Here’s a chance to see what’s ahead for smart cities when it comes to lighting. Powertech and Current have teamed to create an Intelligent Cities innovation lab at Powertech’s research campus in British Columbia.
The lab will quickly prototype and validate of technologies for high-priority use cases. It will explore smart lighting, sensors, analytics and a real-time monitoring network. Researchers will test the latest connected municipal solutions and give city leaders a place to see and experience intelligent technologies firsthand.
Current, powered by GE, will be the first on display. It features software and sensor-enabled LED lighting powered by Predix, GE’s cloud-based platform for the Industrial Internet. This is the kind of technology that takes the hassle out of parking. Networked LED street lights will have the ability to direct drivers to available spaces with the help of built-in sensors and wireless transceivers. The same street light could serve as a sensor and give warnings in the event of severe weather or other event or help manage traffic and offer residents a faster route home, according to the companies.
The lab will be located in Surry, a community already known for its energy smarts.
“As one of the top seven intelligent communities in the world as named by the Intelligent Communities Forum, Surrey has created a multifaceted program that will leverage a smart infrastructure to save energy and taxpayer dollars,” says Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner. “We believe that the Intelligent City Accelerator at Powertech Labs will help us go further in understanding how truly intelligent infrastructure can advance our sustainability goals, increase public safety and improve services to the public, and help accelerate intelligent visions in other communities as well.”
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Pepco Energy Services has won a 60-building, $80.4 million energy savings performance contract with the United States Navy at Naval Station Great Lakes (NSGL).
The deal includes a $42.4 million investment in new energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy systems.
The energy conservation measures include new LED technology, water conservation, building envelope improvements, 3,000 tons of new cooling capacity, 2.7 MW in solar hybrid systems, new HVAC systems, and retro-commissioning of HVAC systems, among others. In addition to improving 60 buildings, Pepco Energy services will work on a landfill and roadway lighting systems.
Upon completion of construction, the project is expected to generate about $4 million per year in guaranteed energy savings and $79.9 million during the 16.5-year performance period of the task order. Construction is expected to be completed over a two-year period during which time the project will provide another $1.8 million in guaranteed savings to the Navy.
The project also is expected to reduce energy usage at NSGL by 146,500 equivalent MMBtu per year. This is comparable to removing 1,600 cars from the road or planting 2,200 acres of trees.
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