Smart streetlights pave the way toward a low-carbon future
2023-09-11 19:09:03
By Yan Wanqin, Yichang International Communication Studio
After dinner, Yichang resident Wu Jia likes to walk along Yunji Road with his family.
"Now that the streetlights are brighter, we feel more comfortable and can see the roads clearer at night," Wu said.
Last year, the streetlights on Yunji Road were replaced with energy-saving models, which are not only brighter but also reduce energy consumption by about 40 to 50 percent.
Previously, on the main roads of Yichang City, 400W sodium lamps were used in roadway lighting, and 250W sodium lamps were used in sidewalk lighting with an average illuminance of less than 20 lux.
After replacing them with LED lights, the electricity power consumption of the roadway lamps was reduced to 240W and the sidewalks down to 100W, with an increase in Illuminance to 40 lux, according to Liu Yang. Liu is in charge of the smart street light project at Yichang Street Lighting Management Service Center.
LED streetlights are not only more energy-efficient and brighter but are also installed with wireless controllers. With a teacup-size controller, maintenance personnel can control each light through an app on their mobile phone, which also makes them easier to repair.
In the control room, more than 60,000 streetlights are marked on an electronic map. As long as the streetlights are installed with controllers, they can be adjusted in real time.
"When there are fewer people and cars on the main and secondary roads, we reduce the lighting power to 50 percent of its full capacity, and in the middle of the night to 20 percent," said Liu.
Since 2022, Yichang has invested 50 million yuan (US$6.9 million) to improve lighting and has so far installed 8,311 LED streetlights on the city's main roads.
The project saved 3.8 million kWh of electricity in 2022, equivalent to 1.68 million people’s electricity consumption in a day, or reducing about 3,000 tons of carbon emissions. Last year, 6,060 streetlights were added to Yichang’s urban area, however, thanks to new technology, the total electricity consumption of streetlights was reduced by 12 percent.
"This year, we received 5 million yuan from the government, allowing us to continue improving the quality of streetlights," said Yu Zhenguang, director of the Yichang Street Light Management Service Center.
After dinner, Yichang resident Wu Jia likes to walk along Yunji Road with his family.
"Now that the streetlights are brighter, we feel more comfortable and can see the roads clearer at night," Wu said.
Last year, the streetlights on Yunji Road were replaced with energy-saving models, which are not only brighter but also reduce energy consumption by about 40 to 50 percent.
Previously, on the main roads of Yichang City, 400W sodium lamps were used in roadway lighting, and 250W sodium lamps were used in sidewalk lighting with an average illuminance of less than 20 lux.
After replacing them with LED lights, the electricity power consumption of the roadway lamps was reduced to 240W and the sidewalks down to 100W, with an increase in Illuminance to 40 lux, according to Liu Yang. Liu is in charge of the smart street light project at Yichang Street Lighting Management Service Center.
LED streetlights are not only more energy-efficient and brighter but are also installed with wireless controllers. With a teacup-size controller, maintenance personnel can control each light through an app on their mobile phone, which also makes them easier to repair.
In the control room, more than 60,000 streetlights are marked on an electronic map. As long as the streetlights are installed with controllers, they can be adjusted in real time.
"When there are fewer people and cars on the main and secondary roads, we reduce the lighting power to 50 percent of its full capacity, and in the middle of the night to 20 percent," said Liu.
Since 2022, Yichang has invested 50 million yuan (US$6.9 million) to improve lighting and has so far installed 8,311 LED streetlights on the city's main roads.
The project saved 3.8 million kWh of electricity in 2022, equivalent to 1.68 million people’s electricity consumption in a day, or reducing about 3,000 tons of carbon emissions. Last year, 6,060 streetlights were added to Yichang’s urban area, however, thanks to new technology, the total electricity consumption of streetlights was reduced by 12 percent.
"This year, we received 5 million yuan from the government, allowing us to continue improving the quality of streetlights," said Yu Zhenguang, director of the Yichang Street Light Management Service Center.
