Emerging Technologies
This covers emerging technologies for lamps, luminaires and control systems used for road and public lighting.
LED Luminaire Technologies
(Abstract)
The term Solid State Lighting (SSL) is the general term used internationally to describe a family of new generation optoelectronic light source technologies. These technologies include the separate approaches of RGBLED, OLED and WLED. In New Zealand the general term in common usage is simply LED, even though this description only accurately defines one particular version.
As of early 2010, white light LED luminaires are most suited (both technically and economically) to road and public space lighting applications requiring lower light levels such as minor residential roads, cycleways and walkways. At this stage, the lifecycle cost/benefit balance is unlikely to favour LED luminaires for applications requiring higher light levels.
Major international LED R&D investment is generating technology developments at a very rapid rate. Improvements in both colour performance and luminous efficacy are emerging constantly.
For efficient LED road lighting, the goal is the same as that for all other technologies: to deliver a Standards compliant solution with maximised column spacings with minimised luminaire wattages, over a 20-30 year asset life.
Such approaches not only deliver the lowest energy densities per km of roadway, but minimise environmental impacts and total cost of ownershop (TCO).
Control Systems Technologies
(Abstract)
Pressures to deliver higher service levels achieve greater efficiencies and to reduce costs has lead to an increased focus on technologies that can moderate the light output of luminaires and lighting networks in an effort to reduce energy usage and minimise environmental impacts.
Some types of stand-alone dimming control gear operate independantly and some are full Central Management Systems (CMS) that offer two-way control, monitoring and metering functionality.
For councils, road lighting is usually the single largest category of energy use and CO2 emmisions generation. Improved management and significant change is unlikely to be possible without effective measurement and thus control system offer good potential for advancement.
Control systems for public lighting are not new internationally, but rapidly improving cost/benefit ratios and more stringent regulatory conditions in some countries has accelerated the pace of application.
Concurrent with IT developments in lighting controls there are many developments happening with other city services such as CCTV security , webcams, traffic sensing, weather sensing, traffic signals, parking management, messaging, advertising etc. Care needs to be taken by city planners to look to the future to consider the IT approaches needed to create integrated city systems that will interact conherently, productively and economically.