Skip to main content

San Diego to deploy smart streetlights

The City of San Diego, California, is partnering with GE to upgrade streetlights in a bid to reduce energy costs by 60 per cent as well as transform them into a connected digital network that can optimise parking and traffic, enhance public safety and track air quality. The City will be installing 3,200 smart sensor nodes that can use real-time anonymous sensor data to direct drivers to open parking spaces, help first responders during emergencies, track carbon emissions and identify intersections that c
February 24, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
The City of San Diego, California, is partnering with GE to upgrade streetlights in a bid to reduce energy costs by 60 per cent as well as transform them into a connected digital network that can optimise parking and traffic, enhance public safety and track air quality.

The City will be installing 3,200 smart sensor nodes that can use real-time anonymous sensor data to direct drivers to open parking spaces, help first responders during emergencies, track carbon emissions and identify intersections that can be improved for pedestrians and cyclists.

The anonymous information from the sensors can be used by developers to create apps and software that can benefit the community.

Additionally, the City will be replacing 14,000 streetlights with more energy efficient versions, which is expected to reduce energy costs by US$2.4 million annually. These streetlights include technology that allows for manually or automatically dimming and brightening in public venues, depending on natural light conditions.

The City expects the project to achieve an estimated 60 per cent reduction in energy. In addition to reducing overall greenhouse gas emissions, the streetlights are also intended to reduce light pollution.

An adaptive control system captures real time interval data, monitoring and notifications for maintenance purposes and also provides GPS coordinates at each fixture. Over the life of each fixture the system automatically ramps up power as needed to meet specified lighting standards.

Related Content

  • Study looks at air quality impacts of low carbon buses
    December 11, 2013
    A new report prepared by Ricardo for the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (LowCVP) to review the air quality impacts arising from the recent rapid increase in the number of low carbon buses in the UK recommends that the legislation needs to consider hybrid technology impacts in the test processes to avoid potential unintended consequences in terms of local emissions. As they mainly operate in urban areas, local emissions from buses are of particular significance. Reviewing worldwide test processes for
  • The sunshine subsidy for Colorado’s tollways
    January 10, 2014
    David Crawford reports on energy cost cutting on US highways. Just over a year after switch-on and with two global awards under its belt, the longest solar-powered toll road in the US is generating heightened interest in highway applications of alternative energy. The E-407, which loops around the eastern perimeter of the Denver metropolitan area in Colorado, won the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) President’s Overall Award for Excellence at its September 2013 Annual Meeting in
  • Developing integrated transport networks
    September 20, 2012
    A major initiative in managing numerous transport networks as a single system has moved into a significant phase with design of sophisticated new ITS systems. Jon Masters reports. Detailed design work is under way on two pilot projects pursuing a common principle – that transportation can be made more efficient or effective if the various networks and modes of travel are managed as a whole system. This is the central tenet of the US Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Integrated Corridor Management (ICM)
  • How ITS helped Coachella get its groove back
    November 15, 2024
    California’s Coachella Valley attracts visitors to myriad music and sports events. But now an ambitious traffic management initiative aims to cut travel times and reduce emissions. Adam Hill talks to the engineers involved in the massive CV Sync project