Do streets lights constantly need to run at 100 percent luminosity? It's clear that when most people are asleep during the middle of the night, this makes little sense.
Some municipalities have started turning down the brightness of their lights. But for Luxembourgish startup WeThink, which also works on some other ecological projects, this does not go far enough.
Lights should be adjusted according to where they are most needed. This idea, which uses motion sensors, is already in use in some countries.
Theoretically, this would even allow for lights to be turned off completely as long as the street is empty. If a presence is detected - be that a car, a pedestrian or a cyclist - the surrounding lights turn on and "follow" the movement, like a light bubble, turning off again behind the person.
© WeThink
This system has been tested for a few months on a street in Dudelange. Rather than being off completely, the lights are dimmed to 60 percent of their usual brightness. If movement is detected, this is increased to 80%. The difference is barely detectable for the human eye.
But the smart lights can save up to 80% of energy, which helps the municipal budget and the enviroment. Reduced light pollution is also very beneficial for nocturnal animals, who are often disoriented by the artificial lighting we introduced into their habitats.
The adjustment of separate lights has advantages for road safety, too: in case of roadworks or an accident, individual lights can be set to full brightness to increase visibility or even draw attention to an incident from afar, says Luc Schmit from WeThink. The smart system can also collect movement data, so municipalities automatically get information on nighttime traffic.
The test period has persuaded Dudelange mayor Dan Biancalana to equip two more streets with the smart system. The new NeiSchmelz neighbourhood may also get the new lighting, and further uses will be evaluated.
The system was developed in Belgium, while the lights were sourced in Germany. The collaboration and support from Dudelange has made this a very encouraging project, said Luc Schmit from WeThink.
