How this connected lighting solution reduces harm from high-intensity street lights

The Internet of Things has come to White Bear Lake, Minnesota, a suburb of St. Paul. And it’s all thanks to technology company, Echelon, who deployed the first “white tunable” connected streetlight, allowing for the dynamic regulation of potentially healthy blue light typically emitted by outdoor lights. Working with the municipal leaders and Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc., a local design firm, Echelon’s Lumewave can be adjusted from lighting that is warm yellow to white-blue, depending on the weather, activity level, and surrounding events. The lighting can be controlled remotely, which may help emergency personnel, security teams, and others during times of emergency. 

“We could raise the brightness and select a more vivid hue during an evening event,” said Mark Burch, Public Works director and city engineer. “With a scheduled scenario, we could shift the lights in that same area to a warmer hue at 2:00 a.m., when there are rarely park visitors other than our nocturnal wildlife. We could also program sensors along with the lights to automatically respond to higher foot traffic or certain weather conditions for optimal visibility.” Burch believes that the technology could supply the power to elevate the level of public safety and quality of life across the community.

While the primary implication of this adjustable LED technology is safety, Ron Sege, Echelon chairman and chief executive officer, also thinks that it paves the way for smart cities to improve quality of life with improved energy efficiency and sustainability goals.

“Municipalities now have the power to create the perfect environment at any given time,” said Sege. “Imagine the improved public safety if all of the streetlights in an area were immediately whiter and brighter when a 911 call was responded to, but otherwise dimmer and more yellow at night for restful sleep. Cities need not compromise safety for comfort or vice versa,” he said.

Echelon is interested in developing more comfortable cities through IoT lighting solutions and claims that their new technology is an example of their commitment, perhaps on the heels of a statement issued by the American Medical Association regarding the harmful effects of high-intensity outdoor LED lighting on both the environment and humans.

The guidelines recommended that communities control blue-rich lighting in an effort to reduce glare and discomfort. Additionally, such lighting can suppress melatonin, which results in poor sleep quality because of the impact on human circadian rhythmicity. The guidelines suggest a nighttime outdoor street light color temperature of no more than 3,000 Kelvin.

Conversely, if lighting is too dim or too yellow, there is a concern for public safety. LED street lights are supported by the Department of Energy because of their lower energy consumption (roughly 50% less) and longer lifespan, making them both more energy efficient and less expensive. City managers are then forced to choose between lights that may cause health problems and an affordable lighting solution — often, health versus safety. Echelon believes that their LED lighting solution allows for cities to have both.

“Being the first to try this new technology and see it in action was very rewarding,” said Burch. 

Source: ama-assn.org