Performances of Adaptive Lighting Systems in real time, tested in the Large Test Sites in Rome, Piacenza and Rimini by the LIFE-DIADEME project, shown a reduction in energy consumption and emissions of extreme relevance, compared with Pre-Programmed Systems, currently in use in the most advanced public lighting systems, and even greater if compared with systems without such regulation, so-called Full Light.
At the beginning of the project, the most ambitious expectations outlined reductions of about 30%, but the first applications immediately showed some considerable difficulties arising, for example, from the choice of suitable materials for the detection of a large amount of data.
The experimentation of technologies and materials, in four years of work, led to incredible results, starting from the selection of the best components and solutions able to assure great performances, as necessary. The monitoring of road traffic, the detection of luminance, weather conditions and pollutants, together with the search for low-cost sensors fit to report correct data, the study of suitable solutions to apply the best technologies to the existing lamps and, finally, the choice of the best performing communication and data management systems, required enormous efforts from the staff involved in the realization of the project.
Within the 4 Large Test Sites in Rome, Piacenza and Rimini, 962 DIADEME Standard Devices were installed for the measurement of temperature, air pressure, luminance, environmental noise and traffic flows and for data communication through Radio Mesh and Conveyed Waves. 33 LTM, on the other hand, take care of traffic measurements, road luminance and weather conditions. 49 Air Quality Sensor, built in with electrochemical low-cost sensors, finally, detect NO2, O3, CO and NO level,humidity, temperature and atmospheric pressure. For a final control, the collected data are compared and enhanced with reference to LTM computer vision.
After months of technical improvements in the field, of data gathering and appliances tests, results began to highlight the first success: energy saving and CO2 emissions reduction of the DIADEME Systems, compared with Pre-programmed installations, reach 40,6%. And compared with Full Light installations, they reach 57%.
These reductions appear even more relevant because they have been obtained on recent plants with LED lamps.
Last but not least, the high added value of the amount of data collected is to be noted: traffic flows, air quality, environmental noise, weather conditions; useful data on one hand to promote the reduction of the environmental impact in urban environment and the improvement of road safety, on the other hand to be used for the creation of information systems (Dashboards) for public bodies to provide innovative services for citizens and companies, typical Smart Cities scenario.
Finally, it is perhaps useful to remember the particular praise given to LIFE-DIADEME by the Representative of the European Commission during the recent project Final Conference for the brilliant results achieved.
