Background:
Digitization pushes the use of dynamic control in public lighting infrastructure as it offers various benefits, such as flexible, on-demand lighting and therefore decreased power consumption and light pollution. These, in turn, cause positive effects on climate and wildlife. However, the municipal authorities responsible for operating and maintaining public lighting infrastructure currently face the challenge of incompatibility between used components due to phased procurement processes. An open communication standard could address this issue. Additionally, discontinuing proprietary control servers would ensure data control and the resilience of critical infrastructure. While operators in cities are expected to benefit the most from an open standard, manufacturers and system providers are supplied with a reliable foundation for creating compatible, scalable products.
Aim:
TU Berlin and TU Darmstadt Institutes, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) and supported by associated industry and municipality partners, therefore strive to develop an open communication standard for the networking of light points in public lighting systems. FZD-IAD takes part in the human-centered development by assessing user requirements and evaluating the standard.
