosting facilities, Harvard Engineering’s LeafNut system also gives users the ability to remotely monitor and control on and off times, change the power output, monitor lamp life and failure and provide early warning reports that will reduce maintenance costs.

“LeafNut is already allowing local authorities across the UK to achieve 40-per cent cuts in street-lighting energy costs,” said Martin Baum, financial director for Harvard Engineering. “It provides a two-way conversation between street lights and operators which allows users to manage all information around light running efficiencies, maintenance and energy.”

Andy Streets, KC’s regional sales consultant, said this is the first “machine-to-machine” connection Kingston has provided in Yorkshire, and its impact on maximising energy savings should be considered by more businesses.

“Our technology not only offers effective, secure and fast data communication but also has the potential for a wider impact upon the end user’s resources — in this instance the cost and time savings of not dispatching staff to check and maintain the lights,” Streets said.

Other notable features of the system include:

• The LeafNut system is the result of a six-year research and development programme at Harvard Engineering;
• LeafNut has been proven to cut carbon production and toxic waste by up to 50 per cent across the whole street-lighting infrastructure, according to Harvard Engineering;
• The system yields reported savings of 100 kilograms of carbon emissions per lighting column per year;
• The UK currently has seven million street lights to maintain; and
• Current LeafNut customers include Warrington Borough Council, Westminster Council and Sheffield City Council.