Powering Up the Urban Landscape: Smart Electric Poles and Extensions

3 Minute Read
Modern urban electric pole featuring multiple sensors, LED lighting, and wireless communication technology in a cityscape

Smart poles are becoming increasingly common, as they not only promise a prosperous urban future but are also becoming its direct agent. Being an indispensable piece of the smart city puzzle, they launch a deep and comprehensive transformation of processes, representing a dense layer of advanced technologies.

For example, in the United Kingdom, governing bodies of many cities, as well as other organizations like the University of Bristol, are implementing initiatives aimed at presenting smart cities as eco-friendly spaces for living, connected to the global digital economy. This is true for Glasgow, whose eco-smart management system should involve analysis centers, local services, and information repositories to build a comfortable and safe environment.1

To enable smart poles to perform their tasks, it is necessary to provide them with uninterrupted power supply. Let's examine how this is addressed.

Detailed view of smart electric pole retrofitting, showing technology upgrades to existing urban infrastructure

Accessible Power for Advanced Technology

Devices that respond to and collect data about the environment need to be ubiquitous — otherwise, the process will be fragmented and irrelevant to the urban project's goals. Smart poles and intelligent lighting are designed to reduce energy waste — which is why eco-friendliness is often placed on par with these innovations — and a drastic increase in consumption would outweigh the positive aspects of smart poles.

Smart poles are powered by urban electrical networks that transport energy from substations to transformers, and then to consumers. In cities, the electrical grid is typically represented by cable lines laid underground. Overhead lines are sometimes encountered, but they are not typical for the landscape of modern developed spaces.

Usually, power supply units are used to power lighting devices, which stabilize voltage, ensuring reliable operation and extending the service life of luminaires. Modern solutions simplify this process — our smart poles connect directly to the urban electrical grid, using the necessary energy and stabilizing voltage, even with fluctuations up to 305 volts. At the same time, modern components of LED lamp fixtures or smart poles are characterized by extended functionality while consuming relatively little energy.

 Technical diagram illustrating power distribution and voltage stabilization for intelligent urban lighting networks

Power and Data of Smart Poles — Direct Integration

Devices that "bring to life" the smart lamp system — intelligent controllers and sensors — are powered by the network to which the lamp is connected, offering various power options. For example, the Zhaga LoRa Node for unparalleled lighting control in cellular networks is compatible with 12-30 Volt DC power sources for various installation conditions. The miniature controller uses existing wiring already laid for powering lamps, which reduces costs for large-scale installation and operation. Compliance with Zhaga standards guarantees compatibility with various street lighting systems.

To ensure uninterrupted operation of smart poles and connected nodes in case of power outages, backup power from batteries is used. This allows continued notification, maintaining safety, and collecting data using a sensor array. Streaming, up-to-date information about the environment, collected by smart poles, can be used to improve urban services and is valuable for companies, both local and global. The poles themselves, thanks to connection to existing networks, are easily integrated into the city's infrastructure.

Conclusion

City Transformation Without Heavy-Duty Work

Smart poles are carefully appearing in both megacities and small resort towns, without plunging them into chaos with construction equipment noise and blocked streets. Already used lighting supports can be "upgraded" to smart poles with minimal costs, while having multiple usage options for the city — from excellently functioning notifications and intelligent lighting to comprehensive monitoring of weather, noise levels, and radiation. A complete deployment from scratch is also powered by the urban electrical grid, adapting to the individual requirements of the city and becoming a beacon of the future.

References

  1. SMART-ECO CITIES IN THE UK: TRENDS AND CITY PROFILES 2016 — Federico Caprotti, Robert Cowley, Andrew Flynn, Simon Joss, Li Yu