Indian Express 10.03.2010
New streetlight system to save energy
Express News Service Tags : New streetlight system, delhi Posted: Wednesday, Mar 10, 2010 at 0151 hrs
New Delhi: In its bid to save more energy, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) launched a remote-controlled street-lighting switch system on Tuesday. The system will work according to the time of the sunrise and sunset at any given location, officials said.Under the automated system, the first of its kind in the country, streetlights can be switched on and off using an Internet-enabled main server located in the heart of the city.
Officials said the first phase of the streetlight upgrade project became operational from Tuesday and will cover a distance of 101 km on 52 roads, including main roads like Lodhi Road, Bhishma Pitah Marg and Jawaharlal Nehru Marg. In the first phase, around 2,235 such light poles have been erected.
“The system is based on global satellite monitoring and general packet radio service, similar to the one on which mobile phones work. While the system eliminates manual or timer-based operation of streetlights, the lights are automatically turned on and off according to the time of sunrise and sunset. This conserves energy and reduces carbon dioxide emissions,” MCD Commissioner K S Mehra, who inaugurated the project at the civic body’s Ambedkar Stadium office, said.
The central server will be located at the Civic Centre, the new headquarters of the MCD on Minto Road.
The project is being implemented by a consortium of companies; Phillips Electronics Ltd, BP Project Pvt Ltd and Sweka Power-Tech Engineers Pvt Ltd. Delhi-based Sweka is responsible for developing the software and the related technology.
The second phase of the project, covering an additional 157 km and 107 roads, is slated for completion by May.
