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Department:
Josh Handley, Innovation Manager

Joshua Pace, Senior Contracting Specialist
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City and Springs Utilities testing smart streetlight controllers for energy and operational efficiencies

The City of Colorado Springs and Colorado Springs Utilities (Springs Utilities) are collaborating through their joint SmartCOS program to implement a pilot smart streetlight project. Fifty smart streetlight controllers are being installed on existing LED streetlights around Colorado Springs. A group of 22 will be located along Pikes Peak Ave. between Hancock Ave. and Union Blvd. north of Memorial Park. The remaining controllers will go in various locations around the city where existing LED lights are located.

Smart Controllers

The smart streetlight controllers will receive and transfer streetlight related data through a secure cellular network. The smart controllers used in this pilot project will allow the City to:

  • Remotely operate and control light levels
  • Program lights to turn on and off, or dim to adapt to time of night, season, or event
  • Monitor energy consumption data
  • Receive notifications when a light goes out, and its exact location
  • Enable future SmartCOS solutions

Goals

The goal of the pilot project is to collect data and analytics on streetlight usage to plan for the conversion of the city’s streetlight infrastructure. The City and Springs Utilities want to establish a clear growth plan for streetlight advancement focused on energy and operational efficiency, asset management, reduced operation and maintenance costs, and future smart city technology.

Ultimately, smart LED streetlights:

  • Reduce energy use
  • Create safer environments
  • Enhance asset management
  • Lower operations and maintenance costs

The cost of the smart streetlight controller pilot, including the controllers and consulting fees, is $33,250. The pilot is funded by the City of Colorado Springs Office of Innovation. Following the six-month pilot project, the City and Springs Utilities will assess results, scalability, and costs to potentially integrate smart controllers and accelerate the conversion of Colorado Springs’ streetlights to LEDs

Current street lighting

The City pays $4 million annually for Springs Utilities to maintain approximately 29,000 streetlights in Colorado Springs. Approximately 10 percent of those streetlights have been converted to LEDs. Approximately 600 of the LEDs can integrate smart city technologies like the smart controllers. Through the SmartCOS program, the City and Springs Utilities standardized the use of LED fixtures that can enable future smart technologies for all new and replaced streetlights.

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Final Report