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Smart lampposts could save EU €2.1 billion and reduce congestion

Posted: 16 March 2018 | | No comments yet

EU programme Sharing Cities is trialling smart lampposts in a handful of European cities currently, but aims to introduce the technology to hundreds of cities in the coming years…

Smart lampposts could save EU €2.1 billion and reduce congestion

A major upgrade project on Europe’s ageing streetlight network would save taxpayers up to €2.1 billion each year, according to the director of an EU smart cities programme.

Europe’s existing lighting network costs €3 billion every year to operate, claim figures from Sharing Cities. Smart lighting could slash electricity costs to just €900 million, while maintenance costs for newer lighting would also fall, as they would be replacing older streetlights, 75 per cent of which are over 25 years old.

Smart lampposts are also data-enabled, potentially helping cities tackle congestion which leads to stifled economic growth and higher levels of pollution. Sensors on smart lampposts collect data on where car parking capacity exists, reducing the amount of time cars spend on the road searching for an available space.

The Sharing Cities programme is testing more than 1,000 smart lampposts in six cities across Europe, with the aim of delivering initial scale-up of up to 56,000 units. It is hoped the test will then be replicated in hundreds of cities across Europe.

“Smart lampposts are a win-win. They help slash energy bills for taxpayers and make cities a more pleasant environment in which to live and work,” said Nathan Pierce, Programme Director, Sharing Cities. “The latest generation of smart streetlighting is helping to tackle some of the issues that city mayors have grappled with for decades. Smart lampposts represent an ingenious way of tackling chronic problems like air pollution and traffic congestion.
“Sharing Cities is pioneering smart lampposts in cities across Europe. We are on the precipice of a smart lamppost revolution. This is just the beginning.”

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