As cities strive for sustainability and energy efficiency, adaptive dimming technology offers an innovative solution for streetlighting. The obvious benefits of adaptive dimming need to be balanced against the potential issues of a poor dimming design that introduces safety risks.
This presentation explores how integrated adaptive dimming systems, can optimise energy use while maintaining safety and visibility. By adjusting the brightness of streetlights based on data such as traffic flow, pedestrian movement, and time of day, adaptive dimming systems provide a dynamic and environmentally responsible approach to urban lighting. At the same time, careful consideration of compliance with lighting standards and site-specific responses at high-risk sites will ensure a best-practice outcome.
The benefits of adaptive dimming extend beyond sustainability providing significant cost savings. Modelling demonstrates that application of adaptive dimming on major road can generate 15 to 20% energy savings. This equals to approximately $20 per main roads luminaire per year. For example, an average council with 5,000 streetlights on main roads can expect to save $100,000 per year on reduced electricity costs.
Additional cost reductions can be achieved by removing over lighting during peak hours (trimming), and the application of constant light output (CLO), resulting in lower energy consumption and reduced maintenance costs.
A case study will illustrate the successful implementation of adaptive dimming in urban settings, demonstrating how it can be integrated into existing streetlight networks using IoT-enabled sensors, showcasing energy savings, reduced carbon footprints, and improved operational efficiencies. It will also demonstrate the difference between “good” and “bad” smart lighting design approaches with a focus on compliance with lighting standards.
Adaptive dimming is poised to become an essential component of sustainability, where streetlights are no longer just a source of illumination but also integral to the city’s infrastructure, enabling data collection, real-time decision-making, and enhanced sustainability.