NYPA partners with Signify to install 500,000 connected LED streetlights in New York

The New York Power Authority has partnered with Signify, a world leader in lighting, to support “Smart Street Lighting NY,” a statewide program that calls for at least 500,000 streetlights throughout the state to be replaced with energy-efficient LED technology by 2025.

Through the program, NYPA provides financial, logistical, technical and informational support for cities that want to upgrade their street lighting systems.

With Signify’s connected LED luminaires and Interact City IoT lighting system, cities can reduce their energy consumption and carbon footprint. The technology can also play a role in making cities more livable with new services and safe for citizens. To date, more than 50,000 LED streetlights have been installed or are currently being installed under the program.

NYPA said its collaboration with a growing number of municipalities in New York demonstrates the important role that connected street lighting can play in building smart city infrastructure.

Gil Quiniones, NYPA president and CEO, said, “In addition to illumining roadways, street lighting systems are essential vertical assets in smart city deployments. Municipalities can save money on their utility bills and maintenance costs by adopting connected LED lighting while leveraging the value of their street lighting systems for additional benefits.”

According to Abebe Woldemariam, street lighting program coordinator for the City of Rochester, “The Interact City platform opens up a variety of options for city maintenance and governance. We can now remotely monitor the system via a central dashboard, identifying required maintenance very quickly. Should any glitch occur, the system proactively prompts managers even before our residents have noticed, and that’s a big plus.”

A press release said, “As part of the project, NYPA devised an innovative financing model that offers municipalities low-rate loans for lighting conversions, including the option to buy the physical street lighting assets from local utilities. Signify acts not only as a technology provider, but as a trusted adviser to and strategic partner of NYPA and participating municipal governments.”

“Urbanization, digitalization and sustainability continue to drive key actions associated with smart city engagement,” said Martin Stephenson, head of North America systems and services for Signify. “Signify is extremely excited to be partnering with NYPA to support the delivery of our connected lighting systems and benefits far beyond pure illumination to the people in the towns and cities of New York state. Through NYPA and Signify’s shared vision, communities can improve light quality, generate significant energy savings, and improve citizen safety and well-being using leading-edge technologies.”

Making Cities More Livable & Safer with a Connected Infrastructure

While lighting is only one aspect of a total smart city ecosystem, it can lay the groundwork for citywide connected infrastructure. Once connected streetlights are installed and managed with Interact City, a municipality can add sensors to monitor various aspects of the system and environment, improving urban quality of life and management. By deploying streetlight tilt/vibration and noise sensors on connected streetlights, cities can help protect roads and drivers by rectifying streetlights and poles when they are out of position and identify areas where noise reduction measures are needed. With its open APIs, Interact City can share data collected via sensors with the IT systems of firefighters, emergency medical services and other first responders, enabling them to react quickly when incidents occur. In addition, streetlight smart poles like BrightSites can serve as suitable places on which to hang cellular equipment bundles and host Wi-Fi transmitters for online access or even act as charging stations for electronic vehicles.

Signify’s development of connected lighting systems, including Interact City, is based on a certified secure development process, which has been certified by DEKRA (IEC62443-4-1).

For more information about Smart Street Lighting NY and Signify’s Interact City connected lighting platform, read the case study: “Street lighting for the people, of the people, and by the people.”

Join NYPA, Signify, The Climate Group and Northeast Group for a webinar on “LED Scale-Up: Smart Infrastructure,” taking place at noon ET on June 24.