Background
Nijmegen, one of the oldest and densely populated cities in the Netherlands, constructed a new city ring road (s100) in the year 2013. The road stretches from national the highway through to the heart of the city and is aimed at facilitating a better traffic flow. As Nijmegen is reputed for adopting smart solutions and has won several awards for being clean and green, the municipality envisioned this road to be environmentally friendly through the use of intelligent solutions.
”City of Nijmegen is committed to energy efficiency in outdoor lighting without compromising on lighting quality and public safety.
Gerald van MeijgaardenPublic Lighting Quality Manager
Challenge
This new road was enjoyed by the citizens and visitors, however the emerging issues could not be ignored. During the late night hours, the road usage was limited. However all the streetlights were illuminating at the full brightness which represented a significant waste of energy. Turning-off these lights would mean endangering the road-users and compromising their safety. Furthermore, several car-drivers complained that the lamps appeared too bright, especially during the normal weather conditions. Maximum level of brightness would only be necessary during poor weather conditions, such as heavy fog or rain. There were no methods to adjust the brightness level of lamps once they have been set. The city was looking for a solution that would intelligently adapt the lighting levels based on the weather conditions and traffic density. Furthermore, Nijmegen was facing frequent traffic congestions and was searching for real-time traffic information system so as to take corrective actions when necessary. The city aspired a solution that would not only solve the current challenges, but also help them create a foundation for a smart city.
Solution
Benefits
City
- Significant reduction in energy usage without compromising vehicular safety
- Adaptive lighting control during low traffic hours to save further energy
- City gains control by better view on traffic flow, energy usage, lamp status and maintenance needs
- Reduced maintenance costs of up to 50% through increased lamp lifetime and smarter maintenance planning
Citizens
- Maintained sense of safety
- Right amount of light when and where it is needed
- Reduced skyglow
- Better traffic flow
Planet
- Reduced CO2 emissions
- Reduced light pollution
- Adapts to environmental changes
